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Best USAA Credit Cards Of 2025

Updated: Feb 24, 2025, 3:21pm

Becky PokoraCredit Card Rewards Expert

With more than 50 million redeemed miles under her belt, Becky Pokora is a rewards travel expert. She's been writing about credit cards and reward travel since 2011 with articles on Forbes Advisor, BoardingArea, The Points Guy and more. Her redemptio...

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Becky Pokora

Becky PokoraCredit Card Rewards Expert

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Credit Card Rewards Expert

Fact Checked by

Jerod MoralesDeputy Credit Cards Editor

Jerod Morales is a deputy editor at Forbes Advisor and a travel rewards expert. He took a deep dive into points and miles in 2016, searching for a way to make travel both possible and affordable for his growing family. Now, as a dad to four sons, he...

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Jerod Morales

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Jerod MoralesDeputy Credit Cards Editor

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Editorial Note: We earn a commission from partner links on Forbes Advisor. Commissions do not affect our editors' opinions or evaluations.

If you’re in the market for a new credit card, you’ll find options with cash-back rewards, travel perks or no annual fees on cards issued by USAA®. To apply, you’ll first need to be a USAA member—membership is open to current and former military members, employees of select federal agencies and eligible family members. But if you’re already a member or planning to join anyway, the best USAA credit cards can make your finances easy and convenient.

Show Summary

Best USAA Credit Cards

USAA Eagle Navigator® Credit Card: Best for Travel
USAA Rate Advantage Credit Card: Best for a Low Interest Rate
USAA Preferred Cash Rewards Credit Card: Best for Flat-Rate Cash Back
USAA Rewards™ American Express® Card *: Best for Dining Out
USAA Cashback Rewards Plus American Express® Card *: Best for Gas and On-Base Purchases

Here’s a Summary of the Best USAA Cards

CREDIT CARD OUR Rating & DETAILS

USAA Eagle Navigator® Credit Card

Apply Now

On USAA's Website

Rates & Fees

Welcome Bonus

Earn 30,000 bonus points

Credit Score

Good, Excellent

Annual Fee

$95

USAA Rate Advantage Credit Card

Apply Now

On USAA's Website

Rates & Fees

Welcome Bonus

None

Credit Score

Good, Excellent

Annual Fee

USAA Preferred Cash Rewards Credit Card

Apply Now

On USAA's Website

Rates & Fees

Welcome Bonus

$200 reward bonus

Credit Score

Good, Excellent

Annual Fee

USAA Rewards™ American Express® Card

Welcome Bonus

2,500 bonus points

Credit Score

Good, Excellent

Annual Fee

USAA Cashback Rewards Plus American Express® Card

Welcome Bonus

N/A

Credit Score

Fair, Good, Excellent

Annual Fee

Credit Card

Rates & Fees

USAA Eagle Navigator® Credit Card

Apply Now

On USAA's Website

Rates & Fees

USAA Rate Advantage Credit Card

Apply Now

On USAA's Website

Rates & Fees

USAA Preferred Cash Rewards Credit Card

Apply Now

On USAA's Website

USAA Rewards™ American Express® Card

USAA Cashback Rewards Plus American Express® Card

Credit Card

Our Rating

Annual Fee

Credit Score

Welcome Bonus

Learn More

Rates & Fees

USAA Eagle Navigator® Credit Card

$95

Good, Excellent

Earn 30,000 bonus points

Apply Now

On USAA's Website

Rates & Fees

USAA Rate Advantage Credit Card

Good, Excellent

None

Apply Now

On USAA's Website

Rates & Fees

USAA Preferred Cash Rewards Credit Card

Good, Excellent

$200 reward bonus

Apply Now

On USAA's Website

USAA Rewards™ American Express® Card

Good, Excellent

2,500 bonus points

USAA Cashback Rewards Plus American Express® Card

Fair, Good, Excellent

N/A

Best USAA Credit Cards of 2025

Best for Travel

USAA Eagle Navigator® Credit Card

Apply Now

On USAA's Website

Click Here To Apply Now

Rates & Fees

Up to 3X Reward Rate

Earn 3X points per dollar spent on qualifying travel purchases including flights, vacation rentals and hotels and 2X points onRead More

Welcome Bonus

Earn 30,000 bonus points

Annual Fee

$95

Regular APR

19.15% to 27.40% variable

Credit Score

Good, Excellent

Our Expert Take

Despite charging an annual fee, the USAA Eagle Navigator® Credit Card (rates & fees) offers excellent travel earnings and perks with enough value to justify its yearly cost.

