Rating: 5 Stars
Bottom Line:
Rewards For PNC Account Holders
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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 |
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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