Navy Federal Flagship Rewards Credit Card Review

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For just $49 per year, the Navy Federal Credit Union® Visa Signature® Flagship Rewards Credit Card
offers competitive perks you typically find from more expensive rewards credit cards on the market. In fact, as the credit union’s top card, it features benefits like a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck statement credit, 3x points on travel, and travel insurance coverage.

To qualify for the members-only Navy Federal Credit Union® Visa Signature® Flagship Rewards Credit Card, you must be a service member from any branch of the US armed forces, a retiree, a veteran, or a qualifying family member, among others who are eligible for the credit union.

Review: Is the Navy Federal Flagship Rewards the best credit card for you?

In a sea of travel credit cards, the Navy Federal Credit Union® Visa Signature® Flagship Rewards Credit Card is a standout product for its affordability and value. You’ll be hard-pressed to find a rewards credit card that comes with the same level of perks with its reasonable $49 annual fee – but that’s if you’re eligible to join the credit union.

If you are indeed a Navy Federal Credit Union member, the Navy Federal Credit Union® Visa Signature® Flagship Rewards Credit Card is the top-tier offering. While you’ll need good to excellent credit to qualify, it’s doubly great as a travel and everyday card, with good returns on all your card purchases, no foreign transaction fees, and some of the industry’s lowest credit card interest rates to boot.

The Navy Federal Credit Union® Visa Signature® Flagship Rewards Credit Card can really start to pay for itself once you maximize the benefits, which we’ll delve into below. And that’s before you consider the welcome offer for new applicants: a solid 30,000 bonus points when you spend $3,000 within 90 days of account opening plus a 1.99% intro APR on purchases for 6 months from account opening and a free year of Amazon Prime® (expires on 01/02/23).

For those who aren’t eligible to join the Navy Federal Credit Union, other comparable options to consider include the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card and the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card. Both offer a range of similar travel benefits that can easily exceed the value of their modest annual fees.

We’re focused here on the rewards and perks that come with each card. These cards won’t be worth it if you’re paying interest or late fees. When using a credit card, it’s important to pay your balance in full each month, make payments on time, and only spend what you can afford to pay.

How to earn rewards from the Navy Federal Flagship credit card

The Navy Federal Credit Union® Visa Signature® Flagship Rewards Credit Card’s rewards rate is easy to remember: 3x points on travel and 2x points on all other purchases. There’s also no limit to the number of points earned, and your rewards don’t expire if you keep your account open.

The travel category is broad, including airlines, hotels, vacation rentals, taxis, rideshares, parking, public transit, amusement parks, museums, or virtually any other purchase that codes as “travel” on your statement credit. For all other expenses, you’ll still earn 2x bonus points per dollar spent.

To illustrate, let’s say that you spend $5,000 on combined travel purchases per year. That could include an annual family vacation as well as miscellaneous, day-to-day travel expenses. Additionally, if we assume you spend $20,000 on the card for all other purchases, that amounts to 55,000 points earned in one year.

We’ll explain how to use your hard-earned rewards in the next section, but each point is worth 1 cent. Therefore, the points from the example above are worth $550 toward travel — so you can only start to imagine how your rewards stack the more you spend on the Navy Federal Credit Union® Visa Signature® Flagship Rewards Credit Card. 

How to use rewards from the Navy Federal Flagship card

You can use the rewards earned from the Navy Federal Credit Union® Visa Signature® Flagship Rewards Credit Card in a variety of ways, from travel, cash back, gift certificates, and more. No matter how you redeem them, your points are worth 1 cent each.

When you’re ready to use your points, you can find your rewards balance through your online banking account on navyfederal.org or through the Navy Federal mobile app. For some redemption options, such as hotels, cruises, or vacation packages, you may need to call the Navy Federal Visa Signature Flagship Rewards Service Center to get further assistance.

Another unique way to use your rewards is by redeeming 4,900 points (worth $49) to receive a statement credit as a refund for the annual fee. This can be a great loophole to carry the Navy Federal Credit Union® Visa Signature® Flagship Rewards Credit Card for a minimal cost.

Navy Federal Credit Union Flagship credit card benefits and features

As the name suggests, the Navy Federal Credit Union® Visa Signature® Flagship Rewards Credit Card enjoys benefits from the Visa Signature network, in addition to the in-house benefits on the card.

Up to $100 statement credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck

If you apply to either trusted traveler program, you’ll receive up to a $100 statement credit when you charge the application fee to your card. Both Global Entry and TSA PreCheck are good for five years, and you’ll enjoy this recurring benefit every four years, which covers the cost when it’s time to renew.

Worldwide travel accident insurance

You and your eligible dependents are automatically covered in the event of a bodily injury or loss on a covered trip. To qualify, simply charge the cost of your entire flight (or another common carrier fare) to the card. This is an essential traveler’s benefit for families, and coverage kicks in for one year from the date of the accident.

Secondary car rental insurance

When you rent a car for 15 days or less with your Navy Federal Credit Union® Visa Signature® Flagship Rewards Credit Card, you’ll receive automatic car rental insurance that can cover physical damage and theft. The coverage is secondary to any other insurance that you may have on hand. 

Travel and emergency assistance

If you experience an emergency while abroad, you can call the travel and emergency assistance hotline at any time. They can help provide referral services and prescription assistance, among other services (any third-party costs are the cardholder’s responsibility).

Purchase protection

You can file a claim with the Visa Signature network to refund you if an eligible item you bought with the card is stolen or damaged. The covered item must be within the first 90 days from the date of purchase.

Lost luggage reimbursement

Finally, if the airline or other common carrier loses your luggage, the Navy Federal Credit Union® Visa Signature® Flagship Rewards Credit Card can reimburse you up to $3,000 per covered trip, which can help you make up for the value of the lost items in the bag.

Navy Visa Signature Flagship Visa card fees and costs

While not completely fee-free, the $49 annual fee is relatively low when you take a look at what the card has to offer. Here are some other fees and costs on the Navy Federal Credit Union® Visa Signature® Flagship Rewards Credit Card:

• Reasonable purchase and balance transfer variable APR: 12.99% – 18.00% Variable
• No foreign transaction fees
• No balance transfer fees
• No cash advance fees at a Navy Federal branch or ATM; otherwise, a $0.50 fee per domestic transaction or $1.00 fee per foreign transaction.

Oftentimes, rewards credit cards charge high interest rates, dinging you if you’re conducting a balance transfer or taking out cash from an ATM. That’s not the case with the Navy Federal Credit Union® Visa Signature® Flagship Rewards Credit Card, making it one of the most consumer-friendly cards available.

Comparison: Navy Federal Flagship Rewards card vs other Navy Federal cards

Comparison: Navy Federal Flagship Rewards card vs other travel credit cards

Navy Federal Flagship Rewards card frequently asked questions (FAQ)