Consumer bennies are only good for the consumer if you are a good consumer.

February 3, 2011 1:33 PM

Who offers a credit card without rewards?

I justify spending more on my CC because doing so will result in more rewards. What cards are out there that do not offer rewards on purchases?

Bonus points if you know of a charge card. (Does anyone make these besides Amex? All Amex cards have reward programs, I just called to check.)

posted by 10ch to work & money (17 answers total)

My credit union's Visa card has no rewards. I don't know what a "charge card" is, though.
posted by fiercecupcake at 1:36 PM on February 3, 2011

Could you possibly qualify as some sort of student? (ie, do you have an academic email address) - my "Student Card" from BofA is not a charge card, but it started with a very low limit (like $700) with no reward points or anything.
posted by muddgirl at 1:37 PM on February 3, 2011

A charge card is one that does not allow you to carry a balance (meaning they don't extend you credit).
posted by charlesv at 1:37 PM on February 3, 2011

Wells Fargo?

I have a student checking acount with them and that includes a debit card.
posted by 47triple2 at 1:43 PM on February 3, 2011

PenFed's Promise Card (mentioned here) has no fees and no rewards; if you don't qualify for free membership, you can become eligible by joining the NMFA for a one-time charitable donation.
posted by holgate at 1:55 PM on February 3, 2011

I have a Bank of America Visa that I signed up for years ago because they had a rewards program with a local grocery store. That program ended years ago, and I now get bupkis. (Been meaning to switch, but we only use it when we can't use the Discover.)

I've never had a problem with "trying" to earn rewards, but good luck with whatever works for you.
posted by JoanArkham at 1:55 PM on February 3, 2011

meaning they don't extend you credit

Well, technically they do—you haven't paid for those purchases until you pay the bill at the end of the month—but only for one month at a time.
posted by The Michael The at 1:56 PM on February 3, 2011

I believe Capital One has three options for most levels of their cards: Rewards, Cash Rewards (rebate) and competitive rate. You can switch between them if I recall correctly. What you are looking for is the competitive rate option where they give you a "low" interest rate but offer nothing else. I'm not sure if your against cashback options or just point rewards options. If you contact most of the issuers they probably all have competitive rate options on some of their cards that offer no rewards, even if they are advertised as rewards cards.
posted by Yorrick at 2:00 PM on February 3, 2011

Capitol One.
posted by MrMoonPie at 2:02 PM on February 3, 2011

If you qualify for membership (somewhat difficult) the North Carolina State Employee's Credit Union offers a visa card with no rewards, extremely low fees ($5 late payment fee?) and a fairly low 7.75% APR.

Plus they are not the spawn of Satan recommended previously (Capital One, burn in hell forever).
posted by ChrisHartley at 2:11 PM on February 3, 2011

AmEx doesn't require you to be enrolled in their rewards program; it costs extra to do so.
posted by chesty_a_arthur at 2:23 PM on February 3, 2011

I have a Visa credit card from Wells Fargo. You can pay to enroll in their rewards program, but you're not forced to.
posted by rancidchickn at 2:35 PM on February 3, 2011

Check with your local credit unions.

With mine (Boeing Employee's Credit Union) I have a simple, no-frills credit card with a low percentage rate and no annual fee. Considering I use it maybe 3 times a year, it's perfect for my needs.

Some CUs may require you to be a member, but 'membership' at mine merely requires $5 in a savings account.
posted by spinifex23 at 3:19 PM on February 3, 2011

Membership monetarily, I mean. They have other requirements, of course.
posted by spinifex23 at 3:30 PM on February 3, 2011

capitol one - i just realized i don't get benefits. (am going to dump it for a new one)
posted by crankyrogalsky at 4:01 PM on February 3, 2011

If you don't want rewards, and you don't want to carry a balance, why not just use a debit card? Or for that matter, why not use cash?
posted by decathecting at 8:09 PM on February 3, 2011

I have a Bank of America (formerly MBNA) Visa through my school's alumni association. The only "reward" is that the alumni association gets some sort of per card/per year kickback that they use for their programs. But this doesn't vary by how much you charge, so it won't incentivize overcharging in the way you describe.

It has a fairly high interest rate (I don't carry a balance, so it's not a big deal), no fees, and has been decent to deal with.

Perhaps other affiliate-type cards might have a similar setup?
posted by clerestory at 9:14 PM on February 3, 2011