USAA cashback minimum for redemption

[Lantern1036]

Currently in the garden for another few months until some HPs (currently EX 4/12 and TU 2/12, 0/6 on all 3 CRAs) become non-scoreable, but I am planning ahead for a few cards to apply for next year.

I have had USAA rewards visa for several years and am considering cashback rewards plus amex for category multipliers in gas & grocery.

For the USAA card I currently have, there is a minimum points accrual of 10 USD before cashback redemption. Does anyone here have their cashback rewards plus card and can confirm whether the same is true re: CB redemptions on it? Also, I only have the one card with them, so I wonder if the two cards' cashback is combined in their portal or whether each card needs to accrue $10 cashback separately to be available for redemption.

[Bockrocker]

I know their rewards program says $10 minimum but when I just went into the redemption options it seemed like it would let me redeem as cash back at $1...too bad I only have $0.37 . I only use my cards for the $0.99 forgiveness each month so it might be a while.

I can't fully confirm because while I have 2 cards only 1 earns rewards (other is the low rate card).  But it seems like rewards would not be pooled.

Personally as I have progressed further into credit cards the USAA cards have gotten less and less competitive.  While I kind of like USAA as an institution I think the AMEX is a poor proposition.  The grocery earn rate is low.  The gas/base exchange spending cap is low.  You are able to enroll in Amex offers I think but otherwise I would say Visa is a preferred gas card.

[KatzNDawgs]

I don't know about the under $10 pull for rewards, as I always forget about the rewards building up and only use them about once a year. However, with multiple rewards cards, the total does pool together unlike NFCU. When I go to rewards, regardless of which card I choose I have the total combined amount available to use. I have both the visa and AE rewards cards.

[Lantern1036]

@Bockrocker: I'm low-income/low-spend right now, so I don't accumulate points on my USAA card too quick either but I've never been able to redeem < $10 CB at a time, so that's interesting to hear. Am only using it for the 2% gas category at the moment as my only other cc is the chase freedom unlimited with 1.5% everywhere.

Fair point on the low USAA amex grocery earn rate. I guess I'd mostly use that card for the 5% gas/base category, and I drive ~5k miles/year so my gas expenses have historically not been the highest, so the low cap isn't too much of a concern for me.

[Lantern1036]

@KatzNDawgs : I typically cash out points on my chase card once each statement cuts, so I guess I would prefer USAA take off their minimum as I don't have a ton of spend on the card to rack up cashback >$10 more than every 6mo or so. It's just a card I've had for years so it helps my AAoA.

Thanks for the confirmation on the multiple card rewards redemptions.

[ptatohed]

---

@Bockrocker wrote:

I know their rewards program says $10 minimum but when I just went into the redemption options it seemed like it would let me redeem as cash back at $1...too bad I only have $0.37 . I only use my cards for the $0.99 forgiveness each month so it might be a while.

I can't fully confirm because while I have 2 cards only 1 earns rewards (other is the low rate card).  But it seems like rewards would not be pooled.

Personally as I have progressed further into credit cards the USAA cards have gotten less and less competitive.  While I kind of like USAA as an institution I think the AMEX is a poor proposition.  The grocery earn rate is low.  The gas/base exchange spending cap is low.  You are able to enroll in Amex offers I think but otherwise I would say Visa is a preferred gas card.

---

Explain this 99c forgiveness!   

[Kforce]

---

@ptatohed wrote:

---

Explain this 99c forgiveness!   

I believe it is like US-Bank.

If your balance due at statement is < 1 dollar they credit and give you a zero balance.

Free 99c every month if you pay your balance less 99c.

[Lantern1036]

---

@Kforce wrote:

---

@ptatohed wrote:

---

Explain this 99c forgiveness!   

I believe it is like US-Bank.

If your balance due at statement is < 1 dollar they credit and give you a zero balance.

Free 99c every month if you pay your balance too (due less 99c).

---

Interesting, I never knew this was a thing for USAA. So, I guess if I end up applying for a new card for the gas category (no sooner than April as that's when I'm expecting to have higher income and my last HP will hit 1 year), then this card will really go in the sock drawer. Maybe just to keep the card active at that point, I'll just buy a $2 soda from a vending machine 1x/month, make a $1.01 payment, and... when the statement hits, get a 99c discount for 50% off.

[Kforce]

I don't have USAA, just guessing it works like US-Bank.

Did exactly what you are saying with US-Bank for more than a year.  

[ptatohed]

---

@Kforce wrote:

---

@ptatohed wrote:

---

Explain this 99c forgiveness!   

I believe it is like US-Bank.

If your balance due at statement is < 1 dollar they credit and give you a zero balance.

Free 99c every month if you pay your balance less 99c.

---

Hmm, interesting.  So, I have a bill of $400 on my USB credit card...  I make a payment of $399.01 and USB absorbs the remaining $0.99?  Is there a list of banks who do this?  I wouldn't mind doing this but I think I'd be too nervous that I'd get charged interest for not PIFing!