USAA Rewards American Express

Earning Rates

Key Benefits

All Benefits

• Issued on the American Express network (USAA is the issuer; this is an Amex-branded card, not Amex-issued, so it earns USAA Rewards points and not Amex Membership Rewards)
• Membership-gated: must be a USAA member to apply. USAA membership is restricted to current and former U.S. military servicemembers, their spouses, and their dependents
• Welcome offer: 2,500 USAA Rewards points (~$25 in travel value at 1¢/point) after your first purchase — no minimum spend or time requirement
• 3X USAA Rewards points on dining (restaurants, takeout, food delivery) — no annual cap
• 2X USAA Rewards points on gas stations — no annual cap
• 2X USAA Rewards points on grocery stores — no annual cap
• 1X USAA Rewards points on all other purchases
• No annual fee ($0)
• No foreign transaction fees
• Points never expire for the life of the account and there are no caps on point earning
• Redeem through the USAA Rewards Center for travel (~1¢/point), gift cards, merchandise, statement credit, or USAA account deposits — no transfer partners (closed-loop program)
• Variable purchase APR ~13.40%-27.40% (subject to change with the Prime Rate)
• Active-duty servicemembers receive USAA's SCRA benefits, including a 4% APR cap during qualifying military service
• Rental car collision damage waiver (secondary U.S.) when you reserve and pay with the card and decline the rental company's CDW
• Travel accident insurance on common-carrier tickets paid with the card
• Trip cancellation and trip interruption coverage on prepaid non-refundable travel paid with the card
• Zero-liability fraud protection on unauthorized transactions
• Extended warranty and purchase protection on eligible purchases per the USAA Amex Guide to Benefits
• Not Offered: no Amex Membership Rewards points, no Amex Offers, no Amex lounge / Centurion access (this earns USAA's closed-loop currency, not MR)
• Not Offered: no airline / hotel transfer partners
• Not Offered: no 0% intro APR on purchases or balance transfers
• Not Offered: no annual statement credits (no airline incidental, no Uber, no streaming, no Global Entry / TSA PreCheck)