In the event you’re in search of a prime journey bank card, you are most likely evaluating huge names like Chase, Amex and Capital One — however you might wish to add PenFed Credit score Union to this listing. 

The PenFed Pathfinder® Rewards Visa Signature® Card* is a worthy contender to among the prime journey playing cards, with one caveat: you should be a PenFed Honors Benefit Member to benefit from this card. It is easy to qualify, although — simply open a checking account on the credit score union to get began. And, when you’re a army service member, you routinely qualify to grow to be a member of the Honors Benefit program. 

As a member, you may keep away from the PenFed Pathfinder’s $95 annual payment and earn 4x factors on all journey purchases. Non-members are on the hook for this annual payment and solely earn 3x factors on journey purchases. All cardholders earn 1.5x factors on all non-travel purchases.

This card additionally affords a powerful welcome bonus and boasts no overseas transaction charges, which is useful for anybody planning journeys outdoors of the US.

Finally, including this card to your pockets comes down as to if you wish to grow to be a PenFed member. In the event you do, the Pathfinder will be your pathway to racking up extra rewards with out coping with the headache of an annual payment.

On this article

• Rewards​
• Rewards and redemption​
• Welcome bonus​
• Introductory APR provide​
• Different perks and options​
• Different playing cards​
• FAQs​

Rewards

The Pathfinder affords PenFed members 4x factors for all travel-related purchases — 3x when you aren’t an Honors Benefit member. You will earn this price on journey booked wherever, a distinction that units it other than different playing cards just like the Capital One Enterprise Rewards Credit score Card and the Chase Sapphire Most popular® Card, which solely provide increased rewards payouts for journey booked via the cardboard supplier’s portal. These bank-owned journey portals usually require sacrificing lodge loyalty factors you may earn from reserving immediately, so the PenFed card is extra versatile when you’re trying to earn journey factors with out strategizing or pairing up playing cards.

No matter membership standing, this card affords 1.5 factors in all different spending classes. That is a good across-the-board payout — although not as excessive as different flat-rate bank cards — however it’s unlucky that there aren’t any increased rewards for eating out. In the event you journey usually, you may additionally dine out at eating places often. With that in thoughts, it is higher to make use of one of many finest restaurant playing cards to choose up these tabs or go for a card that gives excessive rewards for each journey and eating out, just like the Citi Premier® Card.

One important draw back value contemplating — the factors you earn with the PenFed Pathfinder will not be value greater than 1 cent every. Whereas many journey playing cards provide the flexibility to switch factors to a journey accomplice to spice up their worth, PenFed factors are at present value between $.0085 and $.01 every. 

Rewards redemption

It is also just a little trickier to redeem factors with the PenFed Pathfinder. You possibly can’t redeem them for money, which is a major draw back. As a substitute, you may redeem them for reward playing cards at greater than 300 totally different retailers, use them to e-book journey within the PenFed Rewards portal, donate them to charity or store with them on the Apple Retailer. 

Welcome bonus

You possibly can earn a welcome bonus of 50,000 factors for spending $3,000 or extra within the first 90 days of account opening. Relying on the way you redeem this bonus, it is value between $425 and $500. In comparison with different journey playing cards, this can be a stable speedy return, although the spending threshold is critical. 

For instance, the PenFed Pathfinder comes with a better spending threshold than the $1,000 requirement on the Financial institution of America® Journey Rewards bank card, however the worth of the reward will be twice as huge. (You possibly can earn 25,000 on-line bonus factors once you spend $1,000 or extra in purchases inside the first 90 days of opening an account with the Financial institution of America Journey Rewards card.)

Introductory APR provide

In the event you’ve been carrying a big steadiness on one other bank card, the Pathfinder may help you switch this steadiness to reduce or eradicate curiosity prices. The cardboard affords a 0% 12-month introductory interval for steadiness transfers (then 17.99%). 

