topic Re: Need advice on NAVY FCU Flagship card in Credit Cards

Need advice on NAVY FCU Flagship card

smile90000 — Sun, 04 Feb 2024 18:59:21 GMT

I've received an offer from Navy FCU for their Flagship card and I'm trying to decide if it makes sense to add them. I try to be a bit cautious in who I add. I'll be doing a lot of traveling over the next few years but don't have a travel card.

I hold 4 credit cards

Affinity FCU (nonrewards card) - had for over 30 years

Citi Double - had for over 9 years

Citi Simplicity - use mainly as a balance transfer card - had for 7 years

Capital One Savor One - had for 1 year

I have the offer brochure but would love to hear from those who have the Flagship card as to why you love it and how you get the most out of the card. Thanks!

Oh my scores for those who are curious are 809, 815, 806.

Re: Need advice on NAVY FCU Flagship card

GZG — Sun, 04 Feb 2024 19:14:56 GMT

@smile90000 wrote:
I've received an offer from Navy FCU for their Flagship card and I'm trying to decide if it makes sense to add them. I try to be a bit cautious in who I add. I'll be doing a lot of traveling over the next few years but don't have a travel card.

I hold 4 credit cards
Affinity FCU (nonrewards card) - had for over 30 years
Citi Double - had for over 9 years
Citi Simplicity - use mainly as a balance transfer card - had for 7 years
Capital One Savor One - had for 1 year

I have the offer brochure but would love to hear from those who have the Flagship card as to why you love it and how you get the most out of the card. Thanks!

Oh my scores for those who are curious are 809, 815, 806.

it has a good bonus currently, sometimes it's higher, currently $350 for spending $3k in 90 days

it also provides Amazon prime free every year back as a statement credit, so hopefully you don't have prime or will need to charge prime to your card soon

It offers 2x on everything, same as your Citi Double Cash, but 3x on travel: airline, hotel, car rental, bus lines, taxis, cruise lines, time shares, parking, and transit.

I have solely for the Amazon Prime credit, and there's no reason not to get the card.

There are other cards that can provide far more value for travel, particularly free access to airport lounges and points which can be used to book travel directly at outsized value.

without knowing where, when and how you travel, it would be tough to make specific suggestions. American Express Platinum with the 150k point bonus comes to mind.

Re: Need advice on NAVY FCU Flagship card

smile90000 — Sun, 04 Feb 2024 20:43:45 GMT

This was actually very helpful. The offer they sent was 40k. I do Amazon Prime but I'm on the monthly plan. I will definitely think about changing that if I get the card. I now think it will be a good travel card for me to start with (The traveling for my work will be new to me). Thanks for the help as it was the information I needed!

Re: Need advice on NAVY FCU Flagship card

Aim_High — Mon, 05 Feb 2024 16:28:13 GMT

Your response from @GZG sounds like it already answered your question, @smile90000 but I will echo what he said above. Yes, there are better travel cards (depending on your lifestyle and travel patterns) and there are 2% cards that don't have an AF. But for the overall package, you can get a lot of value with the Flagship Rewards.

