10 Under-the-Radar Credit Cards With Hard-to-Find Perks

Many popular credit cards from well-known issuers offer valuable benefits and rewards. But there are some lesser-known cards — whether they're from smaller banks or credit unions, or simply just less-heralded products from bigger players — that come with rare but impressive perks that few other cards offer.

The following cards feature some hard-to-find benefits, like higher-than-usual rewards rates, uncommon rewards categories or seriously valuable side perks.

» SEE: 6 hidden benefits of rewards credit cards

1. Alliant Cashback Visa® Signature Credit Card

The Alliant Cashback Visa® Signature Credit Card boasts a cash-back rate that's among the best in class: You can earn 2.5% back on every purchase if you meet requirements. Now, that rate is capped at $10,000 in eligible purchases per billing cycle, at which point the rewards rate falls to 1.5%. But that's still a very high spending bar. The industry-standard rewards rate among flat-rate cards is somewhere between 1.5% and 2% back on all purchases — but few can top 2.5% back on everything you buy.

Drawbacks

First, you’ll have to join Alliant’s credit union, which can be relatively easy. But to be eligible for the 2.5% rate, you’ll also need to open an Alliant High-Rate Checking account and maintain an average daily balance of $1,000 or more each month. And again, there's a monthly cap on that 2.5% rate. It's a high cap, but a cap nonetheless.

» MORE: NerdWallet's best credit union credit cards

2. Bilt World Elite Mastercard® Credit Card

Many landlords and services don’t allow tenants to pay rent with a credit card. And the ones that do will typically charge costly convenience fees. Enter the Bilt World Elite Mastercard® Credit Card, which not only rewards holders for paying rent with the card but doesn't charge a transaction fee for letting you do so. In addition to rewards for dining and travel, the card pays 1 Bilt Point per $1 spent on rent (up to 100,000 points in a calendar year). And holders, regardless of their typical payment processes, can use their cards to pay rent through the Bilt Rewards app and earn points. Once you activate a Bilt Rent account in the app, you'll get a routing and account number, which will allow you to pay rent through your regular portal. Even if your landlord only accepts checks, you can still pay through the Bilt app this way to earn points: Bilt will send in a check for you.

Note that while any tenant can join the Bilt program to pay for rent for free, you’ll earn the most rewards if you also have the Bilt World Elite Mastercard® Credit Card.

Drawbacks

Unlike other rewards credit cards, this one doesn't offer a welcome bonus. There's also an annual cap on the number of rewards you can earn for rent spending, and while the average tenant won’t hit it, it's still a limit.

Another major caveat is that you'll have to spend with your card at least five times per billing cycle to earn significant rewards. If you use it for rent and only rent, then the most you can earn is a flat 250 points per month.

» LEARN: Can I pay rent with a credit card?

3. Chime Secured Credit Builder Visa® Credit Card

Among so-called alternative credit cards for those with bad or no credit, the $0-annual-fee Chime Secured Credit Builder Visa® Credit Card is a stellar if inconspicuous option. Most notably, it doesn't require a credit check, doesn’t require a minimum security deposit, nor does it even charge an APR. That's a rare trifecta among cards designed to help you build credit. It also reports to all three major credit bureaus.

Drawbacks

To be eligible for the card, you’re required to have a Chime Checking Account. And as with other cards aimed at beginners, there are no ongoing rewards, nor is there a way to upgrade to a different product eventually. And to that point, while this card is more or less debt-proof, other "normal" unsecured cards will not be — meaning you may be underprepared to take that next step to a better card.

4. Gemini Credit Card®

The Gemini Credit Card® is one of the vanishingly few credit cards remaining on the market that lets cardholders earn rewards purely as cryptocurrency. It offers 4% back (in crypto) on gas and on electric vehicle charging, on up to $200 in spending per month (then 1% back); 3% back on dining, 2% back on groceries and 1% back on all other purchases. Rewards are earned in your choice of crypto, from more than 50 cryptocurrency options that include Bitcoin and Ether. Plus, unlike typical rewards credit cards that disburse rewards at the end of each billing cycle, you can earn rewards instantaneously with the Gemini Credit Card®.

Drawbacks

You must have a Gemini Exchange account to hold the card, through which you can buy and sell cryptocurrency. And because rewards are earned in the form of crypto, their value can go up ... or down.

