PEFCU Visa Card

Our review of the PEFCU Visa Card

Publix Employees Federal Credit Union (PEFCU) serves Publix employees and other associates with great service and low rates. The PEFCU Visa matches this commitment, offering an unbeatable APR, rewards, and no annual fees in one package.

Who Can Join Publix Employees Federal Credit Union?

The Publix Employees Federal Credit Union is open to a variety of new members. Beyond past and present Publix employees and their families, this list includes the associates of the following groups and their families:

• Bartow Ford
• City of Lakeland (Florida)
• Lakeland Automall
• Larry Greenwald Insurance
• Lone Palm
• Regal Automotive (Lakeland)
• United Hoist Equipment, Inc.
• Wilde Honda (Sarasota)

One of the Lowest Rates Available

Credit unions offer some of the best interest rates nationwide, and Publix Employees Federal Credit Union is no different. The PEFCU Visa Card continues the credit union trend for excellent rates, offering an APR almost half the national average.

While the actual APR varies depending on the creditworthiness of the applicant, that rate doesn’t differ much. Even the highest rate is comfortably below the 11% to 12% you find in cards from major issuers. This low APR applies to purchases, balance transfers, and cash advances.

Perfect for Carrying Balances

Balance transfer cards typically come with an interest-free APR period, but not so with the PEFCU Visa Card. Instead, the card comes with no balance transfer fees, which combines effortlessly with the excellent APR. This combination makes carrying a balance a breeze and ideal for paying down existing debt from other cards.

Many 0% intro APR cards from larger issuers, like the Citi Simplicity® Card, have much higher rates than PEFCU, negating their benefits. The PEFCU Visa Card, on the other hand, puts all its efforts into a low APR – a better use of its resources.

Earn Basic Rewards with Every Purchase

The PEFCU Visa Card also earns rewards with every purchase. Every dollar spent on purchases gains a single point in the Scorecard Rewards Program. The program is a popular option with many credit unions and offers the usual types of reward options.

Awards start from as low as 500 points, but the value of points (one cent per point) means that tally won’t get you much. Fortunately, the low APR and purchase power of Visa make the ability to rack-up points a breeze.

Other Card Features

Since the PEFCU Visa Card is a Visa Platinum card, it comes with the usual essential Visa perks. Cardholders can expect Visa’s Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver and Roadside Dispatch, for example. These perks protect holders from breakdowns and rental vehicle damages when they waive extra coverage.

The PEFCU Visa Card also features a foreign transaction fee of 1% of the transaction cost in U.S. dollars. Having a foreign transaction fee is never ideal, but 1% is a two-thirds reduction of what most cards offer.

Should You Apply for the PEFCU Visa Card?

Publix is a name synonymous with excellent customer service in the Southeastern U.S. The PEFCU Visa Card rewards Publix employees, their families, and other eligible individuals for their service with an excellent APR, no annual fee, and rewards with every purchase.

Overall, the PEFCU Visa Card isn’t a perfect credit card. The lack of a 0% intro APR period limits the card’s appeal. Beyond that flaw, however, the card offers enough of the perks a cardholder wants – and a lot of the great rates they need. The main selling point of this card is the low APR. The rewards structure is just an add-on – albeit a very nice one.