As mentioned, the Sign-Up Bonus is often very generous. That 40K point SUB is worth $400 alone.
Compared to your CITI DC, the FSR also earns 2% minimum on all purchases but without a FTF and without the 1% when you buy and 1% when you pay stipulation.
FSR also earns 3% on a wide range of travel purchases including airfare, hotel, rental cars, cruise ships, Time Shares, campgrounds, RV parks, ride-share services like UBER/LYFT, parking, bridges, tolls, ferries. It also earns 3% on entertainment including museums, amusement parks, and public golf courses.
Yes, Amazon Prime has been included on the card for awhile and even though they don't advertise it, our members have reported renewing it after the first year which more than reimburses the AF.
Beyond the Amazon Prime, you can receive $100 every four years to reimburse TSA Global Entry membership. Global Entry also allows you to use the Pre-Check line on domestic airport checkins, while the Global Entry portion expedites your processing with customs when arriving back in the US from international travel. This $100/4 years works out to an average of $25 annually, reducing the AF from $49 to $24 alone.
The NFCU Flagship Rewards is Navy's only credit card where the limit can exceed $50K. Navy's total revolving credit limit is $80K per customer, and growing the FSR to $80K is possible. Navy cards grow easily over time and often without having to put heavy spend on them. Currently, cards can grow up to $8K every six months or $16K per year. Having a high limit card can help your overall credit utilization and be a great emergency cushion for sudden expenses.
NFCU cards have no Balance Transfer Fees, no Foreign Transaction Fees, and no Cash Advance fees if the advance is processed from a NFCU ATM. I don't typically do cash advances but since I have grown my FSR up to the $80K maximum, my cash advance credit line is a very generous $24K if I were to ever need it. The cash advance interest rate is only 2% above purchase APR, which is as low as 15.24% currently. This is a much lower cash advance APR than most credit cards.
For a low-AF travel card, the FSR offers some good travel protections such as Secondary Rental Car CDW, Travel Accident /ADD insurance payable up to $250K, and Lost Luggage Insurance. FSR also offers 24/7 Travel and Emergency Assistance. See the >Navy Flagship Rewards Benefits Guide<.
For shopping protection, the card offers a feature often found only on higher-AF premium travel cards. Purchase Protection reimburses you for theft or damage to items within 90 days of purchase with your FSR card.

Re: Need advice on NAVY FCU Flagship card

Shooting-For-800 — Mon, 05 Feb 2024 03:45:25 GMT

I love my flagship.

Highest limit. $40k.

Easy cash back 2-3%

Amazon Prime paid for 3 or 4 times!

$400 sign up.

etc etc etc

Re: Need advice on NAVY FCU Flagship card

DesertWanderer — Mon, 05 Feb 2024 05:16:53 GMT

I love my Flagship card. Although other cards have something similiar, NFCU has a members mall where they partner with many, many businesses that provide additional cash back that stacks on top of the cashback you already get with the card. I utilize this often and frequently find myself getting 5% or more back on purchases.

Re: Need advice on NAVY FCU Flagship card

ptatohed — Mon, 05 Feb 2024 05:49:58 GMT

While I am very AF averse, lol, I could easily be pursued to get this card for the Prime credit alone. When I look at the site, it describes the rewards as 'points'. I hate 'points'. Can I assume that a point is worth a penny since people are calling this a true 2% and 3% CB card? Any stipulations to redeeming points? Minimums? To a NFCU account only? Etc.? Also, are there ways in to the CU if you are not Navy/military? Thank you.

https://www.navyfederal.org/loans-cards/credit-cards/flagship-visa-signature.html

Re: Need advice on NAVY FCU Flagship card

Aim_High — Mon, 05 Feb 2024 17:10:48 GMT

@ptatohed wrote:
While I am very AF averse, lol, I could easily be pursued to get this card for the Prime credit alone. When I look at the site, it describes the rewards as 'points'. I hate 'points'. Can I assume that a point is worth a penny since people are calling this a true 2% and 3% CB card? Any stipulations to redeeming points? Minimums? To a NFCU account only? Etc.? Also, are there ways in to the CU if you are not Navy/military? Thank you.

https://www.navyfederal.org/loans-cards/credit-cards/flagship-visa-signature.html

While there are a lot of great reasons to get the Flagship Rewards, @ptatohed, I wouldn't encourage anyone to get it primarily for the Amazon Prime benefit. Technically, the verbiage on the website doesn't guarantee reimbursement beyond the first year even though members have received it longer. And a perk like this could easily be nerfed. Still, I think there are many other reasons that can justify getting the card, even with the small AF.

Foot Note number 2:

Offer applies only to annual Amazon Prime memberships. Not valid for recurring membership monthly payment option or Amazon Prime Student. Annual membership must be purchased by 01/01/2025. Offer valid for your Visa Signature® Flagship Rewards Credit Card and is not transferable. Limit of one promotional offer per card. Please allow 6–8 weeks after the membership is renewed or opened for the statement credit to post to your account. Navy Federal reserves the right to end or modify this offer at any time without notice.

