topic Re: USAA NEW Eagle Navigator Visa Signature Card in Credit Cards

USAA NEW Eagle Navigator Visa Signature Card

user979797 — Tue, 26 Sep 2023 17:42:28 GMT

I logged into my USAA account today and was browsing products and noticed I had a new offer for a new credit card with USAA called the Eagle Navigator Visa Signature card. I have never heard of this card before so wanted to post about it. The account has a 95.00 annual fee and comes with 3% back on travel and 2% back on anything else that isn't travel, however it looks like if you redeem for cash back you get a little less (70 per 100 worth of points).

Cash back can be redeemed into a USAA banking account or as a credit to your credit card account.

The travel category seems to include many services that are considered travel so this may be a good travel credit card for some that spend a lot on that category. It also comes with these bonus rewards...Up to $100 TSA PreCheck® or Global Entry® credit every four years and Annual 10,000 bonus points (equals $100 in travel) after booking hotel or car through the USAA Rewards Center. It also has auto rental collision damage waiver insurance and several other travel related insurances when travel is booked with the card. Cell phone protection is also included when you pay your monthly bill with this card.

And to all the travel card experts out there, does this card look any good?

If anyone has any additional information about this card, or any experience with it, please post any information you have about it for people it may help in the future. Thanks in advance

Re: USAA NEW Eagle Navigator Visa Signature Card

CreditCuriosity — Tue, 26 Sep 2023 18:10:47 GMT

must be new travel card people have mentioned. imo with that annual fee unless i am missing something you are better or on straight back cash card as believe there are plenty of 3% for travel cards out there with no af. unless it offers other benefits to justify af

Re: USAA NEW Eagle Navigator Visa Signature Card

Saleen099 — Tue, 26 Sep 2023 18:47:58 GMT

Re: USAA NEW Eagle Navigator Visa Signature Card

docbang — Tue, 26 Sep 2023 20:16:58 GMT

I logged on to my account and it is not posted on the USAA website, called USAA and I was informed that in just came out 3 days ago. It is not being offered to all members at the moment per USAA customer service rep. I will wait and would like to learn more about, I googled it and none on the web. STAY TUNED !

Re: USAA NEW Eagle Navigator Visa Signature Card

OrangeRange — Tue, 26 Sep 2023 20:26:23 GMT

Hmm, looks like an inferior version of the NFCU Flagship Rewards. You get the same 3x on travel / 2x everything else with $100 TSA Precheck/Global Entry credit but for $49 instead of $95 annual fee. Not to mention they cover a year of Prime occassionally too.

Re: USAA NEW Eagle Navigator Visa Signature Card

Aim_High — Tue, 26 Sep 2023 21:27:10 GMT

@user979797 wrote:
I logged into my USAA account today and was browsing products and noticed I had a new offer for a new credit card with USAA called the Eagle Navigator Visa Signature card ...

And to all the travel card experts out there, does this card look any good?

Thanks for the heads-up on the new USAA Eagle Navigator card, @user979797. This looks like a pretty decent lower-AF travel card, IMO. I can see arguments both for and against it but it offers a good value for the $95 AF.

This card reminds me of the potential value of the Bank of America (original) Premium Rewards card where the $95 AF is completely offset by easy credits and additional value added back into your hands, even with very little usage of the card. Personally, I think that can make it a "keeper" as it's harmless to hold onto even if it's more of a backup card.

(+) $95 AF
... less 10,000 points ($100 travel value) = (-) $5
... less TSA Global Entry credit (average $25 annually) = (-) $30
Like Premium Rewards, they are paying you $30 in value if you keep the card and use it for at least $100 annually on a travel portal hotel or rental car reservation; and if you purchase TSA Global Entry once every four years ($100/4 = $25 average annually.)
This makes it cheaper up-front to carry than a card like the Chase Sapphire Preferred, which only rebates $50 annually of the $95 AF when hotel purchases are made in-portal, yielding an effective AF of $45 versus -$30 for USAA.

The "wild card" to me is if the travel portal, where the best redemption value is found, is market-competitive or if it is more expensive. Redemption-wise, the 0.7 cpp for cash redemption is disappointing so that means if the travel portal isn't market compeitive, this would greatly diminish the value of the card. The 2x points on everything else would be worth 1.4 cpp in cash and the 3x points on travel would be worth only 2.1 cpp in cash. Meh. Travel redemption would need to be the goal. Compared to the Navy FCU Flagship Rewards, the rewards structure lags for cash redemption since NFCU would pay 1 cpp minimum or 2% cash back value as a baseline.

