Alliant Visa Signature Credit Card offers 2.5% cashback on the first $10,00o per month in spending. Cashback drops to 1.5% thereafter. But you will need to have an Alliant High-Rate Checking with at least $1,000 in balance to qualify for the 2.5% cashback. Let’s dive in.

Alliant Visa Signature Credit Card Review

Rewards

The card offers tiers of rewards.

• Tier One rewards – 2.5% cashback on the first $10,000 per cycle, 1.5% thereafter. Requires a $1,000 balance in an Alliant High-Rate Checking account for the full quarter before you can earn the 2.5% cashback
• Tier Two rewards – 1.5% cashback, no limits

Tier One offers 2.5% cashback on the first $10,000 in spending per month.  To qualify for Tier One rewards, you must have an Alliant High-Rate Checking with at least 1,000 in daily balance in the preceding quarter. So if you are a new card holder, you will NOT earn the 2.5% cashback after the first quarter. Your cashback during the first quarter will only be 1.5%, which is called Tier Two rewards. You may only earn only 1.5% cashback for 6 months depending on when you apply for the card.

Fees

No annual fee
No foreign transaction fee

Other benefits

• Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver – If you use the Alliant Visa Signature Card, you can get collision damage waiver coverage for rental cars.
• Travel Accident Insurance – The benefit is up to $100,000 and covers accidental dismemberment and death. It doesn’t cover sickness.
• Extended Warranty -Adds up to  one year of warranty if the manufacturer’s warranty is three years or less. For warranties less than a year, the warranty is doubled.

Cons

• The card offers no sign up bonus
• Alliant has changed the terms on this card multiple times. The card once offered 3% cashback. That was reduced because it wasn’t profitable for the bank. Alliant reduced the cashback to 2.5% and added an annual fee. Then the annual fee was removed but a $1,000 minimum balance in a high-yield checking account was required to get the 2.5% cashback. The bottom line is that Alliant can change the cashback on this card at any time. So I prefer to have a fallback card in case Alliance makes unfavorable changes to this card.

Other cards to consider

Wells Fargo Active Cash Card

The card offers unlimited 2% cashback. If you spend $1,000 in the first three months, you can get a $200 sign-up bonus. In addition, the card offers up to $600 cell phone insurance with a $25 deductible. The card has no annual fee. While the cashback for the Wells Fargo Active Cash Card is lower than the Alliant Visa Signature Credit Card, you get a $200 sign-up bonus and additional perks.

FNBO Evergreen Card

In many ways, the FNBO Evergreen card is similar to the Wells Fargo Active Cash Card. This card also offers unlimited 2% cashback with a $200 sign-up bonus if you spend $1,000 in the first three months. The card has no annual fee.

Citi Double Cash Credit Card

The card offers 2% unlimited cashback but has no sign-up bonus. While the lack of sign-up bonus is disappointing, the card offers ThankYou points which can be redeemed for cash or transferred to participating airline or hotel partners.

Bottom Line

Alliant Visa Signature Credit Card offers 2.5% cashback which is compelling in the current cashback landscape. But to get the 2.5% cashback, you will need to maintain a $1,000 deposit at Alliant High-Rate Checking account for a full quarter before earning the rewards. Card with 2.5% cashback are hard to come by, especially without an annual fee. So it’s worthwhile to get this card for the additional 0.5% cashback. Alliant has made several changes to this card before. So there’s always a risk that the cashback will be reduced or the terms modified. It’s handy to have a backup card in case Alliant changes its mind.

My Money Planet has partnered with CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. My Money Planet and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers.

SoFi is a fintech company that offers investing, saving, and loans. If you are a SoFi customer, a Sofi Credit Card is a great addition to your wallet. You can earn excellent cash back (3% in the first year with direct deposit and 2% thereafter). You can use the rewards to pay for investing with SoFi or paying off SoFi loans. In addition, the card offers cell phone insurance for up to $1000 per year. The credit card is a World Mastercard, so you will get Mastercard benefits such as Lyft discounts and concierge services, and ShopRunner membership.

