topic Re: CBCFCU Epic Rewards 5% Gas and Travel Card in Credit Cards

CBCFCU Epic Rewards 5% Gas and Travel Card

GatorCowboyLion — Fri, 22 Sep 2023 20:19:55 GMT

CBCFCU Epic Rewards Visa

This credit union is open to everyone, no geofence.

5% Gas and Travel and 3% grocery for a total of $6k yearly. I much prefer yearly totals vs monthly or quarterly.

They also run intermittent promos, apparently, like August back to school: Walmart, Target, office supply, Amazon, clothing, computer supply up to $1 k 5% cash back. (the 7% cb deal seems to be killed by checking fees. All three checking accounts have fees. Apparently, only Basic can be waived with $100 balance. They are not required for membership, so I would stay away)

I'm really interested in this card but have not applied yet. I wonder what falls into the categories. I would assume pump gas, air travel and hotels do. I wonder about gas station purchases, tolls etc.? It would be interesting, please post any DPs here if anyone has any experience with this credit union or if anyone gets this card.

https://www.cbcfcu.org/product/epic-rewards/
https://start.cbcfcu.org/btspromo

Pdf:

https://www.cbcfcu.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/epic_platinum_visa_rewards_guide_v2.pdf

Re: CBCFCU Epic Rewards 5% Gas and Travel Card

Hansolojr — Fri, 22 Sep 2023 20:29:50 GMT

For the membership app, soft pull @Experian and hard pull @ Chex.

Re: CBCFCU Epic Rewards 5% Gas and Travel Card

GhostCredit — Fri, 22 Sep 2023 21:20:59 GMT

Omg, I needed a 5% cash card... but its .1 per point? Does it use CURewards? It's only good for domestic travels I see. Has anybody applied for the card yet? How long has this card been around? Thanks.

Re: CBCFCU Epic Rewards 5% Gas and Travel Card

ptatohed — Fri, 22 Sep 2023 21:30:19 GMT

That is great info. Thank you for sharing GCL.

Will this card me the new flavor of the month around here?

Re: CBCFCU Epic Rewards 5% Gas and Travel Card

GatorCowboyLion — Fri, 22 Sep 2023 21:44:32 GMT

@GhostCredit wrote:
Omg, I needed a 5% cash card... but its .1 per point? Does it use CURewards? It's only good for domestic travels I see. Has anybody applied for the card yet? How long has this card been around? Thanks.

"5% Cash Back Rewards for each $1 spent on gas and travel" "Your Rewards will be applied to any outstanding balance due or applied as a statement credit at the specified time of redemption declared by the Credit Union. Generally, Rewards can be redeemed Two (2) times in each calendar year." " Your Rewards will not expire as long as your account is open"

Foreign transaction brings foreign spend within gas/travel categories effective rate down (5% reward - 3% FTF = 2%).

The effective date of the card listed on the website is 09/01/2022.

Re: CBCFCU Epic Rewards 5% Gas and Travel Card

PullingMeSoftly — Fri, 22 Sep 2023 23:12:40 GMT

Great find @GatorCowboyLion, this is an interesting one!

It's somewhat similar to the University of Illinois Community Credit Union card that @Simmonowski shared in this thread. That one is 5% on gas and travel, 2% groceries/restaurants, 1.5% catch all, no FTF.

Both of these are giving me Redstone vibes (5% restaurants/gas). I'm liking this movement toward 5x/5% with these credit unions. These appear to be sustainable loss leaders even with open memberships and easy backdoors.

Re: CBCFCU Epic Rewards 5% Gas and Travel Card

GatorCowboyLion — Sat, 23 Sep 2023 03:06:59 GMT

@PullingMeSoftly very interesting. There are so many no annual fee, 5% cash back gas cards that are sweetening the deal even more! Abound has the rotating categories, Redstone has resaurants, these two have travel, CCC has alternate spend categories. USAA and AAA are gonna have to step it up!

If you count Kroger, BoA Custom Cash, and Sam's Club (which I'll grant is pushing it) thats TEN no AF 5% gas cards. They can't all get nerfed! I think that as gas prices went up in 2021 the CC companies and credit unions realized people were searching hard for a way to get discounts on their gas bills.

Re: CBCFCU Epic Rewards 5% Gas and Travel Card

coldfusion — Sat, 23 Sep 2023 12:26:41 GMT

@GatorCowboyLion wrote:
@PullingMeSoftly very interesting. There are so many no annual fee, 5% cash back gas cards that are sweetening the deal even more! Abound has the rotating categories, Redstone has resaurants, these two have travel, CCC has alternate spend categories. USAA and AAA are gonna have to step it up!

If you count Kroger, BoA Custom Cash, and Sam's Club (which I'll grant is pushing it) thats TEN no AF 5% gas cards. They can't all get nerfed! I think that as gas prices went up in 2021 the CC companies and credit unions realized people were searching hard for a way to get discounts on their gas bills.

Did you mean Citi? The BoA Customized Cash Rewards card does have a 3% category on gas but you need to have $100K in deposits in BoA/Merrill to get the 5.25% rate.

Re: CBCFCU Epic Rewards 5% Gas and Travel Card

GatorCowboyLion — Sat, 23 Sep 2023 20:47:06 GMT

@coldfusion wrote:
@GatorCowboyLion wrote:
@PullingMeSoftly very interesting. There are so many no annual fee, 5% cash back gas cards that are sweetening the deal even more! Abound has the rotating categories, Redstone has resaurants, these two have travel, CCC has alternate spend categories. USAA and AAA are gonna have to step it up!

