The Cash Rewards Visa Credit Card from PNC Bank has an offer for $100 bonus cash when you spend $1,000 within the first three billing cycles. Although it’s not the best bonus out there, it’s a decent offer from a no-annual-fee card. The Chase Freedom card also offers a cash bonus and has no annual fee.
PNC Cash Rewards is a solid, low-cost card, especially if you’re looking for simple rewards. It offers competitive cash back rates on gas (4%), dining (3%) and grocery (2%) spending. Plus, its redemption process is very straightforward.
However, the PNC Cash Rewards card is not open to everyone. Only those who live in states where the bank operates can apply.
*Check out PNC Bank bonuses for Checking & Savings accounts.
| Bonus Available | Get a $100 bonus after you make $1,000 or more in purchases during the first 3 billing cycles following account opening. This offer is only valid when you apply directly with PNC. |
| Bonus Value* | $100 |
| Ongoing Rewards/Benefits | 4% cash back on gas station purchases.* 3% cash back on dining purchases at restaurants.* 2% cash back on grocery store purchases.* 1% cash back on all other purchases. |
| Foreign Transaction Fees? | 3% |
| Annual Fee | $0 |
*Bonus value is an estimated value calculated by MoneysMyLife and not the card issuer. Read our card review for more details.
View our latest valuations here.
*Capped at $8,000 in combined purchases annually. Then the rate falls to 1% cash back.
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PROS
- No annual fee
- Welcome bonus
- High rewards rates
- Simple rewards
CONS
- Limited availability
- Good-Excellent credit needed to qualify
- Capped rewards
- Minimum redemption requirement
- Foreign transaction fees
CHASE FREEDOM
The Chase Freedom credit card is going to earn you a $150 bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. The welcome bonus comes in the form of 15,000 Ultimate Rewards points. This card has no annual fee.
This card earns Ultimate Rewards (UR) points and is a popular option for a multi Chase card strategy. You can pool points together with consumer cards like the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card and Chase Sapphire Reserve. Or, with a business card like the Ink Business Preferred Credit Card. The 15,000 UR points could be worth around $300 with this strategy, rather than the standard $150. Read more on this here.
People like this card because it earns 5% cash back on up to $1,500 in combined purchases in bonus categories that change every quarter. The downside is you have to keep up with the quarterly categories, and activate the category each quarter before you can earn the 5%. You’ll earn 1% cash back on all other purchases.
The information related to the Chase Freedom credit card has been collected by MoneysMyLife and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of this card.
PNC Cash Rewards Card $100 Bonus Cash Offer
Take advantage of the PNC Cash Rewards card’s $100 bonus offer. To qualify, charge at least $1,000 to your card within the first 3 billing cycles after opening your account.
This offer is only valid if you apply via PNC.com, at a PNC Bank branch or by calling 1-800-762-5684.
Here are some ideas on meeting the spending requirement:
Earning PNC Cash Rewards
The PNC Cash Rewards card’s best feature is its generous earning rates:
- 4% cash back at gas stations (in store and at the pump)
- 3% at restaurants (from fine dining to fast food)
- 2% at grocery stores (superstores and warehouse stores not included)
- 1% on all other purchases
Unfortunately, the card’s biggest drawback is its cap on bonus categories. The 4%, 3% and 2% rates only apply to your first $8,000 in combined purchases every membership year. Break it down, and that means an average of $667 every month for all your gas, dining and grocery spending. After you hit $8,000, the bonus rates drop to 1%.
Redeeming PNC Cash Rewards
The process to redeem your PNC Cash Rewards is super simple. Once you’ve collected at least $25 in rewards, you can:
- Use it as statement credit
- Deposit it directly into a PNC Bank account
Your rewards won’t expire as long as your account is in good standing. So you can take your sweet time hitting the minimum redemption requirement.
PNC Cash Rewards Card Availability
The PNC Cash Rewards card is only available to residents in the same states where PNC banks operate. Those states are:
- Alabama
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Georgia
- Kentucky
- Indiana
- Illinois
- Maryland
- Michigan
- Missouri
- New Jersey
- New York
- North Carolina
- Ohio
- Pennsylvania
- South Carolina
- Virginia
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
Bottom Line
Looking for an inexpensive card for your routine purchases? The PNC Cash Rewards Visa card is a good option, especially if you spend modestly. As long as you don’t go over $8,000 a year on gas, dining and groceries, you’ll find great value in PNC Cash Rewards.
If you’re a big spender, you’ll want to consider another cash back card. Preferably one with a higher limit or unlimited rewards on its bonus categories.
What’s The Competition?
Below are some of the top competitors to the PNC Cash Rewards Visa credit card you should consider.
CAPITAL ONE QUICKSILVER CASH REWARDS CREDIT CARD
The Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card will earn a $150 bonus when you spend $500 on purchases within the first 3 months. The bonus offer is comparable to its top competitors, but this card earns a respectable 1.5% cash back on every purchase with no limit on how much you can earn. There are no spending categories to keep up with.
People like this card because of the cash back rate, the flexibility to redeem your cash back for any amount, and there’s no annual fee.
CAPITAL ONE SAVORONE CASH REWARDS CREDIT CARD
The Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card has a $150 bonus when you spend $500 on purchases within 3 months of account opening. This card has no annual fee. The annual-fee version of this card is the Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card.
This SavorOne card earns unlimited 3% cash back on dining and entertainment spending. Grocery store spending earns 2% cash back. All other purchases earn 1% cash back.
BLUE CASH EVERYDAY CARD FROM AMERICAN EXPRESS
The Blue Cash Everyday Card from American Express has a promotion for $150 bonus cash. Earn $150 Back after you spend $1,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 3 months of Card Membership. You will receive the $150 back in the form of a statement credit.
This card earns 3% at U.S. supermarkets, up to $6,000 per year in purchases (then 1% after you reach the cap). You’ll also get 2% at U.S. gas stations & select U.S. department stores. This is one of the best welcome bonus offers for a card with no annual fee, and the ongoing cash back rate makes sense for those that spend heavy at supermarkets and on gas.
AMERICAN EXPRESS CASH MAGNET CARD
The American Express Cash Magnet Card is offering a $150 statement credit when you spend $1,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening. This is a good bonus offer and is what you’d expect from a competitive no-annual-fee credit card.
This card earns unlimited 1.5% Cash Back on all your purchases. There are no categories to keep up with.
| OFFER LINK | OFFER | OUR REVIEW |
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| HSBC Advance Checking. Member FDIC | $350 Cash | Review |
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