Best Credit Cards For Mobile Wallet Use

U.S. Bank Altitude Reserve Visa Infinite Review

U.S.-Bank-Altitude-Reserve-Visa-Infinite-Card

Rating: 5 Stars

Bottom Line:
High Travel Rewards from Mobile Wallet and Travel Purchases

Card Details

Regular APR:	17.24 (Variable)
Intro APR (Purchases):	None
Intro APR (Balance transfers):	None
Rewards Rate:	Earn 3X points for every $1 on eligible net travel purchases and mobile wallet spending using Apple Pay, Google Pay and Samsung Pay
Credit Needed:	(670 – 850) Good/Excellent
Annual Fee:	$400, $75 per additional card issued
Card Brand:	Visa

*See online credit card application for details on the terms and conditions.

Offer Highlights

Click APPLY NOW to apply online
Earn 3X points for every $1 on eligible net travel purchases and mobile wallet spending using Apple Pay, Google Pay and Samsung Pay
Enrollment bonus of 50,000 points worth $750 on travel. Just spend $4,500 in the first 90 days of account opening
Up to $325 Annual Statement Credit: Get reimbursed for eligible net travel purchases
Stay connected with 12 complimentary Gogo Inflight Wi-Fi passes per year
Complimentary 12-month Priority Pass Select membership to more than 1,200 VIP lounges worldwide with 4 free visits for the cardholder and 4 free visits for one accompanying guest
TSA Pre or Global Entry: Up to $100 statement credit to reimburse your application fee once every four years
GroundLink Black Car Service: Receive chauffeured black car service at a discount in more than 110 countries
Silvercar: Drive off in a luxurious Audi with special rental privileges and discounts
Enjoy special privileges at more than 500 luxury Relais & Chateaux properties around the world
Elevated service levels 24/7 with dedicated service advisors and Visa Infinite Concierge
50,000 points can be redeemed for $750 in airfare, hotel, car rentals and more
Use your mobile device to instantly redeem points for almost any purchase

Is U.S. Bank Altitude Reserve Visa Infinite worth it?

U.S. Bank Altitude Reserve Visa Infinite Card is a solid card for premium U.S. Bank customers who travel frequently. Note that cardholders must be an existing U.S. Bank customer.

The enrollment bonus of 50,000 points, which is worth $750 in travel, makes the points valued at 1.5 cents. For a $400 annual fee, the card offers 3X points per $1 on travel and 3X points per $1 on mobile wallet spending. With increasing adoption of Apple Pay, Google Pay, Microsoft Pay, or Samsung Pay, U.S. Bank Altitude Reserve Visa Infinite is essentially offering $0.015 dollars per point x 3 points per $1 = 4.5% travel rewards for all transactions that accept your mobile wallet payment provider. This is unmatched.

Just looking at perks, the statement credit of up to $325 for eligible travel purchases and $100 TSA Pre or Global Entry statement credit make up for the annual fee if you use them. Note that although U.S. Bank Altitude Reserve Visa Infinite does get you 12-month Priority Pass Select membership to more than 1,200 VIP lounges worldwide, it only provides you with 4 passes, good for 4 visits for you and one guest. After that lounge visits cost $27.

Also, unfortunately there have been reports from consumers that U.S. Bank Altitude Reserve Visa Infinite does not have the easiest redemption app. At restaurants, using mobile wallet can be a problem. Other premium travel cards, like Chase Sapphire Reserve, offer a higher than 1X rewards rate on dining and are more valuable in this case.

Another item to consider is that the rewards program is separate from the U.S. Bank FlexPoints rewards, so information you read about FlexPoints reward redemption and travel partners will not apply here. If you’re a U.S. bank customer and you are interested in earning rewards at a valuable rate that can be redeemed for travel through U.S. Bank, Altitude Reserve Visa Infinite is a solid card for you.

Pros

Earn 3X points for every $1 on eligible net travel purchases and mobile wallet spending using Apple Pay, Google Pay and Samsung Pay
Priority Pass Select membership to more than 1,200 VIP lounges worldwide with first four passes free
12 complimentary Gogo Inflight Wi-Fi passes per year

Cons

$400, $75 per additional card issued
Rewards can’t be pooled with FlexPoints

Why 5 Stars?

