Most of us don’t look outside the established rewards credit card bubble: Chase, Amex, Citi, CapitalOne and Bank of America. But there are lots of great credit cards out there that stay under the radar. Cards that offer generous rewards and no annual fee. The Navy Federal More Rewards American Express® Card is one such card.
This isn’t is a sponsored post and I get nothing out of writing about this card. I just think it’s a solid offer if you’re looking for a rewarding cash back card with no annual fee.
Navy Federal More Rewards American Express Card review
The Navy Federal More Rewards American Express Card flies under the radar compared to most rewards cards. I didn’t know about it until Rick put it on my radar. But let’s face it: The real reason most of us don’t hear about this card is because it’s limited to Navy Federal members only. However, you don’t have to be in the Navy to qualify for membership (more on that later).
It’s actually a great card for maximizing credit card spending on everyday purchases. The Navy Federal More Rewards American Express has no annual fee, earns up to 3X points on common spending categories and provides a one-time $98 statement credit towards an annual Walmart+ membership. It also offers a 30,000-point welcome bonus after you spend $3,000 within 90 days of account opening.
Plus, it charges no foreign transaction fees on purchases originating abroad. Navy Federal charges no balance transfer fees, so you can take advantage of the Navy Federal More Rewards American Express’s 1.99% balance transfer intro offer without incurring additional fees.
- Welcome bonus: 30,000 bonus points (a $300 value) when you spend $3,000 within 90 days of account opening.
- Rewards: Earn unlimited 3X points on dining, transit, supermarkets, and gas stations; 1X point on all other purchases.
- Perks: One-time $98 statement credit when you pay for an annual Walmart+ membership.
- Annual fee: $0.
Pros
Cons
- Earns unlimited 3X points on dining, transit, supermarket and gas station spending.
- $98 Walmart+ membership fee credit.
- Practical travel and purchase protections.
- No annual fee.
- No bonus rewards on travel.
- Points are not transferrable to Amex Membership Rewards.
- Rental car insurance is secondary.
- Only available to Navy Federal Credit Union members.
Navy Federal American Express annual fee
The Navy Federal More RewardsAmerican Express Card has no annual fee, making it a great card for long-term use. Length of credit history makes up about 15% of your credit score, so it’s important to keep your oldest credit cards long-term. That’s challenging if your oldest card has a high annual fee and few perks to justify keeping it.
With a no-annual-fee card like the Navy Federal More Rewards American Express, you can keep your card forever without worrying about cost.
Navy Federal American Express welcome bonus
The Navy Federal More Rewards American Express Card’s welcome bonus offers 30,000 bonus points when you spend $3,000 within 90 days of account opening. Most people won’t have a problem meeting the credit card spending requirement by leveraging household spending.
Cardholders also qualify for a 1.99% intro APR offer on balance transfers for 12 months. The best part? Navy Federal charges no balance transfer fees. That’s incredible, considering most other banks charge a 3-5% fee on balance transfers even while offer 0% APR.
Navy Federal American Express rewards
The Navy Federal More Rewards American Express Card earns elevated rewards on everyday spending categories, including dining, transit, supermarkets, and gas stations.
Not only does the Navy Federal More Rewards American Express Card earn upwards of 3X points on common spending categories, but earnings are uncapped. That’s pretty unique, considering even premium cards cap rewards on supermarket spending.
If your spending habits align with these category bonuses and you want a card with no annual fee, the Navy Federal More Rewards American Express Card is a great choice.
- 3x points on dining
- 3x points on transit
- 3x points at supermarkets
- 3x points at gas stations
- 1 point on everything else
Sadly, the Navy Federal More Rewards American Express doesn’t earn Membership Rewards points but rather cash-back-equivalent rewards. The 30,000-point bonus is worth $300 – good for a no-annual-fee card but not ideal if you want to maximize your travel rewards.
Navy Federal American Express card perks
The Navy Federal More Rewards American Express Card offers a few usefule perks, which is surprising considering it lacks an annual fee.
Walmart+ membership credit
For a limited time, cardholders can get a $98 statement credit when paying $49 or more for an annual Walmart+ membership. Essentially, you’re getting a credit that will cover a year of Walmart+ membership.
Walmart+ offers free delivery from local stores, free shipping, early access to promotions and discounts on gas. This benefit expires on January 1, 2025.
Travel discounts and perks
The Navy Federal More Rewards American Express Card offers several travel discounts that can add up substantially. Cardholders get up to 30% off travel on select hotels through Booking.com or the Amex Benefits platform.
In addition, the Navy Federal More Rewards American Express offers discounts up to 25% on car rentals, though you have to call a number to make those reservations.
Cardholders also get access to presale tickets for concerts and other entertainment events.
Travel and purchase protections
Lastly, the Navy Federal More Rewards American Express Card offers the following travel and purchase protections:
- Best value guarantee
- Emergency travel assistance
- Extended warranty
- Secondary rental car insurance (valid in North America only)
- Retail protection
- Return protection
- Roadside assistance
How to redeem Navy Federal More points
The points earned with the Navy Federal More Rewards American Express are not the same as American Express Membership Rewards points. Membership Rewards can be redeemed towards travel or cash back but they can also be transferred to 18 airline and three hotel loyalty programs.
Transfer partners makes Amex Membership Rewards are incredibly valuable because you can redeem points for high-value awards, including international business and first class travel.
With the Navy Federal More Card, you don’t have access to Amex transfer partners and your points are worth just one cent each.