If you count Kroger, BoA Custom Cash, and Sam's Club (which I'll grant is pushing it) thats TEN no AF 5% gas cards. They can't all get nerfed! I think that as gas prices went up in 2021 the CC companies and credit unions realized people were searching hard for a way to get discounts on their gas bills.
Did you mean Citi? The BoA Customized Cash Rewards card does have a 3% category on gas but you need to have $100K in deposits in BoA/Merrill to get the 5.25% rate.

Yup, I acknowledged that I'm pushing it I have that card and I got that rate before they bumped it up double a couple years back. It's a nice perk if your IRA is with Merrill anyhow.

Re: CBCFCU Epic Rewards 5% Gas and Travel Card

GhostCredit — Mon, 25 Sep 2023 16:39:51 GMT

This card is similar to Citi custom cash, the max CB is $300. I don't think this card could get nerfed because of the cap. I'ma apply for this card cause it's a rare gas card without a AF.

Re: CBCFCU Epic Rewards 5% Gas and Travel Card

GatorCowboyLion — Mon, 25 Sep 2023 17:04:49 GMT

@GhostCredit let us know how it goes!

Re: CBCFCU Epic Rewards 5% Gas and Travel Card

Beefy1212 — Mon, 25 Sep 2023 20:06:37 GMT

@PullingMeSoftly wrote:
Great find @GatorCowboyLion, this is an interesting one!

It's somewhat similar to the University of Illinois Community Credit Union card that @Simmonowski shared in this thread. That one is 5% on gas and travel, 2% groceries/restaurants, 1.5% catch all, no FTF.

Both of these are giving me Redstone vibes (5% restaurants/gas). I'm liking this movement toward 5x/5% with these credit unions. These appear to be sustainable loss leaders even with open memberships and easy backdoors.

Red is great for the Gas/dinning but honestly that laundry list of 3%'s is what really makes that card a winner... it is a higher cb at Costco/Sam's than their actual cards, and is kinda of a mini cash+ with the utilities/streaming/cell/discount stores/grocery.

Yes the 5% groups are the reason to get the card, but all those 3% groups plug quite a few possible holes in a 5% cb lineup.

Re: CBCFCU Epic Rewards 5% Gas and Travel Card

ptatohed — Tue, 26 Sep 2023 04:40:24 GMT

@Beefy1212 wrote:
@PullingMeSoftly wrote:
Great find @GatorCowboyLion, this is an interesting one!

It's somewhat similar to the University of Illinois Community Credit Union card that @Simmonowski shared in this thread. That one is 5% on gas and travel, 2% groceries/restaurants, 1.5% catch all, no FTF.

Both of these are giving me Redstone vibes (5% restaurants/gas). I'm liking this movement toward 5x/5% with these credit unions. These appear to be sustainable loss leaders even with open memberships and easy backdoors.

Red is great for the Gas/dinning but honestly that laundry list of 3%'s is what really makes that card a winner... it is a higher cb at Costco/Sam's than their actual cards, and is kinda of a mini cash+ with the utilities/streaming/cell/discount stores/grocery.

Yes the 5% groups are the reason to get the card, but all those 3% groups plug quite a few possible holes in a 5% cb lineup.

Very true and I love the 1.5% fall back. I know it's happened to us all - we thought we were going to get 5% on a purchase but for one reason or another, it codes at 1%. One of the worse feeling for a cash back junkie! lol. At least a fall back 1.5% instead of 1.0% relieves the sting just a little, lol.

Re: CBCFCU Epic Rewards 5% Gas and Travel Card

JDC — Sat, 21 Dec 2024 23:16:34 GMT

@GatorCowboyLion did you or anyone here end up getting this card? I'm interested in getting this in Q1 2025. Looks like they changed their name to Ocean Air? I'm trying to under how the redemption works as from what understood is there is only two redemptions per year. Looking for some DPs?

Thanks in advance.

Re: CBCFCU Epic Rewards 5% Gas and Travel Card

Guyatthebeach — Sun, 22 Dec 2024 02:57:54 GMT

I'm going to call about joining Ocean Aire. It looks geo-fenced.

Guyatthebeach

Re: CBCFCU Epic Rewards 5% Gas and Travel Card

JDC — Sun, 22 Dec 2024 03:21:13 GMT

Im not sure if it is. I know that UICCU Visa is geo fenced but have heard of a work around by joining. Please share what you can find out about Ocean air.

Appreciate it!

Re: CBCFCU Epic Rewards 5% Gas and Travel Card

three2one — Sun, 22 Dec 2024 14:56:19 GMT

Great find!

I wonder about the utility of the travel category though. Does it have any travel protections like the Chase Sapphire Preferred or Venture X? I'm willing to take a little less cashback for the travel insurance.

Re: CBCFCU Epic Rewards 5% Gas and Travel Card

JDC — Wed, 01 Jan 2025 19:34:47 GMT

@Guyatthebeach, I called on the 30th and couldn't get anyone on the phone. I'm waiting on an email response. Did you have a chance to call?

Re: CBCFCU Epic Rewards 5% Gas and Travel Card

House1204 — Wed, 01 Jan 2025 23:35:39 GMT

I joined today online by becoming a member of the American Consumer Council. I am way out of their footprint. It was pretty easy.

Re: CBCFCU Epic Rewards 5% Gas and Travel Card

Guyatthebeach — Thu, 02 Jan 2025 02:08:37 GMT

I did join via ACC on the website. Once my deposit clears, I will look into apply for their 5% on Travel and gas rewards card.

It took me less than 5 minutes to join. I only opened a savings account. I plan on trying to get that card and opening a few CD's with them.

Guyatthebeach