The USAA® Rewards™ American Express® Card doesn’t charge an annual fee and has great value for those who spend a lot in the categories where it gives the highest rewards. It gives three points for every dollar spent on dining, gas and groceries earn two points per dollar, and other eligible transactions earn one point. Because of its fee-free foreign transactions, you can continue to earn while abroad. MoneyGeek's USAA® Rewards™ American Express® Card review covers the card's perks, drawbacks and other features to help you decide if it's the best fit for you.
MoneyGeek’s Take
USAA® Rewards™ American Express® Card Review
The no-annual-fee USAA® Rewards™ American Express® Card for military members and families offers between one and three reward points per dollar spent on qualifying purchases. The MoneyGeek review of the USAA® Rewards™ American Express® Card also found it has a lucrative offer of 2,500 bonus points after your first purchase.
Doug Milnes, CFA
Head of Credit Cards at MoneyGeek
Doug Milnes is a CFA charter holder with over 10 years of experience in corporate finance and the Head of Credit Cards at MoneyGeek. Formerly, he performed valuations for Duff and Phelps and financial planning and analysis for various companies. His analysis has been cited by U.S. News and World Report, The Hill, the Los Angeles Times, The New York Times and many other outlets. Milnes holds a master’s degree in data science from Northwestern University. He geeks out on helping people feel on top of their credit card use, from managing debt to optimizing rewards.
Alene Laney
Finance Journalist
Alene Laney is an award-winning personal finance writer with over a decade of experience in media. Her works have been featured on Bankrate, Rocket Mortgage, GoBankingRates and Yahoo! Finance, among others. Laney has a degree in English literature, history from the University of Utah.
Doug Milnes, CFA
Head of Credit Cards at MoneyGeek
Doug Milnes is a CFA charter holder with over 10 years of experience in corporate finance and the Head of Credit Cards at MoneyGeek. Formerly, he performed valuations for Duff and Phelps and financial planning and analysis for various companies. His analysis has been cited by U.S. News and World Report, The Hill, the Los Angeles Times, The New York Times and many other outlets. Milnes holds a master’s degree in data science from Northwestern University. He geeks out on helping people feel on top of their credit card use, from managing debt to optimizing rewards.
Alene Laney
Finance Journalist
Alene Laney is an award-winning personal finance writer with over a decade of experience in media. Her works have been featured on Bankrate, Rocket Mortgage, GoBankingRates and Yahoo! Finance, among others. Laney has a degree in English literature, history from the University of Utah.
Updated: September 10, 2024
Advertising & Editorial Disclosure
MoneyGeek partners with leading industry experts and advertisers to help you get to your financial happy place. Our content is accurate when posted but offers may change over time. We may receive compensation for partner advertisements, but our editorial team independently reviews and ranks products. Learn more about our editorial policies.
Moneygeek.com credit ranges are a variation of FICO® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.
- PROS
- No annual fees
- 0% APR offer on balance transfers and convenience checks
- Easy-to-earn welcome bonus
- Up to 3x points per dollar
- No foreign transaction fees
- Travel and purchase protection
CONS- Balance transfer fees
- Cannot transfer points to other reward programs
- No annual or foreign transaction fees
- 0% APR offer on balance transfers and convenience checks for the first 15 months, then a variable APR of 15.15% – 29.15% after that
- Balance transfers and checks need to post to your account in the first 90 days for the 0% APR offer to apply
- 3% balance transfer fees
- Earn 3x points per dollar on dining
- Earn 2x points per dollar on groceries and gas
- Earn 1x point per dollar on all other purchases
- Earn 2,500 points after making your first qualifying purchase
- Redeem points for cash, airline or cruise tickets, merchandise, to make a charitable contribution or for gift cards
- Complimentary travel accident insurance, auto rental coverage, baggage delay and reimbursement, and trip cancellation and interruption coverage
- Zero liability
- Extended warranty
- Access to a concierge service
MoneyGeek conducts in-depth research on credit cards and card issuers using a comprehensive ranking system. The approach includes gathering data from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau database, standardizing data points for card comparison, estimating average expenditure profiles, factoring in annual and initial bonuses for each card and calculating the three-year value of maintaining the card. Additionally, the methodology includes monthly re-ranking of the cards.
USAA® Rewards™ American Express® Card Overview
The USAA® Rewards™ American Express® Card gives you points for every dollar spent, plus a bonus after your first qualifying purchase. You can earn one point per dollar of a purchase or double or triple the amount in bonus categories. Redeeming awards is easy, and there are many choices, including cash.
