Rocket Visa Signature® Card

In-Depth Review: Rocket Visa Signature® Card

The Rocket Visa Signature Card is a unique cash back credit card from Rocket Card (part of the Rocket family of companies). The card is specifically designed with homeownership in mind, and offers impressive cash back, the chance to pay an existing mortgage or save towards a new home, and no annual fee if you already own a home with Rocket Mortgage ($95/year otherwise).

Who Can Benefit from the Rocket Visa?

The Rocket Visa Signature is an intriguing card for anyone who either already pays a mortgage through Rocket or anyone looking to take the first step towards home ownership by maximizing rewards they can funnel towards a new mortgage or offset an existing Rocket mortgage.

According to Rocket CEO Haroon Mokhtarzada, the card provides a “simple and achievable way to invest in their financial freedom, whether it’s budgeting with Rocket Money or redeeming credit card points toward their mortgage down payment or principal with the Rocket Visa Signature Card.”

And that goal is made more possible by the popularity and customer service excellence of Rocket. Rocket Mortgage customer satisfaction is excellent, with a 93% client retention rate over the last few years.

How to Get the Card

Eligibility

The Rocket Visa Signature credit card is designed for applicants with good or excellent credit scores. Before applying, check your credit health to see if you qualify for the card.

Are Non-Citizens Eligible?

Non-US citizens should have the following information before applying:

• Copy of passport
• US visa
• Most recent I-20 or DS-2019 form
• Latest U.S. bank account statements

Application Process

Since the Rocket Visa Signature Card is issued through Celtic Bank/Deserve, the card follows a similar application process to the Deserve PRO and Edu credit cards. Expect to need the following information when applying:

• Rocket account
• Name
• Address
• Email address
• Phone number
• SSN (for identification/verification purposes)
• External bank account information

Deserve uses non-traditional cardholder screening to help make its credit card products more readily available to a wider proportion of eligible applicants. The Deserve application process includes linking your bank account to the application to provide additional factors to help improve application success odds.

How to Earn and Redeem Rewards

So, how can you earn and redeem cash back rewards to offset an existing or new mortgage? Well, that depends on your plans for those rewards.

With the Rocket Visa Signature, you can earn rewards by making everyday purchases. There are no confusing bonus categories like gas, entertainment, travel, or other similar rewards. Instead, you can choose how you redeem based on your home goals:

• Get up to 5% cash back toward a new home
• Get 2% cash back toward your mortgage balance
• Get a statement credit equivalent to 1.25% cash back

That’s right: with Rocket, you choose your rewards – and that, in turn, defines how much you’ll earn in rewards. Should you be saving for a first, second, or even third (or more) home, you’ll get up to 5% cash back to apply to a home with Rocket Mortgage. Or, if you already use Rocket for your current home, you can redeem your points towards your loan balance on an existing Rocket Mortgage.

Redemption Fine Print

Up to $8,000 in card points value can be redeemed towards a new Rocket Mortgage transaction, applied as a credit to the applicant’s closing statement, offsetting the applicant’s required funds to close. These points may be combined with an additional $2,000 in engagement points, which will apply as a Lender Credit. It is not available in conjunction with third-party originated or Charles Schwab partner loans.

Still confused? Here’s a helpful example of a scenario you may find yourself in as a cardholder:

Spend Monitoring Benefits

Spending and money management tools are a common feature with small business credit cards, but having those tools in a personal card is a great perk. Rocket lets you stay on top of your spending with a slew of impressive tools, including:

• Manage and cancel your subscriptions with one click
• Rocket Concierge helps identify bills you might be able to renegotiate or lower
• Get access to your credit report and history, alerts on important changes that impact your score
• Spending breakdowns

Other Card Benefits

Other features of the Rocket Visa Signature Card include SmartPay, Autopay, or make payments manually, access to the Rocket Money app – a one-stop way to manage all of your finances, and the perks and protections you’d expect from a Visa Signature credit card, including:

Mortgage Card Comparison

How does the Rocket Visa Signature Card compare with other credit cards related to homeownership? The closest direct competitor was the Quicken® World Mastercard®, though that card is no longer available to new applicants.

The Bilt Mastercard from Wells Fargo is another similar option. Bilt is the loyalty program of the Blackstone Group, the largest property owner in the United States. The card earns a flat 1X points on rent payments, plus 2X points on travel and 3X points on dining. Cardholders can then redeem those rewards to cover rent payments through Bilt or towards a future down payment on a home.

Here’s how the two credit cards compare:

Tips for Maximizing Rewards with Rocket

To make the most out of your Rocket Visa Signature® Card, here are some tips to help you maximize its benefits:

• Take advantage of the rewards program by using your card for all purchases. Pay attention to bonus categories and special promotions to earn even more points.
• Keep an eye out for exclusive offers and discounts available to Rocket Visa Signature® Cardholders. These can range from discounted concert tickets to special deals on dining and entertainment.
• Set up automatic payments to ensure you never miss a payment and avoid late fees. This also helps improve your credit score over time.
• Regularly review your credit card statement to track spending and identify unauthorized transactions. Report any discrepancies immediately to protect yourself against fraud.

What We Like About Rocket

There’s plenty to like about the Rocket Visa Signature® Card.

Ideal for Mortgage Holders…

The card is ideal if you already have a Rocket mortgage, as it lets you use your rewards to pay down the balance. This unique rewards structure lets you attack your mortgage from two directions. Sure, the card is unlikely to make a big dent in your overall loan balance, but finding an additional avenue to pay down the most important purchase of your life is never a bad thing.

No Annual Fee for Some

There’s more to like if you already have a Rocket mortgage. If you have an active Rocket mortgage, there is no annual fee for the Rocket Visa Signature® Card, which is a great feature.

Things to Consider

Annual Fee for Others

That $95 annual fee isn’t steep, but it does act as a crutch in that it ties your best redemption options to a new Rocket mortgage. If you are unsure about your loan provider carefully study all options to find your ideal pick.

Can’t Earn Rewards On Mortgage Payments

Only points earned through other regular spending can be used towards mortgage costs. Points can be applied to a Rocket mortgage in one of two ways. If you are planning a new Rocket mortgage transaction, you can apply points towards the down payment and closing costs at a 5% back in rewards (up to an 800,000 point cap).

Rocket Ratings

How does Deserve stack-up as a card issuer? Here is a selection of ratings for Deserve and Celtic Bank from experts and fellow consumers:

Should You Apply for the Rocket Visa Signature Card?

Does the Rocket Visa Signature make sense for you? That entirely depends on your current housing situation and your medium-term plans. If those plans are to buy a first home or save money on an existing Rocket Mortgage, then the answer is likely yes.

The Rocket credit card is a great way to pay down your existing mortgage, as you can redeem points at 2% cash back. While that rewards rate doesn’t apply to the monthly payment, it does take a bite out of your principal, which can help you pay down your loan faster. The card is also great if you have some savings towards a new home but want to expedite the process – but only if you plan to bank through Rocket Card. That’s because you’ll be charged that $95 annual fee without an existing Rocket Mortgage.

Ultimately, the Rocket Visa Signature credit card from Deserve and Celtic Bank is an excellent option for the Rocket customer. Still, everyone else might find greater value from Bilt – especially as it charges no annual fee and lets you earn enhanced rewards on other bonus categories.