PNC Rewards Programs Review

Jun 18, 2025

Fact checked

Written by John S Kiernan

WalletHub Managing Editor

Fact Checked by Alina Comoreanu

WalletHub Senior Researcher

Editor’s Rating

4.2 out of 5 rating 4.2 / 5

Opinions and ratings are our own. This review is not provided, commissioned or endorsed by any issuer. PNC is a WalletHub partner. WalletHub independently collected information for some of the cards on this page.

Pros

Good earning rates
Cash back won't expire while your account is open and in good standing
Bonus rewards in popular spending categories

Cons

No transfer partners
Only two credit cards

PNC Rewards Review Summary

PNC Rewards is the 8th best credit card rewards program, according to WalletHub's latest comparison, receiving 85 points out of a possible 100. The PNC Cash Back Rewards program features two credit cards, the PNC Cash Rewards® Visa® Credit Card and the PNC Cash Unlimited® Visa Signature® Credit Card.

PNC Rewards Review Scorecard

#14 for Earning Policies
#10 for Redemption Policies
#1 for Rewards Value per $1 Spent
#1 for Eligibility & Transparency

Best PNC Rewards Credit Cards

There are only two cards participating in PNC Rewards right now: the PNC Cash Rewards® Visa® Credit Card and the PNC Cash Unlimited® Visa Signature® Credit Card.

Summary: PNC Rewards Scores by Review Category

Category	Score
Earning Policies	24/30
Redemption Policies	11/20
Rewards Value per $1 Spent	30/30
Eligibility & Transparency	20/20
OVERALL	85/100

How to Earn PNC Rewards

Category Rating: 78% (24/30)

You will earn 1 - 4% cash back with the PNC Cash Rewards® Visa® Credit Card and 2 points per $1 with the PNC Cash Unlimited® Visa Signature® Credit Card.

Noteworthy Features:

Cash back doesn’t expire: Your cash back will never expire as long as your account remains open and in good standing.

Earning Restrictions to Watch Out For: On the PNC Cash Rewards® Visa® Credit Card, the amount of bonus cash back you can get in certain purchase categories has a yearly limit. Purchases in those categories after meeting the threshold still earn 1% cash back.

How to Redeem PNC Rewards

Category Rating: 55% (11/20)

The best way to redeem PNC rewards is for travel, gift cards or cash back. PNC Rewards gives the most value per point for travel.

Below, you can find more details about the redemption options.

Travel

With PNC Cash Unlimited Rewards, you can use your points to book new travel through your online account.

Cash Back

PNC Rewards allows you to redeem for cash back as a statement credit. PNC Cash Back Rewards allow you to get a statement credit or an electronic deposit to a PNC bank account.

Gift Cards

With PNC Cash Unlimited Rewards you can redeem your rewards for gift cards for popular merchants, such as Amazon, Best Buy, Home Depot, Airbnb and Uber.

Noteworthy Redemption Features & Restrictions:

No transfer partners: The PNC Rewards programs do not allow you to transfer your rewards to any hotel or airline loyalty programs. Many other top rewards programs do offer this feature.

Cash back cannot be transferred between accounts: You cannot transfer cash back from one credit card account to another, even if both are in your name.

Minimum redemption amount: PNC Rewards has a minimum redemption amount for certain options. You must use a minimum of $25 when redeeming for a deposit.

Options limited by program: PNC Cash Back Rewards only allows you to redeem for cash back, and PNC Cash Unlimited Rewards is the only program that includes a travel and gift cards redemption options.

PNC Rewards Value

Category Rating: 100% (30/30)

Redemption Option	Programs That Offer	Average Rewards Value
Cash Back	PNC Cash Back Rewards PNC Points Rewards	Cash Back Rewards: $1 in rewards = $1 cash back Cash Unlimited Rewards: 1 cent per point*
Travel	PNC Cash Unlimited Rewards	Cash Unlimited Rewards: 1 cent per point*
Gift Cards	PNC Cash Unlimited Rewards	Cash Unlimited Rewards: 1 cent per point*

*Varies by type of product

PNC Cash Back Rewards Eligibility & Transparency

Category Rating: 100% (20/20)

Only two PNC cards currently participate in the PNC Rewards program, the PNC Cash Rewards® Visa® Credit Card and the PNC Cash Unlimited® Visa Signature® Credit Card.

4 Tips for Getting the Most Out of PNC Cash Back Rewards

Redeem regularly
The whole point of earning credit card rewards is to enjoy the savings they provide. If you just leave your PNC cash back sitting in your account unused, it won’t do you much good.

Pay your bill on time every month
Your cash back won’t expire as long as your account remains open and in good standing. In other words, you have nothing to worry about if you pay your monthly bills on time.

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 cash back left unredeemed when you close your account.

PNC Rewards vs. Chase Ultimate Rewards

Category	PNC Rewards	Chase Ultimate Rewards
WalletHub Rank	8	5
Average Point/Mile Value	$1 in rewards = $1	0.95 cents
Redemption Options Rank	10	3
Notable Rewards Card	PNC Cash Unlimited® Visa Signature® Credit Card	Chase Freedom Unlimited®

Methodology

This review of PNC 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 PNC Rewards point values by comparing the dollar value of redemption items against the number of points needed for each.

Questions & Answers(2 questions)

Editorial and user-generated content on this page is not reviewed or otherwise endorsed by any financial institution. Please keep in mind that it is not a financial institution’s responsibility to ensure all posts and questions are answered.In addition, WalletHub independently collected information for some of the cards on this page.

Upvotes

What can I redeem my PNC points for?

Dan Whitmer, Rewards Programs Analyst

You can redeem PNC Bank points for options like travel, gift cards, cash back, and merchandise from retailers such as Apple, Samsung, Nintendo, and more. The value of PNC points varies based on what you redeem them for. They are worth 0.32 cents, on average, when redeemed for travel, and only 0.16 cents, on average, when used for merchandise.

PNC Bank Points Redemption Options

Travel: Wyndham, Hilton, Delta, American Airlines, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, and Carnival Cruise.
Gift Cards: Starbucks, Walmart, Amazon, BP Gas, Home Depot, and Target.
Merchandise: Dyson Vacuums, Nintendo Switch, Fitbit, Keurig Coffee, and Samsung Galaxy.
Apple Store Products: iPad, AirPods, iPhone, and Apple Watch.

The options we have listed are just a few examples of the redemption options you have with PNC Bank, along with some of the retailers you can use your points for. To explore all available redemption options and see the latest offers, visit the PNC points website, and log into your account.

Upvotes

What does 5,500 PNC points get you?

Dan Whitmer, Rewards Programs Analyst

Redeeming 5,500 PNC points will get you between $8.80 and $17.05, on average. The value of PNC points varies based on the redemption method you choose, with travel and gift cards typically providing the highest value.

Value of 5,500 PNC Points by Redemption Method

Travel: $17.05
Gift Cards: $12.10
Cash Back: $11.00
Merchandise: $8.80

To learn more about PNC points, you can check out WalletHub's in-depth review of PNC Rewards Programs.

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* The information about the following cards has been independently collected by WalletHub: PNC Cash Rewards® Visa® Credit Card and PNC Cash Unlimited® Visa Signature® Credit Card.