Why We Like It

The earning rates on this card don’t garner as much attention as they should. You can earn 3 points per dollar spent on qualifying travel purchases including flights, vacation rentals and hotels and 2 points on everyday purchases including gas, dining, groceries and more. That makes this one of the few cards that offers the equivalent of up to 2 points per dollar on all purchases as well as a bonus on travel spending. New cardholders can earn 30,000 bonus points ($300 travel value) after spending $3,000 on qualifying purchases within 90 days of account opening.

Travelers will appreciate the other perks offered by this card, including a statement credit every four years to cover the cost of Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® application fees. You can also receive 10,000 bonus points each calendar year (worth $100 in travel) when you book a hotel or rental car through the USAA Rewards Center. That benefit alone is enough to offset the card’s annual fee.

What We Don’t Like

While the points earned with this card are worth 1 cent each when redeemed for travel, they’re only worth 0.7 cents per point when redeemed for cash back. The card offers a modest welcome bonus, though alternate travel credit cards may offer bonuses worth double or more. And unlike many other USAA credit cards, this one does come with an annual fee.

Who It’s Best For

The USAA Eagle Navigator® Credit Card is best for travelers seeking a simple rewards program with strong earnings and benefits.

Pros & Cons

Strong rewards rates
Annual points bonus
Global Entry or TSA PreCheck statement credit
No foreign transaction fees

Charges an annual fee
Reduced redemption value for cash back
Exclusive to USAA® members

Card Details

Must be a USAA® member, or become a member, to apply. USAA proudly offers membership to current and former military, as well as their spouses and dependents.
Intro Offer: Earn 30,000 bonus points ($300 travel value) after spending $3,000 on qualifying purchases within 90 days of account opening.
3X points on travel purchases – triple your points on tolls, rideshares, hotels, vacation rentals, flights and more.
2X points on everyday purchases – double your points on groceries, gas, dining, bills and more.
Earn 10,000 bonus points every year – applies after you complete eligible hotel or car booking. That’s equal to a $100 travel value.
Up to $120 credit towards TSA PreCheck® or Global Entry® fee every four years.
Enjoy valuable travel benefits and protection, including Auto Rental Coverage, Travel Accident Coverage, Trip Interruption Coverage, Baggage Delay Reimbursement, Purchase Security and Cell Phone Protection.
No foreign transaction fees.
Points never expire for the life of the account and there are no spend caps on point earning.
Redeem points your way, on your schedule.
A fee of 5% of the amount of each balance transfer, cash advance and convenience check applies.
19.15% to 27.40% variable regular APR.
$95 annual fee.
See Rates and Fees for details.
Terms and Restrictions apply. See the Guide to Benefits and Reward Terms and Conditions on USAA’s website for details.

Best for a Low Interest Rate

USAA Rate Advantage Credit Card

Apply Now

On USAA's Website

Click Here To Apply Now

Rates & Fees

No Rewards

This card does not offer rewards on purchases.

Welcome Bonus

None

Annual Fee

Regular APR

11.15% to 25.15% variable

Credit Score

Good, Excellent

Our Expert Take

The USAA Rate Advantage Credit Card is a no-frills card lauded primarily for offering one of the lowest ongoing APRs currently available: 11.15% to 25.15% variable (rates & fees).

Why We Like It

This card is all about its interest rates. New cardholders can access an appealing introductory APR offer. Get a 0% introductory APR for 15 months on balance transfers in the first 90 days, followed by an ongoing variable APR of 11.15% to 25.15% on purchases and balance transfers. A balance transfer fee of 5% of the amount of each balance transfer applies.

Note that new purchases don’t qualify for this introductory offer, but even those have a relatively low interest rate compared to most other credit cards, assuming you have good to excellent credit and can qualify for the lowest rate.

What We Don’t Like

Unfortunately, this card does not offer a welcome bonus or ongoing rewards.

