CB credit card offering 5% cash back on one revolving bonus category of your choice + 3% when you dine at restaurants, or buy groceries or gas + 1% on everything else

I’m just wondering what you guys think about a 5% CB credit card offering 5% cash back on one revolving bonus category of your choice + 3% when you dine at restaurants, or buy groceries or gas + 1% on everything else.

"The SAFE Cash Rewards Visa® Card allows you to earn unlimited cash rewards: 5% cash back on one revolving bonus category of your choice + 3% when you dine at restaurants, or buy groceries or gas + 1% on everything else.

You choose how to apply your cash rewards:

Apply them to your card balance
Deposit them into your SAFE account
Donate them to charity"

https://www.safecu.org/personal/grow-your-money/reward-yourself-for-everyday-spending

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Appears to be only available if you live in a certain part of California (to save others from checking into).

To answer your question, that wouldn’t be a bad card to have but it would depend on the revolving bonus category of your choice … how often can you change it? What can you select from?

The answers you seek might be buried in this document.

http://files.consumerfinance.gov/a/assets/credit-card-agreements/pdf/creditcardagreement_11718.pdf

Well, I don’t live in California, so I was making suggestions of answers you should seek. But I did scan the document and found nothing about bonus categories, and further, found disturbing verbiage about “on the first $300 of POS” transactions. What the?

But again, I just skimmed the document. That I didn’t find my answers easily means this card isn’t one I’d give a second thought to even if I was eligible for it.

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You’ve linked to the wrong document. It’s dated 2014. Here is the correct link, dated 2017:

https://www.safecu.org/docs/default-source/disclosures-and-agreements/credit-cards/s-1064v-cash-rewards-visa.pdf

(Edit: The above link no longer appears to be working, although it certainly was when I pulled the quoted text from it below.) I found that link on this page:

https://www.safecu.org/personal/borrow-money/credit-cards

"You will earn cash rewards on new net qualified point-of-sale (POS) purchases (less adjustments,
credits, and returns) for each $1 spent.

Reward Categories:

_5% cash reward will be offered on new net qualified POS purchases in one (1)_
designated purchase category. Each calendar quarter you may select from a list of
eligible purchase categories for your 5% reward. Your selection can be made via
SAFE Online Banking, SAFE Mobile Banking, by calling (916) 979-7233 or (800) SEESAFE
((800) 733-7233), or visiting a SAFE branch. If you do not make a designation
each quarter, you will earn 1% cash reward on new net qualified POS purchases.
Eligible purchase categories are subject to change quarterly. Once a selection is made
for the quarter, you will not be able to make changes to your selected category.
Purchases in the selected category will be eligible for the reward at this level only if the
participating merchant uses the Merchant Category Code (“MCC,” explained in further
detail below) in processing cardholder transactions.
3% cash reward will be offered on new net qualified POS purchases at, eligible gas
stations, grocery stores, and restaurants. To be eligible, the merchant must be
assigned MCC 5541 for Service Stations or MCC 5542 for Automated Fuel
Dispensers, MCC 5411 for Grocery Stores or Supermarkets, or MCC 5812 for
Restaurants.
_1% cash reward will be offered on all other new net qualified POS purchases."_

@StatGren Where did you see that it’s limited to California residents? I don’t see that in the terms or product page. Not that I’m interested if I can’t find out what the bonus categories are either.

If you click Apply, it says

Who Can Join?
Your SAFE membership is a valuable financial resource that you, your family, and your business can share. If you live or work in Sacramento, Placer, Yolo, Yuba, Sutter, Amador, Butte, Contra Costa, Nevada, San Joaquin, Solano, or El Dorado counties, you can become a part of the SAFE family and take advantage of the many benefits SAFE has to offer.

Maybe it’s parts of Nevada too. Or you can join if related to a member, of work for a short list of employers they list. I am assuming the product is only available to SAFE CU members.

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Thank you. I didn’t try to apply. Looks like I couldn’t anyway.

Looks similar to the US Bank cash+ deal with the 5% revolving bonus category.

Really depends on what the bonus category options are. The US Bank card is limited value to me based on the categories.

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