How much does a USAA credit card cash advance cost?

You can get cash from a credit card through rewards redemption or by doing a cash advance. Rewards are the better option because they actually save you money. Cash advances have very high fees and interest, so they’re more of a last resort than anything else. If you do get one, you’ll want to pay it back as quickly as possible.… read full answer

Here’s how to get cash from a credit card:

• Earn and redeem rewards: There are lots of cash back credit cards. Typically, they’ll give you at least 1% cash back on all purchases, and sometimes higher rates on specific categories of purchases.
• Do a cash advance: You can make an ATM withdrawal with your credit card to turn some of your available credit into cash. You just need to get a PIN from the card’s issuer. You can withdraw up to the “cash advance limit” listed on your statement. But cash advances are expensive – you can expect a hefty fee and a high APR that starts costing you right away. There’s no grace period. You can also get cash from a bank branch by presenting your credit card and a government-issued photo ID to the bank teller, or with a cash advance check sent to you either automatically by the issuer or by your own request.Store credit cards generally do not allow cash advances.
• At the register: Some credit cards don’t work like this, but Discover has a feature called Cash at Checkout, which allows you to get cash from the register when you check out at about 70 different chains nationwide with any Discover card. The Cash at Checkout feature is limited to $120 every 24 hours, with no monthly limit. The cash you take out will be treated as a purchase, and won’t be subject to any transaction or ATM fees. Another option is the Walmart® Store Card which allows you to withdraw up to $20 each time you make a purchase at a Walmart store location. This is also treated as a purchase, not a cash advance.

So, cash advances are not an attractive option, but there are a ton of attractive cash rewards credit cards on the market.

A credit card cash advance limit is the maximum amount a credit card user can withdraw from the card’s full credit line as a cash advance. Your credit card cash advance limit will be a certain percentage of your whole credit card limit. Some reports online suggest the rule of thumb for cash advance limits is 20% of your credit card limit, but it can vary based on the card issuer.… read full answer

Note that you will need a PIN to get a cash advance from an ATM. Notoriously high APRs and fees also mean that doing a credit card cash advance should be reserved for emergency situations only.

The cash advance limit is also called “cash credit line” or “cash access line,” depending on the card issuer. They all refer to the same thing.

You can get cash back from a credit card by earning cash back rewards on purchases or taking out a cash advance. But most credit cards do not allow you to get cash back at the register when checking out at a store. That’s more of a debit card thing, though there are a few exceptions. For example, Discover cards have a feature that allows cash back at some store registers.… read full answer

Cash rewards credit cards give you a percentage of your purchases back as a statement credit, check or a deposit into your bank account. Cash advances, on the other hand, allow you to withdraw money from your credit line. Cash back rewards essentially have zero drawbacks, as long as they don’t lead you to overspend, but cash advances usually come with very high interest rates and fees.

For either option, it’s good to know what you’re getting into so you can maximize the pros and dodge the cons.

Here’s how to get cash back from a credit card:

• Cash back rewards. Cash back is one of three major credit card rewards currencies, along with points and miles. And cash back is the simplest of the trio. You’ll generally earn at least 1% cash back on every purchase, or 1 cent for every $1 you spend. Some cards also offer higher rates in specific bonus spending categories.

• Mobile payment app. Applications such as Venmo and Cash App allow you to add your credit card for funding, and both charge a 3% fee every time you send a payment with a credit card to a person you’re connected with on the app. So it’s possible to make a payment to a friend or family member in the app via your credit card and have the person give you that money in return, either as cash or as credit through the app. If you link your checking account to the app, you could then transfer the funds there and make an ATM withdrawal. This method could potentially allow you to get cash from your credit card without paying a cash advance fee or a cash advance APR. That said, the Venmo website suggests that your card issuer could see this as a cash advance, so it’s best to call your card issuer and find out before trying this.

• Cash advance. A cash advance lets you use your credit card like it’s a debit card and take money out of an ATM. But there’s a huge catch. First, you’re going to have to pay a fee, often 3-5% of the amount you take out. And then on top of that, the credit card company immediately starts charging you interest on both the balance and the fee, at a rate usually above 20%. That interest compounds daily, too, meaning interest applies each day to your principal balance and any unpaid interest and fees from previous days. In other words, cash advances are expensive. To do a cash advance, you’ll either need to call the number on the back of your card to set up your PIN (which will make the card usable at an ATM), or go to a bank location associated with your credit card company and ask the teller in person, with your valid photo ID. You can also request credit access checks from your card issuer, which operate like normal checks except the funds come out of your credit line.

Cash advances in general are a pretty undesirable option, and you should only do one if you’re in an emergency and need cash right away.

On the other hand, cash back credit cards are everywhere, and there’s no financial risk involved in using one responsibly. Plus, they’re available to people of all credit levels. And they’re also the only type of reward that can’t be devalued by the credit card company, because you’re just earning money - $1 will always be $1.

• For excellent credit: Citi® Double Cash Card – 18 month BT offer
• For good credit: Chase Freedom Flex℠
• For fair to limited credit: Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards Credit Card
• For rebuilding credit: Discover it® Secured Credit Card
• For students: Journey Student Rewards from Capital One
• For business: Capital One® Spark® Cash for Business