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Review: Redstone Federal Credit Union Visa Signature

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Redstone Federal Credit Union (RFCU) is based out of Northern Alabama. Their Visa Signature card offers high cash back rates for restaurant and gas spending, plus a decent amount of cash back in other categories. This obscure no-fee credit card offers a lot to consider. The main downside is that it’s no longer possible to join the credit union if you don’t live within their area of service (AL/TN).

FEATURES AT A GLANCE

  • No annual fee
  • No foreign transaction fees
  • No balance transfer or cash advance fees
  • 5% cash back for restaurants ($7,000 annual spending limit)
  • 5% cash back for gas ($7,000 annual spending limit)
  • 3% cash back for groceries, discount stores, wholesale clubs, utilities, phone and streaming services ($7,000 annual spending limit each)
  • 1.5% cash back on everything else

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Review: Signature Federal Credit Union Visa Signature

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The Signature Federal Credit Union Visa Signature is an obscure yet powerful everyday card which beats most competitors. It has good cash back rates, no fees, and a host of Visa perks which are normally only found on high-fee Visa Infinite cards. Few credit cards offer superior cash back on non-category purchases or superior non-cashback perks. Side note: this is unrelated to Signature Bank of New York. Signature FCU is its own entity.

FEATURES AT A GLANCE

  • No annual fee
  • No foreign transaction fees
  • 6% cash back on streaming (up to $10 per month)
  • 2% cash back on everything else

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Review: Wells Fargo Autograph Visa Signature

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The new Wells Fargo Autograph Visa Signature is an updated version of their no-fee ‘Propel’ card. These are basically the same card, except that the Autograph is Visa and Propel is American Express, and Autograph also earns bonus points for phone plans. Both are strong considerations for many wallets.

FEATURES AT A GLANCE

  • No annual fee
  • No foreign transaction fee
  • 3x points on dining
  • 3x points on travel and transit (airfare, hotels, subways, parking, etc.)
  • 3x points on gas and electric vehicle (EV) charging
  • 3x points on select streaming and entertainment
  • 3x points on phone plans
  • 1x points on everything else

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Review: Abound Credit Union Visa Platinum

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The Abound Credit Union Visa Platinum is a rotating-category credit card which also earns 5% cash back on gas purchases. Abound Credit Union, formerly Fort Knox Federal Credit Union, is a Kentucky-based banking cooperative which allows for out-of-state applications. In general, this uncommon choice of a card is the absolute best option for paying at the pump. It’s worth a look for anyone who has a car.

FEATURES AT A GLANCE

  • No annual fee
  • 1% foreign transaction fee
  • 5% cash back on gas
  • 5% cash back on rotating categories ($2,000-2,500 quarterly spending limit)
  • 1% cash back on everything else

Rotating categories for 2022:

  • Q1 – Health and Fitness
  • Q2 – Travel
  • Q3 – Streaming, Phone, Cable & Internet Services
  • Q4 – Amazon.com

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Review: Chase Freedom Flex

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The Chase Freedom Flex (CFF) Mastercard is a rotating-category card like the Discover It Cash Back. Both earn a limited 5% cash back on select quarterly categories. However, CFF adds bonus categories for enhanced year-round rewards, and points are worth much more through the ”Chase Trifecta.” Chase and Discover are a good team whenever their categories don’t overlap. If the Freedom Flex sounds familiar, it might be because it’s an upgrade of the bank’s older rotating-category card (Chase Freedom Visa).

FEATURES AT A GLANCE

  • No annual fee
  • 3% foreign transaction fee
  • 5x points on rotating quarterly categories (on up to $1,500 in spending)
  • 5x points on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards (flights, hotels, car rentals)
  • 3x points at restaurants (including takeout and delivery)
  • 3x points at drugstores and pharmacies
  • 1x points on everything else
  • Chase Offers

Click here for 2024 categories.
Click here for 2023 categories.

Categories typically look like:

  • Q1 Jan-March: Grocery stores or gas stations, plus 1-2 other categories
  • Q2 April-June: Amazon plus streaming/retail
  • Q3 July-Sept: Gas stations or grocery stores plus entertainment/streaming
  • Q4 Oct-Dec: Paypal plus Walmart or wholesale clubs or department stores

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Review: Elan Max Cash Preferred

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The Max Cash Preferred Visa Signature is a “choose your own category” card which offers up to 5% cash back on purchases. You can choose two categories (out of 9 options) to get the 5% earn rate. It’s a slight variation on the U.S. Bank Cash+ card and may be easier to apply for. Max Cash Preferred is available at dozens of credit unions, including Spectra and Valley Bank. Card details are the same regardless of which bank you work with.

Also see: the U.S. Bank Altitude Go and the Elan Everyday Rewards+ Visa Signature.

FEATURES AT A GLANCE

  • No annual fee
  • 2% foreign transaction fee (when paying in U.S. dollars overseas) or 3% foreign transaction fee (when paying via foreign currency)
  • 5% cash back on two categories of your choice (up to $2,000 in combined quarterly spending)
  • 2% cash back on an “everyday” category of your choice
  • 1% cash back on everything else

5% categories:

  1. Recreation – gyms and sporting goods stores (24 Hour Fitness, Equinox, Planet Fitness, Bass Pro Shops, Dick’s, REI, etc.)
  2. Fast Food (Burger King, Chipotle, Subway, etc.)
  3. TV, internet and streaming services (Charter, DISH, Netflix, Spotify, etc.)
  4. Cell phone providers (AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon, etc.)
  5. Home utilities (Duke Energy, Pacific Gas and Electric Company, Waste Management Co., etc.)
  6. Entertainment – select tickets plus theme parks and movie theaters (Ticketmaster, StubHub, Universal Studios, Six Flags, AMC, Fandango, Regal, etc.)
  7. Furniture Stores (Ashley, Ethan Allen, Ikea, etc.)
  8. Department Stores (Bon-Ton, Kohl’s, Macy’s, etc.)
  9. Electronics Stores (Apple Store, Best Buy, Newegg, etc.)

