"Instant Usage"
USAA® Rewards™ American Express® Card Review
Written by: ross154 on 2009-01-15
Overall Satisfaction
Customer Service
Rewards
Account Management
Delivery Time
ross154's review: 
I applied for this card a few months ago even though I already had a USAA World MasterCard. The main reason is that I had run up the MC so I wanted to keep day-to-day expenses off of it. I admit that even as a kid I was fascinated by the "green card," so even though it's not issued by AmEx I can still pretend :-)
An irrelevant but amusing side story: I opted out of the preapproved credit stuff with the bureaus, but my ex-roommate and I received tons of Gold AmEx offers anyway. They came with magnets as the "fake card" they enclose in these things. My fridge literally has 12 or so... They've stopped doing that, economy is rough I guess!
I've had great experiences with USAA, and have had my MC with them since 2003. This card has been no different thus far. Application was decided instantly, and when approved they go ahead and give you your card number then and there for use with internet and phone purchases. I did actually take advantage of that, so a nice plus for me.
USAA doesn't do the introductory APR thing but they have always been the lowest of any of my cards anyway. Cash advances to a USAA bank account carry no fees, and all cash advances are at purchase APR. There are no foreign transaction fees beyond what the network charges (1% I think).
For rewards, they are pretty standard 1-for-$1 although you get double points for the first 12 months with the AmEx. Redemption is quick and easy via the website. I'm boring and take the $25 rewards which can go to any USAA credit or bank account, this has been credited in about three days.
I have not had to contact USAA about this card, but customer service has been outstanding with everything, including the other card I have with them.
The website is the best I've used although I'd consider Discover's about even. You can graph your spending habits on the card, do about anything with the account you can think of, including an option to stop automatic CLIs - as if! Payments are reflected instantly.
The card looks really nice. Only downside with it that I've found is it's not accepted everywhere, for example the gas station I use. However, it has saved me 30% on museum tickets so I guess we'll call it even.
My CL is $17,000 at 6.99% APR, which is where it was when I was approved... I've only had the card for a little while. My credit score was 780ish a month or so before I applied, but then I bought a house so I guess it went down a bit :-)
I applied for this card a few months ago even though I already had a USAA World MasterCard. The main reason is that I had run up the MC so I wanted to keep day-to-day expenses off of it. I admit that even as a kid I was fascinated by the "green card," so even though it's not issued by AmEx I can still pretend :-)An irrelevant but amusing side story: I opted out of the preapproved credit stuff with the bureaus, but my ex-roommate and I received tons of Gold AmEx offers anyway. They came with magnets as the "fake card" they enclose in these things. My fridge literally has 12 or so... They've stopped doing that, economy is rough I guess!
I've had great experiences with USAA, and have had my MC with them since 2003. This card has been no different thus far. Application was decided instantly, and when approved they go ahead and give you your card number then and there for use with internet and phone purchases. I did actually take advantage of that, so a nice plus for me.
USAA doesn't do the introductory APR thing but they have always been the lowest of any of my cards anyway. Cash advances to a USAA bank account carry no fees, and all cash advances are at purchase APR. There are no foreign transaction fees beyond what the network charges (1% I think).
For rewards, they are pretty standard 1-for-$1 although you get double points for the first 12 months with the AmEx. Redemption is quick and easy via the website. I'm boring and take the $25 rewards which can go to any USAA credit or bank account, this has been credited in about three days.
I have not had to contact USAA about this card, but customer service has been outstanding with everything, including the other card I have with them.
The website is the best I've used although I'd consider Discover's about even. You can graph your spending habits on the card, do about anything with the account you can think of, including an option to stop automatic CLIs - as if! Payments are reflected instantly.
The card looks really nice. Only downside with it that I've found is it's not accepted everywhere, for example the gas station I use. However, it has saved me 30% on museum tickets so I guess we'll call it even.
My CL is $17,000 at 6.99% APR, which is where it was when I was approved... I've only had the card for a little while. My credit score was 780ish a month or so before I applied, but then I bought a house so I guess it went down a bit :-)
3 Comments
Comment 1 by charonh
Awesome Review! 
on 2009-01-17
Congratulations on your approval and spectacular credit line and score. Your review is excellent and very detailed. You covered just about every question one might have about this card. My mom banks with USAA and her opinion of them is the same as yours. Enjoy and thanks for your input!
on 2009-01-17 Congratulations on your approval and spectacular credit line and score. Your review is excellent and very detailed. You covered just about every question one might have about this card. My mom banks with USAA and her opinion of them is the same as yours. Enjoy and thanks for your input!
Comment 2 by wanderer
Congratulations! on 2009-01-17
Great card. They take care of their customers! A little envy on this end!
on 2009-01-17 Great card. They take care of their customers! A little envy on this end!
Comment 3 by ross154
Some Relief on 2009-01-19
I'm glad some people find what I write useful! One of the things I've disliked about applying for cards is not knowing what exactly I'm in for before hand. With so many options, I figure the more info out there the better.
on 2009-01-19 I'm glad some people find what I write useful! One of the things I've disliked about applying for cards is not knowing what exactly I'm in for before hand. With so many options, I figure the more info out there the better.
Please login or register for free to view your stats, add reviews and card application results, or post comments.
Credit card reviews and comments are posted by user submission and do not warrant the opinions of Finance Globe.
Disclaimer: This content is not provided by USAA Savings Bank. Any opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the author's alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by USAA Savings Bank. Review content is powered by Finance Globe.
Disclaimer: This content is not provided by USAA Savings Bank. Any opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the author's alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by USAA Savings Bank. Review content is powered by Finance Globe.