Learn more about the Sofi Credit Card

SoFi Credit Card Review

Rewards

• 3% cashback for a year (requires direct deposit with SoFi). 2% unlimited cashback thereafter.
• Cell phone insurance for up to $1000 per year. $800 per claim. A $50 deductible applies.

Sign up bonus

You can earn a signup bonus of $200 when you fund an investment account and savings and checking account after getting approved for a credit card.

Fees

• No annual fee
• No foreign transaction fees

On-time payments reduce your APR by 1%

You should pay your bill in full every month.  But if you carry balances, SoFi will reduce your APR by 1% if you make at least the minimum payment on-time for 12 months

Redemption

You can redeem your rewards towards investing, saving or paying off eligible loans with SoFi. You can also redeem your rewards directly into crypto.

You can also use your rewards to directly pay your monthly credit card bill. But this will cut the value of your rewards to just 1%. So redeeming rewards to pay your credit card bills is not a good idea.

Cell phone insurance

The SoFi credit card offers cell phone insurance for up to $1000 to repair or replace your phone. Maximum reimbursement per claim is $800. The maximum insurance payout per year is $1,000. You will need to pay a $50 deductible for every claim and you are limited to 2 claims in a year.

Cons

• You must have a relationship with SoFi. Rewards from the credit card can only be used for investing, saving, or paying off loans with SoFi.
• The card offers a 2% flat on all purchases. There are no bonus categories
• Must be a SoFi customer to apply

Other credit cards to consider

Citi® Double Cash Card – 18 month BT offer

Citi® Double Cash Card – 18 month BT offer gives you 2% cashback – 1% when you purchase and 1% when you pay the bills. You have the option to get the rewards as cash or in Citi ThankYou points. Though the 2% cashback is the same as the SoFi card, you don’t need a relationship with Citi to get the Citi Double Cash card. You redeem your rewards as a statement credit, get it as a check, or direct deposit. Note that Citi Double Cash does have a 3% foreign transaction fee but no annual fee.

Chase Freedom Unlimited®

Chase Freedom Unlimited® credit card offers 3% cashback on dining at restaurants (including takeout and eligible delivery services) and drugstore purchases and 1.5% unlimited cashback everywhere else. There are no limits to how much cashback you can earn.  In addition, you can earn 5% on purchases made through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal. If you spend a lot of money on restaurants, this card is a great card to have. The card has no annual fee but has 3% foreign transaction fees. You can redeem your cash back for a statement credit or use it for travel at the Chase Ultimate Rewards Portal. You can also use your cashback to buy gift cards or shop at Amazon.

Bottom Line

The SoFi credit card is an excellent addition to your wallet if you have an existing relationship with SoFi. The rewards can only be used to invest, save, or pay eligible loans with SoFi. The card gives you cell phone insurance for up to $1,000 per year. The card has no annual fees and no foreign transaction fees. The downside of the SoFi credit card is that you must be a SoFi customer to apply for the card and there are no bonus categories.

My Money Planet has partnered with CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. My Money Planet and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers.

There are not a lot of credit cards that offer 3% cashback on everything. So if you meet the balance requirements and live in the eligible states, Logix Federal Credit Union Platinum is a great card to have in your wallet that you can use for everything. With this card, there is no need to think about which card to use for a particular transaction.

Logix Federal Credit Union Platinum Credit Card Review

Cashback based on combined deposit and loan with Logix

Cashback is based on your combined account balances with Logix. Balance can include loans, checking, savings, and money market accounts. Loans can include mortgages, home equity loans, auto loans, credit cards, and personal loans. Note that certificates of deposit are not included in your balances when considering whether you fall in the Platinum, Gold, or Silver tiers.

Platinum

• Your household’s combined loan, mortgage, checking, money market and savings balances with Logix (excluding certificates) need to be $100,000
• Rewards – 3x points (or 3% cashback)

Gold

• Your household’s combined loan, mortgage, checking, money market and savings balances with Logix (excluding certificates) need to be $50,000
• Rewards – 2x points (or 3% cashback)

Silver

• Your household’s combined loan, mortgage, checking, money market and savings balances with Logix (excluding certificates) need to be $20,000
• Rewards – 1.5x points (or 3% cashback)

Sign up bonus

If you spend $1,000 within 90 days of account opening, you will get 10,000 bonus points (valued at $100)

Only available in certain states

Free membership available to Logix Federal Credit Union is available to residents of 8 states – AZ, CA, MA, MD, ME, NH, NV, or VA. You will need to be a member to apply for the Logix Federal Credit Union Platinum card.

