AAA Member Rewards Visa Review

The AAA Member Rewards Visa card is best for travel-savvy AAA members. You’ll earn a rewards rate on par with (and sometimes better than) travel cards with annual fees, which is saying something, considering this card doesn’t have one. If you like flexibility in how you can use your rewards, this card fits the bill, though its rewards aren’t as valuable as some other cards’ rewards. But again, those tend to have annual fees.

• Travel rewards with no annual fee: You can quickly rack up points when you spend on travel and everyday purchases like gas and groceries without the upfront cost of an annual fee.
• Easy-to-earn sign-up bonus: You don’t have to spend much to earn a one-time statement credit—a nice benefit if you’re not a big spender but still want to make the most of credit card rewards.
• No foreign transaction fee: Travel outside of the United States without worrying about an extra fee every time you use your card. This is a must-have feature on travel cards. 

• Required AAA membership: You must be a AAA member to apply, which has its own fees, starting at $60 per year. Although, the membership comes with discounts. But if you're not a member and aren't interested in becoming one, don't bother with this card.
• No introductory purchase APR: You’ll pay the regular interest rates on new purchases from the first day you have the card. This is a con because many rewards cards give new customers the opportunity to pay off large purchases over several months without accruing interest.

If you spend $750 within the first 90 days of having an account, you’ll get a $150 statement credit. For a card without an annual fee, this is a substantial cash-back offer. The statement credit may take six to eight weeks to post.

The AAA Member Rewards Visa offers three levels of rewards: 

• 3 points per $1 spent on most travel and AAA purchases
• 2 points per $1 on gas, grocery store, wholesale club, and drugstore purchases
• 1 point per $1 spent on everything else

What earns cash back on travel purchases is pretty simple: purchases made through AAA, airline tickets, hotels, rental cars, rail, and cruises. However, things like travel insurance and things bought through AAA by provided by a third-party vendor just earns 1 per $ spent. (Yes, we know that’s confusing. Double-check the product provider before buying something through AAA.)

Points are valued at 1 cent per point, or 100 points per $1. 

• Cash back or statement credits: You can redeem points for cash back at 1 cent per point. The minimum amount needed for cash-back redemptions is 5,000 points, which are worth $50. 
• AAA vouchers: AAA vouchers are the best deal with bonuses that change as the dollar value goes up. Redemption bonuses range from 20% to 40%. For instance, 5,000 points is redeemable for a $60 AAA voucher. 50,000 points is redeemable for a $700 AAA voucher. 
• Gift cards: Redeeming points for a gift card has the least value. They start at 3,500 points with a redemption value of about $25.
• Travel redemption: Redeem points at 1 cent per point beginning at 2,500 points. 

Combine AAA points earnings with AAA discounts. For instance, gas purchases earn 2 points per $1 spent, and AAA members earn another 5 cents per gallon at Shell gas stations. 

This card doesn’t offer any exceptional perks, but it has a couple of nice benefits:

• Insurance for damaged or stolen purchases
• Extended warranties 

For AAA members, consider whether you are happy with the service you are getting from AAA first. Then, consider the service you could get from Bank of America with the AAA Member Rewards Visa.

Bank of America has a mediocre reputation among its cardholders. In the 2019 J.D. Power U.S. Credit Card Satisfaction Study, it scored 798 out of 1,000 points—below the industry average of 806 and seventh out of 11 major card issuers.

However, Bank of America offers AAA credit cardholders free access to their FICO score, 24/7 customer service, and assistance via online chat. Not all card issuers offer these features. 

This card has industry-standard security features, like instant fraud alerts by text or email. But its security stands out in two ways:

• Free, fast card replacement 
• Ability to lock your card can be locked via the app

The AAA Member Rewards Visa has fees typical of what you’ll find on other rewards cards. If you travel outside of the United States, you’ll be happy to know this card doesn’t charge a foreign transaction fee.