Regular APR

5 Stars

Intro APR

4 Stars

Fees

4 Stars

Perks

5 Stars

Overall

5 Stars

Fees

Foreign Transaction Fee	None
Balance Transfer Fee	Either 3% of the amount of each transfer or $5 minimum, whichever is greater
Cash Advance Fee	Either 4% of the amount of each advance or $10 minimum, whichever is greater
Penalty APR	None

Benefits

$0 Fraud Liability

Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver

Extended Warranty Program

Lost Luggage Reimbursement

Purchase Protection

Roadside Assistance

Travel Accident Insurance

Travel Assistance

Get Started with U.S. Bank Altitude Reserve Visa Infinite

Editorial Note: This content is not provided by the issuer. Any opinion, analyses, reviews, or recommendations expressed on this page are those of the author?s alone, and may not have been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the issuer.

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PNC points Visa Review

Rating: 5 Stars

Bottom Line:
Rewards For PNC Account Holders

Apply Now

Card Details

Regular APR:	13.74 – 23.74 (Variable)
Intro APR (Purchases):	0% for 12 billing cycles
Intro APR (Balance transfers):	0% for 12 billing cycles on transfers in first 90 days
Rewards Rate:	Earn 4 points for every $1 in purchases Virtual Wallet users earn 5 points for every $1 in purchases Performance Checking account holders earn 6 points for every $1 in purchases Performance Select checking account holders earn 7 points for every $1 in purchases
Credit Needed:	(670 – 850) Good/Excellent
Annual Fee:	None
Card Brand:	Visa

*See online credit card application for details on the terms and conditions.

Offer Highlights

Click APPLY NOW to apply online
Get 50,000 bonus points after you have made at least $750 in purchases during the first 3 billing cycles following account opening
Earn 4 points for every $1 in purchases
Earn 25% bonus points on base points you earn in a billing cycle when you maintain a Virtual Wallet, Virtual Wallet Performance Spend, Virtual Wallet Performance Select, Performance OR Performance Select checking account
Earn 50% bonus points on base points you earn in a billing cycle when you maintain a Performance Checking account OR Virtual Wallet with Performance Spend and meet minimum balance or direct deposit requirements
Earn 75% bonus points on base points you earn in a billing cycle when you maintain a Performance Select Checking account OR Virtual Wallet with Performance Select and meet minimum balance or direct deposit requirements

Is PNC points Visa worth it?

PNC Core Visa is a great card for PNC checking account holders who want to earn points for travel. A PNC account is not required to get the card, but there is a bonus for having a Performance Checking Account. As a baseline, cardholders get 4 points for every $1 in purchases.

The reward rate goes 25% higher for having a Virtual Wallet, 50% higher for having a Performance Checking Account or 75% Performance Select Checking Account. Performance Checking has no monthly fee for accounts that have $2,000 or more average monthly balance or $2,000 or more in direct deposits per monthly statement period. For Performance Select Checking, the number is $5,000. The rewards rate of 4 points per $1 is high, but the conversion value is only average.

PNC Core Visa points are worth less than a penny, for example, on a roundtrip flight from LAX in Los Angeles to JFK in New York City leaving on Christmas and returning on New Years Day. This flight costs 140,533 points at the time the rewards portal was accessed for this test. With the value of that roundtrip flight being about $650, each point is worth a little less than half a cent.

What about gift cards A $100 CVS Pharmacy gift card could be purchased for 43,078, each point being worth less than a quarter of a cent in that case. The point value for PNC Core Visa is not high. As a result this card can only be recommended for PNC Performance Checking Account holders, who get a 50% bonus.

PNC Core Visa does have a fair signup bonus of 50,000 bonus points after you have made at least $750 in purchases during the first 3 billing cycles following account opening, but remember that would be equivalent to less than 20,000 points for a normal points program, where the points are worth about a cent.

Pros

Get 50,000 bonus points after you have made at least $750 in purchases during the first 3 billing cycles following account opening
0% for 15 billing cycles on transfers in first 90 days
0% for 15 billing cycles on purchases

Cons

Foreign transaction fee

Why 5 Stars?