The value that USAA gives in their travel portal, compared to CSP, becomes even more important since CSP gives 25% more value for travel portal purchases and offers many transfer partners for additional value. USAA has no partners.

Another upfront negative that I see is that there is no SUB. For example, compared to the Chase Sapphire Preferred (also a $95 AF) with a 60K UR SUB, you're starting out $600 in cash behind (or $750+ in travel redemptions.) Also, the Navy FCU Flagship Rewards has a $400 value SUB and a lower $49 AF.

Benefit-wise, it offers a pretty good collection of travel protections for a $95 AF card. Secondary rental car CDW (same as NFCU FSR, as opposed to primary CDW for CSP.) Travel accidental death/dismemberment insurance of up to $500K (none on CSP, $1M on Chase Sapphire Reserve; $250K on NFCU FSR in comparison.) Trip cancellation of $1500 per person (CSP offers $10K per person; none on NFCU FSR.) Baggage Delay Insurance (starting at 4 hours for up to 3 days versus CSP starting at 6 hours for up to 5 days.) Cellphone protection (not available on CSP or NFCU FSR.) Comparable Purchase Security for theft or damage in first 90 days up to $1K per claim/$10K per cardholder versus CSP and NFCU FSR - $500 per claim and $50K per account. Comparable Extended Warranty coverage extension on both USAA and CSP for warranties of no more than three years. (Not offered on NFCU FSR.) Travel and Emergency Assistance available on all three cards. CSP does offer a TRIP delay benefit when trip is delayed more than 12 hours - up to $500 per claim. All three cards offer no FTF, which would be important in a travel card. And NFCU FSR has a *LOST* (not delayed) baggage reimbursement of up to $3,000 per trip.

The travel category appears fairly generous, even including third-party websites:

The Travel category includes Qualifying Purchases made at businesses that are included in a merchant category identified as: airlines, hotels, motels, timeshares, vacation rentals, cruise lines, travel agencies, third party travel websites (including the USAA Rewards Center), car rental agencies, taxis, rideshares, limousines, buses, ferries, boat rentals, parking lots, parking meters and garages, tolls and bridge fees, passenger trains, campgrounds, recreational trailer parks, motor home and recreational vehicle rentals, truck and trailer rentals.

Points don't expire as long as the card is open. Minimum redemptions may apply, but USAA isn't completely transparent about what those are in the language. ( ... each available reward benefit may require a minimum number of Points to be redeemed to receive the reward benefit. Minimums, as well as any additional terms, conditions, disclosures, and agreements that apply will be available before you redeem. The minimum number of Points required may vary significantly by reward benefit, is subject to change without notice and is not guaranteed until you redeem your Points.)

In some ways, this card reminds me of the Navy FCU Flagship Rewards with 2x/3x earnings and a low AF. Depending on if NFCU continues to offer Amazon Prime credits, the USAA card may have a better credit system against the AF even though their AF is higher ($95 versus $49.) USAA Eagle Navigator has better benefits IMO, however.

For someone who is looking for a low-cost travel card that they can use as a daily driver, I'd say this is a competitive solution.

Re: USAA NEW Eagle Navigator Visa Signature Card

CreditCuriosity — Tue, 26 Sep 2023 22:21:26 GMT

Ya not really sure where this fits into market segment honestly as CSP is superior to this card as 1CPP is 1CPP and partner and transfer Bonus and Primary rental car and sign-up bonus etc .. I guess if someone burnt chase or other reasons I just don't see it being that special personally. Sure the AF is offset somewhat either by global entry/tsa and points, but points aren't 1cpp, etc. I don't see it being a substitute for say CSP/CSR nor is the flagship imho. Although if it makes a person happy then that is all that is important i the end.

Re: USAA NEW Eagle Navigator Visa Signature Card

user979797 — Wed, 27 Sep 2023 00:45:13 GMT

@Aim_High Thank you so much for such a thoughtful and detailed review of some of the cards features with pros and cons.

I could see this being a great card for people who may prefer to bank with USAA and have a need for a decent travel card with it's travel categories and insurances.

Re: USAA NEW Eagle Navigator Visa Signature Card

Aim_High — Wed, 27 Sep 2023 02:35:50 GMT

@CreditCuriosity wrote:
Ya not really sure where this fits into market segment honestly as CSP is superior to this card as 1CPP is 1CPP and partner and transfer Bonus and Primary rental car and sign-up bonus etc .. I guess if someone burnt chase or other reasons I just don't see it being that special personally. Sure the AF is offset somewhat either by global entry/tsa and points, but points aren't 1cpp, etc. I don't see it being a substitute for say CSP/CSR nor is the flagship imho. Although if it makes a person happy then that is all that is important i the end.