Fees

• No annual fees
• No foreign transaction fees (Logix will rebate the foreign transaction fees you are charged when you use the card overseas)

Redeeming points

You can redeem your points for cashback, gift cards, merchandise or travel

Other benefits

Rental car insurance

Logix Federal Credit Union Platinum offers collision coverage for rental (secondary to your personal auto coverage) for up to 31 days

Travel insurance

The card provides insurance for nonrefundable deposits if your trip is interrupted or canceled.

Unique card numbers

Each authorized user gets a unique credit card number, which allows you to track who or which card was used for a transaction

Identity theft resolution

If your identity is stolen, you will get help to restore your identity

Bottom line

Logix Federal Credit Union Platinum card offers 3x rewards (or 3% cashback) if you have $100,000 combined in loans or deposits with the bank. If you have a mortgage with Logix Federal Credit Union, it’s easy to hit the $100,000 threshold. The card offers a good sign up bonus for a no-annual fee card.

My Money Planet has partnered with CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. My Money Planet and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers. The recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any of these entities.

There are many credit cards on the market that give you 5% cash back on rotating categories. But if your spending categories vary from month to month, the Citi Custom Cash (SM) Card is a great option. With this card, you don’t have to keep track of your spending categories. You will get 5% cash back (subject to a $500 spending cap) in your top spending category each billing cycle. All other spending earns an unlimited 1% back.

Citi Custom Cash (SM) Card

Sign up bonus

You will earn $200 cashback (20,000 Citi ThankYou points) after spending $1500 on purchases in the first six months. That’s an easy bar to meet for most people. Citi can sometimes be stingy when it comes to sign up bonuses but the sign up bonus on this card is competitive. For example, the popular Citi Double Cash credit card does not offer sign up bonuses.

Rewards

• 5% cash back on up to $500 in purchases in your top spending category. The top spending category is chosen automatically every month based on your spending
• Top spending categories are restaurants, gas stations, grocery stores, select travel, select transit, select streaming services, drugstores, home improvement stores, fitness clubs, and live entertainment
• You will earn 1% on all other purchases
• You will earn rewards as Citi ThankYou points, which you can convert to cash if you prefer
• With the $500 spending cap, your cashback from your top spending category is limited to $25 per month or $300 per year

Other benefits

Citi Custom Cash ^SM Card is a World Elite Mastercard that gives you the following benefits.

• 0% Introductory APR on purchases for the first 15 months, APR will be between 18.99%  and 28.99% based on your creditworthiness (variable)

Fees

• No annual fee
• 3% foreign transaction fee
• Balance transfer fee – $5 or 5% of the amount of each credit card balance transfer, whichever is greater

Redeeming points

You can redeem your ThankYou points as a statement credit or as a direct deposit to your bank. The minimum amount you can redeem is $5.

Combine the Citi Custom Cash card with another card to maximize the benefits

The big limitation with the Citi Custom Cash card is that you are limited to a single category for the 5% cashback. Your cashback is also capped at $25 per month (or $500 in spending per month for the category). The $500 spending cap is much lower than the $1,500  cap of the Discover It cashback card.

Outside of the top spending category, you will earn only 1% rewards from the Citi Custom Cash card. But you can do better with another card for your other spending. A good complementary card to consider is the Citi Premier(R) Card which gives you 3x ThankYou points on restaurants, gas stations, supermarkets, and travel. The card has an annual fee of $95. You need to do the math to ensure that your spending pattern allows you to benefit from the card despite its annual fee.

Bottom Line

The Citi Custom Cash card is a great option for those who are tired of rotating categories. The card gives you 5% cash back on your top spending category with a $500 spending cap. So you can only earn $25 per month or $300 per year. 1% cash back on all other spending is not appealing. So you need to complement this card with another card that gives you more than 1%. The Citi Premier Credit card, which has an annual fee of $95, offers 3x ThankYou points (or 3% cashback) on restaurants, gas stations, supermarkets, and travel spending, which can be a great card to go with the Citi Custom Cash. This combination will keep all your points in the Citi ThankYou ecosystem and allow you to get the most out of your points.