2% categories:

  • Restaurants and Fast Food (IHOP, Outback, Red Lobster, etc.)
  • Gas Stations and Ground Transportation (7-Eleven, QuikTrip, Amtrak, Greyhound, etc.)
  • Grocery Stores and Grocery Delivery (Albertsons, Kroger, Publix, Trader Joe’s, etc.)

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Review: U.S. Bank Cash+

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The U.S. Bank Cash+ Visa Signature is a “choose your own category” card which offers up to 5% cash back on purchases. Unlike standard rotating-category cards, you can choose two categories (out of 12 options) to get the 5% earn rate, instead of one random category. You can also look into a close alternative, the Max Cash Preferred, for similar benefits.

FEATURES AT A GLANCE

  • No annual fee
  • 2% foreign transaction fee (when paying in U.S. dollars overseas) or 3% foreign transaction fee (when paying via foreign currency)
  • 5% cash back on two categories of your choice (up to $2,000 in combined quarterly spending)
  • 5% cash back “on prepaid air, hotel and car reservations booked directly in the Rewards Travel Center”
  • 2% cash back on an “everyday” category of your choice
  • 1% cash back on everything else

5% categories:

  1. Gyms and fitness centers (24 Hour Fitness, Equinox, Weight Watchers, etc.)
  2. Fast Food (Burger King, Chipotle, Subway, etc.)
  3. Ground transportation (Amtrak, Greyhound, Lyft, Uber, etc.)
  4. TV, internet and streaming services (Charter, DISH, Netflix, Spotify, etc.)
  5. Cell phone providers (AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon, etc.)
  6. Home utilities (Duke Energy, Pacific Gas and Electric Company, Waste Management Co., etc.)
  7. Movie theaters (AMC, Fandango, Regal, etc.)
  8. Furniture Stores (Ashley, Ethan Allen, Ikea, etc.)
  9. Department Stores (Bon-Ton, Kohl’s, Macy’s, etc.)
  10. Clothing Stores (American Eagle, Banana Republic, Express, etc.)
  11. Electronics Stores (Apple Store, Best Buy, Newegg, etc.)
  12. Sporting Goods Stores (Bass Pro, Cabela’s, Dick’s, etc.)

2% categories:

  • Dining (including delivery services like Doordash and UberEats)
  • Gas (including in-store purchases at locations like 7-Eleven or QuikTrip)
  • Grocery (including delivery services like Instacart and Jet)

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Review: U.S. Bank Altitude Reserve Visa Infinite

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The U.S. Bank Altitude Reserve (USBAR) is a premium travel card which also works well for everyday usage. It closely competes with the the Chase Sapphire Reserve, Capital One Venture X, and other luxury cards. The USBAR might have lower earning potential than certain competitors, but it’s often easier to use and more convenient. This is a card worth exploring even if it can potentially be tough to get U.S. Bank credit cards.

FEATURES AT A GLANCE

    • $400 annual fee
    • Zero foreign transaction fees
    • 5x points on hotels and car rentals booked through U.S. Bank’s website
    • 3x points on travel
    • 3x points on mobile wallet transactions
    • 1x points on everything else
    • $325 annual credit (for travel or restaurants)
    • $100 credit towards Global Entry or TSA PreCheck (once every 4 years)
    • Metal card

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Review: Citi Custom Cash Card

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The Citi Custom Cash Card (CCCC) is a no-fee credit card which gives 5% cash back on your top spending category each month. Citi automatically calculates which category you spend the most in, giving you rewards at the end of each billing cycle. It requires zero effort from the cardholder. The Custom Cash is easier to use than competing cards, and may have higher rewards. It’s versatile enough that almost everyone can get use out of it, although it does depend on one’s spending habits.

FEATURES AT A GLANCE

  • No annual fee
  • 3% foreign transaction fee
  • 5% cash back for the first $500 spent each billing cycle in 1 of 10 categories (see below)
  • 1% cash back on everything else

5% eligible categories:

  1. Restaurants/dining
  2. Gas
  3. Grocery stores
  4. “Select travel” (airlines, hotels, cruise lines, travel agencies, etc.)
  5. “Select transit” (car rentals, ferries, trains, taxis, bridge/road tolls, parking lots/garages, bus lines, etc.)
  6. “Select streaming services” (Includes “Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Music, Apple Music, CBS All Access, Disney+, AT&T TV NOW, ESPN+, fuboTV, HBO Max, NBA League Pass, Netflix, Pandora, Showtime, Sling TV, Spotify, Starz, SiriusXM, Vudu, YouTube Red, YouTube TV, and Tidal.”)
  7. Drugstores/pharmacies
  8. Home improvement stores
  9. Fitness clubs
  10. Live entertainment (concerts, theaters, etc.)

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Review: Capital One SavorOne

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The Capital One SavorOne Rewards Mastercard is a no-fee card which earns unlimited rewards in popular categories. Although it usually isn’t considered the “best” for any single category, few cards have a decent earn rate in 4+ spend categories. This makes the SavorOne worth considering as a general everyday card, especially for grocery spending. Their new Uber partnership is another strong point to consider.

FEATURES AT A GLANCE

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