5 Things to Know About the Santander Credit Card

Issued by the Spanish bank Santander, the Ultimate Cash Back card offers some good perks, but two of the best ones disappear after the first year of having the card. The card’s 0% APR promotion and its bonus rewards rate of 3% cash back on all purchases expire after 12 months.

After that, the card earns a flat 1.5% cash back, which is in line with the industry standard, but it’s certainly not the best rate out there. For those who want a card with more long-term value — or who are ineligible to apply due to the card’s residency requirement — consider a different cash-back credit card.

Here’s what you need to know about the Santander Ultimate Cash Back card.

1. Card eligibility is restricted by residency

As of this writing, the Santander credit card is available only to residents of Washington, D.C., and 12 states: Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Vermont. Also, Florida applicants are limited to residents of Miami-Dade, Monroe and Broward counties.

2. The 3% rewards rate is excellent, but there are caveats

True to its name, the Santander Ultimate Cash Back card earns an impressive 3% cash back on purchases — but only for the first 12 months after opening the account, and only up to $20,000 in spending. After that, purchases earn an unlimited 1.5% back, a solid but unremarkable rate.

Also, unlike many other cash-back credit cards, there's no upfront sign-up bonus. Still, if you were to hit the $20,000 spending limit, you’d earn $600 in cash back in Year One, which is triple the value of the sign-up bonuses for several excellent cash-back credit cards. (You just won't get the bonus immediately, as you would with those other products.)

For more immediate gratification, consider an option like the Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card. It earns 2% cash back on all purchases and comes with a decent sign-up bonus: Earn a $200 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 in purchases in the first 3 months.

If you were to meet that $20,000 spending mark with the Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card in the first year, you could earn $400 in rewards and get the sign-up bonus sooner. Together with the bonus, it adds up to the same amount, except that the Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card will continue rewarding you with this same cash-back rate over the long term.

3. Rewards may be redeemed for cash and more

Redemption options for the Santander credit card include statement credit, gift cards, electronic certificates.

4. Fees are minimal

The Santander credit card is refreshingly light on fees. The card has no annual fee, foreign transaction fee, returned payment fee or cash advance fee. And while the card charges late fees up to $35, that amount is slightly less than most other cards, which charge up to $41 as of this writing.

The balance transfer fee on the Santander credit card is $10 or 3% of the transferred amount, whichever is greater.

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5. Intro APR offer gives cardholders a break from interest