BEST CREDIT CARDSBEST CREDIT CARDSDUCKS UNLIMITED CARD REVIEW: IT’S BYE-BYE TO THOSE BIG GAS REWARDS

Ducks Unlimited Card Review: It’s Bye-Bye to Those Big Gas Rewards

This card made its name with unlimited 5% cash back on gas and at sporting goods stores. But now it pays a flat 1.5% on all purchases.
Robin Saks Frankel Author Avatar
Dec 15, 2023 7:47 a.m. PST
Edited by
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3.8

NerdWallet rating
The bottom line:

The card's ongoing rewards rate matches what you'll find on many good cash-back cards, but it lacks some of the upfront incentives that those other options offer.

Pros
  • No annual fee
  • No reward caps
Cons
  • No bonus offer
  • No 0% intro APR
Ducks Unlimited Rewards Visa® Card Image
Ducks Unlimited Rewards Visa® Card
Annual Fee

$0

Regular APR

27.49% Variable

Intro APR

N/A

Rec. credit score

Ducks Unlimited Rewards Visa® Card
Ducks Unlimited Rewards Visa® Card Image

Annual Fee

$0

Regular APR

27.49% Variable

  • Annual fee

    $0

  • Rewards rate

    1.5%-3%

  • Bonus offer

    Get a one-time $35 statement credit when you make your first purchase during the first 3 bill cycles after account opening, with the Ducks Unlimited Visa Card.

  • Intro APR

    N/A

  • Ongoing APR

    Purchase: 27.49%, Variable

    Cash Advance APR: 29.74%, Variable

  • Balance transfer fee

    Either $10 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater

  • Foreign transaction fee

    3% of each transaction in U.S. dollars

More details from First National Bank of Omaha
  • With the Ducks Unlimited Visa Card, you earn points on every purchase you make. Plus, a portion of your purchases will go to funding wetlands and waterfowl conservation efforts.
  • Earn 3% back on Ducks Unlimited purchases for the first $10,000 during each 12 consecutive billing cycle after account opening.
  • Earn unlimited 1.5% back on everyday purchases.
  • Get a one-time $35 statement credit when you make your first purchase during the first 3 bill cycles after account opening, with the Ducks Unlimited Visa Card.

Compare to Other Cards

ANNUAL FEE
$0
REGULAR APR
19.24%-29.24% Variable APR
Rates & Fees
INTRO APR
0% intro APR on Balance Transfers for 18 months
RECOMMENDED CREDIT SCORE
ANNUAL FEE
$0
REGULAR APR
17.24%-28.24% Variable APR
Rates & Fees
INTRO APR
0% intro APR for 15 months on purchases and balance transfers
RECOMMENDED CREDIT SCORE
ANNUAL FEE
$0
REGULAR APR
20.49%-29.24% Variable APR
INTRO APR
0% intro APR on purchases and Balance Transfers for 15 months
RECOMMENDED CREDIT SCORE
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Detailed review: Ducks Unlimited Rewards Visa® Card

The $0-annual-fee Ducks Unlimited Rewards Visa® Card was once a rare bird. Issued by First Bankcard, a division of First National Bank of Omaha (FNBO), it offered an exceptional rewards rate — unlimited 5% cash back — on gas and at sporting goods stores.

Offered — past tense. In spring 2020, the card radically restructured its rewards. Out went the big, honking rate on gas that had originally made it NerdWallet's best gas card of 2020. In its place: a flat 1.5% cash back on all purchases. That's not a terrible rate — it matches what's offered by plenty of good cards. But it's not unlimited 5% on gas.

Ducks Unlimited Rewards Visa® Card: Basics

Card type: Cash back.

Annual fee: $0.

Sign-up bonus: None.

Rewards: 1.5% cash back on all purchases.

Interest rate: The ongoing APR is 27.49% Variable.

Foreign transaction fee: 3%

Benefits and perks

It supports the Ducks Unlimited organization

In terms of features, there's really nothing about this card to recommend it over other 1.5% cards, especially those that offer cash sign-up bonuses or introductory 0% interest periods. However, if you're a hunter or conservationist who believes in Ducks Unlimited's mission, it might find a place in your wallet.

A portion of every purchase made with the Ducks Unlimited Rewards Visa® Card is donated to Ducks Unlimited’s efforts to preserve and maintain wetlands and other native habitats for ducks, geese and other wildlife. The organization says its conservation and management efforts have provided over 15 million acres of habitat for waterfowl, and that the number of ducks recorded in those areas has increased as a result.

Drawbacks and considerations

You can find better flat-rate rewards cards

If you're seeking solid and consistent rewards every time you use your card, you'll find that with the Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card. With this card, you'll earn a total of 2% cash back on every purchase.

You can also find better bonus rewards cards

The Chase Freedom Unlimited® earns 1.5% cash back on purchases, like the Ducks Unlimited Rewards Visa® Card. But it also gives you:

  • Bonus rewards: 5% on travel purchased through Chase, 3% on dining at restaurants and drugstores. New cardholder incentives: Earn an additional 1.5% cash back on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) - worth up to $300 cash back!An introductory APR offer: 0% intro APR on purchases and Balance Transfers for 15 months, and then the ongoing APR of 20.49%-29.24% Variable APR.

Alternate Pick: 2% cash back on Everything
No categories, just consistent rewards

The Citi Double Cash® Card pays 2% cash back on purchases — 1% when you buy something and another 1% when you pay the bill. If your credit card spending covers a lot more ground than gas, this card makes it simple to earn elevated rewards on all purchases.

Methodology

NerdWallet reviews credit cards with an eye toward both the quantitative and qualitative features of a card. Quantitative features are those that boil down to dollars and cents, such as fees, interest rates, rewards (including earning rates and redemption values) and the cash value of benefits and perks. Qualitative factors are those that affect how easy or difficult it is for a typical cardholder to get good value from the card. They include such things as the ease of application, simplicity of the rewards structure, the likelihood of using certain features, and whether a card is well-suited to everyday use or is best reserved for specific purchases. Our star ratings serve as a general gauge of how each card compares with others in its class, but star ratings are intended to be just one consideration when a consumer is choosing a credit card. Learn how NerdWallet rates credit cards.

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