See our list of credit cards that let you invest rewards

5. Nibbles credit card

There aren't a lot of pet-centered credit cards on the market to begin with, so the Nibbles credit card is already somewhat rare by nature. But what makes it truly unique, and valuable, is its pet insurance benefit. The card offers up to $10,000 in yearly health coverage for accidental injury and illness for one pet, which can be used at any licensed vet across the U.S. The card’s insurance offers 80% coverage and a maximum deductible of $500. Holders also earn 3% cash back on eligible pet-related expenses — an unusual bonus category that includes food but also biggies like vet bills, boarding and sitting — plus 1% cash back for all other spending.

Drawbacks

For starters, there's a sizable annual fee of $249 — still potentially much cheaper than a typical pet insurance policy, but not cheap by credit card standards. Also, as of this writing, there are limitations to the card’s pet insurance eligibility process. For example, older pets with established conditions will most likely not be approved. If your pet doesn’t qualify for coverage, you can still get the card, but you’d be losing out on its most valuable feature.

» MORE: NerdWallet's best credit cards for pet owners

6. PenFed Pathfinder® Rewards Visa Signature® Card

The PenFed Pathfinder® Rewards Visa Signature® Card is unique in that it offers lucrative travel credits for, potentially, nothing. Normally, it charges a $95 annual fee — but that can be waived if you meet certain requirements (see below). If so, it means you'll pay no yearly cost for the card's top-notch travel benefits — including lucrative rewards on travel purchases; a $100 annual credit toward ancillary airline fees; statement credit for reimbursement of TSA PreCheck or Global Entry application fees; and a complimentary Priority Pass airport lounge annual membership. Getting that kind of value back on a $0-annual-fee travel credit card is virtually unheard of.

Drawbacks

To qualify for the card, you must be a PenFed Credit Union member. And to qualify for a $0 annual fee with the card, you’ll need to be a PenFed Honors Advantage member, which can be achieved by opening and maintaining a PenFed Access America checking account or being a current or previous member of the military. If you’re not affiliated with the military, you have to maintain a minimum of $500 daily in an eligible PenFed checking account or set up monthly direct deposits of $500 or more to keep Honors Advantage eligibility.

7. Pesto Secured Rewards Mastercard®

Unlike other secured cards that require a cash deposit, the Pesto Secured Rewards Mastercard® lets holders use a physical item as collateral for their credit line. Accepted forms of collateral include fine jewelry, diamonds, gemstones, luxury watches and precious metals. Items must be sent to Pesto, where the value is assessed by experts certified by the Gemological Institute of America. (Note that you can opt to send in a cash deposit instead of a physical item, if you have liquid cash to do so.) While other asset-backed credit cards exist, they may require you to put up your car or house against the loan. Pesto’s accepted forms of collateral can be far less risky.

Drawbacks

This unique card comes with unique drawbacks. Most notably, if your account is in default for more than 90 days, you could lose the item you sent as collateral. Also, the card charges an annual fee — $39.96, paid in monthly installments of $3.33 — which can be a barrier for those with poor or no credit.

8. The New United Gateway℠ Card

A free checked bag benefit is common among high-end travel cards — but it’s rare to find that sought-after perk in a $0-annual-fee airline card like the The New United Gateway℠ Card. With the Chase-issued card, you can get two complimentary checked bags per year on United or United Express flights after spending $10,000 per year on the card. New holders are also eligible for the following sign-up bonus phrased this way: Debut Offer: Earn 30,000 bonus miles after you spend $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open.

Drawbacks

As noted above, the card’s complimentary checked bags are not freely given. You'll have to earn them through spending on the card. Further, the Gateway card doesn't come with other travel benefits — like lounge access, flight discounts or Global Entry/TSA Precheck credits — that higher-end cards might get you.

9. State Farm® Premier Cash Rewards Visa Signature® Card

The State Farm® Premier Cash Rewards Visa Signature® Card earns bonus cash back on common household expenses like grocery stores and dining, but what makes it stand out is that it also gets you 3% cash back on insurance premium payments, on up to $4,000 spent annually. That's an unusual bonus category that could make sense for those who carry multiple policies.

Drawbacks

You have to be a State Farm customer to be eligible for the card. And again, there’s a cap on the amount of cash back you can earn on insurance premium payments.

