USAA Credit Cards

[Anonymous]

Do you have to be a full member (eligible for their insurance) to get one? If not then what do you have to do before applying? Just an aside my significant other is a full member and if we get married some day then I'll be eligible for full membership too ... he seems happy with them so that's why I'm thinking about it. I'm weeding out my cards that suck (goodbye credit one) and trying to add one or two good ones.

[Saleen099]

---

@Anonymous wrote:

Do you have to be a full member (eligible for their insurance) to get one? If not then what do you have to do before applying? Just an aside my significant other is a full member and if we get married some day then I'll be eligible for full membership too ... he seems happy with them so that's why I'm thinking about it. I'm weeding out my cards that suck (goodbye credit one) and trying to add one or two good ones.

---

Yes, you have to be a full member so once you guys get married that will make you eligible to become a full member then you can apply for a credit card or any other products that they have. 

[onstar]

You should definitely get everything you can with USAA. Their insurance is top notch, and all their banking products are top notch.

[UncleB]

---

@Anonymous wrote:

Do you have to be a full member (eligible for their insurance) to get one? If not then what do you have to do before applying? Just an aside my significant other is a full member and if we get married some day then I'll be eligible for full membership too ... he seems happy with them so that's why I'm thinking about it. I'm weeding out my cards that suck (goodbye credit one) and trying to add one or two good ones.

---

Back in the Fall of 2013 they changed the rules so that now anybody 'new' has to be eligible for their insurance, i.e. a 'full member'.  Folks who are eligible on their own merits still get preferred rates vs. a dependent of a member.  They no longer allow folks with no military connection to have a bank account like they once did.

I'm 'grandfathered', but if I ever close my account I won't be allowed to reopen it unless I get my father to buy an insurance policy (my grandfather is a full member).  It's a little bit of a hassle, but the benefits are fantastic.  I've used them for my primary checking for several years now, and they literally can't be beat.  My credit card with them was the first "non-toy" credit limit I was given when I was rebuilding, and it opened the doors to the other cards I have now.

[Bmac66]

I love USAA!  2 credit cards and now an auto loan as well as homeowners, auto insurance and all other banking definitely join once you get married!

[Anonymous]

The only card they have that I want is the Rate Advantage, but only if I can get the 6.9% APR. Right now I have an offer at 14.9, but not taking it. Their insurance and banking products are top notch, but the credit cards are pretty blah.

[UncleB]

---

@Anonymous wrote:

The only card they have that I want is the Rate Advantage, but only if I can get the 6.9% APR. Right now I have an offer at 14.9, but not taking it. Their insurance and banking products are top notch, but the credit cards are pretty blah.

---

Agreed... 1% cash back is sorta 'meh', but when I got the card nobody else (but Capital One) would touch me. 

They gave me a $7k credit line right out of the gate (I had more baddies then, and my only other major card was QS1 with a limit of $1720... and on the app I self-reported a very modest income). 

I've got much better now, but I wouldn't dream of closing it.  Plus, while always a last-resort, if you ever do need a cash advance they will transfer up to $2500 per day into your USAA checking with no fee (if you need more than $2500 in a single day you must do it the traditional way).  Also, the cash advance APR is the same as the purchase APR and the cash advance limit is the same as the credit limit, which is strong.

I don't use my USAA Visa very often, but I'm glad I have it. 

[Anonymous]

To be honest, if you are eligible for USAA membership, You might already be qualified for NFCU membership, which has much better rates on credit cards, banking, and loans than USAA.

[Anonymous]

---

@Anonymous wrote:

To be honest, if you are eligible for USAA membership, You might already be qualified for NFCU membership, which has much better rates on credit cards, banking, and loans than USAA.

---

The eligibility requirements for Navy are far more difficult than USAA. With USAA I'm eligible because of my military service, but I am not eligible for NFCU because I didn't make a career of it.

[UncleB]

---

@Anonymous wrote:

To be honest, if you are eligible for USAA membership, You might already be qualified for NFCU membership, which has much better rates on credit cards, banking, and loans than USAA.

---

This thread is about credit cards, and I don't want to stray too far from the original topic. 

This being said, NFCU might be able to beat USAA on credit cards and loans for some people, but I've never seen them "beat" USAA on banking... it's really hard to beat free!