USAA has two credit card rewards programs, USAA Cash Rewards and USAA Points Rewards. These two USAA rewards programs feature different credit cards, reward currencies, earning rates and redemption options.
USAA Credit Card Rewards Program Overview
| Name | Overall Rating | Type of Rewards | Average Value Per $1 Spent |
| USAA Cash Rewards | 4/5 | Cash Back | 1 cent |
| USAA Points Rewards | 3/5 | Points | 0.86 cents |
Offers information was collected on Jan. 10, 2022, and is likely to have changed since.
How to Earn USAA Rewards
Category Rating: 96% (29/30)
The credit cards in each USAA rewards program offer different earning rates, though you will receive at least 1 point per $1 spent or 1% - 1.5% cash back on all purchases.
Earning Rates by Program
- USAA Points Rewards: 1 - 3 points per $1 spent, depending on the card
- USAA Cash Rewards: 1% - 5% cash back, depending on the card
Earning Restrictions
The USAA credit card rewards programs may place restrictions on the rewards you can earn. For example, the USAA® Cashback Rewards Plus American Express® Card in the USAA Cash Rewards program limits the amount of bonus cash back you can earn on gas and military base purchases each year. After reaching the limit, you will still get 1% cash back in those categories. In addition, you need to be a USAA member to get any USAA cash back or points credit card.
You can learn more by checking out WalletHub’s individual reviews of the rewards programs.
How to Redeem USAA Rewards
Category Rating: 56% (11/20)
Different USAA rewards programs offer different redemption options. Below, you can see examples of the options for each program.
| Redemption Option | Programs That Offer | Average Rewards Value |
| Cash Back | USAA Cash Rewards
USAA Points Rewards |
Cash Rewards: $1 in rewards = $1 cash back
Points Rewards: 0.83 cent - 1 cent per point* |
| Travel | USAA Points Rewards | 0.99 cent - 1 cent per point* |
| Gift Cards | USAA Points Rewards | 0.71 cent per point |
| Habitat for Humanity Donations | USAA Points Rewards | 0.83 cent per point |
*Varies by type of redemption
Transfer Partners
The USAA Cash Rewards and USAA Points 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.
Redemption Restrictions
The USAA credit card rewards programs place certain restrictions on how you can redeem your rewards. For example, USAA Cash Rewards only allows you to redeem for cash back, and USAA points rewards limits its travel redemption options to airfare and cruises.
You can learn more about these restrictions, and see a full list of the different ways to redeem, by checking out WalletHub’s individual reviews of the rewards programs.
USAA Rewards Value per $1 Spent
Category Rating: 60% (18/30)
- Cash Rewards: 1 cent per $1 spent
- Points Rewards: 0.86 cents
Overall, USAA Cash Back Rewards offers the most rewards value per dollar spent. However, the best rewards program for you depends on your individual spending habits and what you want to redeem your rewards for.
USAA Eligibility & Transparency
Category Rating: 88% (18/20)
Each USAA credit card rewards program has different cards that participate. Below, you can see your options.
Participating Cards by USAA Rewards Program
| USAA Cash Rewards | USAA Points Rewards |
| USAA® Cashback Rewards Plus American Express® Card
|
USAA® Rewards™ American Express® Card
|
Miscellaneous Details
There are a few other key things that you should know about each of the USAA credit card rewards programs. You can find highlights below. For the full details, check out WalletHub’s individual reviews of the programs.
Key Things to Know About USAA Cash Rewards
- As long as your account is open and in good standing, your cash back never expires.
- You must be a USAA member to get a card.
- You can opt for a card that offers bonus cash back in certain spending categories or a flat cash back rate on all purchases.
Key Things to Know About USAA Points Rewards
- As long as your account is open and in good standing, your points never expire.
- You must be a USAA member to get a card.
- The USAA® Rewards™ American Express® Card offers better overall rewards, while the USAA® Rewards™ Visa Signature® Card has better international acceptance.
USAA Rewards Programs vs. Other Popular Options
| Rewards Program | Overall Score |
| USAA Cash Rewards | 80/100 |
| USAA Points Rewards | 71/100 |
| Capital One Cash Back Rewards | 94/100 |
| Capital One Points Rewards | 89/100 |
| Chase Ultimate Rewards | 87/100 |
| Citi ThankYou Rewards | 87/100 |
| Discover Cash Back Rewards | 85/100 |
| Bank of America Points Rewards | 83/100 |
| Bank of America Cash Back Rewards | 81/100 |
| Amex Blue Cash Reward Dollars | 75/100 |
Summary: USAA Rewards Program Ratings by Category
| Name | Overall Rating | Earning Policies Rating | Redemption Policies Rating | Rewards Value Per $1 Spent Rating | Eligibility & Transparency Rating |
| USAA Cash Rewards | 80/100 | 28/30 | 14/20 | 18/30 | 20/20 |
| USAA Points Rewards | 71/100 | 30/30 | 8/20 | 18/30 | 15/20 |
Methodology
This review of the USAA credit card rewards programs is a compilation of data from WalletHub’s individual reviews of each program. These individual reviews are 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.