Update 11/28/23: Bonus now $150.
Update 9/16/23: 5% is limited to $1,000 a month now.
Update 12/29/22: Looks like the 5% rotating categories are being removed.
Update 4/29/20: They have added 5% on grocery, and streaming services for April, May & June. This in addition to 5% on gas. This means you’ll earn 7% on grocery and 6% on streaming. Hat tip to reader Scott F & Ari
Update 4/15/20: Readers are now being shown a $3,500 cap on bookstore purchases per month. It doesn’t show on the landing page at all, but under ‘Credit Card Rewards tab’ when logged in. This seems misleading to not display or mention this cap on the landing page. Hat tip to readers TinkoDinko & PG
Update 1/20/20: Card now has 5% rotating categories:
- January – March: Restaurants
- April – June: Gas
- July – September: Clothing & Home Furnishing
- October – December: Bookstores/discount retailers
This is in addition to the points you’d normally earn
Hat tip to reader David
Update 8/8/19: Card no longer has an annual fee of $95.
Update 3/6/19: This card also earns 5% back on restaurants for the month of March.
Affinity Federal Credit Union offers the ‘Affinity Cash Rewards Visa® Signature Credit Card‘. Let’s take a look at this card in more details
Contents
Card Basics
- $200 cash back after $3,000 in spend within the first 90 days
- Card earns at the following rates:
- 5% cash back at all bookstores including Amazon
- 2% cash back at restaurants, gas stations and supermarkets
- 1% cash back on all other purchases
Our Verdict
There are lots of cards that earn at a high rate on Amazon purchases. There aren’t really any that earn 5% back at all bookstores anymore. It also looks like you need to be a member to apply, anybody can become a member by donating $5.
Hat tip to reader batsy71
Does anyone else find the response rate of the rewards customer service to be like 25%?
Just applied; also tried opening a checking acct with them at the same time. Got denied a CU membership within about an hour. Called and asked if they could provide any clarity. While the agent wouldn’t give any details, the story was that it was “to prevent fraud” and if I wanted to open a new account, I needed to come into a branch, and if I wasn’t local (which I’m not) I should consider looking at a local credit union and opening an account there. Seem to be trying to cut down on non-footprint customers. (have a score over 800, nothing else on my reports should scream risk)
At this point I’d say applicant be warned – it seems like a throw-away credit report hit.
Sign-up bonus reduced from $200 to $150 for $3k spend in 90 days.
https://www.affinityfcu.com/personal-banking/banking/credit-card/cash-rewards-visa
“You’ve been selected for a limited-time offer.
Earn 3X cash back* with your Affinity Cash Back Debit Card during the month you establish a recurring direct deposit of $500 or more. That’s triple the cash back! Offer ends December 31, 2023.”
Now the page is back to 3500. Wonder if they rolled out change too early? Some dp of 5% not being earned now though too.
Official details of the change shows on the Credit Card Rewards page:
Beginning on October 1, 2023, the 5% cash back on monthly book store spend will be capped at $1,000, reduced from $3,500
Hey, fyi the link to the card on the post is broken. Here’s a working link:
William Charles
https://www.affinityfcu.com/personal-banking/banking/credit-card/cash-rewards-visa
Apparently there is also a “secondary” sign-up bonus as well, 25000 points == $250 if you spend $25k in the first 12 months, in additional to the regular $200 / $3000 in the first 90 days offer. It’s a bit high to be taken seriously.
Thinking about non-category spending, that is just 1% extra on top of 1% base earning. That gives 2% on general spending, only if someone reaches the 25k threshold spending.
I want my 7% on gas at Costco :’(
The rotating categories aren’t being nerfed. It’s just not available this quarter. This quarter’s bonus is essentially earn an extra ~1.5 % depending on how much you spend.
I’m not a huge spender but at $2000-$5000 spend that would make this card for the first quarter of 2023:
6.5% on Amazon + bookstores
3.5% on gas and groceries
2.5% everything else
Still pretty bad ass if you ask me..
Those percentages only apply to exactly $2000 spend.
False
OK wise guy, tell me then how much rewards does this card get after $3000 spend at Amazon.
6%? And this is after further breakdown from the initial post on reddit/myfico. At the time of my post, info said what I stated.
You still said “exactly $2000” which is still a false statement, I presume?
Please tell me how much for $2000-$2499 spend?
If I’m wrong, my apologies in advance.
I’ll hop in here as I’m the one that posted the breakdown on Reditt & MyFico (I’m MLJ_The_Shield on both):
Ldrx is technically correct.
$2499 spend would get you: $124.95 (Flat 5%) + the 3000 points. Total = $154.95 for Amazon spend, or exactly 6.198% CB, not 6.5%.
$2499 spend on groceries, fast food, restaurants would get you $49.99 (Flat 2%) + 3000 points. Total = $79.99, or exactly 3.2% Cash back, not 3.5%.
$2499 “general” spend would get you: $24.99 (Flat 1%) + the 3000 points. Total = $54.99, or exactly 2.2%, not 2.5%.
It gets worse as you go up the spend chart before the next “bonus” threshold. Meaning if you spent $4900 exactly, your Amazon bonus would be 5.61%. Feel free to do the math on the rest.
I still like this card and really, really like Affinity (they have a 3.5% up to 5k savings account, a nice app, they have Zelle) and will continue to use them. I just don’t do the whole gift card thing nor have I ever tried.
You already got confirmation from the bank on this? Seems really odd as cards with 5% quarter bonus never skip a quarter on them to implement something weird like this
It’s in the email from Affinity. LOL.
“FOR THE NEXT QUARTER the bonus points are earned based on how much is spent with your card”
Also, this isn’t a 5% rotating categories card. In fact, it’s never been it’s main rewards. It’s always been a bonus for both their rewards cards.
Unfortunately it looks like it’s permanent, unless they change their minds.
Nothing lasts forever