My Money Planet has partnered with CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. My Money Planet and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers.

Complicated cashback cards with categories that change every quarter or every month is not for everyone. As they say, simplicity is the ultimate sophistication. Citi® Double Cash Card – 18 month BT offer credit card offers 2% cashback on everything. It’s that simple. But if you are a traveler, the card allows you to transfer points to transfer and hotel partners, which allows you to get more value. But there are a few things you need to consider before you get the card.  Let’s take a look at what’s good and what’s not with the Citi Double Cash credit card.

Citi® Double Cash Card – 18 month BT offer

Rewards & Perks

• 2% cashback with no limits or categories
• Cashback is earned as ThankYou points
• ThankYou points can be transferred to limited hotel and airline partners

You will receive the 2% cashback in two parts – 1% when you buy with your credit card and the other 1% when you pay for those purchases. You must make at least the minimum payment every month on time to receive the second 1% cashback.

Starting March 28, 2022, cashback will be earned in the form of ThankYou points. You can still convert them to 2% cash anytime you prefer. The ThankYou points earned on the Citi Double Cash card cannot be transferred to all of Citi’s travel or hotel transfer partners. You will need the Citi Premier Card to transfer points to all of Citi’s transfer partners.

But Citi Double Cash cardholders can transfer ThankYou points to JetBlue, Choice Privileges, and Wyndham Rewards. You can also use the points for gift cards, travel or donations to nonprofits.

Sign up bonuses

Citi Double Cash does not offer sign-up bonuses. This is one of the disappointing aspects of this card. Other cards in its category offer sign-up bonuses with minimum spend in the first 3 months.

Fees

• Annual Fee – $0
• Foreign transaction Fee – 3%

If you travel frequently, you will be better off using a different credit card with no foreign transaction fee. Citi Double Cash Card’s 3% foreign transaction fee will erase the benefits of a 2% cashback. Foreign transaction fees also apply if you buy online from a website based overseas.

Redeeming cashback

Cashback can be redeemed as checks, statement credits, or a direct deposit to your bank account. There are no minimum amounts for redemption. You can transfer ThankYou points to JetBlue, Choice Privileges, and Wyndham Rewards.

Competitor cards

Capital One Quicksilver card has no annual fee and no foreign transaction fees. You get a one-time sign-up bonus of $200 after spending $500 within the first three months of account opening. The card offers 1.5% cashback on all purchases.

Chase Freedom Unlimited® card offers 3% on dining at restaurants (including takeout and eligible delivery services), 3% on drugstore purchases, and 1.5% on all other purchases. Just like the Citi Double Cash credit card, this card has no annual fee and has a 3% foreign transaction fee.

Bottom line

If you are looking for a simple cashback card with no categories to keep track of and no spending limits, Citi Double cashback is an excellent card to have in your wallet. You get 1% cashback when you use your credit card, and the other 1% when you pay your monthly bill. You must make at least the minimum payment to get the 1% cashback. You get your rewards either as cash or in ThankYou points, which you can transfer to a limited number of hotel and airline transfer partners. The downside of this card is that it doesn’t offer any sign-up bonuses like most cards in its category. The card also has a 3% foreign transaction fee. So it’s not a great card if you travel overseas often or if you shop on overseas websites.

My Money Planet has partnered with CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. My Money Planet and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers.

Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards card review

Sign up bonus

$200 sign-up bonus after you spend $1,00 in purchases in the first 90 days of getting the card

Rewards

3% cashback on the category of your choice
2% cashback on grocery stores and wholesale club
1% cashback on all other purchases

Note that the 3% cashback on your category of choice and the 2% cashback on grocery stores and wholesale clubs is capped at $2,500 in combined spending for each quarter

Your choice categories

Your choice categories include

• Gas,
• Online shopping,
• Dining
• Travel
• Drug stores
• Home improvement/furnishings

You can change your category of choice once per calendar month. It’s a nice benefit because you can change categories if you have a big expense coming up.

