AAA Member Rewards Visa Offers 3% Cash Back on Travel

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Looking to maximize your cash back on travel purchases? Well, you might want to take a gander at the Bank of America issued AAA Member Rewards Visa, which offers 3% cash back on travel purchases.

So if you spend $1,000 on some airline tickets, you’ll receive 3,000 points. That’s good for $30.

Their definition of travel includes a good range of items, including airline purchases, car rentals, cruise lines, and travel agencies. I believe the last item covers purchases made at discount sites like Expedia and other online booking services.

Additionally, you can earn 3% cash back on qualifying AAA purchases, which could be somewhat interesting as well. I know some AAA branches sell Visa gift cards, but it’s unclear if they’ll actually earn 3% cash back. I doubt it.

The AAA Member Rewards Visa also earns 2% cash back on gas, grocery, and drugstore purchases, and 1% cash back on all other purchases.

Perhaps the best part about this card is the lack of any limits on how much cash back you can earn, unlike the rotating category cards like Chase Freedom and Discover it.

The cash back can be redeemed for lots of different things, including cash back, gift cards, statement credits, travel, or Auto Club vouchers, which can be used for purchases at a branch or for car repair with a AAA-approved body shop.

0% APR for 15 Months with AAA Member Rewards

If you’re looking to offset some big purchases or transfer an existing balance, the AAA Member Rewards Visa is a solid choice.

It comes with 0% APR for 15 months on both purchases and balance transfers, though a 3% balance transfer fee does apply.

In addition to the low APR and rewards program, you also get the usual stuff like a $0 liability guarantee, theft/damage and extended warranty protection for purchases, and common carrier travel accident insurance.

And there’s no annual fee on this bad boy, so it doesn’t hurt to keep it in your wallet over time.

All in all, it’s one of the better cash back cards for travel, seeing that most cap out at 2% in points or cash back per dollar. The only other 3% cash back travel card I can think of is the AARP credit card from Chase.

The downside is that the points earned can’t be applied to a frequent flyer program where they’d go a lot further, such as the case with Chase Ink and Chase Sapphire.

Without an opening bonus, this card isn’t exactly a game-changer, or something I would jump at, but it has got something most other credit cards don’t have.

I’d test the 3% cash back on travel to see what it applies to. If you could get it on Uber and discount travel websites, it could actually be a worthy addition to your wallet.

Just note that you have to be an AAA member to apply for this credit card.

Benefits of AAA Member Rewards Visa

– 3% cash back on travel purchases, AAA purchases
– 2% cash back on gas, groceries, and drugstores
– No limits on cash back
– 0% APR for 15 months on purchases/balance transfers

Downsides of AAA Member Rewards Visa

– No sign-up bonus
– Must be an AAA member
– 3% cash back travel category may be limited
– Low cash back categories (sub-5%)
– Points can’t be transferred to partner programs

By Colin Robertson

Colin created this blog after spending several years in a job that required him to scour credit reports on a daily basis. His goal is to help individuals better understand their credit and get the most out of credit cards.

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