Our Verdict
This card is no longer open to new applications.
The Paceline Credit Card* offers pumped-up value while helping you get in shape. The card earns 2.5% cash back on all things exercise like athletic apparel, gyms, studios and classes, sporting goods and gear, fitness equipment, groceries, drug stores and pharmacies and 1.5% cash back on all other spending. But those rewards are doubled each week you meet your weekly fitness goals, snagging you a hefty 5% cash back on the bonus categories and 3% cash back on all other spending. The elevated rewards for meeting your fitness goals catapult this card to the top of the cash-back heap, even with its moderate $60 annual fee. The card offers solid value to people of nearly any fitness level, as long as they don’t mind tracking their efforts in order to score the highest earnings rate.
Pros
- Unique fitness-based rewards program
- Opportunity for Apple Watch reimbursement
- Large selection of elevated rewards categories
- Above-average rewards potential even in non-bonus categories
Cons
- Rewards rate depends on your activity level
- $60 annual fee
- Smartwatch tracking required to maximize earnings
Highlights
- Up to 5% cash back on qualifying health & wellness purchases (athletic apparel, gyms, studios and classes, sporting goods and gear, fitness equipment, groceries, drug stores and pharmacies) and up to 3% cash back on everything else.
- Earnings are reduced to 2.5% on qualifying health & wellness purchases and 1.5% on other qualifying purchases if users don’t hit their weekly Paceline Streak
- $60 annual fee
- Earn up to $429 in weekly statement credits over 12 months by maintaining your account status in good standing and achieving your Paceline activity goal
Introduction
Credit card companies are always looking for new ways to drum up business. The Paceline Credit Card* has found a truly novel approach to stand out: The card aims to incentivize and reward healthy behavior by offering extra-high rewards if you meet activity levels. The card works in conjunction with Paceline’s free app and tracks your exercise levels via your Apple Watch or other eligible wearable device. When you reach a weekly “streak” of consistent activity, you earn 5% cash back on athletic apparel, gyms, studios and classes, sporting goods and gear, fitness equipment, groceries, drug stores and pharmacies and 3% cash back on everything else. Earnings are reduced to 2.5% and 1.5% if users don't hit their weekly Paceline Streak.
Just how hard do you have to exercise to meet Paceline’s requirement of 150 elevated heart rate minutes per week? According to the card’s terms and conditions, an elevated heart rate minute is approximately a minute spent at or greater than the intensity of a brisk walk, depending on the user’s physical health and the device manufacturer’s specifications. If you’re already an active person, this card will earn you industry-leading rewards. And even if not, perhaps this card will inspire you to live a more active life. With a large selection of health and wellness businesses to earn cash back and an option to turn your fitness streaks into merch through the Paceline app, there are certainly worse reasons to get in shape.
Featured Partner Offers
Quick Facts
- Earn 5% cash back on athletic apparel, gyms, studios and classes, sporting goods and gear, fitness equipment, groceries, drug stores and pharmacies and 3% cash back on everything else. Earnings are reduced to 2.5% and 1.5% if users don't hit their weekly Paceline Streak
- $60 annual fee
- Can redeem additional Paceline streak rewards from over 200 brand partners when weekly Paceline activity streak is hit.
- Cash back automatically posts to your account daily
- New cardmembers are eligible for weekly credits towards their purchase of any Apple Watch–including Apple Watch Series 7–up to $429, which can be earned back over 12 months.
Rewards
Earning Rewards
The card offers a baseline rate of 2.5% cash back on all health and wellness categories (which includes gym memberships, fitness equipment and apparel, grocery and drug stores) and 1.5% cash back on all other purchases. However, if you are able to meet Paceline’s fitness requirements, a minimum of logging 150 minutes per week at an elevated heart rate and allowing the Paceline app to track that activity via your device, your rewards will be automatically doubled for that week, meaning you’ll earn a total of 5% cash back on health and wellness categories and 3% cash back on all other purchases.
Redeeming Rewards
Rewards come in the form of cash back, redeemed automatically to your account every day. The rate depends on how much you exercise. There is no limit to how much you can earn,
Additionally, it is possible to use your weekly fitness streaks–generated from consistently hitting your exercise goals– to earn bonus rewards in the form of gift cards and/or discounts from over 200 fitness brands through the Paceline app.