Regular APR

5 Stars

Intro APR

5 Stars

Fees

4 Stars

Perks

4 Stars

Overall

5 Stars

Fees

Foreign Transaction Fee	3%
Balance Transfer Fee	Either $5 or 3% of the amount of each balance transfer, whichever is greater, for the first 90 days following account opening. After that, either $5 or 4% of the amount of each balance transfer, whichever is greater
Cash Advance Fee	Either $10 or 5% of the amount of each cash advance, whichever is greater
Penalty APR	30.74%

Benefits

$0 Fraud Liability

Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver

Baggage Delay Insurance

Concierge Service

Extended Warranty Program

Lost Luggage Reimbursement

Purchase Protection

Roadside Assistance

Travel Accident Insurance

Travel Assistance

Get Started with PNC points Visa

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PNC Cash Rewards Visa Review

Rating: 5 Stars

Bottom Line:
Gas Station, Restaurant, and Groceries Cash Back

Apply Now

Card Details

Regular APR:	14.74 – 24.74 (Variable)
Intro APR (Purchases):	None
Intro APR (Balance transfers):	0% for 12 billing cycles on transfers in first 90 days
Rewards Rate:	Earn 4% on gas station purchases (in-store and at the pump), 3% on dining purchases at restaurants, including fast food, and 2% cash back on grocery store purchases, for the first $8,000 in combined purchases in these categories annually Earn at least 1% cash back on purchases everywhere, every time
Credit Needed:	(670 – 850) Good/Excellent
Annual Fee:	None
Card Brand:	Visa

*See online credit card application for details on the terms and conditions.

Offer Highlights

Click APPLY NOW to apply online
Get a $100 monetary credit on your statement after you have made $1,000 in purchases during the first 3 billing cycles following account opening
Earn 4% on gas station purchases (in-store and at the pump), 3% on dining purchases at restaurants, including fast food, and 2% cash back on grocery store purchases, for the first $8,000 in combined purchases in these categories annually
1% cash back on all other purchases
0% APR on balance transfers for the first 12 billing cycles following account opening when the balance is transferred within the first 90 days following account opening
In addition to giving you the rewards you want, a PNC credit card can integrate seamlessly with PNC Online Banking and Virtual Wallet. View all of your spending and saving online, from your desktop, tablet or mobile device

Is PNC Cash Rewards Visa worth it?

PNC Cash Rewards Visa is a great card for people who spend a lot at gas stations, eating out, and grocery stores. Cardholders earn 4% on gas station purchases (in-store and at the pump), 3% on dining purchases at restaurants, including fast food, and 2% cash back on grocery store purchases, for the first $8,000 in combined purchases in these categories annually.

For most people, PNC Cash Rewards Visa will not be their everyday spend card, because the maximum is only $8000 for the year. However, PNC Cash Rewards Visa is one of the best cards available for cash back rewards at gas stations, earning 4%. Comparing only flat-rate cards with cash back at gas station, PNC Cash Rewards Visa compares favorably with Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express and Blue Cash Everyday from American Express, which earn 3% at U.S. gas stations and also have no annual fee. PNC Cash Rewards Visa also has a fair signup bonus of $100 in statement credit after you have made $1,000 in purchases during the first 3 billing cycles following account opening.

Pros

Get a $100 monetary credit on your statement after you have made $1,000 in purchases during the first 3 billing cycles following account opening
Earn 4% on gas station purchases (in-store and at the pump), 3% on dining purchases at restaurants, including fast food, and 2% cash back on grocery store purchases, for the first $8,000 in combined purchases in these categories annually
0% APR on balance transfers for the first 12 billing cycles following account opening when the balance is transferred within the first 90 days following account opening

Cons

$25 minimum cash back redemption

Why 5 Stars?

Regular APR

5 Stars

Intro APR

5 Stars

Fees

4 Stars

Perks

5 Stars

Overall

5 Stars

Fees

Foreign Transaction Fee	3%
Balance Transfer Fee	Either $5 or 3% of the amount of each balance transfer, whichever is greater, for the first 90 days following account opening. After that, either $5 or 4% of the amount of each balance transfer, whichever is greater
Cash Advance Fee	Either $10 or 5% of the amount of each cash advance, whichever is greater
Penalty APR	30.74%

Benefits

$0 Fraud Liability

Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver

Extended Warranty Program

Lost Luggage Reimbursement

Purchase Protection

Roadside Assistance

Travel Accident Insurance

Travel Assistance

Get Started with PNC Cash Rewards Visa

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Fidelity Rewards Visa Signature Review

Rating: 5 Stars

Bottom Line:
Unlimited Flat-Rate Cash Back for Fidelity Customers

Apply Now

Card Details

Regular APR:	15.74% (Variable)
Intro APR (Purchases):	None
Intro APR (Balance transfers):	None
Rewards Rate:	Unlimited 2% cash back; you earn Reward Points that are deposited into a Fidelity account as cash back
Credit Needed:	(740 – 850) Excellent
Annual Fee:	None
Card Brand:	Visa

*See online credit card application for details on the terms and conditions.