Fees

• No annual fee
• 3% foreign transaction fees

Preferred Rewards members can earn more

The Preferred Rewards program has three tiers Gold, Platinum, and Platinum Honors based on your combined balances in your Bank of America deposit and Merill investment accounts.

• Gold members –  25% more cashback
• Platinum  – 50% more cashback
• Platinum Honors – 75% more cashback

This means that your 3% choice category could earn up to 5.25% (capped at $2,500 in the combined category, wholesale and grocery store purchases each quarter). The 1% cashback for all other purchases could be as high as 1.75%.

Redeeming Rewards

You can redeem your rewards

• As a statement credit (no minimum)
• Direct deposit to an eligible Bank of America account (no minimum)
  Deposit to an investment account with Merill (no minimum)
• Check (minimum – $25)
• Contribute to a 529 account with Merill (minimum – $25)

Your rewards don’t expire as long as your credit card is open.

Quarterly spending cap

The quarterly spending cap of $2,500 (combined for 3% and 2% categories) can be a disadvantage for big spenders. If you max out your 3% category, you can get $75 in cashback.

Bottom Line

The ability to choose your 3% category and having the ability to change it every calendar month gives you the flexibility that most credit cards don’t offer. The combined cap of $2,500 for the 2% and 3% categories may not work if you are a high spender. You can get even bigger cashback rewards if you are a Preferred Rewards program member.

United℠ Explorer Card is an excellent card if you live near a United hub and fly United. You don’t have to be a frequent flier to benefit from the card. Even an occasional traveler will recoup the card’s annual fee by saving on checked bag fees and getting access to more award flights.

United℠ Explorer Card

Fees

Annual fee – $0 free for the first year, $95 every year
No foreign transaction fees

Sign up bonus

60,000 bonus miles after you spend $3,000 in qualifying purchases in the first 3 months.

Rewards

Even occasional travelers will benefit from getting free checked-in bags. If you are traveling with a companion, you can save $70 for two checked-in bags ($35 for each traveler). Note that you must pay with your United Explorer card to get this benefit.

If you are flying long-haul routes and you are already entitled to one checked bag, you will not get an additional bag for having the United Explorer card.

United Airport lounge passes

The United Explorer card gives you access to 45 United Club locations. You will need to present a same-day boarding pass for United or its partner airline to access the lounge.

Primary auto rental collision damage waiver

Bottom Line

Since Costco is a warehouse club, most items sold there are $10 or more. Your bill will easily be more than $100 every time you visit Costco. But it’s also a great opportunity to get cashback on your purchases. Which credit card should you use at Costco to get the highest cashback?

What you  need to know about Costco payments

Costco only accepts Visa credit cards

Costco only accepts Visa credit cards. Mastercard, Discover, and American Express credit cards are not accepted at the store. Even if you pay with a digital wallet such as Apple Pay or Google Pay, you must use a Visa credit card. But Costco accepts all debit cards.

2% Executive membership cashback

You don’t need to use your Costco Anywhere Visa card to get 2% Costco Executive membership rewards. You will get the rewards irrespective of how you pay. Even paying with Costco gift cards or VISA gift cards will give you 2% cashback.

Which credit card should you use at Costco?

Chase Freedom Unlimited + Chase Sapphire Reserve Card

You can use your Chase Freedom card to get 1.5% cashback at Costco. You can then transfer those rewards to the Chase Sapphire Reserve(R) and get 50% more points when you redeem through the Chase travel portal, giving you an effective cashback of 2.25% (1.5 *1.5 = 2.25%).

US Bank Altitude Reserve

US Bank Altitude Reserve offers 3x points on mobile wallet purchases such as Google Pay or Apple Pay. You can redeem them at 1.5x (equivalent to 4.5% cashback) for travel purchases. Costco accepts mobile payments in-store and at the pump.

Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards

Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards Credit Card allows you to choose a 3% cash back category of your choice. If you choose online shopping as your 3% cashback category, you can buy Costco Shops cards from the Costco website and get 3% cashback on your purchase. You can then use your Costco Shop Card to pay for your Costco in-store purchases. If you have a $100K Merill account,  you can get an additional 2.25%, making your total cashback 5.25%

Costco Anywhere Visa(R) Card by Citi

If you are making a big purchase such as a TV or an appliance, Costco will extend the 1-year warranty by an additional year. In addition, the Costco Visa card gives you two years warranty after the Costco card expires. That’s a total of 4 years of warranty (1-year product warranty + 1 year Costco warranty + 2 years of warranty from the credit card). No other credit card gives such a long warranty period. The Costco Visa card also offers 3% cash back on restaurants and travel, and 4% cash back on eligible gas and EV charging purchases for the first $7,000 per year and then 1% thereafter

AOD Federal Credit Union Visa Signature card (Discontinued)

This card gives you 3% off on all purchases with no categories or limits. This is ideal for big purchases at Costco. To get the AOD Federal Credit Union Visa Signature card, you must first open an account with the bank. For that, you must be a resident of Alabama or join an organization like the Northeast Alabama Bicycle Association (one-time cost of $5). The bank also asks you to send a selfie and a few documents.  Once you open an account, you can apply for a credit card.

Bottom Line

Even if you only buy groceries at Costco, your bill can easily be over $100 every time you visit Costco. So it’s important to use the right credit card to maximize your cashback. US Bank Altitude Reserve can give you 4.5% cashback if you use the rewards for travel. Bank of America, AOD FCU (discontinued), and a combination of Chase Freedom Unlimited and Chase Sapphire can give you good cashback as well. Don’t overlook the Costco Visa card. Despite its 2% cashback, the card offers excellent extended warranty benefits. In addition, it also pays 3% cash back on dining and travel, and 4% on gas purchased anywhere.

My Money Planet has partnered with CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. My Money Planet and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers.

Capital One Venture X’s two primary competitors are the Chase Sapphire Reserve and the American Express Platinum card.

Capital One Venture X Review

Rewards

• 10x miles on hotel and rental cars book through Capital One Travel travel portal
• 5x miles on flights booked through Capital One travel portal
• 2x miles on everything else

Redeeming miles

You can transfer your miles to  more than 15 hotel and airline transfer partners including Emirates, Etihad, Singapore Airlines, and Choice Hotels. You can see the full list here. Transferring miles 1:1 to travel partners allows you to get more value for your miles.

Fees

Annual Fee $395
No foreign transaction fees

The $395 annual fee is offset by the $300 credit you get for booking travel through Capital One travel, which brings down you net annual fee to $95.

Note that if you book through Capital One travel, you won’t get hotel, airline or rental car points or miles. But the portal does offer some useful features such as price drop protection and best price guarantee.

Sign up bonus

You will get 100,000 bonus points after you spend $10,000 in the first six months. For a limited, you can get $200 in credits for vacation rental purchases such as Airbnb and Vrbo in the first year. The 100,000 sign up bonus and $200 in vacation rental credits are worth approximately $2,000.

Anniversary bonus

Cardholders get 10,000 bonus miles every year at account anniversary.

Add authorized users for free

You can add four authorized users to the Capital One Venture X card for free.

Lounge access

With the Capital One Venture X card, you can register for Priority Pass and get access to over 1,300 lounges worldwide. Capital recently opened its first airport lounge at the Dallas-Fort Worth Airport (DFW) and plans to open more in the future. Authorized users can also use sign up for Priority Pass and use the lounge.

Venture X cardholders and authorized users can bring two guests when they visit airport lounges. That’s an excellent perk if you are traveling with a big group.

TSA PreCheck or Global Entry

You can get $100 credits for either TSA PreCheck or Global Entry

Cell phone protection

If you pay your monthly cell phone bill with Capital One Venture X, you get $800 in cell phone coverage for two phones. That’s 1,600 max in 12 months. There is a $50 deductible every time you file a claim.

Extended warranty

You get an extra year warranty on purchases if you pay with your Capital One Venture X card.

Return protection

You get 90-day return protection for purchases made with the card.

Trip delay reimbursement

You can get $500 per person for hotel and food if your flight is delayed by 6 hours or more or if you have to stay overnight.

