How LendingTree Rates Credit Cards?
Our experts rate credit cards based on several factors including card benefits, bonus offers and independent research. Credit card issuers do not influence or have a say in our card ratings. Read our credit card methodology here.The Fidelity® Rewards Visa Signature® Card is a good credit card choice for a very specific consumer. If you’re a Fidelity customer with excellent credit who doesn’t need to use their cash back rewards now, this may be the card for you.
If that isn’t you, a generic cash back credit card or rewards credit card is a better choice. There are many solid credit cards that offer similar rewards rates without a high credit score requirement. Additionally, many cash back cards make it easier to redeem your rewards as statement credit or deposited in your bank account, where you can use them immediately. With the Fidelity® Rewards Visa Signature® Card, your rewards are deposited into your retirement account. You may have to wait 20 years or more to access your rewards without penalty.
Intro Purchase APR
N/A
Regular Purchase APR
19.24%
Intro BT APR
N/A
Regular BT APR
19.24%
Annual Fee
$0
Cash Advance Fee
Either 5% of the amount of each advance or $10 minimum, whichever is greater
Foreign Transaction Fee
$0
Balance Transfer Fee
$5 or 3% of the transfer amount, whichever is greater
$0 annual fee
You don’t have to worry about an annual fee eating into your savings with the Fidelity® Rewards Visa Signature® Card, because it doesn’t charge one. Note that this is a fairly standard feature for a cash back credit card, as most come with no annual fees.
That said, some premium rewards cards do charge an annual fee which may be offset by the higher rewards rate or other perks that it offers.
High rewards rate
The Fidelity® Rewards Visa Signature® Card lets you unlimited 2% cash back on everyday purchases. There are no categories with higher earning potential and no categories to opt into. This is one of the highest rates that you can earn on a flat-rate cash back credit card.
While this rate is nothing to scoff at, do note that there are other cards that offer the same simple, flat-rate rewards. And when it comes to rewards credit cards that offer tiered rewards, some cards have categories that give you up to 8% cash back in certain spending categories.
A tiered rewards card may net you higher rewards if you maximize the categories that offer elevated rewards. For example, the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express has an average rewards rate of 2.6 cents per $1 thanks to the higher rewards rate on categories including groceries, gasoline and streaming subscriptions. Four of the six cards below offer the potential to earn more than 2% cash back (or 2 cents per dollar).
Card | Average rewards earned per $1 spent* |
---|---|
Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express | $0.026 |
Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card | $0.022 |
Chase Freedom Unlimited® | $0.021 |
Citi Custom Cash® Card | $0.021 |
Fidelity® Rewards Visa Signature® Card | $0.020 |
Citi Double Cash® Card | $0.020 |
No foreign transaction fees
The Fidelity® Rewards Visa Signature® Card has no foreign transaction fees, so don’t forget to take it with you when traveling abroad. These fees can quickly add up on a trip, so this card has the potential to save you a significant amount of money on foreign transaction fees alone.
This is one feature that sets it apart from its primary competitors. The Citi Double Cash® Card and the Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card both charge foreign transaction fees.
Earn more with Fidelity Rewards+
Fidelity Wealth Management Clients can earn up to an additional 1% cash back on purchases by enrolling in the free Rewards+ program. This could make it one of the highest earning cash back cards around, if you’re a high roller with a large enough account to qualify for it.
You’ll need to have at least $250,000 in eligible assets to begin earning extra rewards, and you only reach the full 3% cash back rate once you have $2 million in assets with Fidelity.
Must be a Fidelity customer
The Fidelity® Rewards Visa Signature® Card is only open to Fidelity customers. While it’s not particularly difficult to open an account, it’s a definite drawback for those who aren’t looking to open a brokerage account or are established elsewhere.
Fortunately, there are other 2% cash back credit cards from which you can choose, if a high earning rate is a top priority. Here’s a look at a few cash back credit cards and how they compare in terms of sign-up bonuses, rewards and redemptions.
Card | Cash back rate | Application restrictions | Sign-up bonus | Rewards redemption restrictions |
---|---|---|---|---|
Fidelity® Rewards Visa Signature® Card | 2% | Must be Fidelity customer | None | Rewards go into Fidelity account |
Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card | 2% | None | Earn a $200 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 in purchases in the first 3 months | No significant restrictions |
Citi Double Cash® Card | Up to 2% | None | Earn $200 cash back after you spend $1,500 on purchases in the first 6 months of account opening. This bonus offer will be fulfilled as 20,000 ThankYou® Points, which can be redeemed for $200 cash back. | No significant restrictions |
Rewards go into an eligible Fidelity account
Your rewards from the Fidelity® Rewards Visa Signature® Card go straight into your Fidelity account.
