The Langley FCU Signature Cash Back Visa credit card is an obscure Visa Signature with rotating categories. You can choose one option to earn 5% cash back for one month. This is a little more complicated than most other cards, but has the potential to earn high cash back rates. Langley FCU is a Virginia-based credit union which should be open to everyone.
FEATURES AT A GLANCE
- No annual fee
- 1% foreign transaction fee
- 5% cash back on a rotating category of your choice (changes monthly; $2,000 spending limit)
- 3% cash back on gas (if not chosen as the 5% category)
- 2% cash back on groceries and wholesale clubs (if not chosen as the 5% category)
- 1% cash back on everything else
Select categories for 2024:
- January: Groceries, Select Airlines, Drugstores
- February: Dining, Gas and EV Charging, Department Stores
- March: Groceries, Drugstores, Home Improvement
- April: Dining, Gas and EV Charging, Home Depot and Lowe’s
- May: Target, Gas and EV Charging, Streaming Services
Select categories for 2023:
- March: Groceries, Drugstores, or Home Improvement
- April: Wholesale Clubs, Dining, or Gas
- May: Wholesale Clubs, Dining, or Home Improvement
- June: Gas, Grocery, or Wholesale Clubs
- July: Gas, EV, Rideshare, Dining, or Amusement Parks & Aquariums
- August: Streaming Services, Internet & Cable, School Supplies, or Gas
- September: Streaming Services, Internet & Cable, Grocery, or Department Stores
- October: Streaming Services, Internet & Cable, Home Improvement, or Gas
- November: Streaming Services, Internet & Cable, Groceries & Wholesale Clubs, or Electronic Stores
- December: Streaming Services, Internet & Cable, Groceries & Wholesale Clubs, or Department Stores
SIGN UP BONUS
You can get a $50 statement credit by spending $1,000 within 90 days of account opening. As a 5% RoS (Return on Spend) this is a poor introductory bonus. It’s better than nothing, at least.
OTHER BENEFITS OF THE LANGLEY FCU CARD
- Visa Signature benefits, including:
- $1,000,000 travel accident insurance
- $2,000 trip cancellation insurance
RESTRICTIONS AND CREDIT SCORE
Recommended credit score: 670+
According to some reports, there is a hard pull to join the credit union (Equifax) and applications can undergo manual review. There should be a second hard pull to get the credit card. The credit union may be inquiry-sensitive too, so approval isn’t guaranteed.
We aren’t aware of any other restrictions for joining the credit union. You do have to open a savings account, though.
Then you must choose (activate) your new 5% category each month. There’s a maximum of $100 earned per statement period this way, which is a $2,000 monthly spending limit. This is a lot more than most rotating-category cards (typically $1,500 spending limits per quarter).
MAXIMIZING REWARDS WITH THE LANGLEY FCU CARD
Rewards from the 5% category are automatically applied to your savings account, separately from the standard credit card cash back. The only thing you have to do is remember to choose your monthly category. There isn’t any advance schedule, unfortunately, so it’s hard to decide ahead of time. You have to check back every month to see what’s available. This is more similar to Chase than Discover.
If you max out the spending limits each month, you’d get $1,200 per year in cash back rewards. If you spend the same amount as most other rotating-category cards ($500ish per month) then it’s $300 in annual cash back rewards.
ALTERNATIVES TO THE LANGLEY FCU
Popular 5% category-based cards include:
- Discover It Cash Back ($1,500 quarterly spending limit)
- Chase Freedom Flex ($1,500 quarterly spending limit)
- Citi Custom Cash ($500 monthly spending limit)
- U.S. Bank Cash+ ($2,000 quarterly spending limit)
- Max Cash Preferred ($2,000 quarterly spending limit)
Outside of these, if you want 5% cash back in a particular category, the best option depends on your personal needs. If you want 5% on gas, for instance, some cards already give 5% cash back. 5% on groceries can be more difficult, but the Citi Custom Cash usually wins out there. Citi’s card also auto-calculates your monthly 5% category, making things easier for you. No manual activation of categories.
Langley’s 2% cash back rates, plus 1% on “everything else” is outdone by 20+ other credit cards. It’s easy to earn at least 2% cash back on all purchases. There isn’t any reason to use the Langley card for anything outside of rotating categories. Or maybe gas – 3% isn’t the best rate, yet it’s not the worst either.
CONCLUSION
If you don’t mind the extra effort for tracking cash back rewards, Langley’s card is a good option. It has a reasonably high spending limit and 5% cash back is a top-tier rate. Monthly categories generally include groceries or gas, both in-demand categories. Most people will be able to effectively use this card.
The extra effort is the main downside. Rotating-category cards are typically a quarterly affair, which doesn’t take up much time. Monthly rotations could be an annoyance. A short-term downside is having 2 hard pulls on your credit report when trying to get the card, and customer service is reportedly iffy. These downsides, combined with the nearly non-existent sign-up bonus, mean that this credit card isn’t for everyone. It’s primarily for maximalists who want long-term 5% cash back.
We rate the Langley FCU card 3 out of 5 stars. ⭐⭐⭐
Note: This review was last updated in April 2024. Details may have changed since then. Please do your own research where applicable, to ensure you’re getting the best deal. Or contact us directly to benefit from our personalized consulting services!