Offer Highlights

Click APPLY NOW to apply online
Unlimited 2% cash back
Every eligible net $1 spent equals 2 Reward Points
No limits on total Reward Points and no restrictive categories
Reward Points will not expire
Your Fidelity Rewards Visa Signature Card is Digital Wallet-enabled for: Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Samsung Pay
Deposit your rewards into one account or divide them among several. You can even use your rewards to fund a loved one’s account. Choose from up to eligible accounts, including a Brokerage account, Fidelity Cash Management Account, Fidelity-managed 529 College Savings plan, Retirement account, Fidelity Go account, Fidelity Charitable Giving Account, Fidelity HSA
The Fidelity Rewards Visa Signature Card has no Reward Points caps, expirations, or restrictive categories
No annual fee

Is Fidelity Rewards Visa Signature worth it?

Fidelity Rewards Visa Signature is a great card for Fidelity account holders who would like simple, unlimited 2% cash back on all purchases. To get the 2% cash back rate, you must open a Fidelity account – for example a retirement or 529 college savings account – before you apply for the card. The rewards are deposited into one or more of your Fidelity accounts.

Pros

No annual fee
Unlimited 2% cash back: Every eligible net $1 spent equals 2 Reward Points
Fidelity allows you to split your cash back rewards deposit across multiple accounts. Usually this would take an extra step with another credit card.
No penalty APR

Cons

No signup bonus
To earn the 2% rewards rate, you’ll have to open an account, like a retirement account or 529 college savings account, before you apply for Fidelity Rewards Visa Signature, or you can use an existing Fidelity account you own.

Why 5 Stars?

Regular APR

5 Stars

Intro APR

4 Stars

Fees

4 Stars

Perks

5 Stars

Overall

5 Stars

Fees

Foreign Transaction Fee	None
Balance Transfer Fee	Either 3% of the amount of each transfer or $5 minimum, whichever is greater
Cash Advance Fee	Either 3% of the amount of each advance or $5 minimum, whichever is greater
Penalty APR	None

Benefits

$0 Fraud Liability

Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver

Baggage Delay Reimbursement

Concierge Service

Emergency Card Replacement

Emergency Cash Disbursement

Extended Warranty Protection

Lost Luggage Reimbursement

Travel Accident Insurance

Price Protection

Purchase Protection

Return Protection

Roadside Dispatch

Travel and Emergency Assistance

Trip Cancellation/Trip Interruption Reimbursement

Trip Delay Reimbursement

Get Started with Fidelity Rewards Visa Signature

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Chase Freedom Review

Rating: 5 Stars

Bottom Line:
Very High Cash Back Categories With Cash Back Caps and 0% Intro APR

Apply Now

Card Details

Regular APR:	16.74% – 25.49% (Variable)
Intro APR (Purchases):	0% for 15 months
Intro APR (Balance transfers):	0% for 15 months
Rewards Rate:	Earn 5% cash back on up to $1,500 in combined purchases in bonus categories each quarter you activate and unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases.
Credit Needed:	(670 – 850) Excellent/Good
Annual Fee:	None
Card Brand:	Visa

*See online credit card application for details on the terms and conditions.

Offer Highlights

Click APPLY NOW to apply online
Best Freedom bonus offer: $200 cash back after you spend $500 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. Offer only available when applying directly with Chase
Earn 5% cash back on up to $1,500 in combined purchases in bonus categories each quarter you activate and unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases.
No annual fee
3% intro balance transfer fee for transfers in first 60 days

Is Chase Freedom worth it?

Chase Freedom is a great card for anyone who stays on top of their spending habits. First, cardholders get $200 cash back after you spend $500 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. This is a great, easy to obtain bonus.

Chase Freedom is also a great card for people looking to finance purchases or pay off debt. The intro APR for purchases and balance transfers is 0% for 15 months.

For people who stay up-to-date with the current rewards categories, the number one advantage of Chase Freedom is 5% cash back on up to $1,500 in combined purchases in specific categories each quarter you activate.

Categories are generous and include gas stations, grocery stores not including Walmart and Target, streaming services, department stores, Paypal, and the Chase Pay mobile wallet, which also provides additional offers through partnerships with other department stores and credit cards.

If you can take advantage of the 5% cash back, Chase Freedom is more than worth it for no annual fee.

