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Best USAA Credit Cards
These cards offer rewards and other perks for USAA members, like travel protections.
Sara Rathner is a NerdWallet travel and credit cards expert. She has appeared on the “Today” show and CNBC’s “Nightly Business Report,” and has been quoted in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, Yahoo Finance, Time, Reuters, NBC News, Business Insider and MarketWatch. Before joining NerdWallet, Sara worked at The Motley Fool for nearly 10 years. She also worked as a freelance personal finance writer and paraplanner and has a bachelor's degree in journalism from Northwestern University.
Kenley Young directs daily credit cards coverage for NerdWallet. Previously, he was a homepage editor and digital content producer for Fox Sports, and before that a front page editor for Yahoo. He has decades of experience in digital and print media, including stints as a copy desk chief, a wire editor and a metro editor for the McClatchy newspaper chain.
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been provided or reviewed by the card issuer.
USAA offers a suite of credit cards, many charging no annual or foreign transaction fees. However, other rewards credit cards may have more point-earning potential, especially since some USAA credit card cards don’t offer a welcome bonus.
But the cards make up for the lower rewards with high customer satisfaction and travel benefits such as reimbursement for trip cancellation or interruption and coverage for delayed checked bags. Often, you have to pay a high annual fee for a premium travel rewards card to get perks like that.
You must qualify as a USAA member to get a USAA credit card. Membership is open to current and former military members, their spouses and children.
As of March 20, 2026, all USAA credit cardholders can receive a $200 reimbursement on their car insurance deductible. This benefit applies regardless of the cardholder's insurance company. Cardholders must make at least eight transactions with a USAA credit card to qualify for the reimbursement, which is available once every 12 months. Residents of Washington state are ineligible for this benefit.
USAA® Rate Advantage Visa Platinum® Card
Our pick for: A low interest rate
Card details
Rewards: None.
Welcome bonus: None.
Annual fee: $0.
APR: Get a 0% intro APR for 15 months on balance transfers and convenience checks that post to your account within 90 days of account opening. After this time, a variable regular APR will apply.
Why we like it
The average credit card annual percentage rate among accounts assessed interest was 21.52% as of February 2026, according to the Federal Reserve, but you may qualify for an interest rate well below that average with the USAA® Rate Advantage Visa Platinum® Card. Add to that a no-interest promotion for balance transfers and you have a card whose main purpose is to lower the cost of credit card debt.
3% cash back on your first $3,000 in combined quarterly purchases across eligible spend categories including groceries, dining, home improvement and furnishings, gas, electric vehicle charging stations, travel, transit, health and wellness, and live entertainment and streaming services.
1% cash back on other purchases
Welcome bonus: Earn a $200 reward bonus after spending $1,000 on qualifying purchases within 90 days of account opening.
Annual fee: $0.
APR: 0% Intro APR for 15 months on all purchases, and on any balance transfers and convenience checks that post to your account within 90 days of account opening, thereafter 16.40% to 26.40% variable regular APR will apply to these introductory balances and any new transactions.
Why we like it
The Eagle Adapt credit card offers introductory incentives upfront that can offset the cost of a big purchase. You’ll also earn a higher cash-back rate in everyday categories that are rarely bundled together on a credit card. This card rewards the "big three" that include gas and EV charging, dining, and groceries. Typically, a card will only offer two of the three categories. Beyond that, you get to earn solid rewards in other useful categories.
USAA Cashback Rewards Plus American Express® Credit Card
Our pick for: Gas station spending
Card details
Rewards:
Earn 5% cash back on up to $5,000 in military base purchases per year.
Earn 5% cash back on up to $3,000 per year in gas station purchases.
Earn 3% cash back on up to $3,000 in grocery store spending per year.
Earn 1% cash back on other purchases.
Welcome bonus: Earn a $200 reward bonus after spending $1,000 on qualifying purchases within 90 days of account opening.
Annual fee: $0.
APR: Get a 0% intro APR for 15 months on balance transfers and convenience checks that post to your account within 90 days of account opening. After this time, a variable regular APR will apply.
Why we like it
Few cards earn such a generous cash-back rate on gas, making the USAA Cashback Rewards Plus American Express® Credit Card a solid option for anyone looking to save on commuting costs. Plus, it offers 5% cash back on military base purchases, including commissaries, exchanges and shoppettes.
Welcome bonus: Earn a $250 reward bonus after spending $1,000 on qualifying purchases within 90 days of account opening.
Annual fee: $0.
APR: There is no promotional APR for purchases or balance transfers. A variable regular APR will apply.
Why we like it
If you don’t want every purchase to turn into a “which card should I use?” dance at the register, a flat-rate card like the Preferred Cash Rewards Visa® Signature Credit Card keeps things hassle-free. If USAA’s other cardholder benefits aren’t as important to you as earning rewards, other no-fee cards earn 2% cash back on all purchases and offer a sign-up bonus.
A yearly 10,000-point bonus (equal to $100 in travel) after you book a hotel or car through the USAA Rewards Center.
Travel protections, including coverage for trip cancellation and delay, baggage delay, rental car collision damage and more.
Redeem points for travel, cash back as a statement credit or direct deposit to your USAA checking or savings account, merchandise, gift cards, or contributions to participating charities. Point values differ depending on how you decide to redeem.
Welcome bonus: Earn 30,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on qualifying purchases within 90 days of account opening.
Annual fee: $95.
APR: There is no promotional APR for purchases or balance transfers. A variable regular APR will apply.
Why we like it
You’ll earn elevated rewards on travel spending, and a solid 2 points per dollar on everything else. Plus, there’s a sign-up bonus and valuable travel perks, which can help offset the annual fee. And since rewards are in the form of points instead of cash back, there are a greater variety of redemption options.
Earn 2% cash back on your top eligible spend category each month, including gas stations, groceries, dining, home improvement and furnishings, gas, electric vehicle charging stations, travel, transit, health and wellness, live entertainment, and streaming services.
Earn 1% cash back on all purchases.
Welcome bonus: Get a one-time statement credit of up to $98 (plus applicable taxes) for an annual Walmart+ membership.
Annual fee: $0.
APR: A variable regular APR will apply.
Why we like it
The Eagle Ascend credit card earns modest rewards, but it shines for its credit limit reviews and late-payment buffers. Your account is reviewed in six months when you make on-time payments to see whether you’re eligible for a credit limit increase. This option, if granted, can potentially improve your credit scores. There’s also some grace given on late payments. You’ll get an automatic late fee waiver every 12 months, and the card won’t charge a penalty APR when you pay late. It’s still important to keep up with payments to maintain healthy credit, but these features can be useful if forgetfulness sets in.
USAA Secured American Express Card
Our pick for: Credit building
Card details
Rewards: None.
Welcome bonus: None.
Annual fee: $0, but a minimum of $250 is required as a security deposit.
APR: A variable regular APR will apply.
Why we like it
The card has the ideal credit-building features, including payments reported to all three major credit bureaus (TransUnion, Equifax and Experian) and a potential path to upgrade to an unsecured USAA Bank credit card. It requires opening a certificate of deposit, which will earn interest while it holds your security deposit. A minimum of $250 is required as a deposit to qualify. With a good payment history, you can eventually get it back once you close the account or upgrade to an unsecured credit card with the same issuer.
Whether you want to pay less interest or earn more rewards, the right card's out there. Just answer a few questions and we'll narrow the search for you.