You are wise to be leary of "points" ... but some lenders do indeed give a full and standard 1 cpp. They just choose to call the rewards "points" on cards like the FSR since it is Navy's "travel card" and would be compared with other points-based cards. And the points are redeemable for many things besides cash, to include many types of travel, gift cards, or merchandise. But yes, the FSR "points" are worth 1 cpp.

Regarding redemption, one negative I have about the card is that not only is there a minimum redemption amount but it's a high minimum. I'm hoping they may change this. Many lenders previously had $25 minimums and some have relaxed them. The FSR minimum is $50. I believe this may be due to their expectation that the points would be redeemed for travel and that is a reasonable travel redemption minimum. It's a little annoying if you want to redeem often for simply cash. Still, if you're using the card for a daily driver, the minimum spend at the base earnings of 2% to redeem $50 is just $2,500 in spending and less than that with some of the 3% spending. Besides the aforementioned travel or gift cards, points can be redeemed for statement credit, to pay the AF, or for cash deposit. The default account is my NFCU savings account and I'm not sure you can change this. I just looked and don't see an option to change the target account. Of course, to be a member, you have to have a nominal savings account anyway since this is a credit union. And the funds could then be transferred to an account of your choosing.

Yes, there are many ways to join the credit union if you are not personally a military member or veteran. And by the way, even though this is *NAVY* FCU, they are open to veteran definitions from ANY of the armed services, their reserve forces, or the National Guard. And they are open to defense civilians who work for Department of Defense or contractors. Many of their members, though, qualify by being a family member of a veteran and they have a very loose definition of family. It doesn't just include spouses or children but also includes grandparents, siblings, grandchildren, and household members. So if you have a grandparent who served two years during the Korean War or you have a brother who served in the Army National Guard, you qualify. See >this link< for more details.

Re: Need advice on NAVY FCU Flagship card

coldworld — Mon, 05 Feb 2024 17:28:18 GMT

I used to hold the NFCU Flagship card for about 7 years, and recently PC'd to the NFCU platinum. There are rumors of a NFCU Flagship refresh, but we'll see.

Re: Need advice on NAVY FCU Flagship card

Aim_High — Mon, 05 Feb 2024 17:39:45 GMT

By the way, I will also add to the thread that Navy FCU is by-far the largest credit union in the United States. That gives Navy FCU the opportunity to provide better products and services than many smaller credit unions.

Assets: over $168 Billion (as-of 3Q 2023 per depositaccounts.com.)
Presence across USA: 31 states plus District of Columbia.
Employees: 24,000
Members: 13.3 Million
Founded in 1933 before credit unions were federally-chartered; Chartered in 1947.

Sources:

Re: Need advice on NAVY FCU Flagship card

Horseshoez — Mon, 05 Feb 2024 17:53:53 GMT

Naturally I live in one of the states with no NFCU presence, in fact, none of the states surrounding my state have a presence as well. We will most likely be moving to Maryland later this year, and there is a branch within walking distance of the neighborhoods we're house hunting in. This should make applying for a mortgage pretty easy.

Re: Need advice on NAVY FCU Flagship card

Shooting-For-800 — Tue, 06 Feb 2024 00:23:21 GMT

My 3rd or 4th Amazon Prime reimbursment just litterally hit like 3 or 4 days after my charge.

I have no problem with this AF.

Re: Need advice on NAVY FCU Flagship card

ptatohed — Tue, 06 Feb 2024 08:36:16 GMT

@Aim_High wrote:
Your response from @GZG sounds like it already answered your question, @smile90000 but I will echo what he said above.   Yes, there are better travel cards (depending on your lifestyle and travel patterns) and there are 2% cards that don't have an AF. But for the overall package, you can get a lot of value with the Flagship Rewards.