Rewards Potential
To determine the rewards potential of the Paceline Credit Card*, Forbes Advisor uses data from various government agencies in order to determine both baseline income and spending averages across various categories. The 70th percentile of wage-earning households brings in $100,172 annually and has $52,820 in standard expenses. Assuming 50% of such expenses are charged to this card, total annual card spending would be $26,410.
Our sample household spends $5,687 on groceries, plus $978 at drugstores and $825 on gym memberships. Assuming they hit their fitness goals, this will net 37,450 points worth $374.50. Otherwise, at the standard earn rate, this will net 18,725 points or $187.25.
Our sample household spends an additional $18,920 worth 56,760 points if they hit their goals, and 28,380 if not. This means that a cardholder who hits their fitness goals will receive in total 94,210 points per year worth $942.10 cash back. Otherwise, at the standard earn rate they will get 48,105 points, or $471.05 cash back.
Other Card Benefits
As a Visa Signature card, the Paceline card comes with the following benefits:
- Roadside Dispatch: Eligible Visa cardholders have access to Roadside Dispatch, a pay-per-use service that provides the following services for a set fee: standard towing up to 5 miles included, tire changing (must have a good, inflated spare tire) jump starting, lockout service (no key replacement), fuel delivery up to 5 gallons (plus the cost of fuel) and standard winching.
- Zero Liability: Your liability for unauthorized transactions is $0.
- Lost or Stolen Card Assistance: You can report your lost or stolen card 24 hours a day seven days a week. Visa will work with you and your issuing bank as needed to put a hold on your missing account, issue a replacement card and/or arrange for an emergency cash disbursement.
- Travel and Emergency Assistance Services: Get access to a multilingual call center 24 hours a day 365 days of the year. Services include pre-trip assistance, medical referral assistance, emergency transportation assistance, emergency message service, prescription assistance and valuable document delivery arrangements, legal referral assistance, emergency ticket replacement, lost luggage locator service and emergency translation services.
How The Card Stacks Up
Paceline Credit Card* vs. Chase Freedom Flex℠
While the Paceline has some interesting incentives, its rewards categories are limited. In contrast, the Chase Freedom Flex℠ also earns high rewards but over a different selection of categories and without any exercise requirement. The Freedom Flex earns 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.
The right choice between these two cards will depend on your spending habits, tolerance for an annual fee and/or if you can meet the fitness goals required to earn the elevated rates.
Paceline Credit Card* vs Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card
While the Paceline card has a lot of upside, it might not be viable to those who, for whatever reason, cannot meet the fitness goals. The Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card earns 2% cash rewards on purchases. This beats out the 1.5% standard rate for the Paceline card, making it potentially more lucrative if you spend outside the bonus categories the Paceline offers or do not meet the fitness goals.
In addition, the Active Cash Card has no annual fee, and offers a welcome bonus of a $200 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 in purchases in the first 3 months. The Active Cash also comes with a 0% intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and qualifying balance transfers, then a 20.24%, 25.24%, or 29.99% variable APR applies. Balance transfers made within 120 days qualify for the intro rate and fee of 3% then a fee of up to 5%, with a minimum of $5 applies. The Paceline card doesn’t have a welcome bonus (besides the Apple Watch offer) or a 0% APR offer.
Paceline Credit Card* vs Citi Custom Cash® Card
If you prefer to earn high rewards at a variety of places not eligible for the up to 5% offered on the Paceline card, consider a card like the Citi Custom Cash® Card. The card carries an annual fee of $0 and earns 5% cash back on purchases in a top eligible spend category up to the first $500 spent each billing cycle, 4% cash back on hotels, car rentals, and attractions booked on Citi Travel℠ portal through 6/30/2025 and 1% cash back on all other purchases. Eligible categories include fitness clubs, restaurants, gas stations, grocery stores, select travel, select transit, select streaming services, drugstores, home improvement stores and live entertainment.
This may prove to be easier to maximize for some, especially those who don’t want to be tied to an exercise requirement.
Is The Card For You?
If you’re an active person, or looking to become more active, give the Paceline Credit Card* a serious look. It offers generous rewards for behavior that will benefit your overall health. The rewards categories may be slightly limited, but most consumers will still be able to make use of what this card has to offer and improve or maintain their fitness levels while doing so.
*The information for the following card(s) has been collected independently by Forbes Advisor: Paceline Credit Card. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
