Charles H. Miller
The AARP® Credit Card from Chase offers 3% cash back at restaurants and gas stations, and 1% back on all other purchases. It comes with $100 sign-up bonus, and 0% introductory APR on purchases and balance transfers for the first 12 months, after which a variable APR of 16.49% applies. The card has no annual fee, but using it you get to support the Drive To End Hunger initiative. Here are the details…
Highlights
- $100 sign-up bonus
- 3% cash back at restaurants and gas stations, 1% on all other purchases.
- 0% intro APR for 12 months on purchases and balance transfers, 16.49% variable APR after that.
- By using the card you support the Drive To End Hunger initiative.
- No annual fee
How It Works?
Sign-up bonus: $100 cash back after you spend $500 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Cash back: Earn unlimited 3% cash back on purchases at restaurants and gas stations; and 1% on everything else. There are no caps, and rewards do not expire as long as your account is open. Once earned, the cash can be redeemed either as a statement credit or direct deposit into a savings or checking account, or for gift cards and various travel services.
Drive To End Hunger: With AARP® Credit Card, you can help those in need. For every purchase you make at restaurants with this card, $0.10 will be donated to AARP Foundation in support of the Drive To End Hunger initiative, up to $1.1 Million in 2016. Since 2011, the Foundation has raised over $6 million, which is the equivalent of 2.5 million meals.
Additional services and protection:
- Purchase Protection – covers purchases for 120 days against damage or theft up to $500 per claim and $50,000 per account.
- Extended Warranty Protection – extends the time period of the U.S. manufacturer’s warranty by an additional year, on eligible warranties of three years or less.
- Zero Liability Protection – means you won’t be held responsible for unauthorized charges made with your card or account information.
- Fraud Alerts – alerts you of suspicious activity by SMS or email.
APR: 0% introductory APR for 12 months on both purchases and balance transfers. After that, variable APR of 16.49% applies.
Costs
- 0% Intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for the first 12 billing cycles, then 16.49% variable APR
- 3% Balance Transfer Fee (minimum $5)
- 3% Foreign Transaction Fee
- $0 Annual Fee
Pros
- Valuable sign-up bonus – you get $100 just for signing-up (and after spending some cash with the card). That’s not bad for a card that has no annual fee.
- Competitive rewards – 3% cash back at gas stations and restaurants is not bad. Especially when the restaurants category includes both fine dining and fast food joints.
- Introductory APR on both purchases and balance transfers – which is neat for a card that also offers cash back rewards.
- Doing good while using the card – with the AARP® Credit Card, you will support AARP’s Drive To End Hunger initiative that aims to bring free meals to those in need.
Cons
- Do these rewards work for you? For one thing, groceries are not included in the 3% category.
- Foreign transaction fee – you should use some other card while travelling to other countries.
Is This The Card For You?
The AARP® Credit Card from Chase is ideal for those who spend most of their budget at gas stations and restaurants — it will reward those purchases with 3% cash back, while all other purchases are rewarded with 1%. Also, the card comes with $100 sign-up bonus and an introductory 0% APR on both purchases and balance transfers for the first 12 months. There is no annual fee, but cardmembers get to support AARP’s Drive To End Hunger initiative. Check it out.
