AARP® Essential Rewards Mastercard®
Fees
Earning Rates
- Earn Unlimited 3% Cash Back on Gas and Drug Store purchases (excluding Target and Walmart).
- Earn Unlimited 2% Cash Back on eligible Medical expenses.
- Earn Unlimited 1% Cash Back on all other purchases.
Main Benefits
- Barclays will donate $10 to AARP Foundation for every new account and 1% of eligible purchases to AARP Foundation.
Rewards Details
- Rewards can be redeemed for cash back, AARP membership, and more at BarclaysUS.com.
- Redeem rewards for an AARP membership for yourself or as a gift. Options start at $16 in rewards.
Our Take
Card Details
AARP Essential Rewards Mastercard earning rate
The AARP Essential Rewards Mastercard earns cash back at the following rates:
- 3% Cash Back on Gas and Drug Store purchases (excluding Target and Walmart).
- 2% Cash Back on eligible Medical expenses.
- 1% Cash Back on all other purchases.
Medical purchases are defined as Dentists, Orthodontists, Osteopathic Physicians, Chiropractors, Optometrists, Ophthalmologists, Opticians, Optical Goods & Eyeglasses, Chiropodists, Podiatrists, Hospitals, Medical and Dental Laboratories, Hearing Aids, Ambulance Services, Orthopedic Goods, Prosthetic Devices, Nursing and Personal Care Facilities, Medical Services & Health Practitioners not elsewhere classified (NEC) and Doctors not elsewhere classified (NEC), as identified by the merchant category codes.
AARP Essential Rewards Mastercard benefits
Here are the main benefits of the AARP Essential Rewards Mastercard:
- Charitable Donations: Barclays will donate $10 for every new AARP® Essential Rewards credit card account that's opened, plus 1% of all eligible electronic and telecommunication purchases made with the card.
AARP Essential Rewards Mastercard fees
Annual Fee
The AARP Essential Rewards Mastercard has no annual fee.
Authorized User Fee
There is no fee to add authorized users to the AARP Essential Rewards Mastercard.
Foreign Transaction Fee
The AARP Essential Rewards Mastercard has a 3% foreign transaction fee. That makes this card a bad option for international travel and spending outside of the United States.
AARP Essential Rewards Mastercard cash back calculator
Input your monthly and yearly spend amounts into the calculator to find out how much you can earn with the AARP Essential Rewards Mastercard. Compare the results side by side up to 2 credit cards to find out which cards are best for you.
Card Details All links open in new tab (so you will not lose your calculations).
Edit Card Details
Edit Card Name
Set the name of the card to something of your choosing. Leave it blank to default back to normal card name.
Quick Assign
Use quick assign to quickly toggle this card on for Spend Categories in the calculator. If the card is already assigned, toggling off will set the category to No Selection.
Currency Codes
Any currencies you add to the tool will be selectable when entering spend into the Spend Categories section of the calculator.
Do note that any foreign currencies selected will automatically be converted to the card's default currency when calculating rewards.
Currency Name
Add Status / Loyalty
You can add elite status to one or more columns. This allows you to calculate the extra points you would receive from having status with that program.
If the status is already added, you can update the currency the status is based on by specifying a different currency than what the one in the calculator already has.
NOTE: Elite status is automatically added to the calculator for most credit cards that grant it.
Clear / Remove...
If you're looking to quickly assign cards to multiple categories, click on the card itself under the Credit Cards section.
Card Select
Select the card you will use for this category.
Do note that the order of the categories in the Category Spending section makes a difference. Spend is calculate by month in order of categories listed.