Trip cancellation insurance

Up to $2000 per person for prepaid, nonrefundable tickets.

Lost luggage reimbursement

If the airline loses your luggage, you can get up to $3000 per covered trip.

Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver

You can get primary rental car insurance for up to $75,000 for damage to the rental car caused by theft or collision.

Complimentary Hertz’ President’s Circle status

Venture X cardholders will get complimentary President’s Circle status with Hertz, which allows them to skip the rental counter, get guaranteed upgrades and choose your rental from the widest selection of cars in Hertz’s rental fleet.

Bottom Line

Capital One Venture X card offers excellent perks but with a smaller annual fee compared to its competition. The $395 annual fee is easily offset by the $300 credit you get for booking travel through Capital One travel. So the net fee is just $95. The card offers cell phone insurance, primary car rental insurance, Priority Pass access, and credits for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry.

FNBO Evergreen credit is a Visa Signature card. It has no annual fee. The card is not geo-fenced and there no account requirements. Anyone can apply for this card.

FNBO Evergreen Credit Card Review

Cashback

The card offers 2% cashback on every purchase. The rewards structure is simple without any categories or spending caps. The rewards don’t expire.

Fees

• No annual fees
• 3% foreign transaction fees

Sign up bonus

The card offers a $200 sign up bonus (equivalent to 20,000 points) for $1,000 in the first three months. The sign up bonus is easy to get since the required spending is modest.

Redeeming cashback

Cashback can be redeemed in $25 increments. Cashback can be redeemed in three ways

• As a statement credit
• Electronic deposit to your checking or savings account
• Check mailed to you

You can also redeem for gift cards or certifications in 1,000 point increments.

Visa Signature Benefits

Many high cashback cards skimp on Visa Signature benefits but not the FNBO Evergreen card. The card offers the following Visa Signature benefits

• Access to a personal concierge to help with booking reservation, tickets or other planning
• Access to special events
• Preferred Hotels and Resorts – 10% savings and complimentary daily breakfast when you book a stay at participating hotels and resorts and pay with your Visa card.

Prequalification

FNBO has a very useful prequalification tool that tells you whether you will be able to get the card. While the tool is not perfect, it gives a good indication of whether you should apply for the card. The tool performs a soft pull on your credit, so it doesn’t affect your credit.

Importance of maintaining good credit

FNBO keeps a close eye on your credit. If your credit profile changes, FNBO is known to either reduce credit lines or shut down your card without notice. Other companies may only reduce credit in these circumstances, but FNBO’s measures are extreme.

Cons of FNBO Evergreen card

• 3% foreign transaction fees
• Has no travel partners. So you cannot transfer points to hotels or airline programs as with some Citi or Chase cards
• High balance transfer fees

Comparison with Citi Double Cash

FNBO Evergreen credit card offers straight 2% cashback whereas Citi Double Cash offers 1% when you spend and the other 1% when you pay the bill. Citi Double cash offers no sign up bonus and doesn’t offer the Visa Signature benefits offered by FNBO Evergreen card. But Citi has hotel and airline transfer partners where you potentially get more value than the 2% cashback.

Comparison with Wells Fargo Active Cash

Wells Fargo Active Cash Visa card also offers a $200 sign up bonus for $1000 spent in 3 months. One differentiating factor is that the Active Cash card overs cell phone protection, which the FNBO card doesn’t.  Cell phone protection offers $600 of cell phone protection against theft or damage if you pay your monthly cell phone bills with the Wells Fargo Active Cash card after a $25 deductible.

Bottom Line

FNBO Evergreen Visa Credit card is an excellent 2% cashback card but is not as popular as the Citi Double Cash credit card. The card requires a reasonable spend of only $1000 to get the $250 bonus. It’s better than the Citi Double Cash because of the $200 sign up bonus and the instant 2% cashback. But the Double Cash offers the ability to book hotels or flights with its transfer partners using Thank You points where you can get better value than just straight cashback. Wells Fargo Active Cash card offers similar benefits as the FNBO Evergreen card but includes cell phone insurance. So if cell phone insurance is important to you, Wells Fargo Active Cash can be a good option.