$99 Annual fee, waived for the first year The Meridian Visa Infinite Cash Back Card is a solid choice for an everyday Visa card. It has good earning rates on spending, with a lower annual fee than similar cards offered by bigger banks.
It’s also a great choice for insurance on cash travel bookings, especially for seniors who may travel with their grandchildren.
Bonuses & Fees
This card has no cashback bonus. Instead, it offers a first year annual fee waiver for new cardholders.
Afterwards, the annual fee is $99, and $30 for authorized users.
Earning Rewards
This card offers a tiered rewards structure:
- 4% cash back on groceries and gas
- 2% cash back on utility bills and at drugstores
- 1% cash back on all other purchases
Each accelerated rate is limited to $25,000 in purchases per year. Groceries and gas fill one bucket, and pharmacies and utilities fill another, each up to this maximum.
If you exceed that threshold, you’ll earn the base rate of 1% cash back on any further purchases.
Redeeming Rewards
Cash back is available monthly, with rewards becoming available for redemption when each statement period ends.
You can redeem at any time for statement credit, with a minimum amount of $50.
Perks & Benefits
The card comes with all of the standard Visa Infinite benefits, including:
- Visa Infinite Concierge
- Visa Infinite Luxury Hotel Collection
- Visa Infinite Dining Series
- Visa Infinite Wine Country Program
Insurance Coverage
The card has excellent emergency medical insurance when travelling. Cardholders are covered for up to $5,000,000 in damages, for trips up to 48 days, up to age 75.
- Age 59 and under: trips up to 48 days
- Age 60 to 64: trips up to 23 days
- Age 65 to 75: trips up to 15 days
This card also extends insurance to the cardholder’s grandchildren, if they are travelling together. Intergenerational coverage applies to trip cancellation, lost baggage, emergency medical assistance, and common carrier accident protection.
While the card has decent insurance for trip interruption and baggage issues, you have to pay for the full ticket price with the card. That means that award tickets won’t be covered, as a mix of points and cash.