Our Verdict
The no annual fee Alliant Cashback Visa® Signature Credit Card* is a hard card to beat for those willing to join the credit union and meet certain requirements with an Alliance high-rate checking account. If you don’t mind jumping through the initial hoops, the rewards rate is stellar. Earn up to 2.5% cash back with no categories to track on up to $10,000 in purchases each billing cycle with qualifying accounts. All other purchases earn 1.5%.
Pros
- 2.5% cash back rate on up to $10,000 in monthly purchases for eligible accounts (then 1.5%)
- No foreign transaction fees
- Generous credit line
Cons
- No intro APR offer
- No welcome bonus
- Requires a companion checking account with balance, direct deposit and e-statement requirements
Highlights
- Earn up to 2.5% cash back with no categories to track on up to $10,000 in purchases each billing cycle with qualifying accounts. All other purchases earn 1.5%
- You can choose to receive cash back from your Alliant credit card via a credit card statement credit (appearing within one billing cycle) or as a deposit into your Alliant checking or savings
- Up to $5,000 of Personal Identity Theft Protection for covered expenses to restore your identity
Introduction
The Alliant Cashback Visa® Signature Credit Card* has a cash rewards rate that sets it apart from other top cash-back credit cards. Earn up to 2.5% cash back with no categories to track on up to $10,000 in purchases each billing cycle with qualifying accounts. All other purchases earn 1.5%. The card also doesn’t require the tracking of spending categories to take advantage of the 2.5% reward rate.
For some consumers, though, the Alliant Signature card will fall a bit short of perfection. It’s designed for high spenders with excellent credit who are willing to open an Alliant high-rate checking account and keep a minimum of $1,000 in that account, plus have at least one direct deposit made to the account each month and set up e-statements.
For those who don’t fit this description, the card will earn 1.5% cash back, a rate easily bested by other cards. It’s also worth noting that membership in Alliant’s credit union is required to open both a checking and credit card account, but it’s easy for anyone to becoming an advocate for Alliant Credit Union Foundation digital inclusion.
Featured Partner Offers
Quick Facts
- Earn up to 2.5% cash back with no categories to track on up to $10,000 in purchases each billing cycle with qualifying accounts. All other purchases earn 1.5%
- No welcome bonus
- $0 annual fee
- Requires excellent credit
Alliant Cashback Visa Signature Credit Card Rewards
Earning Rewards
To qualify for Tier One Rewards, cardholders must have an Alliant high-rate checking account, maintain an average daily balance of $1,000 or more in that account, receive at least one direct deposit each calendar month and opt-in for e-statements. Tier One earns rewards at the following rates:
- 2.5% cash back on the first $10,000 of eligible purchases per billing cycle
- Unlimited 1.5% cash back on all other eligible purchases
Anyone who doesn’t qualify for Tier One will earn rewards at the following rates with Tier Two:
- Unlimited 1.5% cash back on all eligible purchases
Redeeming Rewards
Alliant allows cash-back redemptions when a minimum of $50 in cash back has been earned and the account is open and in good standing.
You can redeem your rewards in the form of a statement credit or a deposit into an Alliant checking or savings account.
Alliant is different from many card issuers in that unredeemed cash back has an expiration date. Cash back earned in a calendar year will expire on the December cycle date of the fourth calendar year after the year it was earned. So, unredeemed cash back earned in 2024 will expire on the December 2028 billing cycle date.
Rewards Potential
Forbes Advisor uses data from various government agencies to determine baseline income and spending averages across various categories. The 70th percentile of wage-earning households brings in $118,438 annually and can reasonably charge $39,337 in expenses to a credit card.
Someone who is in the Tier One earnings rate, who spreads their $39,337 in credit card spending throughout the year would earn 2.5% on that spending for a total of $983.43 in cash back, assuming that no one billing cycle tops $10,000 in purchases.
Someone in the Tier Two category earning 1.5% cash back would earn $590.05 over the course of the year.
Other Alliant Cashback Visa Signature Credit Card Benefits
- Debt protection. Alliant gives the option to pay a monthly fee to participate in its Debt Protection plan. Debt Protection could cancel up to $100,000 of debt if the cardholder dies, or up to $18,000 if the cardholder becomes disabled or is involuntarily unemployed. Terms and conditions apply.
- Identity theft protection. Receive up to $5,000 of personal identity theft protection to pay for eligible expenses related to restoring identity.
- Purchase security. Enjoy 90 days of coverage when an eligible purchase (paid for with the card) is damaged by an eligible event (fire, vandalism, etc.).