It is a stable provide, however it’s inferior to different steadiness switch playing cards — lots of which have considerably longer intro intervals. You will must pay a payment of three% of the quantity transferred, a normal cost for this service, in trade for 12 months to repay your debt with out curiosity. 

We do not suggest transferring a steadiness if you cannot repay it inside a yr for the reason that card’s 17.99% APR kicks in after the introductory interval.

Different perks and options

Along with PenFed Pathfinder’s excessive journey factors potential, the Pathfinder contains some further options which will prevent cash and make touring just a little simpler.

• An announcement credit score for World Entry or TSA PreCheck: In the event you aren’t a member of World Entry or TSA PreCheck but, this is likely one of the playing cards that can cowl the prices. World Entry is normally the higher choose because it contains PreCheck. Simply make sure to pay the appliance payment with this card to get reimbursed.
• $100 annual home air ancillary assertion credit score: You may get $100 of ancillary purchases with home airways coated with this card, too. So, when you frequently purchase in-flight meals and drinks or pay for checked baggage, this credit score may help you recoup some cash. It is solely for add-on charges, although — you may’t use it for ticket purchases, flight upgrades or in-flight WiFi entry.
• Precedence Move annual membership: You will get a complimentary Precedence Move membership, which boasts entry to greater than 1,300 lounges and extra experiences around the globe. It is not a very robust promoting level, however the different two credit make up for this one.

Different playing cards

Chase Sapphire Most popular

You will not be capable of dodge the $95 annual payment with the Chase Sapphire Most popular, which might make the PenFed Pathfinder really feel like a greater choice. Nonetheless, it is easy to justify the $95 price ticket when you can reap the benefits of the Sapphire Most popular’s further advantages. You will get a $50 annual lodge credit score for a keep booked via the Chase Final Rewards journey portal, in addition to 3x factors on eating and 5x factors for journey booked via the portal. (You will earn 2x factors for all different journey booked outdoors the portal.) It is a greater choose if you wish to earn increased rewards charges on each journey and eating out.

Whereas the 1x level per greenback spent on different purchases is decrease than the 1.5 factors earned with the PenFed Pathfinder, Chase does provide a 25% increase in valuation once you redeem your factors for journey through the Chase portal. Whereas that is nonetheless a decrease worth than the Pathfinder, when you can reap the benefits of higher-tier journey and eating rewards, you would doubtlessly earn extra with this card. All of it comes right down to your spending habits. As well as, the flexibility to switch factors to a variety of airline and lodge companions at a one-to-one ratio may considerably improve the worth of your Chase factors in some circumstances. 

Financial institution of America Journey Rewards 

The Financial institution of America Journey Rewards card does not include an annual payment. Plus, the welcome bonus of 25,000 on-line bonus factors ($250 in worth) is less complicated to achieve with a decrease spending threshold of simply $1,000 or extra in purchases inside the first 90 days of account opening. Moreover, if the steadiness switch choice on the Pathfinder appeals to you, BofA’s introductory interval is for much longer – 18 billing cycles with an introductory 0% APR for any transfers made inside the first 60 days of account opening (then 18.24% to 28.24% variable APR after).

Nonetheless, there are areas the place this card actually falls wanting the Pathfinder. When you can earn as much as 3x factors per greenback, you may solely qualify for this elevated price – up from the cardboard’s customary 1.5 factors per greenback – when you e-book within the financial institution’s journey portal. In the event you maintain $100,000 or extra (3-month mixed common every day steadiness) in one other Financial institution of America or Merrill account, you would earn as much as 2.62x factors per greenback on purchases — however it’s a steep requirement to earn increased rewards. 

And, when you’re in search of an all-in-one banking and bank card supplier, PenFed’s checking account charges beat Financial institution of America, so you might be higher off sticking with this credit score union.

FAQs

*All details about the PenFed Pathfinder Rewards Visa Signature Card has been collected independently by CNET and has not been reviewed by the issuer.

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