Who It’s Best For

This card is best for anyone who anticipates needing to pay down existing debt or carry a balance from new purchases.

Pros & Cons

0% intro APR for 15 months on balance transfers, then 11.15% to 25.15% variable regular APR
$0 annual fee
No foreign transaction fees

No rewards
Must be a USAA® member or have a family member who is to qualify

Card Details

Must be a USAA® member, or become a member, to apply. USAA proudly offers membership to current and former military, as well as their spouses and dependents.
Intro Offer: Get a 0% intro APR for 15 months on balance transfers and convenience checks that post within 90 days of account opening. After this time, the variable regular APR of 11.15% to 25.15% will apply to introductory balances.
A fee of 5% of the amount of each balance transfer, cash advance and convenience check applies. If you transfer a balance or write a convenience check to take advantage of the introductory rate offer, you will immediately incur interest on purchases until you pay your balance in full, including any transferred balances.
No annual fee.
No foreign transaction fees.
11.15% to 25.15% variable regular APR.
See Rates and Fees for details.

Best for Flat-Rate Cash Back

USAA Preferred Cash Rewards Credit Card

Apply Now

On USAA's Website

Click Here To Apply Now

Rates & Fees

1.5% Reward Rate

Earn 1.5% cash back on every purchase

Welcome Bonus

$200 reward bonus

Annual Fee

Regular APR

16.15% to 28.15% variable

Credit Score

Good, Excellent

Our Expert Take

For simple cash-back rewards, the USAA Preferred Cash Rewards Credit Card offers a flat-rate return on all purchases with no annual fee (rates & fees).

Why We Like It

The earning structure on this card is a classic option that can be matched by many cards, but a few extra benefits make this version stand out. There’s no foreign transaction fee on this card, which could save you a fair bit of money if you travel or shop internationally.

Additionally, this card offers a unique perk to reimburse up to $200 of your auto insurance deductible if you use it to make at least eight transactions in the preceding calendar month. While we hope you never need to make this claim, it’s a nice safety net.

What We Don’t Like

The card’s reward rate is low compared to 2% cash-back credit cards available on the market.

Who It’s Best For

This card makes sense for someone looking for a flat-rate cash rewards card who also needs to avoid foreign transaction fees.

Pros & Cons

High rewards rate on every purchase
Travel protections
No foreign transaction fees

No balance transfer promotion
Exclusive to USAA® members

Card Details

Must be a USAA® member, or become a member, to apply. USAA proudly offers membership to current and former military, as well as their spouses and dependents.
Earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on purchases, no category restrictions, no caps on cash back.
Intro Offer: Earn a $200 reward bonus when you spend $1,000 on qualifying purchases within 90 days of account opening.
Auto Deductible Reimbursement (ADR) up to $200.
A fee of 5% of the amount of each balance transfer, cash advance and convenience check applies.
No annual fee.
Cash back rewards never expire.
Redeem cash back your way, on your schedule.
No foreign transaction fees.
16.15% to 28.15% variable regular APR.
Terms and Restrictions apply. See the Reward Terms and Conditions and the ADR Benefit Guide on USAA’s website for details.
See Rates and Fees for details.

Best for Dining Out

USAA Rewards™ American Express® Card *

Up to 3X Reward Rate

Earn 3X points per dollar spent on dining; 2X points on groceries and gas; 1X on all other purchases.

Welcome Bonus

2,500 bonus points

Annual Fee

Regular APR

14.40% - 28.40% Variable

Credit Score

Good, Excellent (700 - 749)

Our Expert Take

If a sizable amount of your monthly budget is spent on restaurants and dining, the USAA Rewards™ American Express® Card* can lead to an excellent rewards rate.

Why We Like It

The chance to snag extra points on dining and fair earnings on gas and groceries makes this no annual fee card a winner.

The card also offers a surprising number of travel perks for one not marketed for seeing the world. You’ll find auto rental coverage, trip cancellation and interruption coverage, baggage delay reimbursement and no foreign transaction fees.

What We Don’t Like

Depending on when you apply for the card, its welcome offer is likely to be exceptionally low or it may not even offer one at all. The base rewards rate is also uninspiring.

Who It’s Best For

You’ll like this card if you’re looking for rewards on dining purchases with no annual fee and the chance to qualify for a low ongoing APR.

