USAA Preferred Cash Rewards Visa Signature Credit Card

Rewards by category

Our take

Start with the gate, because it decides whether the rest of this page matters to you. The USAA Preferred Cash Rewards Visa Signature Credit Card requires USAA membership, and that is a genuine military gate: active service members, veterans, and their eligible family members. There is no donation to make and no association to join, and unlike PenFed — whose membership has been open to anyone of legal age since 2019 — USAA has no back door. If none of those categories describe you or a close family member, the card is simply not available.

For those who qualify, this is the simplest card USAA sells: unlimited 1.5% cash back on purchases, with no category restrictions, no limits and rewards that never expire. There is no annual fee and no foreign transaction fee. Be honest about where 1.5% sits, though — a flat 2% no-fee card is a common thing to own, and every dollar you route here instead of there gives up half a cent. The 1.5% is a floor worth having, not a reason to move your everyday spending.

Two things shape how to use it. First, the fee sheet: balance transfers and cash advances cost 5% of each transaction, so treat this strictly as a purchases card. Second, USAA's own lineup — the USAA Cashback Rewards Plus American Express pays 5% on gas and 3% on groceries, each on the first $3,000 of spending a year, so a member who fills both buckets earns more there and should keep the Preferred Cash Rewards for everything those categories miss. Carry this one as the uncapped floor behind your category cards, especially abroad where the missing foreign transaction fee earns its keep.

Key benefits

• No annual fee
• No foreign transaction fees
• No penalty APR
• Cash back rewards never expire

Common questions

Does USAA Preferred Cash Rewards Visa Signature Credit Card have an annual fee?

No — USAA Preferred Cash Rewards Visa Signature Credit Card has no annual fee.

What rewards does USAA Preferred Cash Rewards Visa Signature Credit Card earn on everything else?

1.5% on all other purchases, in Cash Back.

Who is eligible for the USAA Preferred Cash Rewards?

Only USAA members, and USAA membership is a real military gate: active service members, veterans, and their eligible family members. There is no association to join and no donation that buys your way in, which is the sharp difference from PenFed, whose membership is open to the general public. If nobody in your immediate family has served, this card is out of reach no matter how well a flat 1.5% would suit your spending.

Are there caps or categories on the 1.5% cash back?

No. USAA states the 1.5% applies to purchases with no category restrictions and no limits, and that your cash back rewards never expire, so there is nothing to activate, select or track. The card also charges no annual fee and no foreign transaction fees. Note that balance transfers and cash advances cost 5% of each transaction, so the card only makes sense for purchases.