USAA Eagle Navigator bank card assessment: Full particulars

The USAA Eagle Navigator Credit Card is a solid card option for current and former military members and their spouses and dependents. The card has reasonable earning rates and some perks to help justify its price tag, making it a smart choice for military members looking for easy points on their travel spending. Card rating*: ⭐⭐⭐

*Card rating is based on the opinion of TPG’s editors and is not influenced by the card issuer.

With a recommended credit score of 670 and a low $95 annual fee (see rates and fees), the USAA Eagle Navigator can offer decent value for military members and their families. That’s the case even though the card has no current welcome offer and somewhat limited benefits.

However, if you’re not a USAA member (and are ineligible to become one), this card isn’t for you, as it’s only open to current and past military plus their spouses and children.

Keep reading to learn more about the USAA Eagle Navigator to see if it deserves a spot in your wallet.

Unfortunately, the USAA Eagle Navigator does not offer a traditional sign-up bonus.

If that’s a deal breaker for you, consider looking into a card with a solid welcome offer to quickly boost your account balance after meeting minimum spending requirements.

The USAA Eagle Navigator offers solid travel and shopping protections, such as travel accident insurance and extended warranty protection on U.S. manufacturers’ warranties; plus, it does not charge foreign transaction fees (see rates and fees). You’ll also get cellphone protection of up to $500 per claim if you charge your monthly bill to the card and a phone on the account is damaged or stolen. Finally, you’ll enjoy trip cancellation and interruption coverage along with baggage delay reimbursement when you purchase your tickets with the card.

Other benefits include an up-to-$100 TSA PreCheck® or Global Entry® credit every four years as well as an annual bonus of 10,000 points (equal to $100 in travel) after booking an eligible hotel or car through the USAA Rewards Center.

These perks won’t blow anyone away, but they do more than justify the card’s price tag, making it a solid value proposition. However, remember that hotels and rental cars booked through third-party platforms rather than directly with the merchant generally aren’t eligible for elite status perks, nor will they earn rewards in the provider’s own program.

Related: Should you get travel insurance if you have credit card protection?

The USAA Eagle Navigator offers unlimited 3 points per dollar on travel, including air, hotel, car and vacation rentals. You’ll also get an unlimited 2 points per dollar on other purchases.

If you’re a current or former military member or a family member of someone who serves, those are more than serviceable rates; they can serve as a nice starter in the world of cash-back cards, especially since the base earning rate is 2 points per dollar. While that certainly makes this easier, it can impact your ability to enjoy higher rewards for certain purchases — which is common on mid-tier cards like this.

Read more: The best rewards credit cards for each bonus category

The USAA Eagle Navigator is effectively a cash-back credit card, though the points you earn on the USAA Eagle Navigator card can be redeemed for a variety of items. This includes travel through the USAA Rewards Center, merchandise, gift cards, statement credits or even direct deposits into a USAA checking or savings account.

The exact redemption value can vary, but your best bet is likely a travel redemption, as 10,000 points equals $100 toward a travel purchase when used in this way. However, opting for a cash-back redemption option can lower your redemption value significantly.

That said, points earned with the USAA Eagle Navigator don’t expire, so you can redeem them on your own time. Just be sure to crunch the numbers to ensure you’re getting the most value for your points.

There are a handful of other simplified travel cards on the market that compete with the USAA Eagle Navigator:

• If you want better earning rates: The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card is one of the best travel cards on the market, earning 5 points per dollar on travel booked through the Chase travel portal and Lyft purchases, 3 points per dollar on dining, select streaming services and online grocery store purchases (excluding Target, Walmart and wholesale clubs) and more. That’s all for a $95 annual fee. For more information, read our full review of the Sapphire Preferred.
• If you want transfer partners: The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card has valuable earnings rates and 15+ valuable airline and hotel transfer partners. The modest $95 annual fee (see rates and fees) and solid return on everyday spending (at least 2 miles per dollar spent on all purchases) make this card much more flexible than the USAA Eagle Navigator. For more information, read our full review of the Venture Rewards.

For additional options, check out our full list of the best travel credit cards.

Related: Redeeming Capital One miles for maximum value

For military members — including current and former personnel, as well as their spouses and dependents — the USAA Eagle Navigator can be a solid choice for starter travel rewards. Its flexible earnings rates and benefits can justify its annual fee.

However, there is a limit to the value you can get from the card, and if you’d prefer the ability to transfer points to partner programs or want a sign-up bonus, go with another option.

The straightforward perks of the USAA Eagle Navigator make it a decent choice for military members and their families who want to earn easy cash back on purchases. However, it’s only available to USAA members, which is limited to current and former military plus their spouses and dependents. Since there are many other similar cards out there that don’t have this restriction, you may want to go with one of them.

Apply here: USAA Eagle Navigator Credit Card

For rates and fees of the USAA Eagle Navigator, click here.