Depending on the type of account you have, you may not have access to them for many years or decades. Forced savings can be a good thing since your rewards may grow and compound over time. But if you want the flexibility to redeem your awards as soon as you earn them, this card isn’t for you.
You’ll find more flexible cash back cards from Chase and Capital One that allow you to redeem any amount of cash back as a statement credit or deposit to your bank account.
Requires excellent credit
In addition to being a current Fidelity customer, you need to have excellent credit to have the best chance of being approved for this card. If you are new to credit or working to rebuild your credit history, you can find credit cards for bad credit that allow you to earn rewards.
No 0% intro period
Many cards offer a 0% intro APR on new purchases, balance transfers or both, but the Fidelity® Rewards Visa Signature® Card does not. Because of this, you should only use it for purchases that you can pay off within the grace period to avoid paying interest on your purchases.
Credit Cards | Our Ratings | Welcome Offer | Rewards Rate | Annual Fee | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Fidelity® Rewards Visa Signature® Card*
|
N/A | Unlimited 2% cash back on everyday purchases | $0 | ||
Citi Double Cash® Card
Apply Now
on Citibank's secure site Rates & Fees |
Earn $200 cash back after you spend $1,500 on purchases in the first 6 months of account opening. This bonus offer will be fulfilled as 20,000 ThankYou® Points, which can be redeemed for $200 cash back. | Earn 2% on every purchase with unlimited 1% cash back when you buy, plus an additional 1% as you pay for those purchases. To earn cash back, pay at least the minimum due on time. Plus, a special travel offer, earn 5% total cash back on hotel, car rentals and attractions booked on the Citi Travel℠ portal through 12/31/25. | $0 |
Apply Now
on Citibank's secure site Rates & Fees |
|
Chase Freedom Unlimited®
Apply Now
on Chase's secure site |
Earn an extra 1.5% on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) — worth up to $300 cash back. That's 6.5% on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 4.5% on dining and drugstores, and 3% on all other purchases. | Enjoy 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, our premier rewards program that lets you redeem rewards for cash back, travel, gift cards and more; 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and 1.5% on all other purchases | $0 |
Apply Now
on Chase's secure site |
|
Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express
|
Earn a $250 statement credit after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card within the first 6 months. | Earn 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), 1% Cash Back on other purchases. Terms apply. | $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95. |
Rewards are easily redeemable for statement credit, cash or can be transferred to travel partners. While excellent credit is helpful, applicants with Fair / Good / Excellent credit can apply.
It also offers an intro APR of 0% intro APR for 18 months on Balance Transfers. After that, the APR will be 18.74% - 28.74% (Variable), based on your creditworthiness. Note that you do not earn rewards on balance transfers and there is no intro APR for new purchases.
This card offers one of the highest credit card rewards rates at U.S. supermarkets, plus elevated rewards at U.S. gas stations and for select streaming subscriptions. For those who are able to max out the spending threshold on groceries and use the card as their primary credit card for all spending each year, the card more than pays for itself.
Example earnings:
The Fidelity® Rewards Visa Signature® Card is not for everyone. If you’re a Fidelity customer and qualify for the card, this is one of the highest-earning cards you’ll find, especially if you qualify for Rewards+. However if you don’t have a Fidelity account, you should look elsewhere because there are plenty of good alternatives.
Consider a cash back credit card like the Citi Double Cash® Card or Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card. These cards both offer the same rewards rate with few limitations when it comes to redeeming rewards and there are no restrictions to keep you from applying.
To see rates & fees for American Express cards mentioned on this page, visit the links provided below:
For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the above benefits are provided by third parties such as Visa® or Mastercard® and may vary by product. See the respective Guide to Benefits for details, as certain terms, conditions, and exclusions apply.
The information related to the Fidelity® Rewards Visa Signature® Card, Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card and Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card has been collected by LendingTree and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of this card prior to publication. Terms apply.
The content above is not provided by any issuer. Any opinions expressed are those of LendingTree alone and have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any issuer. The offers and/or promotions mentioned above may have changed, expired, or are no longer available. Check the issuer's website for more details.