MILITARY STAR Card Review: Not Your Typical Military Charge card – Credit Sesame

Serving in the military comes with certain perks, such as the ability to be eligible for a charge cards designed specifically for people in the Military. Depending on which military charge card you select, you may be in a position to earn valuable rewards in the form of cash back or points that you could later redeem for a statement credit, gift certificates and more.

The MILITARY STAR card is a option available. If you are on active duty or you're retired from military service, continue reading to explore the card's benefits and just how it stacks up against other rewards card offerings.

MILITARY STAR card highlights

At a glance

MILITARY STAR card basics

The MILITARY STAR card is provided through the Exchange Credit Program (ECP). The program is operated and funded by the Army and Air Force Exchange Services (AAFES), which is a branch from the Department of Defense. The ECP operates the MILITARY STAR program with respect to the Army, Air Force, Navy, Marines Corps and Coast Guard.

This line of credit is made to assist military members using their financial needs whether it's for everyday purchases or for something that's unique to their military lifestyle, such as PCS, deployment or retirement. Card Members receive a personal dividend with the MILITARY STAR Rewards Program like a thank you for shopping the exchange. Unlike a bank-issued military credit card which can be used virtually anywhere, the MILITARY STAR card are only able to be applied out the next locations:

• • • Army and Air Force Exchange Service shopping facilities
    • Armed Forces Recreation Center resort hotels
    • Online at shopmyexchange.com
    • Online at myNavyExchange.com
    • Online at ShopCGX.com
    • Army and Air Force Exchange Service food courts, Express(R) locations, mall vendors and more

The MILITARY STAR charge card pays back military members if you are paying members rewards, which we'll go through just a little later on, the Exchange Credit Program uses area of the earnings from the card program to fund Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) Programs for service members and their families.

The MILITARY STAR card offers a variable Annual Percentage Rate (APR) for Retail Plan Purchases currently at 10.24% which APR will be different with the market in line with the Prime Rate. There is a 0.00% purchase APR for Military Clothing Plan purchases.

Applying for any MILITARY STAR card

You'll need a MyECP account to apply for a MILITARY STAR charge card. To produce a profile and finish the applying, provide your name, date of birth, Social Security number, verification of the military credentials and correct answers to security questions. If you apply online with the ECP Military Star website, it will save you 10% on your first day’s purchases. Certain restrictions and limitations may apply.

You may also fill out a MILITARY STAR charge card application at the local exchange. You'll need exactly the same information outlined above to apply. If you have questions about your application or your account, you are able to follow up with MILITARY STAR customer service.

MILITARY STAR card vs. other rewards cards

To provide a little perspective here, we decided to compare the MILITARY STAR card with other rewards credit cards:

USAA RewardsTM Visa Signature(R) Card

Annual fee: $0

Card highlights you want to feature:

• Special Features for Military Members
• No annual fee
• No foreign transaction fee
• No penalty APR

The USAA RewardsTM Visa Signature(R) Card offers 2X points whenever you’re by using this card for eating out or buying gas. 1X point for each dollar spent on all other purchases with no limit on the quantity of points you can earn. This card offers more flexibility in the best way to use those rewards than the MILITARY STAR card. Redeem your points for airline travel rewards, for available merchandise and gift card reward, cash reward deposited into your account or deposited to your USAA savings or bank account, donate to a participating charity or toward purchasing a cruise ticket. Redemption values vary depending on how and on that which you redeem your points for.

You need to be part of USAA that need considering for this card, currently USAA membership is open to current and former military and their spouses, children of USAA members can join too. Who are able to join USAA – U.S. Military and Veterans, Precommissioned Officers, and eligible members of the family. Please be aware, membership in USAA doesn't guarantee approval of the card or any other product, you'll still will need to go with the application process for that specific product you are interested in.

One potential pitfall to watch out for is the higher range of this (APR). This card has a variable Apr (APR) for purchases, balance transfer promotions and cash advances which range from 9.90% to 25.90%, according to your creditworthiness along with other factors. This APR will vary using the market in line with the Prime Rate.

Terms apply.

Discover it(R) Cash Back

Annual fee: $0

Card highlights we want to feature:

• Earn cash back in your eligible purchases
• No Annual fee
• There aren't any foreign transaction fees

The Discover it(R) Cash return card offers a tiered cash return rewards structure having a rewards rate that's more than double that of the MILITARY STAR card. Cardmembers earn 5% cash back on everyday purchases at different places each quarter like Amazon.com, supermarkets, restaurants, gas stations and when you pay using PayPal, as much as the quarterly maximum whenever you activate. Plus, earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases – automatically. If you shop at Amazon.com, make use of your Discover it(R) Cash Back rewards at Amazon.com checkout.

