visa

Review: Affinity Federal Credit Union Cash Rewards

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The Affinity Federal Credit Union Cash Rewards is a high-earning Visa Signature credit card. It gets 5% cash back at bookstores, and on non-digital Amazon purchases. The card also has rotating categories where you can earn up to 7% cash back for 3 months at a time. If you’re considering something like the Barnes & Noble credit card, or an Amazon-specific card, Affinity FCU could be the superior choice.

FEATURES AT A GLANCE

  • No annual fee
  • No foreign transaction fee
  • 5% cash back on rotating categories
  • 5% cash back with Amazon and bookstores
  • 2% cash back on groceries, dining, gas, rideshare, and streaming
  • 1% cash back on everything else

2022 categories:

  • Q1: Gas, Cellular/Wireless, Cable/Satellite
  • Q2: Gas, Gardening, Supermarkets
  • Q3: Gas, Wholesale Clubs, Fast Food
  • Q4: Unknown

Note: for 2023, Affinity may have discontinued rotating categories. TBD.

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Review: Amazon Prime Rewards Visa

⭐⭐⭐, Credit Card Reviews /

The Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature credit card is issued by Chase Bank. Although it’s a store card with limited usage, it has decent benefits, and it’s good at what it does. The sign-up bonus is also easy to get, since it doesn’t have a minimum spending requirement like other cards.

FEATURES AT A GLANCE

  • No annual fee
  • No foreign transaction fee
  • 5% cash back at Chase Travel for booking flights, hotels, or car rentals (3% instead if you’re not a Prime member) (new benefit as of May 2023)
  • 5% cash back at Amazon and Whole Foods (3% instead if you’re not a Prime member)
  • 2% cash back at restaurants and gas stations
  • 2% cash back on transit and rideshare (as of May 2023, replacing the former “drugstore” category)
  • 1% cash back for everything else

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Review: World of Hyatt Visa

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The World of Hyatt Visa Signature is a travel card for certain hotel loyalists. It earns points in multiple categories and can be a good generalist card. It’s issued by Chase Bank, and in 2018, the card was relaunched with increased value. Hyatt isn’t the most prolific hotel brand in terms of locations though. Whether this card is useful depends on how often you’ll use Hyatt or Hyatt-linked hotels.

FEATURES AT A GLANCE

  • $95 annual fee
  • No foreign transaction fees
  • 4x points on Hyatt stays (+5x for World of Hyatt members for a total of 9x)
  • 2x points on dining
  • 2x points on flights
  • 2x points on fitness clubs and gym memberships
  • 2x points on transit (taxis, buses, trains, tolls, rideshare, etc.)
  • 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: Langley FCU Signature Cash Back Visa

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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

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Review: U.S. Bank Altitude Connect

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The U.S. Bank Altitude Connect is a travel-focused Visa Signature credit card with a low annual fee. It earns a relatively high cash back rate on travel and gas expenses. It’s also good for streaming-related expenses. However, most people will be better off with the Altitude Go (no fee) or Altitude Reserve (high fee).

Update, March 2024: U.S. Bank announced that a number of changes are coming to this card on September 9th, 2024. Changes include: removing the $95 annual fee, lowering the value of points by 20% when not redeemed for travel, removing cell phone insurance, and removing the $30 annual streaming credit. The card will still earn 4x points on travel and gas, which actually makes things interesting despite the negative changes. The Altitude Connect will become roughly equivalent to the best no-fee travel card, the Penfed Pathfinder Rewards, if not better (since it keeps Priority Pass and Global Entry). We’ll update our review of the Altitude Connect when its changes take effect, and re-evaluate its value.

Our review from 2022 remains below:

FEATURES AT A GLANCE

  • $95 annual fee (waived for the first year, and will be eliminated on 9/9/24)
  • No foreign transaction fees
  • 5x points on hotels and car rentals (booked through U.S. Bank)
  • 4x points on all other travel
  • 4x points on gas (and electric vehicle charging stations) (will become limited to your first $1,000 each quarter)
  • 2x points on grocery (including delivery)
  • 2x points on dining
  • 2x points on streaming
  • 1x points on everything else
  • $30 annual streaming credit
  • $100 credit towards Global Entry or TSA PreCheck (once every 4 years)

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Review: U.S. Bank Altitude Go

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The U.S. Bank Altitude Go is a Visa Signature credit card best used for dining and streaming purchases. It’s arguably the best no-fee card for both categories, and unquestionably in the top 5. If you don’t live near a bank location, there’s also a close yet slightly worse alternative: the Elan Everyday Rewards+ Visa Signature.

FEATURES AT A GLANCE

  • No annual fee
  • No foreign transaction fees
  • 4x points on dining (including delivery and takeout)
  • 2x points on groceries (including delivery)
  • 2x points on streaming
  • 2x points on gas (and electric vehicle charging stations)
  • 1x points on everything else
  • $15 annual streaming credit

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Review: Chase Sapphire Preferred

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The Chase Sapphire Preferred (CSP) Visa Signature is a mid-tier credit card which earns cash back on multiple categories. It was refreshed around early 2022 to add new perks and ways to earn more points. CSP has a low annual fee and may appear more attractive than the Chase Sapphire Reserve (CSR). It does however share some features with no-fee cards like the Chase Freedom Flex, making the value uncertain.

FEATURES AT A GLANCE

  • $95 annual fee
  • No foreign transaction fees
  • 5x points on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards (flights, hotels, car rentals)
  • 3x points on dining/restaurants, including delivery and takeout
  • 3x points on select streaming
  • 3x points on online grocery purchases
  • 2x points on travel
  • 1x points on everything else
  • $50 annual hotel credit

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Review: Bank of America Premium Rewards

⭐⭐⭐, Credit Card Reviews /

The Bank of America Premium Rewards Visa Signature is a mid-tier travel-focused credit card. It’s a fair option for casual travelers since the card can pay for itself. However, it’s best if you’re enrolled in the Preferred Rewards program. Anyone who isn’t in that program may be better served with other credit cards.

FEATURES AT A GLANCE

  • $95 annual fee
  • No foreign transaction fees
  • 2x points on travel
  • 2x points on dining
  • 1.5x points on everything else
  • $100 annual airline incidental credit
  • $100 credit towards Global Entry or TSA PreCheck (once every 4 years)

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Review: Chase Freedom Unlimited

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Chase Freedom Unlimited (CFU) is a general-use no-fee credit card with extra opportunities for rewards. Although the card is advertised as a cash back card, it really earns points (Chase Ultimate Rewards, or “UR” for short). This is important because of the “Chase Trifecta” rewards strategy. CFU earns at least 1.5% cash back on all purchases and can earn much more.

FEATURES AT A GLANCE

  • No annual fee
  • 3% foreign transaction fee
  • 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
  • 1.5x points on everything else
  • Chase Offers

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