Pros & Cons

Earn up to 3 points per dollar on everyday spending
Introductory 0% APR on balance transfers and convenience checks
No annual fee
No foreign transaction fees

Low welcome offer
No introductory 0% APR on purchases
No transparency about point redemption values
Requires USAA membership

Card Details

Earn 3X points per dollar spent on dining
Earn 2X points per dollar spent on gas and groceries
Earn 1X points for every dollar spent on all other purchases
Earn 2,500 bonus points after completing your first purchase
Redeem points for cash, merchandise, gift cards and more
No annual fee and no foreign transaction fees

Best for Gas and On-Base Purchases

USAA Cashback Rewards Plus American Express® Card *

Up to 5X Reward Rate

Earn 5% cash back on the first $3,000 in combined gas and military base purchases yearly; 2% cash back onRead More

Welcome Bonus

N/A

Annual Fee

Regular APR

16.15% - 28.15% variable

Credit Score

Fair, Good, Excellent (700 - 749)

Our Expert Take

Take advantage of impressive cash-back earnings on gas and military-base purchases with the USAA Cashback Rewards Plus American Express® Card*.

Why We Like It

This card offers a little bit of everything, including ongoing rewards with no annual fee and an introductory APR offer: 16.15% to 28.15% variable APR on purchases and balance transfers. 0% Introductory APR for 15 billing cycles for any balance transfers made in the first 90 days. A balance transfer fee of 5% of the amount of each transfer applies. The ongoing APR is also lower than average, which can be an advantage if you occasionally need to carry a balance.

What We Don’t Like

The 5% cash-back rewards are phenomenal but limited to the first $3,000 in combined eligible purchases per calendar year. Some cardholders could max out those amounts quickly and then find themselves earning a subpar return thereafter.

Who It’s Best For

This card is best for customers who want to maximize gas or base charges and who aren’t bothered by the annual rewards cap.

Pros & Cons

No annual fee
No foreign transaction fees
Simple cash-back rewards program

5% of the amount of each balance transfer
Bonus rewards are capped
Membership in USAA a requirement to apply

Card Details

Earn 5% cash back on the first $3,000 spent in gas and military base purchases annually
Earn 2% cash back on the first $3,000 spent on supermarket purchases per year
Earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases
USAA membership is available to active and former military and their eligible family members

Methodology

USAA offers eight credit cards. To narrow down our list of the best options, we focused on several factors, including:

Earnings rates
Introductory APR
Fees
Consumer benefits
Need for a security deposit

Forbes Advisor re-evaluates each credit card list at least every 12 months to determine if any cards need to be added and/or removed. However, a list could be updated sooner if significant changes are made to the mentioned cards or if a new credit card is announced that’s likely to impact the category.

To learn more about our rating and review methodology and editorial process, check out our guide on how Forbes Advisor rates credit cards.

USAA Credit Card Benefits

All USAA credit cards come with a few benefits you don’t always see on products issued by other banks. In particular, USAA doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees on any of its cards.

USAA cards typically come with other travel protections as well, including auto rental coverage, travel accident insurance, trip cancellation and interruption insurance and baggage delay and reimbursement. Customer protections may also be included, such as extended warranty protection, purchase security and cellphone protection when you use your card to pay for your monthly phone bill.

Lastly, the stated interest rates on USAA cards for well-qualified cardholders can be a few points lower than market rates—which adds up if you can’t pay your balance in full. Because not all customers will qualify for the lowest rates, this benefit may not apply to you.

How To Choose USAA Credit Cards

Before choosing which USAA credit card appeals to you, consider carefully whether or not a card from another issuer may be a better fit. Some USAA credit cards offer a smart package of features, while others lag behind other available cards.

