The PenFed Pathfinder Visa Signature is a travel rewards card that offers 4x points for Honors Advantage members, an annual $100 domestic air ancillary travel statement credit, Priority Pass membership, and Global Entry or TSA PreCheck credit.
This credit card review will cover everything you need to know about this card to determine if you should add this card or a different card to your wallet. Let's dive right in.
- Earn 50,000 points when you spend $3,000 in the first 90 days.
- 4X Points on Travel (Honors Advantage Members)
- 3X Points on Travel (Non-Members)
- 1.5x Points on All Other Purchases
- $100 Airline Fee Credit
- Global Entry / TSA PreCheck Credit
- Priority Pass Select
- $95 Annual Fee, Waived for Honors Advantage Members
Welcome Bonus
The PenFed Pathfinder Visa currently offers the following welcome bonus:
Earn 50,000 points when you spend $3,000 in the first 90 days.Points are worth about 0.85 cents per point, so this bonus is worth about $425.
You are required to become a PenFed credit union member to apply for the card, but it’s a fairly easy process by opening a PenFed savings account with a $5 deposit.
Earning Points
The PenFed Pathfinder Visa earns points at the following rates:
- 4 points per dollar on all travel categories for PenFed Honors Advantage Members;
- 3 points per dollar on all travel categories for non-Honors Advantage Members; and
- 1.5 points per dollar on all other purchases.
To become a PenFed Honors Advantage member, you must either be a military member (active duty, reserve, honorably discharged, or retired) or maintain a PenFed Checking Account.
Members with a Free Checking account must also 1) maintain a minimum $500 daily balance OR 2) set up monthly direct deposits of $500 or more in order to maintain Honors Advantage Eligibility.
Annual Fee
The PenFed Pathfinder Visa has a $95 annual fee, which is waived for exisiting PenFed Honors Advantage members.
If you were not eligible for Honors Advantage at the time of application but later become eligible, the annual fee will be waived for the following year. To continue enjoying the annual fee waiver, you must maintain your Honors Advantage membership.
Card Benefits and Perks
Below are the benefits and perks of the PenFed Pathfinder Visa:
0% Intro APR on Balance Transfers
This card offers a 0% Intro APR for 12 months on balance transfers. After that a 17.99$ APR applies. There is also a 3% balance transfer fee.
$100 Annual Domestic Travel Statement Credit
Cardmembers get an annual $100 statement credit covering ancillary purchases with domestic airlines, including baggage fees, in-flight food and beverage purchases, airport lounge day passes, pet kennel fees, flight change fees, and phone reservation fees.
Global Entry / TSA PreCheck Credit
This card offers a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck fee credit like many other travel cards.
TSA PreCheck is a membership program offering dedicated airport security lines and faster security screening (typically 5 minutes or less) at more than 200 airports across the United States and includes over 81 airlines.
Global Entry includes TSA PreCheck and expedited immigration upon arrival from an international trip back to the United States.
Priority Pass Airport Lounge Access
This card comes with Priority Pass airport lounge access, which gets you access to over 1,300 airport lounges.
Nothing is better than escaping the hustle and bustle of the airport and to escape the crowds to get free food and drinks.
However, you will be charged a $32 fee per person per visit to an airport lounge. Most other cards that offer Priority Pass offer unlimited benefits like the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card or the Chase Sapphire Reserve® .
No Foreign Transaction Fees
This card has no foreign transaction fees on purchases outside the U.S., which is helpful if you travel internationally to help you avoid paying a 3% fee on those international purchases.
Pros and Cons
Here’s a quick overview of this card’s advantages and disadvantages:
Pros:
- Waivable annual fee for PenFed Honors Advantage members.
- 4x points on travel for PenFed Honors Advantage members.
- Global Entry / TSA PreCheck Credit.
Cons:
- $95 annual fee for non-Honors AAdvantage members.
- Priority Pass visits require a per-fee visit.
Alternatives to the PenFed Pathfinder
Now that you know about this credit card’s various benefits and pros and cons, it’s time to see its alternatives.
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Better for Travel
- Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months.
- 5x Points on Travel Booked Via Chase
- 3x Points on Dining and Eligible Delivery Services
- 2x Points on All Other Travel Purchases
- 10% Anniversary Points Boost
- Trip Delay and Trip Cancellation Insurance
- Primary Rental Car Insurance
- $95 Annual Fee
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (review) is one of the best rewards cards for travelers who want solid earning rates for travel and dining expenses.
For only $95 per year, this card earns 5x Chase Ultimate Rewards points on travel booked through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal, 3x points on dining, online groceries, and streaming services, and 2x on all other travel purchases.
Cardholders will also get a 10% anniversary points bonus, a 12-month DoorDash DashPass subscription when activated by December 31, 2024, and a $50 anniversary hotel statement credit.
Plus, it provides extensive travel protections, including trip delay, primary rental car, baggage, and purchase protection plans.
Citi® Double Cash Card
Better for Cash Back
- 2% Cash Back (1% on Purchases, 1% When You Pay)
- 0% Intro APR on Balance Transfers for 18 months. After That, 17.49% - 27.49% .
- No Annual Fee
The Citi® Double Cash Card boasts a strong 2% rewards rate on purchases, where you get 1% back when you buy and 1% when you pay.
This zero-annual-fee card offers a solid earning potential as long as you pay your balance on time, and it provides a simple way to rack up points with no bonus categories to track.
You can also boost your rewards by also holding the Citi Premier® Card (review), which allows you to transfer points to airline and hotel programs. This combination effectively allows you to earn 2 airline miles per dollar on all spending with the Citi Double Cash.
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
Better for Airport Lounge Access
- Earn 75,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months.
- $300 Annual Credit via Capital One Travel.
- 10,000 Miles for Each Account Anniversary.
- Access to Capital One Lounges and participating Priority Pass lounges upon enrollment.
- 10X Miles on Hotels and Rental Cars, and 5x Miles on Flights and Vacation Rentals booked with Capital One Travel.
- 2X Miles on all other purchases.
- $395 Annual Fee.
The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card (review) is a premium travel rewards card that’s perfect for travelers who want outstanding travel perks like annual travel credits, worldwide airport lounge access, and travel and purchase protections.
The Venture X earns 2x miles on all purchases helping you maximize every dollar of your spending. Plus, you can earn 10x miles on hotels and rental cars, and 5x miles on flights booked through Capital One.
The card has a $395 annual fee, completely offset by an easy-to-use travel credit of up to $300 back annually as statement credits for Bookings via Capital One Travel, and 10,000 points (worth at least $100) for each account anniversary.
Plus, you get airport lounge access via Priority Pass, Capital One, and Plaza Premium Lounges, Hertz President’s Circle elite status, Global Entry or TSA PreCheck credit, rental car insurance, trip and luggage insurance, cell phone insurance, and purchase protection.
Is the PenFed Pathfinder Worth It?
The PenFed Pathfinder Visa can be worth it if you are a Honors Advantage Member due to the 4x points on travel and waived annual fee.
But if you’re not an Honors Advantage member, there are better options out there with a similar annual fee, such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card.
- Earn 50,000 points when you spend $3,000 in the first 90 days.
- 4X Points on Travel (Honors Advantage Members)
- 3X Points on Travel (Non-Members)
- 1.5x Points on All Other Purchases
- $100 Airline Fee Credit
- Global Entry / TSA PreCheck Credit
- Priority Pass Select
- $95 Annual Fee, Waived for Honors Advantage Members
