【2020.10 Update】According to businesswire, Barclays and AARP have reached a multi-year agreement, and this AARP card will be converted to being issued by Barclays (expected in 2021). At the same time, Barclays purchased the information of current cardholders from Chase, and cardholders will later be forcibly converted to the Barclays AARP card. Currently, Chase's application link is no longer accessible~

Chase AARP Credit Card Overview

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Full review

Chase AARP Rewards Credit Card

3% cash back on dining and gas; no annual fee!

  • Welcome bonus: None
  • Rewards: Unlimited 3% on dining and gas; 1% on all other purchases
  • Redemption: Redeem for cash back directly, starting at $20
  • Annual fee: $0
  • Apply now>>

Highlights

  • Good welcome bonus: Among no-annual-fee cards, $200 is quite a high welcome bonus, and spending $500 in three months is extremely easy
  • Unlimited 3% on dining and gas: If you spend a lot on dining out and gas, this card's unlimited 3% cash back is pretty solid. After all, other cards with rotating 5% categories usually only earn 5% on the first $1,500.

Drawbacks

  • The cash back rate is only 3%. If you do not spend that much on dining, using Chase Freedom+Discover it for 5% cash back can more or less cover half the year already
  • Chase cards usually do not have many extra cash back offers, unlike AMEX with AMEX OFFER, Citi with Smart Savings, and BofA with BofA Deals

My Take

According to reports, Chase's "5/24 rule" from April would likely extend to co-branded cards, and this card is no exception. This is a co-branded card launched by Chase and AARP (American Association of Retired Persons). At present, you can still apply even if you are not a member of the association. Its main feature is 3% cash back on dining, which is among the highest dining rewards rates on the market. However, if you already have Chase Freedom+Discover it, the quarterly 5% cash back categories on those two cards both cover dining, so this card really only serves as supplemental coverage for the other quarters of the year. Of course, if you do not like keeping track of rotating quarterly categories that may change every year, using this card specifically for dining is also a good option. No annual fee + $200 sign-up bonus + unlimited 3% cash back on dining and gas make this a solid card to keep long term.

Application

  • Difficulty: It is recommended to apply with at least 6 months of credit history. After getting started with Chase, this card is easy to get approved for
  • Application status:Check online (log in with your Chase account; it may not show up immediately after applying); phone: 888-338-2586
  • Things to Note
    • During the application, you may see a field asking for an AARP membership number. If you have one, enter it; if not, just leave it blank.
    • Before applying, please read "Chase Bank Features" + "Chase 5/24 Rule"
    • If you apply for multiple Chase credit cards in one day, the Hard Pulls may be combined, reducing the impact on your credit score. For details, see "AOR Introduction"
    • Only applicants who have not received the welcome bonus on this card within the past 24 months are eligible for the bonus. For details, see "Churn Introduction"
    • If you are not approved right away, you can call 888-245-0625 to speed up reconsideration. For details, see "Reconsideration Tips"

Application Link