USAA Points Rewards Program Review

USAA Points Rewards Review Summary

USAA Points Rewards is the 17th best credit card rewards program, according to WalletHub's latest comparison, receiving 79 points out of a possible 100. The USAA Points Rewards program features three credit cards, the USAA Eagle Navigator® Credit Card,the USAA® Rewards™ American Express® Card and the USAA® Rewards™ Visa Signature® Card. There are several redemption options, too, from travel to cash back to gift cards.

USAA Points Rewards Review Scorecard

#5 for Earning Policies
#28 for Redemption Policies
#1 for rewards Value per $1 Spent
#17 for Eligibility & Transparency

Best USAA Points Rewards Credit Cards

Summary: USAA Points Rewards Scores by Review Category

How to Earn USAA Points Rewards

Category Rating: 93% (28/30)

You will earn at least one point in return for every dollar you spend with a USAA Points Rewards credit card. Choosing the right credit card and using it strategically can enable you to earn even more points, and there’s no limit on how many points you can earn.

Noteworthy Features:

• Points don’t expire: As long as your account is open and in good standing, your points never expire.

Earning Restrictions to Watch Out For: You must be a USAA member to apply for a card.

How to Redeem USAA Points Rewards

Category Rating: 31% (6/20)

The best way to redeem USAA points is for travel or an electronic deposit to a USAA checking or savings account, as those options provide the highest value. Below, you can read more about all the redemption options.

Cash Back

Cash back redemption can take the form of a statement credit or an electronic deposit to a USAA checking or savings account.

Travel

You can redeem your points for travel through your online account or by calling customer service.

Gift Cards

USAA Points Rewards allows you to use your points to get gift cards from various popular retailers.

Miscellaneous

You can use your points to make a donation to the charity Habitat for Humanity.

Redemption Restrictions to Watch Out For:

• No hotel or car rental option: The only types of travel you can redeem rewards for are airfare and cruises.

• No transfer partners: USAA Points Rewards does not offer the ability to transfer points to other companies’ loyalty programs.

USAA Points Rewards Value Per Point

Category Rating: 100% (30/30)

USAA points are worth 0.7 cents to 1 cent each, and cards that participate in the rewards program offer different amounts of points for different types of purchases. The range is 1 to 3 points per $1 spent.

USAA Points Rewards Eligibility & Transparency

Category Rating: 75% (15/20)

Not every USAA credit card gets to participate in the Points Rewards program. USAA has two cash back credit cards in a separate program, for example.

USAA Points Rewards Credit Cards

• USAA® Rewards™ American Express® Card
• USAA® Rewards™ Visa Signature® Card
• USAA Eagle Navigator® Credit Card

Popular USAA Points Rewards Credit Cards

USAA® Rewards™ American Express® Card	USAA® Rewards™ Visa Signature® Card
3.0WalletHub Rating WalletHub Rating 3.0 This card has been scored using WalletHub’s proprietary credit card rating system. We evaluated this card for various cardholder needs and picked the rating for the need with the highest score, which is "Earn Rewards." A score of 5 is the best a card can receive, and the rating for the card may vary on different pages where it is compared to other cards for different needs. Editor’s Rating 3.7 User Reviews 3.8 Market Comparison 2.8 fees: 5.0 rewards: 2.2 cost: 2.7 Other Features: 0.0	2.6WalletHub Rating WalletHub Rating 2.6 This card has been scored using WalletHub’s proprietary credit card rating system. We evaluated this card for various cardholder needs and picked the rating for the need with the highest score, which is "Earn Gas Rewards." A score of 5 is the best a card can receive, and the rating for the card may vary on different pages where it is compared to other cards for different needs. Editor’s Rating 3.3 User Reviews 3.9 Market Comparison 2.3 fees: 5.0 rewards: 1.8 cost: 2.0 Other Features: 0.0
(258)	(356)
annual fee$0	annual fee$0
rewards rate Earn 3X points per dollar spent on dining. Earn 2X points per dollar spent on gas and groceries. Earn 1X points for every dollar spent on all other purchases. 1 - 3 points / $1	rewards rate Earn 2X points per $1 spent on gas and dining, 1X points for every dollar spent on all other purchases. 1 - 2 points / $1
bonus offer N/A	bonus offer N/A
Purchase Intro APRN/A	Purchase Intro APRN/A
transfer intro aprN/A	transfer intro aprN/A
Regular APR13.4% - 27.4% (V)	Regular APR13.40% - 27.40% (V)
Learn More SponsoredApply Now  Learn More	Learn More SponsoredApply Now  Learn More

For more information, check out our editors’ latest picks for the best USAA credit cards by category.

5 Tips for Getting the Most Out of USAA Points Rewards

1. Pick the Right Card & Use it Wisely 
   USAA Points Rewards cards may offer bonus points if you spend a certain amount within a few months of account opening. They also may reward you more for purchases in certain spending categories. Your job is to find a card that complements your particular needs.
   

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

3. Pay your bill on time every month
   Your points 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.
   

4. 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.
   
5. Redeem before closing your account
   You will lose any points left unredeemed when you close your account.

USAA Points Rewards vs.  PenFed Rewards Program vs. Chase Ultimate Rewards

USAA Points Rewards Review Methodology

This review of USAA 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 USAA Points Rewards by comparing the dollar value of redemption items against the number of points needed for each.