PNC Points Visa Card Review

Who is the PNC Points Visa Card for?

The PNC Points Visa card is a solid credit card if you are looking for uniform point accumulation through your daily purchases. With amazing reward rates, this card keeps its benefits short and simple. Unlike other cards in its league, the PNC Points card does not carry lavish perks and rewards, rather it helps you earn points and redeem them much faster.

Since there is no annual fee, there is no real cost associated with the benefits of this card. However, if you bank with PNC and have a checking account, you might qualify for much better benefits. Additionally, the 0% intro APR for purchases and balance transfers is a good deal for those looking to make larger purchases or pay off high-interest debt. 

Overall, you should get this card if you want a lower APR and a card to accumulate points. This card definitely does not outcompete other credit cards, but it can be a good choice if you already bank with PNC. 

Welcome Offer

With this card, you earn 50,000 bonus points after you make $750 or more in purchases during the first three months following account opening. Since you would have to make $12,500 in purchases through this card to earn this bonus through regular points, this is a very good deal. 

The card offers zero Intro APR for purchases for the first 12 billing cycles (12 months) from account opening to help you save on interest every time you make a purchase with your card. This can be beneficial for people looking to save on interest after making big purchases like furniture and vehicles. 

Also, the card offers zero intro APR on balance transfers for the first 12 billing cycles from account opening for balances transferred within the first 90 days following account opening. This will help you pay off higher-rate cards and save on interest. 

Rewards

The rewards system that comes with this card is straightforward. You earn four points for every $1 in purchases. However, if you have a qualifying checking account with PNC, you can earn an extra 25%, 50%, or 75% on your purchases. In order to make redemption of the points easier, you’ll automatically be enrolled in the PNC points Program, where there’s no limit to the number of points you can earn. You can redeem your points to help pay for purchases directly through PNC Pay on your Android or Apple device. You can choose from rewards including cash, gift cards, electronics, name-brand merchandise, and travel.

Annual Fee

Perhaps a big benefit of this card is the lack of an annual fee. This means that you do not have to pay a cent for the benefits and points that you accumulate. 

Services and Protections

With this card, you get access to seven days a week US-based customer service. It also comes with contactless technology, which means that you can pay for everyday purchases faster and with greater convenience than before. You can also pay bills easily and on time through online banking which lets you manage transactions, rewards, balances, or payments.

If you misplace or lose your card, PNC Easy Lock capability lets you lock this card in real-time. You also get protection from credit or identity fraud, including $0 Fraud Liability, which means you won’t be responsible for fraudulent charges on your account. Finally, you receive travel and emergency protection through this card.

Cautions

All points that you accumulate through this card expire 48 months after they were added to your PNC points account. This can be a massive drawback for people that systematically collect their points over larger periods of time for redemption. 

This card also levies a 3% foreign transaction fee on purchases made while traveling internationally. This fee can add up as people spend more while traveling. Therefore, if you are looking for a travel-friendly card, look elsewhere. 

You must also be careful about credit management and responsibility because late payments make you liable for a fee and a hefty penalty APR of 28.99%. This interest can really affect your finances, so make sure you only spend what you can pay back. 

Conclusion

The PNC Points Visa Card is definitely not the best card on the market, but it's also not the worst. In terms of short-term point accumulation, this card does a good job. This card is a good option for people looking to transfer their high-interest outstanding balances to pay them off. Also, this card can serve as a good way to earn quick and easy points on larger purchases.