Update 10/27/21: This is now good through 12/31/2022. Hat tip to Dheeraj
USAlliance has a card which earned 3% everywhere, and then dropped down to 2% last month. They sent out an email today that beginning April 1st they’ll bring back the 3% rate for the rest of the year. Good news!
The fine print states that on 1/1/2022 the rate reverts back to 2%, so I guess they just wanted to give a little more leeway with the 3% rate.
(Looks like they are offering this 3% rates to new accounts as well, but only to the “first 3,000 newly funded cards, as of 04/01/2021”, whatever exactly that means.)
Hat tip to reader Tom
Every dollar(s) in qualifying purchase transactions, net of returns, made on their credit card account eligible in this Rewards Program earns Participant Point(s). Points accrue at 3 points per dollar as of 04/01/2021. Point accrual rate is subject to change at the discretion of the Credit Union. 3 Points per dollar accrual rate is a promotional value and expires on 12/31/2021, at which time points will accrue at 2 points per dollar. No points are earned for finance charges, fees, cash advances, convenience checks, foreign transaction currency charges, or insurance charges posted to their account. Purchase transactions are subject to the APR. Charges or transactions may be added to, or removed from, the above lists of eligible charges and transactions from time to time at the sole discretion of USALLIANCE Financial. Points begin to accumulate with purchases made beginning on the first day of the billing cycle in which the member’s Program begins and ending on the last day of the last billing cycle of the announced duration of their Program. Points earned from net purchases and point adjustments made between billing statement cycles will be deemed as earned after being posted to the member’s next monthly statement. Points will expire three years from the end of the calendar year in which they are earned, and will expire on a first-in, first-out basis annually. (i.e., points earned in calendar year one will expire on the last business day of calendar year four.) Accounts must be open and in good standing (not canceled or terminated by party; not delinquent, over limit, or otherwise not available to use for charges) at time of redemption. Points may be redeemed for awards merchandise as displayed on the CURewards.com member portal, travel perks (flights, hotels, rentals, vacations, etc.), gift cards, cash back, or statement credit. In order to redeem for cash or statement credit, you must have a minimum of 2,500 points. Redeemed cash will be transferred into your eligible USALLIANCE Checking Account within 10 days of redemption. Cash Back and Statement Credit redemptions must be made in increments of $25. Additional terms apply, refer to the CURewards Program rules for more information. This promotional value is being offered to the first 3,000 newly funded cards, as of 04/01/2021. USALLIANCE Financial reserves the right to alter promotion timing and conditions without notice.
https://www.usalliance.org/banking-products/signature-card
https://imgur.com/a/UiHgXID
Is 1 point equal to 1 cent at this CU, or is each point less valuable like how it is at Penfed CU?
https://go.usalliance.org/signature-card-rewards
Says 12/31/2021 now
Chuck
Every dollar(s) in qualifying purchase transactions, net of returns, made on their credit card account eligible in this Rewards Program earns Participant Point(s). Points accrue at 3 points per dollar as of 04/01/2021. Point accrual rate is subject to change at the discretion of the Credit Union. 3 Points per dollar accrual rate is a promotional value and expires on 12/31/2022, at which time points will accrue at 2 points per dollar. No points are earned for finance charges, fees, cash advances, convenience checks, foreign transaction currency charges, or insurance charges posted to their account. Purchase transactions are subject to the APR. Charges or transactions may be added to, or removed from, the above lists of eligible charges and transactions from time to time at the sole discretion of USALLIANCE Financial. Points begin to accumulate with purchases made beginning on the first day of the billing cycle in which the member’s Program begins and ending on the last day of the last billing cycle of the announced duration of their Program. Points earned from net purchases and point adjustments made between billing statement cycles will be deemed as earned after being posted to the member’s next monthly statement. Points will expire three years from the end of the calendar year in which they are earned, and will expire on a first-in, first-out basis annually. (i.e., points earned in calendar year one will expire on the last business day of calendar year four.) Accounts must be open and in good standing (not canceled or terminated by party; not delinquent, over limit, or otherwise not available to use for charges) at time of redemption. Points may be redeemed for awards merchandise as displayed on the CURewards.com member portal, travel perks (flights, hotels, rentals, vacations, etc.), gift cards, cash back, or statement credit. In order to redeem for cash or statement credit, you must have a minimum of 2,500 points. Redeemed cash will be transferred into your eligible USALLIANCE Checking Account within 10 days of redemption. Cash Back and Statement Credit redemptions must be made in increments of $25. Additional terms apply, refer to the CURewards Program rules for more information. USALLIANCE Financial reserves the right to alter promotion timing and conditions without notice.
