| Balance Transfer Rating: | 2.5 / 5 |
| Introductory Offer: | 2.6 |
| Net Value: | 1.1 |
| Features: | 3.0 |
| Issuer Customer Experience | 3.9 |
In a Nutshell:
With its high annual fee and relatively short 12-month introductory period, the PNC Premier Traveler card is not your best option for transferring a balance. However, if you manage to pay down your balance in the first year before the fees and interest rates kick in, you’ll have a very good travel rewards card.
0% Introductory Period |  |
Transfer Fee |  |
Introductory Purchase APR |  |
Regular APR |  |
Annual Fee | |
PNC Bank Customer Service Ratings
| |
Other Notable Features: No foreign transaction fees, free concierge service, Visa Signature luxury hotel collection, lost luggage reimbursement, travel and emergency assistance services, travel accident insurance, trip delay reimbursement, auto rental collision damage waiver, roadside dispatch, extended warranty, Apple and Android pay, $0 liability, EMV chip technology
| Rewards Rating: | 3.5 / 5 |
| Rewards Value: | 2.9 |
| Annual Percentage Rate: | 4.5 |
| Rewards Flexibility: | 4.2 |
| Features: | 3.0 |
| Issuer Customer Experience | 2.9 |
In a Nutshell:
A flat 2 percent rate on travel rewards and flexible redemption options make the PNC Premier Traveler Visa Signature card another good option for netting a large number of rewards points for airfare.
Rewards Rate | |
Sign-up Bonus | |
Annual Bonus | |
Annual Fee | |
Average Yearly Rewards Value ($1,325 monthly spend) |  |
APR | |
Rewards Redemption
Cons
| |
PNC Bank Customer Service Ratings
| |
Other Notable Features: No foreign transaction fees, free concierge service, Visa Signature luxury hotel collection, lost luggage reimbursement, travel and emergency assistance services, travel accident insurance, trip delay reimbursement, auto rental collision damage waiver, roadside dispatch, extended warranty, Apple and Android pay, $0 liability, EMV chip technology
 | Find card offers for you: This card is not currently available on CreditCards.com, but you can still find a great card offer for you! Our CardMatch tool can help match you with prequalified offers and cards that align with your credit history – with no harm to your credit score. Get personalized offers from our partners in seconds. |
The PNC Premier Traveler Visa Signature credit card is probably more appropriate for casual rewards card users, especially if you want to avoid blackout dates or the often-complicated process of trying to find the best value for your points via relationship bonuses or transfer programs.
You’re also not beholden to traveling on certain airlines or booking flights on specific websites. A lack of top-tier travel benefits beyond the industry standard might make seasoned travelers look for a more luxury travel card, but if you’re just starting out in the credit card rewards game, this one is definitely worthy of consideration.
Solid rewards
With two miles per $1 spent everywhere you use the card, the PNC Premier Traveler Visa Signature card has one of the best flat-rate rewards in its category. By comparison, most travel cards offer 1:1 rewards on general purchases.
Annual fee kicks in after first year
Like many travel rewards cards, the PNC Premier Traveler Visa Signature card’s annual fee is waived for the first year. After that, the fee is $85, which is right in line with most competing cards. Provided you pay your monthly balances in full to avoid accruing interest charges, the miles you’ll earn with this card should easily outweigh the $85 charge.
Decent sign-up bonus
The PNC Premier Traveler is currently offering a decent sign-up bonus of 30,000 points for cardholders who spend at least $3,000 in the first three billing cycles. When your redeem those points for travel, they are worth around $300. This is a pretty good bonus, but not the highest you can find on a travel card with an annual fee.
Book travel your way
The card offers pretty flexible redemption options, at least when you use them for travel: Miles don’t expire, there are no limits to the number of miles you can earn and there are no blackout dates. Plus, you’re not limited to booking travel through the PNC Rewards Center — because PNC provides statement credits for any travel purchases you make on outside websites, you can fly any airline you want.
However, there are a couple of downsides. Cardholders aren’t allowed to transfer miles to airlines’ frequent flyer programs, an option that can sometimes increase the value of your points. You’ll also need a minimum of 5,000 miles to redeem for travel. And while you do have the ability to redeem PNC Premier Traveler points for gift cards or cash back, you should definitely avoid the latter, as doing so cuts the value of your points in half.
Good perks, with some omissions
In addition to no foreign transaction fees — perfect for when those free flights take you outside of the U.S. — the PNC Premier Traveler Visa Signature card comes with a slew of other travel benefits, including free concierge service, lost luggage and trip delay reimbursement, travel accident insurance and access to the Visa Signature luxury hotel collection.
That said, the card does lack some of the swankier perks of other travel cards, such as Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card, which offers a free checked bag and priority seating on Delta flights, the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card‘s annual companion pass (after earning 135,000 qualifying points or taking 100 qualifying one-way flights in a calendar year) and the Citi®/ AAdvantage® Executive World Elite® Mastercard®‘s admission to the American Airline’s Admirals Club lounges.
Why get the PNC Premier Traveler card?
- You want to earn travel rewards with few restrictions on redemption, including limits on eligible airlines or hotel chains.
- You’re looking for a card you can use while traveling abroad without incurring foreign transaction fees.
- You want to use the 0 percent introductory APR on balance transfers to consolidate high-interest debt from other cards.
How to use the PNC Premier Traveler card:
- Use it as your primary credit card — at least for the first year — to earn maximum miles before the annual fee kicks in.
- Avoid redeeming miles earned for cash back to avoid cutting their value in half.
- Transfer any high-interest credit card debt to the card (within the first 90 days) and pay it off within 12 billing cycles at 0 percent APR.
- Use the card when traveling overseas to take advantage of no foreign transaction fees.
Our reviews and best card recommendations are based on an objective rating process and are not driven by advertising dollars. However, we do receive compensation when you click on links to products from our partners. Learn more about our advertising policy
All reviews are prepared by CreditCards.com staff. Opinions expressed therein are solely those of the reviewer and have not been reviewed or approved by any advertiser. The information, including card rates and fees, presented in the review is accurate as of the date of the review. Check the data at the top of this page and the bank’s website for the most current information.
Responses to comments in the discussion section below are not provided, reviewed, approved, endorsed or commissioned by our financial partners. It is not our partner’s responsibility to ensure all posts or questions are answered.