AAA Member Rewards Visa Review

If you have good credit, the AAA Member Rewards Visa Card is a solid rewards card option for frequent travelers. You’ll earn rewards at a rate on par with (and sometimes better than) travel cards that charge annual fees, which is saying something, considering this card doesn’t charge one. If you like flexibility in how you can use your rewards, this card also fits that bill. Plus, in contrast to some popular travel credit cards, points earned with this card are worth 1 cent each when redeemed for cash.

Pros Explained 

• Good rewards rate on travel: The earning rate on travel purchases is quite competitive compared to other no-annual-fee travel cards. 
• Wholesale club purchases earn extra points: Many rewards cards offer bonus points on grocery store purchases, but not if the groceries are purchased from wholesale clubs. This card offers extra rewards on both, which we love. If your go-to grocery store is a place like Sam’s Club or Costco, this card won’t penalize you.
• Rewards are worth more when used for AAA vouchers: Points earned with this card are typically worth 1 cent each, but their value increases by up to 40% if you redeem them for AAA vouchers, which can be used to pay for things like AAA travel or auto repair services. If you’re an AAA club member and frequently use its services, this is a great way to maximize your earnings and membership benefits.

Cons Explained

• Rewards expire after five years: While five years may seem like a long time to use your points, the fact that they expire at all is a bummer. Many cards offer rewards that never expire as long as the card is open. 
• No introductory purchase APR: Interest-free offers can be a great way to pay off a large purchase over several months, but unlike some competing cards, there is no break on finance charges with this card. 

Bonus for New Cardholders

If you spend $1,000 within the first 90 days of opening an account, you’ll get a $200 statement credit. For a travel card without an annual fee, this is a pretty typical bonus offer. It’s nice that the bonus is in the form of a statement credit, though—no extra steps required to redeem points for cash back.

Earning Points and Rewards

You’ll earn the highest rate of rewards—3 points per $1 spent—on eligible travel and AAA purchases. That’s a generous top-tier earning category compared to similar no-annual-fee travel card offers, and it holds its own against many of the best travel rewards cards. (Lots of travel bookings earn these extra points, too, including airline tickets, hotel stays, rental car purchases, and cruise reservations booked directly or through a travel agency.)

You’ll also earn 2 points per $1 spent on gas, at grocery stores and wholesale clubs, and on drugstore purchases. (Superstores and convenience stores that sell groceries are excluded.) This is a decent rate for these categories, though not particularly compelling. Then again, cards co-branded with Expedia and Priceline don’t award extra points on any everyday spending categories. All other purchases earn 1 point per $1 spent. 

While there’s no limit to how many points you can earn, points will expire five years after the month they were earned, or if you close your card account. That’s something to keep in mind if you are slowly saving up points for a big trip or other purchase.

Redeeming Rewards

Like many rewards cards, how you use points earned with this card affects how much they are worth. You have several options: 

• Cash back: Points are worth 1 cent each when redeemed for cash back (you can get a check or deposit into a Bank of America account) or as a statement credit. That’s a pretty typical return for cash-back rewards and means 100 points get you $1. Cash-back redemptions must be at least 5,000 points, or $50. 
• Travel: If you want to use rewards for travel, you'll need at least 2,500 points. For air rewards, the number of needed points will be determined when you redeem them. For other travel, such as hotel reservations or rental car bookings through Bank of America, your points will be worth 1 cent each.
• Gift cards: Redemption values vary for gift cards, but they start at 3,500 points. Depending on the value at redemption, points could be worth less than 1 cent each, making them the not-so-ideal choice.
• AAA vouchers: These are by far the best use of points earned with this card. Use them to book travel through AAA or pay for an approved auto repair, among other things. And you’ll actually get more value from your points the more you redeem in a voucher. For instance, 5,000 points (the minimum redemption threshold for this option) will get you a $60 AAA voucher (the equivalent of 1.2 cents each), while 50,000 points will get you a $700 AAA voucher (the equivalent of 1.4 cents each.)

To learn more about what credit card points are worth, check out our in-depth analysis of travel rewards programs.

How to Get the Most out of This Card

Start by making sure you earn the bonus, which means you’ll need to spend an average $334 each month for the first three months after opening your account. Then make sure to pay for any eligible travel with the card. If you’re a AAA member, redeem rewards for AAA vouchers to not only maximize point value, but save money on AAA services you were going to use (and pay for) anyway. 

You may want to consider pairing this card with a general rewards card that pays on more everyday spending categories, or at higher rates. 

Other Features 

• FICO Score Program

Customer Experience

Bank of America has a mediocre customer service reputation. In the 2019 J.D. Power U.S. Credit Card Satisfaction Study, it scored “about average” among 11 major card issuers.

Bank of America offers AAA Member Rewards Visa cardholders free access to their FICO score, 24/7 customer service, and assistance via online chat. Not that unusual, but nice to have.

Security Features

This card has industry-standard security features, like the option to sign up for text or email fraud alerts. Bank of America also offers fast and free card replacement for lost or stolen cards.

Fees

The AAA Member Rewards Visa has fees typical of what you’ll find on other rewards cards. Like most travel cards, this one doesn’t charge a foreign transaction fee when you travel outside of the U.S.