Starting Sept. 28, 2026, holders of the PenFed Pathfinder® Rewards Visa Signature® Card will no longer be able to waive the card’s $95 annual fee.
Before this date, cardholders could qualify for a fee waiver by belonging to the Honors Advantage program. Membership in that program was relatively simple: You either had to be a member of the military, or have an Access America or Free Checking account with PenFed.
The possibility of a no-annual-fee travel card was particularly enticing in the case of the Pathfinder card because of its generous benefits that you'd essentially get for free with the waiver. Those perks included multiple travel credits and Priority Pass lounge access.
All of those benefits remain features of the PenFed Pathfinder® Rewards Visa Signature® Card. However, a PenFed spokesperson said that the card will gain new benefits and enhancements in 2027.
If paying an annual fee for a travel card is a no-go and you’re planning to ditch the Pathfinder card for something else, you might want to temper your expectations. It’ll be difficult, if not impossible, to find a travel card with comparable benefits for no annual fee. Nevertheless, a solid option may be the Wells Fargo Autograph® Card. It earns excellent rewards in a variety of everyday categories, rewards that are transferable to Wells Fargo’s travel partners.