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@user979797 wrote:
@Aim_High Thank you so much for such a thoughtful and detailed review of some of the cards features with pros and cons.

I could see this being a great card for people who may prefer to bank with USAA and have a need for a decent travel card with it's travel categories and insurances.

I'm glad it was helpful, @user979797. Those cards (Chase Sapphire Preferred and NFCU Flagship Rewards) were just two of the cards in that niche that I would consider competitors, but they provided a good framework to contrast features and benefits of that card segment. For frequent travelers, there are certainly better cards. I believe this one is aimed more at the casual traveler or one who is more AF-averse. While the high AF cards are expensive, they pack a LOT more value for the right person. But these cards are a good compromise for many consumers and have more universal appeal.

I agree with @CreditCuriosity that CSP is superior in many aspects, although not all. With CSP, it would tilt the scale if you're using travel partners, if the 25% portal bonus gets better redemption value for you with Chase, or if someone was using CSP significantly for the potential enhanced earnings for travel portal purchases. But the CSP is limited for the 1.0 cpp earnings for uncategorized spend when rewards are redeemed for cash at 1%. If cash redemption is a priority, I would couple the CSP with at least a CFU for 1.5% on everyday spend or a 2% card from another issuer.

The USAA Eagle Navigator would definitely be good for those who already bank with USAA or may have burnt relationships with other lenders such as Chase. And like the NFCU FSR, for someone who wanted a low-cost travel rewards card to work as a simple daily driver, I could see the Eagle Navigator being a competitive option.

I noted that USAA says that I am "preselected" for their cards including Eagle Navigator, but not sure how solid their preselections. They closed my Rate Advantage card in March due to inactivity, and I've considered adding another one back at some point. However, my application velocity has been pretty high for the last 12 months so I'm hesitant. I'm currently 6/12 for personal cards and 8/12 including business cards. (See >this last approval post< for my approvals/dates.) I'm honestly surprised I haven't gotten any denials in the past 12 months!

Re: USAA NEW Eagle Navigator Visa Signature Card

cashorcharge — Wed, 27 Sep 2023 15:55:12 GMT

Not sure that I need it...but appreciate you sharing the details about it. I'll have to log in and check it out

Thanks

Re: USAA NEW Eagle Navigator Visa Signature Card

okurosetta — Wed, 27 Sep 2023 17:45:43 GMT

@user979797 wrote:
And to all the travel card experts out there, does this card look any good?

Just my personal take - I think for most people it would be better to have a 2% all card (good list here) and a 3% travel card (good list here), with no annual fees.

What gets me is the $100 credit when using their portal once a year. Portals are almost always higher than booking direct - yes this is a generalization, but it is based on countless numbers of searches over the years. Paying a $95 annual fee + being overcharged let's say $20-50 in the portal + $100 bonus = still being down $15 to $45. Just because an annual fee is low doesn't mean it is good - I'd rather pay a $300 annual fee if I legitimately see $450 in value than a $95 AF where I'm only seeing $50-80 in value.

If someone doesn't already get PreCheck/Global Entry through another card (and would find value in the credit) then sure, that offsets it a bit more, but then we're talking about more or less breaking even. Having a 2% all and 3% travel card, both with no AF, means breaking even without needing to use a portal once a year.

I don't think the card is terrible by any means - those who prefer less cards and banking with USAA may greatly enjoy it. And we'll have to see how the portal prices are. But, speaking as a fan of travel cards who has been a USAA member for 25+ years, I highly doubt I will go for it. Just my two cents.

Re: USAA NEW Eagle Navigator Visa Signature Card

Aim_High — Wed, 27 Sep 2023 19:54:42 GMT

@okurosetta wrote:
... I think for most people it would be better to have a 2% all card (good list here) and a 3% travel card (good list here), with no annual fees.

What gets me is the $100 credit when using their portal once a year. Portals are almost always higher than booking direct - yes this is a generalization, but it is based on countless numbers of searches over the years.

