The Disney Rewards Visa is a good choice for people who want to earn cash rewards towards Disney merchandise and vacations. All card members earn the same level of reward dollars on all card purchases and there are no rotating categories. Rewards are automatically applied to your account and you do not have to sign up to earn reward dollars. The Disney Rewards Visa is issued by Chase.
New cardholders can earn a $50 statement credit after making an initial purchase with the card. Compare this to the Disney Premier Visa Card which gives a $100 statement credit but requires that you spend a minimum of $500 within the first three months of opening your account. There is no minimum spending requirement with the Disney Rewards Visa. This is a good benefit for people who don’t want to spend a significant amount of money in order to receive a signup bonus.
Card members earn 1% in reward dollars on all card purchases. (The Disney Premier Visa Card delivers 2% back.) That’s equal to 1 reward dollar for every $100 you spend. Reward dollars can be redeemed for a Disney vacation or can be used for merchandise at any Disney Store or at DisneyStore.com. Additionally, cardholders can save 10% on select merchandise ($50+) available at the Disney Store or on the DisneyStore.com website and also at select dining locations at Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort.
The annual percentage rate for this card is 15.24%. Card members can receive a 0% promotional APR for the first six billing cycles after they purchase a select Disney vacation package or a real estate interest in a Disney Vacation Club Resort. After this time period expires, the APR will revert to the normal 15.24%.
The Disney Rewards Visa charges a 3% foreign transaction fee on any purchases made on your card outside of the U.S. If you often travel abroad, these fees can really add up fast and wipe out any reward dollars you may earn. There are rewards cards which do not charge this fee so if you frequently travel internationally you may want to consider one of them to save money.
There is no annual fee for the Disney Rewards Visa making it a good value among rewards cards. (The Disney Premier Visa Card charges cardholders $49 per year for membership.)
The Facts
Below we have broken down the specific details of the Disney Rewards Visa to help you determine if it’s worth signing up.
The Good:
Signup bonus:
New account holders have the opportunity to receive a $50 statement credit after making an initial purchase with the card. Balance transfers do not count as purchases. It may take two weeks or more from the date of purchase until the statement credit posts to your account.
Easy to earn rewards:
Card members automatically earn 1% in reward dollars on all purchases. For example, a $200 purchase will earn you $2 in rewards. There are no specific spending categories and you do not have to sign up to receive your rewards.
Easy to redeem rewards:
Cardholders can redeem reward dollars for a wide variety of Disney-related merchandise and products. The redemption process is simple:
- As soon as you have at least 20 Disney Reward Dollars, you can request a Disney Rewards Redemption Card.
- Use this card to get things you want at Disney Resorts, the Disney Store, or the DisneyStore.com
Disney merchandise includes:
- Toys
- Clothing
- Accessories
- DVDs
- Dining at Disney restaurants
- Resort stays
- Annual/Seasonal park passes
Card members can also save an additional 10% on select merchandise at the Disney Store or the DisneyStore.com. There is a $50 minimum purchase required. For people who are Disney fans or have children who are, this is a great benefit of using the card.
No annual fee:
The Disney Rewards Visa has no annual fee.
The Bad:
Foreign transaction fees:
This card charges card members a 3% foreign transaction fee on the total price of every purchase made on the card while traveling abroad.
No statement credits:
The Disney Rewards Visa offers no option for cardholders to redeem reward dollars for a statement credit. This feature is only available with the Disney Premier Visa Card.
The Ugly:
Weak rewards:
Card members earn 1% in reward dollars on all purchases made with the card. This is fairly weak when compared to other rewards credit cards. This rate of return means you have to spend $1,000 to earn 10 reward dollars. Before you can even request a redemption card you need to have earned 20 reward dollars which translates to $2,000 in purchases on the card before you can redeem reward dollars for anything.
Restrictions and exclusions on rewards:
This card offers a vast array of Disney rewards to card members but there is a lot of fine print to scrutinize also. Anyone considering this card should thoroughly read what is offered to be certain that the rewards and benefits you want are actually available.
Rewards are targeted at Disney fans:
For people who love Disney Resorts and theme parks (and all the Disney-related merchandise) or have family members who do, the Disney Rewards Visa is a decent rewards card. It offers minimal 1% cash back rewards in the form of Disney Reward Dollars and has no annual fee. On the other hand, the Disney Premier Visa Card is also aimed at Disney fans. It delivers better rewards (2% on purchases and a signup bonus of a $100 statement credit) but at a higher cost – cardholders must spend $500 on the card within the first three months to qualify for the statement credit – and the annual fee is $49. Both cards offer the same discounts at Disney theme parks, restaurants and stores. If a Disney vacation isn’t in your immediate future, you might want to consider other rewards cards which offer higher reward rates.