Cashback Rewards Plus American Express® Credit Card
- Best for: USAA members who shop on base and buy gas often
- What Sets It Apart: A top rate at commissaries, exchanges, and other merchants on base
- Welcome Offer: $200 after $1,000 in purchases by March 31, 2027
- Rewards: 5% at gas stations on the first $3,000 a year; 5% on military base purchases on the first $5,000 a year; 3% at grocery stores on the first $3,000 a year; 1% on everything else
- Features: Cell phone protection up to $500; purchase security; extended warranty; trip cancellation and rental car coverage
- Annual Fee: $0
- Intro APR: 0% through the July 2028 billing cycle for balance transfers that post by March 31, 2027; none on purchases
- APR: 15.65% to 27.65% variable
- Cost: 5% balance transfer fee; no foreign transaction fee; 5% cash advance fee; late fee up to $35; no penalty APR
- Eligibility: USAA membership, open to current and former military, their spouses, and the children of USAA members
- Pros: 4% rate cap if you go on active duty after opening; cash back never expires while open
- Cons: Gas rate capped at $3,000 a year; 1% on dining; warehouse clubs don’t count as groceries; a balance transfer ends interest-free purchases
Get the Cashback Rewards Plus American Express® Credit Card if you’re a USAA member who shops on base and fills up often. It pays 5% on your first $5,000 a year of military base purchases and your first $3,000 at gas stations, with no annual fee.
Beyond those two categories, it pays 3% on up to $3,000 of groceries each calendar year and 1% on everything else. Only USAA members can apply, and membership is free for people who serve or have served in the military, their spouses, and the children of USAA members.
Key Features
- 5% back on up to $5,000 each calendar year at commissaries, exchanges, and other merchants on military bases, then 1%
- 5% at gas stations on up to $3,000 each calendar year, then 1%
- $200 bonus after $1,000 in purchases by March 31, 2027
- No annual fee or foreign transaction fee
- Variable interest rate of 15.65% to 27.65%, with 0% through the July 2028 billing cycle for balance transfers that post by March 31, 2027, which carry a 5% fee
Pros
- USAA caps the rate at 4% if you go on active duty after opening the card
- No penalty interest rate after a late payment
- Cell phone protection up to $500 when the card pays your phone bill
- Cash back never expires while the account is open
Cons
- The 5% on gas covers only $3,000 a year, about $250 a month
- Only 1% on dining, while USAA’s Eagle Ascend pays 2% on dining in any month it’s your top spending category
- Costco, Sam’s Club, and some discount stores, such as Dollar General, don’t count as grocery stores
- A balance transfer means interest on every purchase right away, until you pay off everything you owe
It’s worth getting for members who shop on base and fill up often, since $5,000 a year on base and $3,000 at the pump earn $400 back with no annual fee. Members who spend on dining and travel rather than on base and gas earn more with the Eagle Adapt, which pays 3% on those purchases, up to $3,000 a quarter, against this card’s 1%.
Learn more about the Cashback Rewards Plus American Express® Credit Card or see how it compares to the best USAA credit cards.
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