SunTrust Credit Cards

You can redeem SunTrust rewards for statement credits, deposits into a SunTrust bank account, travel purchases, gift cards, or merchandise by logging in to your SunTrust account and navigating to the rewards redemption section of their website. You can also redeem rewards through the SunTrust mobile app or by calling the Rewards Redemption Center at (800) 255-7125. But if you redeem for travel over the phone, there's a $25 service fee.  

SunTrust has three rewards-earning consumer credit cards, all of which accrue so-called “Cash Rewards credits” at different rates. You can start redeeming for cash back when you have the equivalent of $5 in Cash Rewards credits saved up. And if you redeem credits from any SunTrust credit card for a deposit into your SunTrust checking, savings or money market account, you'll get a “Loyalty Cash Bonus.” The bonus could be 10%, 25% or 50% of your redemption, depending on the balances in all your SunTrust deposit accounts. Higher balances mean a higher bonus.

There are differences between SunTrust's rewards cards when it comes to redemption, though. For example, the SunTrust Travel Rewards Credit Card will get you a better redemption rate on travel than the other two SunTrust credit cards. And cash redemptions into a SunTrust deposit account are always worth more than getting a normal statement credit.   

As for the merchandise you can get with your credits, SunTrust has quite a few options: high-end sunglasses, Amazon gift cards and branded merchandise, event tickets, jewelry, handbags, FitBits, and more. If you don't have enough SunTrust Cash Rewards credits for an item, you can always use a combination of rewards and your credit card.

If you have any trouble redeeming your rewards, call SunTrust rewards customer service at (800) 255-7125.

You can apply for a SunTrust credit card online, by phone (800-279-4824), or by visiting a SunTrust branch. To apply, just provide your personal information, including your name, address, Social Security number, date of birth, and other info requested. It takes about 5 minutes to fill out an application, and applicants often get an immediate decision when applying online or in person. If you don't get an instant decision, contact customer service at 800-786-8787 to check on the status of your application.

Most SunTrust credit cards require at least good credit, which is a credit score of at least 700. However, the SunTrust Secured Card is available for applicants who do not meet that criteria.

The SunTrust foreign transaction fee is 0% for all SunTrust credit cards. Foreign transaction fees are in play both when traveling abroad and when making purchases from internationally based merchants, so SunTrust credit cards will definitely serve you well in that regard.

Here are the SunTrust credit card foreign transaction fees:

• SunTrust Travel Rewards Credit Card: 0% foreign transaction fee
• SunTrust Cash Rewards Credit Card: 0% foreign transaction fee
• SunTrust Prime Rewards Credit Card: 0% foreign transaction fee
• SunTrust Secured Credit Card: 0% foreign transaction fee

The best SunTrust credit card with no foreign fees is the SunTrust Travel Rewards Credit Card because it offers 3% cash back on travel, 2% on dining and 1% on all other purchases . SunTrust Travel Rewards Credit Card also has a bonus of $250 statement credit after spending $3,000 in the first 3 months. That's in addition to a statement credit every five years to cover the application fee for either Global Entry or TSA Pre-Check. This card has an annual fee of $0 1st yr, $89 after. If you'd rather not worry about annual fees, the SunTrust Cash Rewards Credit Card features a $0 annual fee. Plus, it offers extensive cash back rewards: 5% cash back on gas and groceries up to $6,000 in the first 12 months (2% thereafter), 1% on all other purchases.

If you plan on traveling abroad or making online purchases from foreign merchants, SunTrust credit cards are fit for purpose. But all of SunTrust's unsecured cards require excellent credit (750+) for approval. SunTrust Secured Credit Card is designed for people with bad credit, so you can still benefit from a 0% foreign transaction fee if you need to rebuild your credit.