The Offer
- USAA is offering a bonus of $150 after $500 in qualifying purchases within the first 90 days on the USAA Cashback Rewards Plus American Express card
Card Details
- 5% cash back on gas and military commissaries, exchanges and shoppettes¹ up to $3,000 on gas purchases annually
- 2% cash back on groceries up to $3,000 on grocery purchases annually
- 1% cash back on other purchases with no limit
- No annual fee
- Must qualify for membership
- Read our full review of this card here.
Our Verdict
As far as I know we haven’t seen a sign up bonus on this card before. $150 after $500 in spend isn’t a huge bonus, but it isn’t terrible when it comes to cash sign up bonuses and it’s nice that this card also has two 5% categories that should be useful to cardholders plus no annual fee so can easily be kept long term. It’s also from one of the smaller issuers which is nice to see. For more information on USAA and the credit cards they offer, read this.
Hat tip to reader tennis9z9
Just an FYI, based on my experience, at least some military exchanges may no longer be considered on base purchases. See my comment here: https://www.doctorofcredit.com/usaa-cashback-rewards-plus-american-express-review-5-cash-back-on-gas-military-base-spend/#comment-784976
I just contacted USAA to check on the bonus that I was supposed to have received for getting this card back in July. They are saying they have no record of the offer. Interesting.
I am in the same boat, currently fighting USAA to get the bonus, as it appears they have taken the offer off of their website. I applied and was granted credit on June 11th. Met minimum spend over a month ago.
Having the exact same issue right now, been calling back and forth for a few months now. On the phone with them again right now. I’m trying to find an image of the card application page while the offer was still active.
It is odd that they are doing this. It is like they purged any record of the offer from their website. They asked for proof of the offer so I uploaded a screen clipping of the offer from this page as well as the email I was sent when approved for the card. Unfortunately there is no wording of the bonus in the email I was sent. The bonus was a huge reason I applied for the card, I even put a reminder on my calendar for the last day I had to hit the minimum spend. I will be upset if I do not receive the bonus, although I will still use the card as 5% back on gas is pretty good.
They asked me for a DM number for the offer? They said it would be on the document that I used to apply.
I am a USAA member yet when I try to start the application I get this error message. Anyone get this and able to figure out how to get around it? This product or service is unavailable to you due to one or more of the following reasons:
Membership eligibility requirements
Other information drawn from your Personal Profile
Age requirements (must be 18 or older)
State or foreign restrictions
Any idea how long the offer will last?
Doctor of credit is the best!
$150 for 20 minutes of my time & 5% back on all gas.
Product or service unavailable.
Got this last month. Bonus posts a few days after you reach min spend which is nice.
Good to hear. Just hate those banks that make you wait. That’s a great DP to add, IMHO.
I use this card at gas stations for 5% cashback. I use Chase Sapphire Reserve at restaurants and travel for 4.5% cashback (if used for travel or 3%). I use Amex blue cash preferred at grocery stores for 6% cashback. For everything else, I use USAA limitless for 2.5% cashback.
If anyone knows better cashback card, please reply here.
Thanks.
Other than the category cards, you’re doing well. Pick up the US Bank Cash + for 5% on utilities and one other category (cell or electronics stores are good ones), assuming you don’t live in your parent’s basement. Electric/Gas/Water etc should all qualify for 5%, and maybe even your cable/internet depending on where you live? Discover & Chase Freedom (I would say Citi Dividend, but do they ever have good categories?) are good for the random cat’s.
Ditch the BCP and CSR when AF is due, unless your a big grocery spender, or do lots of travel. It’s all relative to your spending. No two people are alike, and life events can happen. And also, I don’t MS. If you are getting max use of the categories, then the AF is justified.
Then there are the churners that will tell you to stop worrying about pennies when you can just focus on sign-up bonuses. Since you have the CSR… I am sure you have an idea.
I hate you for having the Limitless card… Thanks USAA – no love for Virginia! Like how that phased intro stopped.
Assuming I am approved, this card will be the nail in the coffin for my 6% groc BCP, and also my BofA Cash Rewards for 3% on gas. It will cover my commissary trips at 5%, and the rest of my local groceries can go on the BCE at 3%, or 5% when a category card hits groc.
Do you have to bank at US Bank to be a credit card holder? It’s not a local for me.
Since it’s a bank and not a credit union, I do not believe it’s a requirement.
https://www.doctorofcredit.com/u-s-bank-offering-150-bonuses-cash-cash-365/
https://www.doctorofcredit.com/things-everybody-should-know-about-us-bank-credit-cards/
Also I have read of people getting denied of freezing Sagestream and ARS now, so that is an old recommendation.
I think you’ve about got it covered, Steve. Keep it up.
isn’t CSR cash back for restaurant and travel 3%?
Thanks for the review on this card. I signed up for the card about a month ago for the bonus. After I met the spend requirement I took it out of the wallet as I had forgotten that it has 5% at gas stations. Needless to say it will be going back in the wallet.
If I weren’t under 5/24 I’d so pick this up..
Stay strong. Save yourself for Chase, then go bananas with an App-O-Rama and pick this one up on the back end 🙂