As mentioned, the Sign-Up Bonus is often very generous. That 40K point SUB is worth $400 alone.
Compared to your CITI DC, the FSR also earns 2% minimum on all purchases but without a FTF and without the 1% when you buy and 1% when you pay stipulation.
FSR also earns 3% on a wide range of travel purchases including airfare, hotel, rental cars, cruise ships, Time Shares, campgrounds, RV parks, ride-share services like UBER/LYFT, parking, bridges, tolls, ferries. It also earns 3% on entertainment including museums, amusement parks, and public golf courses.
Yes, Amazon Prime has been included on the card for awhile and even though they don't advertise it, our members have reported renewing it after the first year which more than reimburses the AF.
Beyond the Amazon Prime, you can receive $100 every four years to reimburse TSA Global Entry membership. Global Entry also allows you to use the Pre-Check line on domestic airport checkins, while the Global Entry portion expedites your processing with customs when arriving back in the US from international travel. This $100/4 years works out to an average of $25 annually, reducing the AF from $49 to $24 alone.
The NFCU Flagship Rewards is Navy's only credit card where the limit can exceed $50K. Navy's total revolving credit limit is $80K per customer, and growing the FSR to $80K is possible. Navy cards grow easily over time and often without having to put heavy spend on them.   Currently, cards can grow up to $8K every six months or $16K per year.   Having a high limit card can help your overall credit utilization and be a great emergency cushion for sudden expenses.
NFCU cards have no Balance Transfer Fees, no Foreign Transaction Fees, and no Cash Advance fees if the advance is processed from a NFCU ATM. I don't typically do cash advances but since I have grown my FSR up to the $80K maximum, my cash advance credit line is a very generous $24K if I were to ever need it. The cash advance interest rate is only 2% above purchase APR, which is as low as 15.24% currently. This is a much lower cash advance APR than most credit cards.
For a low-AF travel card, the FSR offers some good travel protections such as Secondary Rental Car CDW, Travel Accident /ADD insurance payable up to $250K, and Lost Luggage Insurance. FSR also offers 24/7 Travel and Emergency Assistance. See the >Navy Flagship Rewards Benefits Guide<.
For shopping protection, the card offers a feature often found only on higher-AF premium travel cards. Purchase Protection reimburses you for theft or damage to items within 90 days of purchase with your FSR card.

A_H, as usual, you are the absolute best. THE BEST! Thanks man!

Re: Need advice on NAVY FCU Flagship card

MarkintheHV — Tue, 06 Feb 2024 11:19:33 GMT

Most of the states that do not have a NFCU presence have other credit unions they partner with. If I have a cash deposit to make, I can go into one of my local credit unions and they will handle the deposit on my behalf (no membership required at the local credit union). Depositing cash is the only thing I cannot do via online or their app.

Great card, I love mine!

Re: Need advice on NAVY FCU Flagship card

Aim_High — Tue, 06 Feb 2024 16:42:57 GMT

@ptatohed wrote:
A_H, as usual, you are the absolute best. THE BEST! Thanks man!

Thanks very much @ptatohed!

You're more than welcome.

I'm glad to help!

A_H aka Aim_High

Re: Need advice on NAVY FCU Flagship card

md_rebuild — Tue, 06 Feb 2024 20:17:15 GMT

I love my Flagship (and all of my other NFCU cards). 3 years out of a BK7 (I had a Cash Rewards card with a $8.5K limit), I applied and they game me one with a starting limit of $25K. There may be better travel cards out there (and there are, depending on what you're looking for) but NFCU consistently gives out higher CL to start with than others, IMHO.

Re: Need advice on NAVY FCU Flagship card

smile90000 — Wed, 07 Feb 2024 17:20:23 GMT

I applied yesterday and got approved for 25k credit limit! Thank you to everyone who helped me figure out that this was definitely a great card for me to have!

Re: Need advice on NAVY FCU Flagship card

ultimateendz — Wed, 07 Feb 2024 21:39:16 GMT

Congrats!!

I got navy fed a month ago.