10. Upgrade Triple Cash Rewards Visa®

The Upgrade Triple Cash Rewards Visa® is a nontraditional card with several nontraditional features. For starters, it can function as either a credit card or a personal loan. If you use it as a credit card and don’t pay your bill in full, the balance becomes a fixed-rate loan you pay back monthly in equal installments. If you use it as a personal loan, you can transfer funds to your bank account (up to your credit limit) and pay down that debt at a fixed interest rate over a period of time. Additionally, the card earns bonus rewards in the hard-to-find categories of home, auto and health — which include large-expense items like landscaping services, car repairs and hospital visits. Other atypical perks abound: Applicants will be shown their card terms, including their credit limit and APR, before they agree to apply.

Drawbacks

Unlike other cash-back cards, rewards earned with the Upgrade Triple Cash Rewards Visa® are automatically applied toward your next card balance, which means you don't have the choice to decide what to do with your cash back or when to use it.

» MORE: Which Upgrade card should you get?

Other cards with unique features

The following cards from major issuers aren't obscure products, but they do offer uncommon perks:

• Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® credit card: The winning feature on this $95-annual-fee card is its automatic yearly Companion Fare perk, which you can get after spending $6,000 the previous year. It can cover a flying buddy's Alaska Airlines ticket for as little as $122 ($99 plus taxes and fees, starting at $23).

• AAdvantage® Aviator® Red World Elite Mastercard®: The Barclays-issued card isn't as well-marketed as other airline credit cards. It's not even marketed as well as other cards within American Airlines' own brand portfolio. (Citi also issues co-branded American Airlines cards.) But this card stands out with some hard-to-find perks, most notably its super-easy-to-snag sign-up bonus: Earn 60,000 AAdvantage® bonus miles after making your first purchase and paying the $99 annual fee in full, both within the first 90 days. That means that unlike other sign-up bonuses, which typically require a spending minimum to collect them, you can earn this pile of miles with just one purchase — even a pack of gum. That's rare. Additionally, the card offers a lengthy introductory APR period on balance transfers, another feature that’s hard to come by among even the best travel credit cards out there.

• Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card: Holders of this card can earn bonus cash back in a category of their choice, among which home improvement is an option. (Terms apply.) The unique and expansive (exhaustive?) category includes everything from hardware stores to roof contractors to air conditioning repair services and much, much more.

• Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card: The card has no annual fee, and cardholders get 1.5x points on purchases. However, for loyal Bank of America® customers, the number of points you’ll earn per dollar increases with the amount you have invested. At its peak, you can earn up to 2.62 points per dollar spent.

• Citi Custom Cash® Card: You'll earn 5% back in one eligible spend category, on up to $500 each billing cycle, and an unlimited 1% back on all other purchases. And what makes this card a little different is that the eligible category is automated and adjusted for you based on your spending habits. You don't need to remember a quarterly bonus calendar or activate categories each month. The card does it for you.

• U.S. Bank Altitude® Go Visa Signature® Card: You'd be hard-pressed to find another $0-annual-fee card that earns up to 4 points per $1 spent on dining. That's a best-in-class rate.

• U.S. Bank Shopper Cash Rewards® Visa Signature® Card: This card features a unique, if complex, rewards structure. It earns 6% cash back on your first $1,500 in combined eligible purchases each quarter at two retailers you choose from a list of several. That ist includes some mega retailers like Walmart, Target, Amazon, Apple, Disney and Home Depot. Plus, the card earns an unlimited 3% back in holders’ choice of one of three "everyday" categories, on up to $1,500 spent (1.5% after that). Those three possible categories are: wholesale clubs, gas and EV charging stations and bills and utilities. Few other cards offer this level of customization or such specific yet useful bonus categories.  

• U.S. Bank Smartly™ Visa Signature® Card: Holders of this card earn an unlimited 2% cash back on all purchases — which already puts it on par with the best flat-rate cash-back cards. But what lands the card on this list is that its 2% base rate can jump to 2.5%, 3% and even 4% back — on all purchases — for cardholders who meet certain balance requirements. You’ll need at least $5,000 across eligible personal U.S. Bank accounts to boost your earnings rate to 2.5%, $50,000 to earn the 3% rate and $100,000 to get the outstanding 4% back. Also, you must have a U.S. Bank account to get the full value of the base 2% cash-back rate.

• Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card: This card's combination of features is market-leading. It offers a higher-than-standard 2% back on all eligible purchases, plus a welcome bonus, as well as a 0% intro APR period — all for a $0 annual fee.

» LEARN: Cash back, miles or … crypto? Credit card rewards are evolving