You can redeem them for cash, travel, gift cards or merchandise. Some people prefer cash back rewards over points because they’re easier to redeem. And even if you’re a point maximizer like me, you’ll likely incorporate cash back into your rewards strategy. The Navy Federal More Card is a great choice for that.
Navy Federal More Rewards American Express Card vs. other cards
The Navy Federal More Rewards American Express Card is a great no-annual-fee card for everyday spending. But it’s not the only choice out there and it has one significant disadvantage: It’s only available to Navy Federal customers (more on that later).
If you prefer a credit card from a more accessible bank, you have several options:
| The Navy Federal More Rewards American Express® Card | Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card | Citi® Double Cash Card | |
| Welcome bonus | Earn 30,000 bonus points (a $300 value) when you spend $3,000 within 90 days of account opening. | Earn 20,000 bonus points when you spend $1,000 in purchases in the first 3 months | Earn $200 Back after you spend $1,500 in purchases on your new Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership. |
| Rewards | Unlimited 3X points on dining, transit, supermarkets, and gas stations. 1X point on all other purchases. | Unlimited 3X points on dining, travel, gas, transit, popular streaming, and phone plans. 1X point on all other purchases. | 2% cash back on all purchases (1% when you spend, 1% when you pay it off) 5% cash back on Citi ThankYou travel bookings until 12/31/24. |
| Airlines and hotel transfer partners? | None | Aer Lingus AerClub Avianca LifeMiles British Airways Choice Privileges Flying Blue Iberia Plus | Choice Privileges JetBlue TrueBlue Wyndham Rewards |
| Foreign transaction fees | None. | None. | 3% |
| Travel discounts | $98 statement credit towards Walmart+ membership (expires Jan. 1, 2025). 30% off travel on select hotels via Booking.com or Amex benefits platform. 25% discount on select rental car bookings. | None. | None |
| Travel protections | Emergency travel assistance Extended warranty Secondary rental car insurance (valid in North America only) Roadside assistance | Secondary rental car insurance. Travel and emergency assistance services. Emergency cash disbursement and card replacement. | None. |
| Purchase protection | Best value guarantee Retail protection Return protection | Cell phone protection ($600 per year, subject to $25 deductible) Zero liability protection. | None. |
| Annual fee | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Who qualifies for a Navy Federal credit card?
You don’t have to be in the military to get a Navy Federal credit card. You’re eligible to apply for a Navy Federal More Rewards American Express Card if your immediate family member is in the military. Department of Defense (DOD) civilian employees also qualify, along with the following groups:
- Active duty, veterans, or retired members of the military
- Delayed Entry Program (DEP)
- DoD Officer Candidate/ROTC
- DoD Reservists
- Department of Defense civilian employees
- DoD civilian retirees and annuitants
- U.S. Government employees assigned to DoD installations
- DoD contractors assigned to U.S. Government installations
The qualification page also states that if none of the criteria apply, you should call Navy Federal and see if there’s some other way you might qualify. It’s definitely worth doing if you think you’ll get a lot of value out of this card.
If you’re already a Navy Federal Credit Union member, you can use the pre-qualification tool before submitting an application. This tool will conduct a “soft” pull to determine your eligibility, without impacting your credit score.
Can you transfer Navy Federal points to Amex?
Unfortunately you can’t transfer points from the Navy Federal More Rewards American Express Card to Amex Membership Rewards. More Rewards is separate and not affiliated with the Membership Rewards program.
How much are 40,000 points worth in Navy Federal?
40,000 Navy Federal More Rewards points are worth $400. You can redeem these points for cash, travel, gift cards or merchandise.
Is the Navy Federal More Rewards American Express Card a good card?
The Navy Federal More Rewards American Express Card is a good card for anyone looking for generous rewards and no annual fee. The card earn unlimited 3X points on dining, transit, supermarket, and gas stations.
How many Navy Federal credit cards can you have?
Reports indicate that you can have up to three Navy Federal credit cards. However, keep in mind that Navy Federal considers numerous criteria when evaluating your application.
Navy FCU has had some good credit card deals in the past (especially for airline redemption)
I’m curious… How do you qualify for this Navy FCU card? (…not that you said you were getting/got it)
I don’t, unfortunately. But I thought I’d share for those who do. I know Rick is a member, for example. Maybe he can adopt me so I can get this card. 🙂
Hi! What was the subject line of this post? I’m trying to search my email to see if I am targeted…
I rcvd a postal mailer but didn’t think into as much as was written here & chucked it into the trash.
Oh well, Navy FCU will usually follow up with orher mailers…they have a very active promotion dept!
It’s not a targeted offer. You can just go to their website and apply!
what % cash back does this translate to at grocery stores?
3% back at grocery stores. Profit should be around $18, depending on where you liquidate.
After reading this, I would agree it’s a good card, not the best for the categories. CSR still can’t be topped in my opinion for travel/restaurants and I have another card which gives me 5% for grocery/gas. I do want to point out some restaurants may not accept American Express. The big drawback is, most may not qualify to apply
Actually for those that do no qualify for this due to membership requirement, this would be a good alternative. Very similar benefits and you do not have to have a relative or be in the service. Plus it’s a Mastercard, so accepted at more places although at most grocery stores it would not matter.
https://www.bankofthewest.com/personal-banking/credit-cards/cash-back-credit-card.html
Thanks Kien! It looks like the 3% gas bonus is capped to the first $1,500 on the Bank of the West card. But the real gold mine is the grocery category, so if that remains uncapped, we’re all good.