I both agree and disagree with @okurosetta's observations. Portals are problematic in that they can be highly YMMV, even for the same consumer using the same portal over time. Besides pricing, I've noted that sometimes portals won't show me options that I can find elsewhere. And in general, I agree that - to keep things simple and ensure rewards return is optimized - it's probably best to stick to no-AF cash back cards and then booking the best value you can find without being tied down to a lender's portal, if you're willing to do it that way. That also applies to points/miles/portals from hotels or airlines directly since the value of rewards can ebb and flow. You really don't know what you've earned until you've redeemed those points/miles and value can depreciate. With the potential of higher rewards with points/miles also comes the risk of losing value. They can be more of a gamble.

At the same time, I disagree about the generalization that portals are almost always more expensive. I just did some checks before posting for the same two hotels for one night (Fri Oct 27) in downtown Chicago. (Renaissance Chicago Downtown and the Westin Chicago River North, if it matters.) I also checked a one-way transcon flight on the same date from LAX to BOS in economy class with Jet Blue, Delta, American, and United. I checked the Chase UR portal, the AMEX MR portal, and some online third-party websites. I also checked the Marriott and American Airlines mobile apps. In a nutshell, I saw very little difference in value and prices were often exactly identical. Yes, I have found that AMEX in particular seems to be a little pricier but Chase's website seems competitive, IMO. And that is a major reason I erred towards Chase for travel instead of AMEX, since I think the UR points give me more consistent and more flexible redemption value, whether I transfer to partners, redeem in portal, or cash them out.

I think it's sometimes difficult to make sure we are comparing prices accurately. For example, the lowest prices advertised for hotels may not include free cancellation, they may be rates for a different room category, or they may not include taxes and fees. Meanwhile, other places will list the out-the-door price up-front instead of making you click through just short of buying the room. Likewise, for airfare, there are different cabin classes that sound similar (Economy, Economy Plus, Main Cabin, Basic Economy, etc.) that it's easy to get those confused. And flights may have different pricing on the same date for the same airline, based on supply and demand. But when finding the identical cabin class on the identical flight and comparing the out-the-door price, I think pricing is very comparable.

With transferrable points currencies like AMEX MRs, Chase URs, and CITI TYs, it's almost always better to transfer to partners anyway. With AMEX, if someone has the Business Platinum or Gold cards, they can reap better value for flights booked on the portal with points. I appreciate with Chase that, even if the portal pricing (could) be slightly less competitive, I'm getting 50% more value with a Sapphire Reserve or 25% more value with a Sapphire Preferred. The Chase UR portal also can return outsized rewards value when booking travel through Chase. (5x on flights and 10x on hotels/car rentals with Sapphire Reserve, for example.)

As for the USAA portal, it remains to be seen if they offer comparable value until we get some data points back. Hopefully, we'll have some members update us as we go.

One other problem with either travel portals (or) third-party aggregating websites is that nights or points for airline/hotel loyalty status aren't tracked, which can impede ability to gain higher status or enjoy perks.

So I think it's hard to generalize whether portals are valuable or a rip-off. It depends. We all need to do our own consumer due diligence and assess the best way to use our rewards.

Re: USAA NEW Eagle Navigator Visa Signature Card

okurosetta — Thu, 28 Sep 2023 01:06:28 GMT

I stand by my generalization. When I book travel, my searches are exhaustive: general search tools like Google; travel portals like booking dot com, Expedia, etc; travel portals affiliated with credit cards, including Capital One, Citi, Amex, and PenFed (so far); point transfer tools like PointsYeah, awardhacker, etc; and of course booking direct, which could be paid, through their own points, or through a transferrable currency, even those with multiple steps (e.g. Amex MR -> BA Avios to book an American Airlines flight).

And yes, we've seen some good deals with portals - this year we saw uses for Capital One VX's $300 credit and Citi Premier's $100 credit that were both less expensive than booking direct - one of them by a lot, the other by $5.

But again, I stand by my generalization - from my personal experience and exhaustive searches, portals are almost always higher than booking direct. For us, I'd say portals are only a better deal around 10% of the time or less - of the 55 nights we have or will spend elsewhere in 2023, only 5 of them are through a portal. All three flights and four train rides have been better booking direct. Maybe "almost always" is strong wording for 90%+ of the time, but I think the point is still valid.

Since we travel a lot, portals only have to be worthwhile here and there to justify a card. But if someone travels once or a few times a year, I wouldn't bank on a portal providing good value. That's who I was really talking about with my reply - less frequent travelers who would likely be better off with a 2% all and 3% travel card, with no annual fees. And those who are into travel cards likely already have something better than this USAA card. It isn't terrible, but those who it would be best for are those who bank with USAA and prefer to have less cards, and that isn't a huge chunk of the overall credit card audience.

