PenFed is no longer accepting new applications on the pathfinder rewards American Express card. The landing page for the card says that it will be getting a refresh and will be available for new applicants in early 2020.
Hat tip to derek_ow
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I got the Visa card yesterday, but cannot activate it until February 22nd for some reason according to CSR.
I did not receive MPX credit – it’s been 5 weeks since I used it.
Has anyone received travel reimbursement in 2020?
Received an email reply from them today
“The new PenFed Pathfinder Rewards Visa Signature card will still provide all the
existing benefits of the current PenFed Pathfinder Rewards American Express
Card.”
The letter states that “existing travel benefits” are “staying the course.”
Unclear if that includes credit…
Received the same letter today. It lists no mention of airline reimbursement. Either staying or leaving. Sent them an email.
Bleh, comment system removed all my formatting. You have to expand the comment and then it will line break properly.
Guess I’m the first to receive this letter today:
Dear ,
You deserve the best experience from your PenFed membership. So we’re constantly looking for ways to improve our credit cards and other services. We think you’ll be especially excited to hear about this latest enhancement.
Your PenFed Pathfinder Rewards American Express Card is converting to the Penfed Pathfinder Rewards Visa card. We’re confident you’ll enjoy all the upgraded features and enhanced benefits of your new Pathfinder card, including innovative payment options and best-in-class security backed by Visa. Get ready. New adventures await.
Best of all, you get all these benefits with NO ANNUAL FEE. So get ready to take off on amazing adventures with your new and enhanced PenFed Pathfinder Rewards Visa card.
Sincerely,
Ricardo J. Chamorro
EVP, Consumer Banking
P.S. Look for more information about the benefits, rewards and perks of your PenFed Pathfinder Rewards Visa Card. Coming soon!
What’s new? Plenty!
Airport Lounge Access Experience
-Access to lounges worldwide
-No spend requirements to unlock your access
-Easy online enrollment and digital entry using your mobile device
-Annual membership is paid for by PenFed. You pay $27 per lounge visit when you use your new Pathfinder Visa card
Increased Value-Added Benefits
-Signature benefits include access to travel deals, hotel upgrades, exclusive access to events and so much more
-Mobile wallet options expanded to include Google Pay and Samsung Pay, in addition to Apple Pay
Best of all, you get all these benefits with NO ANNUAL FEE.
What’s staying the course?
-Current APR and credit line
-Existing travel benefits
-Earn unlimited points with no caps
-No foreign transaction fee
Keep using your current card until Feb. 22
New card arrives (early Feb 2020)
Activate your new card Feb 22, 2020
Start using new card Feb 22, 2020
Old card deactivated Feb 22, 2020
—
There’s a FAQ on the back of the letter but it doesn’t address benefits at all. The way the letter is worded (and lack of an AF on the new card) makes me think we are losing the two benefits most of us value most–the Precheck/Global Entry credit and the $100 annual airline expense credit.
However, in the “What’s staying the course?” section it does mention “Existing travel benefits”, so who knows. It doesn’t say “ALL existing travel benefits”. Not to mention, I’m not sure if those credits are even considered “travel benefits”.
In any case, looks like we’ll have to wait for more info “coming soon” (which I would think must mean the next ~3 weeks since the AMEX cards will stop working on Feb 22nd.
If we are losing the PreCheck and $100 annual benefits, I’m guessing we will have until Feb 22nd to use them.
Thanks very much for posting this information. I was planning to get this card eventually, but then they yanked it. Since then, I’ve been hoping they wouldn’t gut the benefits when it came back. I’ll keep my eye on it.
The Hotels are now costing 0.7 Cents a point. Not a good thing
like many other portals I’ve found that PenFed doesn’t show the full suite of available airfares. So not only are the fares more limited, and general only showing higher fare classes, the redemption values have been whacked.
Just use the incidental credit, and maybe if you have an itin that is really prone to a delay book it with a Pathfinder since you get their free but modest travel delay insurance. That is if you don’t have another card that offers decent trip delay insurance, and you think that might be needed. Pathfinders delay insurance covers misconnects but is capped at a low level, and I think only twice a year. Sometimes when we have a dodgy itin I’ll book one ticket with it just to have that as a back up claim option.
I have a question for you guys. Will Penfed give you the annual $100 travel credit back on your account, even if you’ve already paid off you’re balance and you’re at 0? I usually put .99 cents on this card every month because PenFed automatically forgives small balances of up to .99 cents. But I bought a gift card on MPX with the card and waiting to see if it’s going to be reimbursed or not. But if I pay the card off down to .99 will PenFed will reimburse the travel credit?
Anyone try the Global Entry reimbursement (successfully) since the card suspended new applications?
Nope. All I get from PenFed is incompetence. My credit rating dropped 40 points when I paid off my PenFed mortgage and they failed to report it as paid in full to reporting agencies which now count it as “Lack of recent installment loan information”. Company sends documents that must be physically signed/returned to get a credit card. Now it looks like they changed their rewards programs BEFORE notifying customers.
Two charges under $99 in 2020 and no offsetting credit. Not a good sign for 2020 card changes.
Same here, I haven’t seen any reimbursement so far (>5 days) since I made an MPX purchase. I wonder if they’re just slow since it’s the new year.
Wouldn’t they have to inform current card holders though if they changed the terms on us? Unless they changed what category MPX codes as. Wondering if I should Secure message them.
Same boat. I think Stan said it took him a month to get the credit in earlier comments. (#834645) Perhaps it’s just slow now?
Yeah, one can hope. In the past (December 2019), my credits posted within 2 business days each for MPX transactions.
Does the Pathfinder card have any product change options?
PenFed doesn’t normally do product changes, or reallocation of credit limits.