April Fools!
I’ve never heard of this card until now – why is it never brought up in best cash-back card conversations? If I had known about a 3% all around card, I would’ve been all over it! Now, with only 9 months left with that rate, not really worth the effort.
There is nothing stopping you from doing your own research. Many of the best cards & products out there are never blogged about.
like what?
Like the ones you find when you do your own research.
the cracker barrel credit card
The Circles & Arrows card, backed by TPG Bank
for normal people, isn’t that more like marketing failure? what’s the purpose of lucrative product when the targeted crowd don’t know about it?
I agree with Anthony Bourdain up there ^. If you truly want to get ahead of the curve, you’ll have to do more than let blogs and reddit spoon-feed you deals. Some deals also die more quickly than others, thanks to your “best cash-back card conversations”.
To add, US Alliance is a credit union, which has a far smaller footprint (and smaller budget) than most banks you’ve heard of. As for me, I prefer to stick to large banks with deep pockets.
I have never even heard of US Alliance, but I too am outraged that a credit union would ever think of lowering cc earnings rates to begin with.
Don’t support banks that dick you around like this.
I mean, they said from the beginning that 3X was a limited-time offer, and they temporarily brought it down to 2X, which ain’t bad. They’re a small credit union offering cash-back that exceeds interchange. What more do you want?
Not true
The limited-time offer was only disclosed in your welcome packet after they approve you.
Nowhere on their website or during the application process did they mention 3% rate was not permanent.
Not true at all. Previous guide to benefits terms stated 3 points per dollar. Current terms now state 1 PPD. The website states 2 PPD. They’re emailing that in fact it’ll be 3 PPD again. To me this is dicking around, YMMV
Wish i could upvote twice
Except this isn’t a bank.
The practical difference between a bank & a CU is $5.
They never decreased it to 1% in my experience. To begin with, if you got this card, you were doing a lot of research on the internet. If you do that much homework but weren’t aware that they’re entitled to do this and likely would because of interchange, you’re engaged in some serious wishful thinking, all due respect.
And the consumer harm here? Getting a 2% card instead of a 3%. Which still puts it at or ahead of any comparable card I’m aware of except Alliant (annual fee $95).
Correct, they didn’t decrease it to 1% in spite of their own terms stating that. No one said they aren’t entitled to change the terms of their offerings, all banks eventually do that… It really didn’t take that much effort to find, much like the other 3% everywhere cards, the 3.2% Q4 everywhere card, the monthly rotating 5% category card that’s usually easy to max for $100 CB per month, the 7%+ CB on Amazon card (if you spend $20k on Amazon in 12 months which not everyone can or wants to do) the 2% CB biz card with no BT fee & 0% APR for 12 months for sweet sweet hidden from credit report free float, etc. etc. etc.
There are multiple cards better than Alliant.
When I said “comparable card,” I was talking about cards that could be used for everyday spend (not categories) and that aren’t subject to temporary promo terms. The only one I see mentioned is AOD, which will not stay at 3% forever, as much as people really, really want it to. I’ve had my Alliant card for three years. The only reasons it stays at 2.5% is that (1) they have an AF and (2) they have good enough complementary products that they can effectively cross-sell.
We’re all going to be ok.
Any hints on the Q4 3.2% cashback card and the biz card? Couldn’t find anything on the interwebs on the former and closest I find on the later is Amex Blue Business…
Well, AOD FCU is still 3% and sometimes with a SUB.
🤷♂️