Pros
- Multiple redemption options
- Higher-than-average earning rate (balances out low point values)
- Rewards bonuses for PNC banking members
Cons
- No transfer partners
- Low point values
- Only one credit card
PNC Points Rewards Review Summary
PNC Points Rewards is the 14th best credit card rewards program, according to WalletHub's latest comparison, receiving 82 points out of a possible 100. The PNC Points Rewards program features only one credit card, the PNC Points Visa® Credit Card, which provides points that are worth 0.14 cents to 0.36 cents each, depending on how they’re redeemed. There are several redemption options, from travel to merchandise to gift cards.
PNC Points Rewards Review Scorecard
#18 for Earning Policies
#25 for Redemption Policies
#1 for Rewards Value per Point
#1 for Eligibility & Transparency
PNC Points Rewards Credit Card
PNC Points Visa® Credit Card
Transfer Fee: 3% (min $5)
Rewards Details
- Earn 50,000 bonus points after you make $750 or more in purchases during the first 3 billing cycles following account opening.
- Earn 4 points for every $1 in qualifying purchases. There’s no limit to the number of points you can earn.
- Redeem points for cash rewards, merchandise, gift cards, travel and more. All points expire at the end of the month, 48 months after they were added to your PNC points account.
- Earn 25% bonus points on base points you earn in a billing cycle when you maintain a Virtual Wallet, Virtual Wallet Student, Virtual Wallet Performance Spend, Virtual Wallet Performance Select, Performance or Performance Select checking account.
- Earn 50% bonus points on base points you earn in a billing cycle when you maintain a Performance Checking account OR Virtual Wallet with Performance Spend and meet minimum balance or direct deposit requirements.
- Earn 75% bonus points on base points you earn in a billing cycle when you maintain a Performance Select Checking account OR Virtual Wallet with Performance Select and meet minimum balance or direct deposit requirements.
Additional Info
- 0% Introductory APR and 3% intro fee (4% after) on balance transfers that post to your account within 90 days of account opening.
- Electronic Bill Payment and Online Account Tools to manage transactions, rewards, balances or payments
- $0 Fraud Liability
- More Details & Reviews About PNC Points Visa® Credit Card
Summary: PNC Points Rewards Scores by Review Category
| Category | Score |
|---|---|
| Earning Policies | 24/30 |
| Redemption Policies | 8/20 |
| Rewards Value per Point | 30/30 |
| Eligibility & Transparency | 20/20 |
| OVERALL | 82/100 |
How to Earn PNC Points Rewards
Category Rating: 78% (24/30)
You will earn 4 points per $1 spent with the PNC Points Visa® Credit Card. There’s no limit on how many points you can earn.
Noteworthy Features:
- Rewards bonuses for PNC banking customers: You can earn between 25% and 75% more points if you have an eligible PNC Bank checking account or virtual wallet and you meet minimum deposit and balance requirements.
Earning Restrictions to Watch Out For: Points expire 48 months after they appear in your account.
How to Redeem PNC Points Rewards
Category Rating: 41% (8/20)
The best way to redeem PNC points is to use them for travel because it gives the greatest value per point out of all the options. In most cases, the difference is only tenths of a cent, though. Below, you can see more details on the different redemption options offered by the PNC Points Rewards program.
Travel
You can redeem your points to book new travel, such as flights, hotel stays and car rentals, through your online account.
Cash Back
You can get cash back as a statement credit.
Gift Cards
PNC Points Rewards lets you spend your points to get gift cards from popular retailers like Amazon, Best Buy, Bloomingdale’s, DSW and Home Depot.
Merchandise
You can trade your points for various items, like AirPods and Apple Watches, which will then be shipped to you.
Redemption Restrictions to Watch Out For:
- Points cannot be transferred between accounts: You cannot transfer points from one credit card account to another, even if both are in your name.
- Points cannot be purchased: It is not possible to buy additional points from PNC.
- No transfer partners: PNC Points Rewards does not offer the ability to transfer points to other companies’ loyalty programs.
PNC Points Rewards Value
Category Rating: 100% (30/30)
PNC points are worth 0.14 cents to 0.36 cents each, depending how you redeem them. With the PNC Points Visa® Credit Card card, you will earn 4 points per $1 spent on all purchases.
PNC Points Rewards Redemption Value
| Redemption Options | Value of 1 point |
|---|---|
| Travel | Info |
| Airlines | 0.3 cents |
| Hotels | 0.29 - 0.36 cents |
| Car rentals | 0.28 - 0.34 cents |
| Average | 0.33 cents |
| Cash Back |
Info |
| Statement Credit | 0.2 cents* |
| Average | 0.2 cents |
| Merchandise |
Info |
| iPhone 12 Pro Max Leather Case with MagSafe | 0.16 cents |
| Wireless Charging Case for AirPod | 0.14 cents |
| AirPods Pro | 0.16 cents |
| Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro 12.9‑inch (4th generation) | 0.15 cents |
| Apple Watch Series 6 GPS, 40mm Gold Aluminum Case | 0.19 cents |
| Average | 0.16 cents |
| Gift Cards |
Info |
| $5 Amazon gift card | 0.21 cents |
| $10 Best Buy gift card | 0.22 cents |
| $25 Bloomingdale’s gift card | 0.23 cents |
| $50 DSW gift card | 0.24 cents |
| $500 Home Depot gift card | 0.23 cents |
| Average | 0.23 cents |
*According to multiple third-party sources
PNC Points Rewards Eligibility & Transparency
Category Rating: 100% (20/20)
Only one PNC card currently participates in the PNC Points Rewards program, the PNC Points Visa® Credit Card. PNC also has cash back and miles rewards programs with different credit cards.
3 Tips for Getting the Most Out of PNC Points Rewards
- Redeem regularly
The whole point of earning credit card rewards is to enjoy the savings they provide. If you just leave your PNC points sitting in your account unused, they won’t do you much good. Plus, your points will expire 48 months after they appear in your account.
- Pay your bill in full every month
Paying interest at a credit card’s regular APR will end up costing you more than rewards save you. Paying in full monthly allows you to avoid interest charges.
- Redeem before closing your account
You will lose any PNC points left unredeemed when you close your account.
PNC Points Rewards vs. Chase Ultimate Rewards vs. Bank of America Points Rewards
| Category | PNC Points Rewards | Chase Ultimate Rewards | Bank of America Points Rewards |
| WalletHub Rank | 14 | 7 | 13 |
| Average Point Value | 0.23 cents | 1.07 cents | 1 cent |
| Redemption Options Rank | 25 | 2 | 23 |
| Notable Rewards Card | PNC Points Visa® Credit Card | Chase Freedom Unlimited® | Bank of America® Premium Rewards® Elite Credit Card |
PNC Points Rewards Review Methodology
This review of PNC Points Rewards is based on the same methodology as WalletHub’s annual study on the Best Credit Card Rewards Programs. Editor’s ratings reflect the sum of each program’s scores across the study’s four major categories, adjusted to a 5-point scale to create a representative distribution of ratings. The four major categories considered were: Earning Policies, Redemption Policies, Rewards Value per $1 Spent and Eligibility & Transparency.
WalletHub calculated point values for PNC Points Rewards by comparing the dollar value of redemption items against the number of points needed for each.