- Extended warranty coverage. Alliant effectively doubles manufacturer warranties, up to one additional year, when eligible items are purchased using the card.
- Travel accident insurance. Pay for a trip with the card and get up to $250,000 of travel accident insurance coverage.
- Roadside dispatch. Get 24-hour access to pay-per-use roadside assistance via a toll-free number.
- Rental car collision damage waiver. Use the Alliant Visa Signature card to pay for a rental car and receive automatic collision coverage without spending extra money.
Fine Print
Interest Rates
- Regular APR: 17.24% - 27.24% variable
- Purchase intro APR: N/A
- Balance transfer intro APR: N/A
Fees
- Annual fee: $0
- Balance transfer fee: 3% of the amount of each transfer
- Foreign purchase transaction fee: None
How the Alliant Signature Card Stacks Up
Alliant Cashback Visa® Signature Credit Card* vs. Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card
For someone with extremely high expenses that they can charge to a credit card on a monthly basis, it may be more rewarding to use a card with an unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases. One card to consider in this scenario is the Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card.
You’d have to spend more than $20,000 a month on the Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card to earn more than you would with Tier One earning on the Alliant Cashback Visa® Signature Credit Card*. But for those who regularly spend that amount, it makes sense to own one of the most rewarding cash-back cards.
Plus, the Wells Fargo Active Cash comes with a welcome bonus, which the Alliant card lacks. New cardholders can earn a $200 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 in purchases in the first 3 months.
Rewards earned with this card are part of the Wells Fargo Rewards program and allow flexible redemption options, including for cash back, gift cards or purchases.
Alliant Cashback Visa® Signature Credit Card* vs. Chase Freedom Flex℠
The Chase Freedom Flex℠ is a Forbes Advisor top pick for cash-back cards and cards without an annual fee. It comes with the following rewards rate: 5% cash back on up to $1,500 in combined purchases in categories that rotate quarterly (requires activation), 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3% cash back on dining and drugstores and 1% cash back on all other purchases.
Although the earning structure offered by the Freedom Flex is more complicated than that of the Alliant Cashback Visa Signature Card, cardholders with significant expenses that align with Chase’s quarterly rotating categories on travel, restaurants and drugstores may find that the Freedom Flex is a more rewarding option.
In the case of these two cards, it pays to do the math to see which card will earn you higher rewards before applying.
Finally, the Freedom Flex comes with a welcome bonus of a $200 bonus after spending $500 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Alliant Cashback Visa® Signature Credit Card* vs. Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express
For someone who concentrates their credit card spending in a few household areas, the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express is worth a look. It carries a $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95 annual fee (Terms apply, see rates & fees). The Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express offers cash-back rewards, but not at a flat rate. The card earns 6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year in purchases (then 1%), 6% cash back on select U.S. streaming subscriptions, 3% cash back at U.S. gas stations and on transit (including taxis/rideshare, parking, tolls, trains, buses and more) and 1% cash back on other eligible purchases. Cash back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit or at Amazon.com checkout.
Unlike the Alliant Card, the Blue Cash Preferred comes with a 0% introductory APR for 12 months on purchases and balance transfers requested within the first 60 days of account opening, followed by a variable APR of 19.24%-29.99% variable. A balance transfer fee of $5 or 3%, whichever is greater, applies. That could be a big benefit to someone looking for something extra breathing room to pay down a big buy.
There’s also a welcome bonus of a $250 statement credit after spending $3,000 in purchases within the first 6 months.
Read more: Best Credit Cards of 2024
Is the Alliant Cashback Visa Signature Credit Card for You?
The Alliant Cashback Visa® Signature Credit Card* is designed for big spenders with excellent credit. For those who don’t fit into these categories, a different cash-back card is likely a better option.
For those who don’t mind putting a little time into juggling more than one card or keeping track of bonus categories and rotating categories, it’s possible to maximize cash back earned by pairing other cards with the Alliant Cashback Visa.
To view rates and fees of the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express, please visit this page.
Methodology
Forbes Advisor considers a variety of criteria when assigning credit cards a rating. Cards are graded based on numerous factors, including:
- Annual fees
- Welcome bonus offers
- Ongoing earning rates
- Value of individual points or miles
- Included travel or merchant credits
- Additional cardholder benefits
Card features we expect cardholders to use the most often are weighted more heavily in our ratings. Altogether, the factors came together to provide a star rating for each individual card.
Read more: How Forbes Advisor Rates Credit Cards
*The information for the following card(s) has been collected independently by Forbes Advisor: Alliant Cashback Visa® Signature Credit Card. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
