Navy Federal Credit Card Reviews

You can request to do a Navy Federal balance transfer when you apply for any NFCU credit card. If you already have a Navy Federal card, you can make a transfer request through your online account. The Navy Federal balance transfer fee is $0 (for all cards). The NFCU balance transfer APR could be as low as 0% (intro) or as high as 18% (V), depending on the card.

The best Navy Federal balance transfer credit card is the NFCU Platinum Card because it offers 0% for 12 months on balance transfers and has a $0 annual fee in addition to its $0 transfer fee. There are no other 0% balance transfer credit cards from Navy Federal. But all NFCU cards have fairly low regular APRs.

Navy Federal Balance Transfers:

• Best balance transfer card: The Navy Federal Platinum Card offers 0% for 12 months on balance transfers. No other NFCU cards have 0% rates, but regular APRs range from 7.74% - 18% (V).
• Fees: No balance transfer fees on any Navy Federal credit card.
• Timeline: It should take about two weeks for your Navy Federal balance transfer to be completed.
• Ways to request: You can ask for a balance transfer on the application for a new NFCU card. You can request one for an existing card online or through the mobile app.
• Information required: You need the account number for the balance you're transferring, plus the name and address of that account's issuer, along with the amount you want to transfer.
• How to request online: Sign in to your account. Click the “Transfers” tab. Click “Make a Credit Card Balance Transfer” at the bottom right. Fill in the required information. Submit your request.
• How to request in-app: In the Navy Federal Credit Union mobile app, go to “Account Management,” then “Balance Transfer.” Input the required information and submit your request.

If you do a Navy Federal balance transfer, be sure to continue making monthly payments to your old issuer if the due date comes up before your balance transfer is completed. Otherwise, you risk being marked as late. Any additional payments you make to your old issuer will be credited to your NFCU card once the transfer processes.

Navy Federal credit card approval requirements include a credit score of at least 700, in most cases. The NFCU Go Rewards, Platinum and More Rewards cards all require a 700+ credit score for approval, as do a few other offers. But the NFCU Flagship Rewards card requires an excellent credit score (750+). The easiest Navy Federal card to get is the NFCU Rewards Secured Credit Card. You can qualify with a credit score of 600 or less.

To apply for a Navy Federal Credit Union credit card, you have to be an NFCU member. To be eligible for NFCU membership, you or one of your family members must have ties to the armed forces, National Guard or Department of Defense. This includes active duty personnel, officer candidates, reservists and veterans. If none of these apply, call 1 (888) 842-6328 or visit a local Navy Federal branch for assistance.

There is a lot of information required on NFCU credit card applications. You will have to provide your name, address and birthdate, for starters. The address must be a physical U.S. location and not a P.O. Box. You also need to list either your Social Security Number (SSN) or Individual Tax Identification Number (ITIN). Applicants must be U.S. citizens and at least 18 years old to be eligible. If you're under 21, you need proof of an independent income sufficient enough to make payments.

All applicants must include their employment status, monthly rent or mortgage payment, and annual income. You don't need a full-time job to qualify for a card, but you will need to report the sources of any income. This could be part-time salary or wages, rental income, retirement benefits, interest and/or dividend income, and more.

Perhaps most importantly, Navy Federal will verify your credit history and ability to pay. Your credit score, income, debt level and other factors will help determine if you're approved. This information will also play a role in setting your interest rate and credit limit.

With your Navy Federal credit card and PIN, you can get cash advances at any ATM displaying the Visa or Mastercard logo, depending on which type of card you have from NFCU.

You can request or reset a PIN online at navyfederal.org or at a local branch. You can also call 888-842-6328 for assistance. There is no cash advance fee if you use your credit card at a Navy Federal ATM.

However, you will be charged a $0.50 fee per transaction at ATMs not owned by Navy Federal. The ATM's owner may also charge you a separate user fee. Additionally, credit card cash advances can become really expensive, as interest begins to accrue from the moment you withdraw the money.

The Navy Federal cash advance APR is a maximum of 18% (V) on all of its cards that allow cash advances. But some cards express the cash advance APR as a range starting lower. For example, the cash advance APR can be 7.99% - 18% (V) on the NFCU Platinum Credit Card. Check your monthly statement to see what your exact cash advance APR is.

It's best to avoid credit card cash advances unless it's an absolute emergency.

You need to wait for at least 3 months after opening your account before asking Navy Federal for a credit limit increase. You should also wait a minimum of 3 months in between future credit limit increase requests. If you request a credit limit increase, you will be asked to give Navy Federal permission to do a hard pull of your credit report. This lets them assess your creditworthiness. The hard pull will cause your credit score to dip a few points. But your score should rebound quickly if you continue to use your card responsibly.

To request an NFCU credit limit increase, you can log in to your online account or send a secure message through online banking. You can also call customer service at 1 (888) 842-6328. Be prepared to provide your employment status, annual income and the amount of your monthly rent or mortgage payment.

Navy Federal may also extend you an automatic credit limit increase – as often as once every six months but probably not so frequently. The evaluation for an automatic increase uses a soft credit pull, which does not affect your credit score. While Navy Federal will periodically review your account, there's no guarantee they will give you an automatic increase. You can help your chances by always paying on time and keeping your credit utilization below 30%.

Navy Federal foreign transaction fees are $0. As of January 4^th, 2016, Navy Federal Credit Union removed foreign transaction fees from all of their credit cards. Other than NFCU, the only major credit card companies with $0 foreign fees on all cards are Capital One, Discover, USAA, and PenFed. Almost all Navy Federal credit cards also have $0 annual fees.

The best Navy Federal credit card for international travel is the NFCU Visa Signature Flagship card because it has a $0 foreign transaction fee and gives good travel rewards. You'll earn 3 points per dollar spent on travel and 2 points per dollar spent on everything else. Even better, you can get a 50,000-point bonus (worth $500) once you spend $4,000 in the first three months. While the card does have a $49 annual fee, it's waived the first year, so you can see if the account is worth it before you have to pay.