Quick Take
- No annual or foreign transaction fees
- 0% APR offer on balance transfers and convenience checks for the first 15 months, then a variable APR of 15.15% – 29.15% after that
- Balance transfers and checks need to post to your account in the first 90 days for the 0% APR offer to apply
- 3% balance transfer fees
- Earn 3x points per dollar on dining
- Earn 2x points per dollar on groceries and gas
- Earn 1x point per dollar on all other purchases
- Earn 2,500 points after making your first qualifying purchase
- Redeem points for cash, airline or cruise tickets, merchandise, to make a charitable contribution or for gift cards
- Complimentary travel accident insurance, auto rental coverage, baggage delay and reimbursement, and trip cancellation and interruption coverage
- Zero liability
- Extended warranty
- Access to a concierge service
Important Card Details
You must understand the benefits, fees, rates and other features associated with any credit card. Plus, know your rights as a credit card user. MoneyGeek covered the fine print details to help you evaluate whether theUSAA® Rewards™ American Express® Card is good for you.
Annual Fee
There is no annual fee with the USAA Rewards American Express credit card.
Foreign Transaction Fee
The card charges no fees for international transactions.
Rewards Rate
Each qualifying purchase made with this card gets you a minimum of one reward point per dollar, up to a maximum of three points, depending on the purchase category.
Regular APR
The APR on purchases, balance transfers and cash advances ranges from 15.15% – 29.15%, based on your creditworthiness. The APR fluctuates in accordance with the market's prime rate.
Introductory APR for Balance Transfers and Convenience Checks
The APR on balance transfers and convenience checks is waived for the first 15 months for new cardholders if you post the transaction to your account within the first 90 days.
Balance Transfer and Cash Advance Fees
There is a 3% balance transfer or cash advance fee of the transaction amount.
Penalty Fee for Late or Returned Payments
You pay a fee of up to $35 for late or returned payments. The first late payment within six billing periods has a $25 late fee, and subsequent late payments get a $35 late fee.
Additional Benefits
There are other benefits of the USAA® Rewards™ American Express® Card that you may be interested in learning about aside from the rewards points.
How the USAA® Rewards™ American Express® Card Compares To Other Cards
Although the USAA® Rewards™ American Express® Card's zero annual fee and significant rewards rates in specific categories did not make it one of the best-reviewed rewards cards, it did compare favorably to the majority of other cards. But you may find a higher reward rate on all purchases with another card.
How the USAA® Rewards™ American Express® Card Compares
USAA® Rewards™ American Express® Card
- Annual fee: None
- Regular APR: 15.15% – 29.15% variable
- Rewards rate: 1–3 points per dollar
- Foreign transaction fee: None
- Best for: Military members looking for a no-annual-fee card with significant rewards in categories they spend money in often
Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card
- Annual fee: None
- Regular APR: 19.99% – 29.99% variable
- Rewards rate: 1.5%
- International transaction fee: None
- Best for: Minimalist shoppers who want cash back for daily spending
Frequently Asked Questions
The required credit score is not readily available for the USAA® Rewards™ American Express® Card. But, a good or excellent credit score is likely needed to get approved.
Yes, the USAA® Rewards™ American Express® Card reports to Experian, Equifax and TransUnion.
To be eligible for the USAA® Rewards™ American Express® Card, you must be an active or retired service member or a family member. The USAA® Rewards™ American Express® Card application process also involves being a USAA member and submitting details about your military service, which takes a few minutes to complete.
Firstly, you need to become a member of USAA and enter details about your military service, plus submit personal details, your Social Security number and income details.
Yes, USAA offers a mobile app for managing the Rewards American Express card account for iOS and Android customers in addition to an online account. Using the app and online portal, you can make payments, block or unblock your card, examine your statements, sign up for alerts and contact USAA customer service.
No. You must submit a request for a USAA® Rewards™ American Express® Card credit limit increase via your USAA online account. The company considers account performance, credit bureau information, income before taxes and existing debt or obligations to determine whether to increase a credit limit.
USAA offers the option to freeze or lock your credit card or credit account if you find your card is lost or stolen. You can do this through the online portal or mobile app. The card also has zero liability protection.
USAA offers other credit cards like the Rewards Visa Signature Card, Cashback Rewards Plus American Express, Preferred Cash Rewards Visa Signature and Rate Advantage Visa Platinum card.
About Doug Milnes, CFA
Doug Milnes is a CFA charter holder with over 10 years of experience in corporate finance and the Head of Credit Cards at MoneyGeek. Formerly, he performed valuations for Duff and Phelps and financial planning and analysis for various companies. His analysis has been cited by U.S. News and World Report, The Hill, the Los Angeles Times, The New York Times and many other outlets.
Milnes holds a master’s degree in data science from Northwestern University. He geeks out on helping people feel on top of their credit card use, from managing debt to optimizing rewards.
Editorial Disclosure: Opinions, reviews, analyses and recommendations are the author’s alone and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. Learn more about our editorial policies and expert editorial team.
Advertiser Disclosure: MoneyGeek has partnered with CardRatings.com and CreditCards.com for our coverage of credit card products. MoneyGeek, CardRatings and CreditCards.com may receive a commission from card issuers. To ensure thorough comparisons and reviews, MoneyGeek features products from both paid partners and unaffiliated card issuers that are not paid partners.