The Plane House owners and Pilots Affiliation (AOPA) has its personal co-branded bank card, the aptly named AOPA Global Mastercard. It touts itself as “the most productive bank card for pilots,” that may be true taking into consideration the cardboard’s prime rewards charges on aviation apparatus, aviation gasoline, pilot workshops and clinics. In spite of the cardboard’s association with the AOPA, club within the group isn’t required to qualify for the bank card.

Alternatively, the AOPA bank card has some primary obstacles on incomes rewards that can motive even profession pilots to move. Whilst the cardboard additionally earns rewards on nonaviation purchases, many common rewards bank cards have more potent rewards charges and perks missing within the AOPA bank card.

Right here’s what you wish to have to grasp in regards to the AOPA Global Mastercard, issued by way of Trade Financial institution.

When you aren’t a pilot, you received’t get a lot price out of the AOPA bank card, for the reason that rewards classes are nearly completely aviation-related. The cardboard provides:

• 4% money again on make a selection AOPA purchases together with AOPA memberships, pilot coverage services and products, AOPA flight trainer refresher clinics, AOPA tournament registration and AOPA pilot equipment retailer purchases.

• 3% money again on purchases at make a selection AOPA companions together with Plane Spruce & Uniqueness Co., Aero-Area Experiences, Jeppesen, Sirius XM Aviation, PilotWorkshops and Sporty’s Pilot Store.

• 3% money again on streaming, satellite tv for pc and cable. Amazon streaming, Pandora and YouTube Tune/TV aren’t eligible.

• 2% money again for fastened primarily based operator purchases, aviation gasoline, automotive fuel, trip sharing and taxis.

• 1% money again for all different purchases. 

Nonpilots who need the AOPA card’s forged rewards charge on streaming and fuel will have to take a look at a card just like the Blue Money Most well-liked® Card from American Categorical. It provides a stellar 6% again on make a selection U.S. streaming subscriptions and three% at U.S. fuel stations. (Phrases practice.)

Whilst the AOPA card’s profits attainable would possibly sound spectacular, it comes with a large caveat: Bonus issues, or the issues earned above the cardboard’s 1% base charge, are capped at 2,500 issues in step with quarter. Issues are price 1 cent every, that means you can by no means earn greater than a $25 bonus in step with quarter, even on expensive aircraft purchases.

Say you spend $4,000 at Sporty’s Pilot Store in 1 / 4. Sporty’s Pilot Store purchases earn 3% money again, credited as 3 issues in step with greenback spent, with the AOPA bank card. Of the ones 3 issues, 1 level is thought of as a base level and the opposite 2 are bonus issues. Alternatively, as a result of the two,500 issues cap, just a fraction of the overall acquire quantity will get the three% charge.

When you spent $4,000 on aviation apparatus in step with quarter at Sporty’s Pilot Store, you’d get simply $65 money again. Right here’s how:

• $4,000 X 1 (base charge) = 4,000 issues, the identical of $40 money again.

• $1,250 X 2 (bonus charge) = 2,500 issues, the identical of $25 money again.

For comparability, if all the $4,000 earned the three% charge, you’d come away with $120 money again.

Many money again bank cards can take your rewards to new heights while you first join the cardboard, however the AOPA card is not amongst them. That signifies that a distinct card, even one who earns much less on air-specific purchases, might be extra rewarding.

The Wells Fargo Energetic Money® Card, as an example, earns an infinite 2% money again on all purchases and gives this incentive for brand new cardholders: Earn a $200 money rewards bonus after spending $500 in purchases within the first 3 months.

Returning to our instance above, in the event you spent $4,000 at Sporty’s Pilot Store on a brand new Wells Fargo Energetic Money® Card, you could possibly earn the next rewards:

• $200 new cardholder bonus.

• $4,000 x 2% = $80 rewards from the acquisition.

That is a complete of $280 money again on that acquire when put next with the $65 you could possibly yield from the AOPA card and not using a sign-up bonus and capped rewards.

Issues earned with the AOPA bank card will also be redeemed for the next:

• Money again within the type of a observation credit score. Cardholders want a minimum of 2,500 issues to get money again. One level is price 1 cent when redeemed for money.  

• Airline price tag credit score. Cardholders want a minimum of 10,000 issues for this redemption, and there could also be a redemption charge of as much as $40, a extremely atypical requirement.

Issues expire 3 years from the quarter that the issues have been posted to the account. As an example, issues that have been credited to the rewards account within the first quarter of 2024 will expire on the finish of the primary quarter of 2027.

The AOPA bank card provides a very good 1.99% APR on purchases and steadiness transfers made within the first six months of account opening. (After the six months, the APR rises to fifteen.49%-25.49%, as of January 2024.) Observe that you can pay a steadiness switch charge of five% or $10, whichever is bigger.

Whilst that intro APR be offering is excellent, it’s on no account the most productive available on the market. It’s conceivable to seek out playing cards that provide 0% hobby on steadiness transfers and purchases for a yr or extra such because the U.S. Financial institution Money+® Visa Signature® Card. The cardboard provides 0% intro APR for 15 billing cycles on purchases and steadiness transfers, after which the continuing APR of nineteen.49%-29.74% Variable APR. Its steadiness switch charge is 3% of the volume of every switch or $5, whichever is bigger.