Re: USAA NEW Eagle Navigator Visa Signature Card

OrangeRange — Thu, 28 Sep 2023 01:31:28 GMT

I'm not a fan of portals myself. If I were to use one, it'd be Capital One for the VX or Chase portal with its card trifecta. I don't expect the travel portal for the Eagle Navigator to be all that good. Judging by the revamped rewards center they put up last year, it may be downright horrendous. Takes me back to 2005 with its UI and my experience.

But, for anyone that is one stop shop USAA (I was for nearly 4 years), then there may be some value in simplicity with applying for this card.

Re: USAA NEW Eagle Navigator Visa Signature Card

Dadof31978 — Thu, 28 Sep 2023 18:49:35 GMT

actually that's not true.. NFCU quietly removed many protections like extended warranty etc..so you have to pay for that..not saying it's the best deal out there... but that's the difference. Also NFCU minimum to redeed is 5,000 points..USAA is 500 points for this card.

https://www.navyfederal.org/content/dam/nfculibs/pdfs/credit-debit-cards/nfcu_824cc.pdf

@OrangeRange wrote:
Hmm, looks like an inferior version of the NFCU Flagship Rewards. You get the same 3x on travel / 2x everything else with $100 TSA Precheck/Global Entry credit but for $49 instead of $95 annual fee. Not to mention they cover a year of Prime occassionally too.

Re: USAA NEW Eagle Navigator Visa Signature Card

OrangeRange — Thu, 28 Sep 2023 21:28:29 GMT

@Dadof31978 wrote:
actually that's not true.. NFCU quietly removed many protections like extended warranty etc..so you have to pay for that..not saying it's the best deal out there... but that's the difference. Also NFCU minimum to redeed is 5,000 points..USAA is 500 points for this card.

https://www.navyfederal.org/content/dam/nfculibs/pdfs/credit-debit-cards/nfcu_824cc.pdf
@OrangeRange wrote:
Hmm, looks like an inferior version of the NFCU Flagship Rewards. You get the same 3x on travel / 2x everything else with $100 TSA Precheck/Global Entry credit but for $49 instead of $95 annual fee. Not to mention they cover a year of Prime occassionally too.

You're right, NFCU does have an obscene requirement for redemption.

I still think though if one wants a card with greater purchase protections/extended warranty the free Chase Freedom Unlimited is a better option, and it can be combined with the CSP for a superior travel card with a slightly smaller annual fee.

Re: USAA NEW Eagle Navigator Visa Signature Card

UncleB — Sat, 30 Sep 2023 11:47:39 GMT

@CreditCuriosity wrote:
must be new travel card people have mentioned. imo with that annual fee unless i am missing something you are better or on straight back cash card as believe there are plenty of 3% for travel cards out there with no af. unless it offers other benefits to justify af

Yeah, this is going to be a tough sell for many of us on here. Sure, there are some corner-cases where this will be the perfect card, but for most it's going to be 'meh' at best.

Poor USAA... the folks making the decisions at the top just don't get it. I mean, NFCU cards are nothing special outside of the generous credit lines, and USAA can't even best them. No PCs, no APR reductions, no reallocations, CLI requests are always an HP... I'll stop there.

Just my 2¢, anyway.

Unrelated side-note: I'm still waiting for the 'exciting' stuff that was supposed to happen after the Limitless was nerfed. I guess it's good I'm not holding my breath. 🙄

Re: USAA NEW Eagle Navigator Visa Signature Card

UncleB — Sat, 30 Sep 2023 11:50:05 GMT

Here's a direct link to the reward program info for anybody who might be interested: https://www.usaa.com/inet/wc/credit_card_usaa_eagle_navigator_terms

Re: USAA NEW Eagle Navigator Visa Signature Card

woodyman100 — Sun, 01 Oct 2023 04:22:12 GMT

Doink! Grabbed me a 20k card. Puts me 5k over the 50k limit

Re: USAA NEW Eagle Navigator Visa Signature Card

UncleB — Sun, 01 Oct 2023 20:28:35 GMT

@woodyman100 wrote:
Doink! Grabbed me a 20k card. Puts me 5k over the 50k limit

Good to see you again, @woodyman100!

Nice job on scoring the Navigator, and even more impressive is going over the $50k limit! I think this is the first I've read of that happening.

I'm currently at a combined $43k with USAA, but I think I'm going to leave the Navigator to others, at least at this time.