NASA Federal VISA Platinum Cash Rewards Review

NASA Platinum Cash Rewards Credit Card Essentials

Do you want a simple cash-back credit card that offers 1.5% cash back on all your purchases and doesn't charge you a ton of fees? If so, you might want to tune in to what the NASA Platinum Cash Rewards Credit Card has to offer.

Quick glimpse into NASA Platinum Cash Rewards Credit Card:

• No annual fee
• No balance transfer fee
• Flat-rate rewards program
• Car rental insurance, travel & emergency assistance

FEATURED CARD

 

Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express

• Earn 20% back on Amazon.com purchases on the Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership, up to $200 back.
• Plus, earn $150 back after you spend $3,000 in purchases on the Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership. You will receive cash back in the form of statement credits.
• $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95.
• 6% Cash Back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year in purchases (then 1%).
• 6% Cash Back on select U.S. streaming subscriptions.
• 3% Cash Back at U.S. gas stations and on transit (including taxis/rideshare, parking, tolls, trains, buses and more).
• 1% Cash Back on other purchases.
• Low intro APR: 0% for 12 months on purchases from the date of account opening, then a variable rate, 13.99% to 23.99%
• Plan It® gives the option to select purchases of $100 or more to split up into monthly payments with a fixed fee.
• Cash Back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit.
• Terms Apply.

Apply Now

See Rates and Fees

Terms and Limitations Apply

Credit Needed:

Good, Excellent

What Our Editors Like Most About the NASA Platinum Cash Rewards Credit Card

The NASA Platinum Cash Rewards Credit Card is a good option if you are mild spender with your credit card. Cardholders reap 1.5% cash back on all your purchases, so you can rest assured you're earning a decent return without having to think about which card to use or whether you've hit a spending cap.

The lack of an annual fee and balance transfer fee makes this card competitive. The ongoing balance transfer rate for this card is low and the market average fee for balance transfers is around 3%, so if you have a high balance to transfer, saving this percentage could be a compelling reason to try this card. If you’re struggling to pay off your balance on a high-interest rate credit card, this benefit is worth taking advantage of.

Since NASA Platinum Cash Rewards is a Visa® credit card, you’ll also get many of the same benefits that Visa® cardholders have come to expect, including rental car insurance, 24-hour travel and emergency assistance, zero liability if someone makes fraudulent purchases on your card and free Verified by Visa fraud protection that provides added security when you shop at participating online stores.

Potential Downsides of the NASA Platinum Cash Rewards Credit Card

The most obvious downside is the lack of signup incentives. There’s no 0% APR offer and no signup bonus, but the NASA Platinum Cash Rewards Credit Card’s lack of annual fee and balance transfer fee has the potential to save you more than that over the long term. Plus, that flat-rate cash back could be just the kind of easy rewards system you're looking for.

While you don’t have to be Neil Armstrong to land a NASA card, you do have to be an employee or retired employee of an approved space center, lab, research center or a member of an approved association to become eligible for this credit union – you may have to jump through a hoop or two to earn a membership at this credit union.

How the NASA Platinum Cash Rewards Credit Card Compares to Other Cards

NASA Platinum Cash Rewards Credit Card vs. Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card

Neither card has an annual fee, but the Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card has higher ancillary fees: 3 percent (minimum $10) fee on balance transfers and foreign transaction fees. The Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card, however, offers $200 online cash rewards bonus after you make $1,000 in purchases during the first 90 days of account opening, which is a bonus the NASA Platinum Cash Rewards Credit Card lacks.

The cash-back structure also differs on both cards. The Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card has a new offer to help you maximize your cash back in the category of your choice: gas, online shopping, dining, travel, drug stores, or home improvement/furnishing. Now earn 3% cash back in your choice category and 2% at grocery stores and wholesale clubs (up to $2,500 in combined choice category/grocery store/wholesale club quarterly purchases), and unlimited 1% on all other purchases. You can update your choice category for future purchases once each calendar month using the mobile banking app or online banking, or do nothing and it stays the same.

NASA Platinum Cash Rewards Credit Card vs. Wells Fargo Cash Wise Visa® card

Like the NASA card, the Wells Fargo Cash Wise Visa® card offers an unlimited 1.5% cash back on all your purchases, but it also offers 1.8% cash back on eligible digital wallet purchases for your first 12 months as a cardholder (See Rates and Fees).

With the no-annual-fee Wells Fargo Cash Wise Visa® card, new cardholders earn a $150 bonus once spending $500 in purchases with the card within the first three months of account membership, and there's a 15-month introductory offer from date of account opening of 0% APR on purchases and qualifying balance transfers made within the first 120 days (then 14.49%-24.99% Variable). The downside though is Wells Fargo still charges a balance transfer fee. Though the NASA Federal VISA Platinum Cash Rewards card doesn't have a 0% APR period, it does not charge a balance transfer fee.

Who Should Get This Card?

Any eligible person who likes to bank with a credit union and is looking for an everyday card they can use to reap rewards should give this card a moment of thought.