Travis Credit Union

Military and civilian workers founded Travis Credit Union in 1951 at Travis Air Force Base in Fairfield, California. The movement to begin the credit union began in the Depression era in the 1930s. Since that time, Travis Credit Union has grown to serve individuals who live, work, worship, or attend school in the following California counties: Solano, Yolo, Contra Costa, Merced, Napa, Alameda, Colusa, Placer, Sacramento, San Joaquin, Sonoma, and Stanislaus. Travis offers five different credit cards: Platinum Rewards, MasterCard Gold, Share-Secured, Credit Builder, and Classic Visa. Interest rates range from 8.99 to 18.99 percent, but the Platinum Rewards Visa card has an introductory APR of 5.99 percent.

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The Good

• Rewards
• Overdraft protection
• Auto rental insurance

Rewards

For a $25 fee, Travis credit card holders can enroll in a rewards program called ScoreCard Rewards, which is a travel reward system for booking airline tickets. The number of points needed per flight depends on the price of the flight. No information is provided about how many points are earned per dollar spent or how to redeem points for flights.

Overdraft Protection

Travis Credit Union will link offered credit cards to checking accounts to provide overdraft protection. This service is free for members of the credit union who hold both credit and checking accounts with it.

Auto Rental Insurance

Travis offers auto rental and common carrier accident insurance for its credit card holders.

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The Bad

• Annual fees
• Foreign transaction fees
• Undisclosed fraud safeguards
• No credit score tracking
• High cash advance rates
• High balance transfer rates

Annual Fees

Travis Credit Union charges an annual fee of $25 to hold one of its cards. It is unclear whether or not this fee covers the $25 fee charged for the ScoreCard rewards program.

Foreign Transaction Fees

A 1 percent fee is added to the cost of every foreign transaction made with a Travis Credit Union credit card. Individuals who frequently travel abroad may want to consider other cards that are more geared towards international travel.

Undisclosed Fraud Safeguards

It is unclear whether or not Travis Credit Union provides any fraud safeguards such as fraud tracking, notifications, credit monitoring, emergency customer service, account holds or freezes, or purchase verification processes.

No Credit Score Tracking

Several credit card providers have partnered with credit monitoring companies to provide their customers with monthly credit reports. This service helps cardholders to track their credit, watch for fraud, and look for areas where they can improve. Unfortunately, Travis Credit Union does not offer this service.

High Cash Advance Rates

Cash advances are provided to customers who need cash and choose to use credit card funds to receive it. This service often incurs a penalty in the form of either a percentage of the amount withdrawn or a flat rate fee. Of the credit cards offered through Travis Credit Union, the lowest APR available for a cash advance is 10.99 percent. However, rates for a cash advance can be as high as 18.99 percent.

High Balance Transfer Rates

Credit balance transfers are often helpful for customers who would like to move their credit balance from an account with a high APR to an account with a lower APR. Travis Credit Union charges 10.99 to 18.99 percent for this service.

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The Bottom Line

Travis Credit Union offers a rewards program, overdraft protection, and auto rental insurance. However, the company has high rates for cash advances and balance transfers. Further, Travis Credit Union charges a number of different fees, including annual fees and foreign transaction fees.