Boy Scouts of America Visa® Credit Card

Boy Scouts of America Visa^® Credit Card Review

The Boy Scouts of America Visa Credit Card is a convenient way to earn cash back rewards from everyday purchases. Featuring unlimited cash back, a competitive APR, and flexible rewards, cardholders who plan ahead may use this card to earn a merit badge for credit card savings.   

Be Prepared to Earn Cash Back Rewards

The Boy Scouts of America Visa Credit Card is just like a Boy Scout – trustworthy, loyal and helpful. So helpful, in fact, that it features a flexible rewards program that proffers cash back for every purchase. There’s no limit to the amount of rewards you can earn using this card, either. 

Cardholders earn cash back at several different rates, based on the spending categories they make purchases in. These rates are broken down as follows: 

3% Cash Back on Coffee, Fast Food, and Rideshares: Cardholders earn cash back at a rate of 3% when they swipe their card for fast food, coffee, and rideshares. To make the most of this beefed-up cash back rate for rideshares, program your BSA Visa card into the apps you use most regularly, like Lyft or Uber. Syncing the card to your favorite apps, or adding it to your mobile wallet is an excellent way to maximize your rewards.    

2% Cash Back on Gas and Restaurants: For those who regularly spend money at the pump, or enjoy treating themselves to a nice meal, 2% cash back awaits each purchase on gas and at restaurants. This perk is particularly useful for folks who commute to work each day, or who tend to dine out often. Life can be fast-paced, and a meal you don’t have to cook yourself is a luxury as well as a time-saver. Why not earn 2% cash back even as you treat yourself? 

1% Cash Back on Every Other Purchase: Every eligible purchase made with the BSA Visa Credit Card earns 1% cash back. This means that cardholders who swipe their Boy Scouts Card on everyday purchases will earn rewards and support the BSA with every purchase. 

Transactions like cash advances, balance transfers, convenience checks, traveler’s checks, gambling, and money orders do not qualify for cash back rewards. 

Support the BSA with the Boy Scouts of America Visa Credit Card

A portion of proceeds go back to your local Boy Scouts troops each time you swipe your BSA Visa credit card. For former members of the Boy Scouts, or the family of current Boy Scouts, this is a particularly rewarding way to endorse the BSA. Commerce Bank donates a portion of the transaction to your local Boy Scout council after every purchase. 

How to Redeem Rewards from the Boy Scouts of America Visa Credit Card

Rewards from the Boy Scouts of America Visa Credit Card are earned as a cash back percentage of each purchase; each percentage point can be converted to 1 reward point, too. This means that purchases on coffee, fast food and rideshares would earn the equivalent of 3 points, while gas and restaurants earn the equivalent of 2 points, and one point is earned for all other purchases. Cardholders can redeem points for a variety of great rewards that include:  

• Cash back in the form of a statement credit. A minimum of 2.500 points is needed to redeem cash back.  
• Airline ticket credits from participating airlines 
• Gift Cards to hundreds of online retailers 
• Merchandise from some of your favorite brands 

Rewards expire three years after the calendar quarter in which they are earned and posted to the cardholder’s account. While this makes it easy to redeem rewards for smaller items, cardholders who wish to make a large redemption after accruing points or cash back over time must remember that there is an expiration date and plan accordingly.  

Competitive Interest Rates and Fees

There is not an annual fee associated with the Boy Scouts of America Visa Credit Card, which means that cash-back rewards earned are not offset by any sort of extra charges. Additional savings can be found with the card’s average, competitive interest rates for purchases and balance transfers, which begin just below the national average for those with good credit standing.  

In addition to a competitive standard interest rate, the BSA Visa offers a special introductory APR period. For both purchases and balance transfers, cardholders can take advantage of a low intro APR of 1.99% for the first six months after opening an account. This is useful for anyone who plans to use their card to make a large purchase like a new television or couch, but it will particularly appeal to those who hold debt on another credit card and wish to save money by transferring their balance.  

Although this card does not offer a 0% APR during this period, an interest rate of 1.99% can still add up to significant savings when compared to the standard APR that applies to the existing balance on another card. An introductory APR of 1.99% makes most sense for cardholders who have a smaller balance to pay down; a large balance would incur higher interest charges. 

Manage your BSA Credit Card:

Logging in to your online credit card account is fast, convenient, and easy. Cardholders who wish to monitor their spending enjoy a free online portal that allows uninhibited access to the following:  

• Receive alerts regarding suspicious card activity 
• Cash Back Access – view, and redeem your reward points for cash back and more 
• Special Connections™ – Use your credit card to access cash from your other accounts at the ATM, or in store 
• Set up autopay – never miss a payment by creating recurring payments 
• Sign up for E-Statements 
• Add an authorized user 

Should You Apply for the Boy Scouts of America Visa Credit Card from Commerce Bank?

The Boy Scouts of America Visa Credit Card is a lucrative cash back credit card that, when used regularly, can see cash rewards really add up. It features a competitive APR, no annual fee, and multiple ways to earn cash back from everyday spending. As rewarding as it is to get cash back from virtually every purchase, it’s also rewarding to give back to the community – and Commerce Bank donates a portion of the proceeds from each purchase to Boy Scouts of America. Folks who want to show their support for BSA will enjoy multiple benefits from card use. That said, a Boy Scout is always prepared – and should always do their due diligence. While this card is definitely a good option, is it the right fit for you? Before applying, cardholders might want to investigate all of their options: 

Although an introductory APR of 1.99% will certainly help cardholders save money for the first six billing cycles, this interest rate doesn’t match up to the introductory APR of most other credit cards. Many cash back credit cards feature a longer introductory APR period that charges interest at a rate of 0%, rather than almost 2%. While this is not a significant difference, it certainly can add up. If you use the BSA Visa and carry a balance of $1,000 for all six months of the introductory APR, you’d pay $20 each billing cycle – a total of $120 at the end of the introductory period. On the other hand, if you used a 0% intro APR credit card like the Cash Magnet® Card from American Express to carry the same $1,000 balance for six months, you’d end up paying $0 over the course of that time. Additionally, many cards have a longer introductory APR period (the Cash Magnet® Card features a whopping 15 months), which means that cardholders can save even more money.  

Whether you’ve made an unusually large purchase, or have unexpected expenses elsewhere, life happens, and sometimes, cardholders must carry a balance between billing cycles. When a balance is carried over to the next billing cycle, the APR comes into play. The BSA Visa Credit Card features a middling APR which sits just below the national average. Other cards on the market offer a lower APR for similar benefits. Likewise, many credit union credit cards feature a lower APR than most national issuers, which means if you live in the geographic region of one of a credit union that offers a cash rewards card, you might want to consider their offer. 

Another factor to consider when deciding if this is the right card for you is whether or not you’d like to earn a signup bonus in addition to cash back rewards. Cards like the Discover it® Chrome Gas & Restaurants offer similar rewards, with a focus on gas and dining – with the addition of a special signup bonus.: after the first year, Discover will match all cash back earned. There is no cap to the rewards that can be earned with this Discover card, which means that Discover will double the rewards each cardholder earns after their first year – no matter how much cash back they accrue. Unlike the BSA Visa Card’s rewards, Cash back earned using the Discover it Chrome card do not expire. 

Odds are, the Boy Scouts of America Visa Credit Card will appeal most to those who are affiliated with the Scouts. For folks who are not, there are plenty of other cash back card options to choose from.