When choosing USAA credit cards or other options, you’ll want to consider your financial habits. All these factors can help you peg down which choice is best for you:

Your credit score and general creditworthiness
Annual fees you’re willing to pay
Type of card rewards offered (if any) and earning rates per purchase category
Introductory APR offers and ongoing interest rates
Welcome bonus offers
Other card benefits and protections

How To Apply for USAA Credit Cards

You need to join USAA before you can apply for one of the card issuer’s credit cards. To qualify for membership, you must be one of the following:

U.S. military members, including active duty, guard and reserve service members
U.S. military veterans, including separated and retired members with an honorable or general under honorable conditions discharge
Pre-commissioned officers, including contracted cadets, midshipmen and officer candidates
Spouses, including widows and former spouses who haven’t remarried and children of current USAA members

After you join USAA, you must log in to apply for a USAA credit card. You’ll likely need to provide some basic information about yourself, including your name, date of birth, Social Security number and other details, which USAA will use to determine your eligibility.

What Credit Score Do You Need for a USAA Credit Card?

The credit score required for a USAA credit card varies based on the exact card you’re applying for. While USAA offers secured credit cards that you can get with poor, limited or even no credit history, its other cards may require better credit for approval. Generally speaking, cards with the highest rewards, welcome offers and premium benefits require the highest credit. For example, the USAA Eagle Navigator® Credit Card may require good or excellent credit.

Are There Alternative USAA Credit Cards Worth Considering?

Applicants with poor or limited credit history may wish to consider USAA secured credit cards. These cards require a cash security deposit to use but may be available to more applicants since they carry lower risk to the issuer. Secured cards can help you build or rebuild your credit when you show responsible card usage and on-time payments.

If you are looking for alternate cards and have good to excellent credit, the best credit cards may be issued by other banks. So it might be worth the small inconvenience of managing your credit card account separately from any other accounts you hold with USAA.

Find The Best Credit Cards For 2025

No single credit card is the best option for every family, every purchase or every budget. We've picked the best credit cards in a way designed to be the most helpful to the widest variety of readers.

Learn More

Bottom Line

USAA has a handful of good credit cards, though you’ll find a limited selection of rewards cards if you don’t consider other issuers. Unless you’re intent on keeping everything under the USAA umbrella, it may make sense to branch out to other options.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Is USAA a good credit card to have?

If you’re loyal to USAA, there are a few credit cards that may make sense to niche customers. Some USAA cards offer a better package of features than others.

Which USAA credit card has the highest limit?

USAA doesn’t publicly disclose this information. However, according to online reports, the card issuer offers limits of up to $50,000 on all of its unsecured credit cards. Secured credit cards, on the other hand, max out at $5,000.

What are the disadvantages of USAA?

The biggest drawback of USAA is that membership is exclusive to the military community and its eligible family members. If you’re not a member of the armed forces or the spouse or child of an existing USAA member, you can’t join the organization and, therefore, can’t get a USAA credit card.

Next Up In Credit Cards

*The information for the following card(s) has been collected independently by Forbes Advisor: USAA Rewards™ American Express® Card, USAA Cashback Rewards Plus American Express® Card. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Information provided on Forbes Advisor is for educational purposes only. Your financial situation is unique and the products and services we review may not be right for your circumstances. We do not offer financial advice, advisory or brokerage services, nor do we recommend or advise individuals or to buy or sell particular stocks or securities. Performance information may have changed since the time of publication. Past performance is not indicative of future results.

Forbes Advisor adheres to strict editorial integrity standards. To the best of our knowledge, all content is accurate as of the date posted, though offers contained herein may no longer be available. The opinions expressed are the author’s alone and have not been provided, approved, or otherwise endorsed by our partners.

Becky Pokora

Credit Card Rewards Expert

Was this article helpful?

The Forbes Advisor editorial team is independent and objective. To help support our reporting work, and to continue our ability to provide this content for free to our readers, we receive compensation from the companies that advertise on the Forbes Advisor site. This compensation comes from two main sources. First, we provide paid placements to advertisers to present their offers. The compensation we receive for those placements affects how and where advertisers’ offers appear on the site. This site does not include all companies or products available within the market. Second, we also include links to advertisers’ offers in some of our articles; these “affiliate links” may generate income for our site when you click on them. The compensation we receive from advertisers does not influence the recommendations or advice our editorial team provides in our articles or otherwise impact any of the editorial content on Forbes Advisor. While we work hard to provide accurate and up to date information that we think you will find relevant, Forbes Advisor does not and cannot guarantee that any information provided is complete and makes no representations or warranties in connection thereto, nor to the accuracy or applicability thereof. Here is a list of our partners who offer products that we have affiliate links for.

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