Discover rewards you further by having an introductory offer: Unlimited Cashback Match – only offered from Discover. Discover will automatically match all of the cash return you've earned at the end of your first year. It’s a dollar-for-dollar match – there's no minimum spending or maximum rewards.

There's no annual fee, and there aren't any foreign transaction fees.

Terms apply.

MILITARY STAR card rewards

Now that you have seen exactly what the competition has to offer, let us take phone MILITARY STAR card's rewards program. The rewards structure is fairly straightforward. When you use your card at among the approved locations mentioned earlier, you'll earn two points for every $1 in net purchases. You can use the credit card for Military Clothing plan purchases however, you won't earn points for all those purchases.

Once you reach 2,000 points, you automatically earn a $20 MILITARY STAR Rewards Card. That means each point is worth one cent. That redemption value is comparable to the other rewards cards offer.

MILITARY STAR Rewards Cards could be redeemed for merchandise or services anywhere that exchange gift cards are accepted – including exchange facilities, shopmyexchange.com and myNavyExchange.com, exchange mall vendors and more. There is no limit on how many gift cards you can generate each year. If you spend $10,000 at the exchange annually, you'll receive $100 in rewards.

Your rewards points won't expire so long as you have purchase activity at least once every Twelve months, however, rules are susceptible to change without prior notice. Should you close your account or the ECP closes it unconditionally, you forfeit any unused points.

Besides earning two points per $1 on qualifying purchases, you've other ways in order to save with the card. A few of the savings you can make the most of include:

• • • Free standard shipping on shopmyexchange.com and myNavyExchange.com purchases
    • Five cents off per gallon fuel whenever you fill up at Army and Air Force Exchange Service and participating facilities
    • 10% discount on Army and Air Force Exchange food court purchases at participating facilities

MILITARY STAR card pros

The MILITARY STAR card is an choice for service members and their spouses who are looking for a card that will help them kick-start their credit rating or enhance their credit score. This card can be used something that will help you grow your credit rating over time. Make sure to clarify using the customer support representative if your transactions is going to be reported to the three major credit bureaus. Make sure to manage your bank account responsibly, pay a minimum of the minimum due each month making sure your payment is received and posted promptly, and your balance lower in relation to your borrowing limit – to show consistent responsible use.

The Apr (APR) is a reasonably low variable rate of 10.24% for qualifying Retail Plan purchases made via a shopping exchange. A purchase APR of 0% applies to qualifying Military Clothing Plan purchases, so if you have to carry a balance, you will not be gouged by high rate of interest. You also do not have to worry about paying a yearly fee, or foreign transaction fees.

The Exchange Credit Program (ECP) makes special concessions for eligible Active Duty and Mobilized or Activated Reservists or National Guard Military Members who've valid orders to deploy to qualifying contingency locations and who provide evidence of their deployment orders or perhaps a letter using their unit commander to ECP, and meet other criteria, such as a merchant account that's in good standing (a maximum of one payment overdue). You may still make purchases with your card, however you aren't necessary to make monthly payments as well as your rate of interest is reduced temporarily to 6% when you are deployed. After your deployment ends, your interest rate reverts towards the rate in the present Exchange Credit Program Credit Agreement and you are obligated to make monthly obligations as long as your account continues to have an account balance.

MILITARY STAR card cons

The card's biggest drawback is it are only able to be applied out exchange facilities or Military Clothing plan purchases. Other military-friendly credit cards, such as the USAA card, offer more flexibility as to where you may use your Card. Some could also come with more generous rewards structures and promotional offers for brand new Card Members.

The proven fact that you can only redeem rewards for military exchange purchases also limits its usefulness. If you want to have the ability to earn cash back, points or travel miles on non-exchange spending, you might want to consider pairing the MILITARY STAR card with another rewards card. You can look further into the rewards cards mentioned in this article or check out these options from your partners on this link.

Should you receive the MILITARY STAR card?

If you are in the military and you require a line of credit or else you perform a lot of shopping through the exchange, the MILITARY STAR card may have the type of benefits you're looking for. Also, the fact that you can delay payments and lower interest while on deployment is a mark in its favor. If you are interested in using this card to boost your credit rating, be sure to clarify with the customer support representative if your transactions is going to be reported to the three major credit bureaus.

When you're weighing different military charge card options, check out the way the rewards, interest rate and additional card benefits compare. The more research you need to do beforehand, the greater the odds of getting a card that matches your spending style as well as your needs.