Pros

$200 cash back after you spend $500 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening
Earn 5% cash back on up to $1,500 in combined purchases in bonus categories each quarter you activate
No annual fee
Transferring Chase Freedom points to other Chase cards yields a high rewards rate on Chase Ultimate Rewards – for example, 30,000 points earned from maximizing the Chase Freedom’s 5% rewards categories would be worth about $375 on Chase Ultimate Rewards if you have the Chase Sapphire Preferred or $450 on Chase Ultimate Rewards if you have the Chase Sapphire Reserve. If you used the points directly that you earned from Chase Freedom, they would be worth only about $300.

Cons

This card has rotating cash back with a quaterly maximum spend. This is a more complicated rewards structure than other cards that have unlimited 1.5% or 2% flat cash back rates.

Why 5 Stars?

Regular APR

4 Stars

Intro APR

5 Stars

Fees

4 Stars

Perks

5 Stars

Overall

5 Stars

Fees

Foreign Transaction Fee	3%
Balance Transfer Fee	Intro fee of either $5 or 3% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater, on transfers made within 60 days of account opening. After that: Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater
Cash Advance Fee	Either $10 or 5% of the amount of each transaction, whichever is greater
Penalty APR	None

Benefits

$0 Fraud Liability

Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver

Extended Warranty Program

Lost Luggage Reimbursement

Purchase Protection

Roadside Assistance

Travel Accident Insurance

Travel and Emergency Assistance

Get Started with Chase Freedom

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Alliant Cashback Visa Signature Card Review

Rating: 5 Stars

Bottom Line:
High Cash Back for Significant Purchases

Apply Now

Card Details

Regular APR:	12.24% ?-15.24% (Variable)
Intro APR (Purchases):	None
Intro APR (Balance transfers):	None
Rewards Rate:	3% cash back on all purchases in year one, 2.5% cash back on all purchases after
Credit Needed:	(740 – 850) Excellent
Annual Fee:	$0 for the first year, then $99
Card Brand:	Visa

*See online credit card application for details on the terms and conditions.

Offer Highlights

Click APPLY NOW to apply online
Exclusively designed for high spenders with excellent credit
Unlimited Cash Back: 3% cash back in year one & 2.5% cash back after
No limit to the cash back awards you can earn
No foreign transaction fees
Generous credit line
$99 annual fee, waived the first year
Works with Google Pay, Apple Pay and Samsung Pay
$0 fraud liability guarantee from Visa

Is Alliant Cashback Visa Signature worth it?

Alliant Cashback Visa Signature Card is a great flat-rate cash card for people with significant purchases – the card is designed for those spending $50,000 per year on it and offers 3% cash back in the first year and 2.5% cash back after that. The annual fee is $99 after the first year.

The annual fee presents a little bit of a problem. To pay off $99 with the 2.5% cash back you earn after the first year, you have to spend $3960 just to break even. To beat out a card like Citi Double Cash, which gets 2% unlimited cash back, you would have to spend $20,000 annually after the first year.

Like it says on the website, the card is designed for high spenders with excellent credit. And, you have to be a member of Alliant Credit Union. This is an easy requirement though, the site also says how to do this by signing up to Foster Care to Success (FC2S), and Alliant will even match your $10 signup fee, so you can feel good about getting this card.

Pros

3% cash back in first year and then 2.5% cash back after
No foreign transaction fee

Cons

$99 annual fee
Joining is simple but must be a member of Alliant Credit Union

Why 5 Stars?

Regular APR

The interest rate is 12.24% ? 15.24%, which is exceptional for a card that offers rewards. As comparison in the arena of cash back cards, Citi Double Cash goes up to 25.49%.
5 Stars

Intro APR

There is no Intro APR on balance transfers or purchases.
4 Stars

Fees

There’s no annual fee for the first year, but a $99 annual fee starting the second year.
4 Stars

Perks

3% cash back is unheard of. 2.5% ongoing cash back with the $99 annual fee is still better than any other cash back card we can think of as long as you spend $20,000 on the card.
5 Stars

Overall

Not much to say, this is about as simple as it gets. During the first year, you earn 3%, and then 2.5% cash back after that. If you can afford the $99 annual fee starting the second year and will use this card as your primary card, it’s worth it.
5 Stars

Fees

Foreign Transaction Fee	None
Balance Transfer Fee	3% of the amount of each transaction or $10, whichever is greater
Cash Advance Fee	3% of the amount of each transaction or $10, whichever is greater
Penalty APR	Up to 29.99%

Benefits

$0 Fraud Liability

Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver

Emergency ticket replacement

Travel Accident Insurance

Lost Luggage Assistance

Get Started with Alliant Cashback Visa Signature

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