Green & Gold Visa®

Green & Gold Visa® Review

For USF students, alumni, and faculty who want the lowest interest rates possible, the Green & Gold Visa® is a no-frills, no-annual-fee, low APR credit card that won’t disappoint. The APR range is reasonable enough to accommodate cardholders who need to carry a balance and the lack of a penalty APR makes it quite user-friendly to credit card beginners. There is no annual fee or balance transfer fee which, thanks to a generous 36-month intro period for balance transfers, the Green & Gold Visa® is a particularly strong option as a balance transfer card. The simple and straightforward structure of the card makes it a suitable – albeit, unexciting – option for first-time credit users. Due to the strong balance transfer capabilities, however, this card would be most beneficial to those who already have pre-existing credit card debt and/or want to consolidate their balances from higher-rate cards.

Perfect for Balance Transfers

The Green & Gold Visa® is a superb card for balance transfers both in the short and long-term. In addition to having a one of the longest balance transfer intro APR periods available – a whopping 36 months—this card also carries no balance transfer fees (ever) giving cardholders a longstanding tool to use in the management of their finances. USF reduces the balance transfer APR to 4.99% rather than waiving it all together (this is commonplace for credit union credit cards). Paired with an unprecedented 3-year long repayment period, the Green & Gold Visa’s introductory offer stands to save cardholder holders more money than 0% APR offers that are available for a much shorter time. Most other promotional balance transfer APRs last from 12 to 15 months, a relatively short respite for someone with a large balance. TheGreen & Gold Visa®, however, provides three times as many months for cardholders to get their previous debt under control. So, while balance transfers will incur interest from the get-go, the sheer length of time of this introductory offer has immense potential to save cardholders a lot of money –more so than cards that waive the interest fee altogether.  New cardholders must make all transfers within the first 90 days of opening the account in order to take advantage of the reduced APR.

No Penalty APR

Financial forgiveness can be hard to come by, but the Green & Gold Visa® offers some leniency by waiving a penalty APR. While the exact interest rate isn’t disclosed, the lack of a penalty fee provides peace of mind to cost-conscious cardholders. This benefit is ideal for anyone who encounters financial hardships or hasn’t yet developed good financial habits just yet.

Digital-Wallet Compatible & Security Features

The Green & Gold Visa® is compatible with Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Samsung Pay – perfect for the mobile-centric user. Aside from the convenienceof digital wallets, this ability creates an added level of security, reducing the risk of the card being subjected to skimmers or other fraudulent technology. Other security features include EMV chip card technology and Visa credit card transaction alerts.

Visa Protections & Insurance

The Green & Gold Visa® is a traditional Visa which means that it will have the most limited of Visa protections:

• Roadside Dispatch
• Zero Liability
• Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver
• Emergency Card Replacement & Cash Disbursement

More advanced protection, ‘travel and emergency assistance services’ are reserved for Platinum and Signature Visa cards. The limited travel protections paired with the card’s foreign transaction fee makes this card less-than-ideal to use for international travels.

Should You Apply for the Green & Gold Visa®?

In comparison to USF’s other credit cards, the Green & Gold Visa does have the lowest APR but has a difference of 1.5% at most which, on its own, doesn’t offer much differentiation between the other two options. So while the initial appeal of the Green & Gold Visa® may be for its position as the USF credit card with the lowest APR, its affinity for balance transfers is what is likely to be the key factor in the decision to apply for the card. The 36-month long introductory APR period is unheard of and its usefulness goes far beyond consolidating balance from credit cards with higher rates. Students can utilize this card to save money on various loan scenarios:

• Private student loans – Private lenders are known for having high-interest rates (which are often multiple times higher than federal rates) and the introductory offer would likely be a fraction of what they would be charged otherwise.
• Unsubsidized federal loans — Unlike subsidized loans where the government pays the interest while the student is in school, unsubsidized loans accrue interest from the very first day they are issued and therefore, upon graduating students would owe more than the principal amount.
• Struggling to find work after graduation – In either of the above loan situations, recent graduates who have yet to find work after graduation or may find themselves struggling to make payments once the grace period has ended. Depending on the loan’s existing APR, this card could offer a 3-year-long reprieve and lower the APR enough to make payments manageable.

Of course, this card is just as handy when used for balance transfers in the traditional sense, for anyone who needs a longer payoff period. Overall, the Green & Gold Visa® is a simple card but what it offers it does so very well. USF students, alumni, faculty, and their families that want ample time to pay off existing debt at a tantalizingly low APR should consider this card as a viable alternative to balance transfer cards from major lenders. The promise of a low APR after the end of the promotional period ensures that cardholders have long-term balance transfer option for years to come while and the lack of an annual fee makes it a wallet-friendly backup to keep for ‘just-in-case’ moments.

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