Our Verdict
Ardent fans of the iconic chopper will go hog wild for the U.S. Bank-issued Harley-Davidson™ Visa Signature® card*, a no-annual-fee card that lets them earn rewards towards future Harley-Davidson merchandise. You’ll earn inflated rewards for Harley-Davidson purchases and at gas stations, restaurants, bars and lodging. But unless you’re saving up for a new bike to take to Sturgis next year, steer clear of this card in favor of a more well-rounded rewards plan.
One caveat: Those with the card who also join the H.O.G. membership program can earn a point for every mile they ride, up to a 50,000-point maximum per year. For those who spend a lot of time on their choppers, this benefit alone might make this a card worth owning.
Pros
- No annual fee
- Earns generous rewards on Harley-Davidson-related purchases and gas stations
- Potential to earn points just for riding on your motorcycle with card ownership and free opt-in program
Cons
- Points expire after three years
- Earnings can only be redeemed for Harley-Davidson merchandise or for statement credits for Harley-Davidson merchandise
- Limited categories for bonus rewards
Highlights
- Cruise to $100 in H-D gift cards after spending $500 on your H-D™ Visa® in the first 60 days of account opening
- Earn 3 points per dollar at H-D® dealerships, h-d.com, the H-D Museum, gas stations and EV charging stations
- Earn 2 points per dollar at restaurants, bars and lodging
- Earn 1 point per dollar everywhere else
- Every 2,500 points earns you $25 at H-D dealerships and h-d.com/store.
Introduction
If the idea of owning the Harley-Davidson™ Visa Signature® card* gets your motor running, pump your brakes. Although the card, issued in partnership with U.S. Bank, offers generous rewards on all Harley-Davidson purchases—from the bikes themselves to rugged gear sporting the brand-name and gas stations too, you can likely fare better with a flat-rate all-purpose card.
That’s because even the most passionate fans of the biker lifestyle will still have expenses outside of the Harley-Davidson universe. Although it’s possible that someone is buying the entire collection of apparel and a new bike each year, there’s a greater possibility that most people will spend money on other essentials that can’t be found within that ecosystem.
Expenses like groceries, entertainment beyond the open road, clothing without the HD logo and things for around the house are all likely to require your financial attention at some point. And when they do, a card that earns 1.5% or 2% cash back is probably going to net you better rewards overall than the Harley Davidson Card.
Even if you think you’ll earn more rewards based on your spending habits on keeping the Harley card than any other option, keep in mind you can only redeem those rewards for a statement credit for Harley-Davidson purchases or for making more Harley-Davidson purchases. A smarter route would be to get cash back to spend any way you’d like.
Featured Partner Offers
Quick Facts
- Annual fee: None
- Earn 3 points per dollar at H-D® dealerships 3, h-d.com, gas stations and EV charging stations, 2 points per dollar at restaurants, bars and lodging and 1 point per dollar everywhere else
- Earn $100 in H-D gift cards after spending $500 in the first 60 days of account opening
- 0% introductory APR on purchases and balance transfer for the first 12 billing cycles, then a standard APR of 19.24% - 29.99% variable applies. A balance transfer fee of either 3% of the amount of each transfer or $5 minimum, whichever is greater, applies
- 3% of each foreign purchase transaction
- Redeem earnings for Harley-Davidson gift cards at a penny a point
Harley-Davidson Visa Credit Card Rewards
Earning Rewards
The Harley-Davidson™ Visa Signature® card* offers the ability to earn rewards in the following categories: Earn 3 points per dollar at H-D® dealerships 3, h-d.com, gas stations and EV charging stations, 2 points per dollar at restaurants, bars and lodging and 1 point per dollar everywhere else.
There’s also a welcome offer: $100 in H-D gift cards after spending $500 in the first 60 days of account opening. Plus, those who own a Harley-Davidson motorcycle and register their odometer at a qualifying dealership can earn an extra point per mile ridden up to 50,000 points per calendar year.
Redeeming Rewards
Rewards can only be redeemed for Harley-Davidson gift cards or via Real-Time Rewards (enrollment required) as a statement credit to cover a Harley-Davidson purchase you just made. You can redeem in 2,500-point increments for $25 gift cards or use your rewards in real-time on qualifying purchases of $25 or more at H-D dealerships, the H-D Museum, Factory Tours or h-d.com.
Rewards Potential
To determine the rewards potential of the Harley-Davidson credit card, Forbes Advisor uses data from various government agencies in order to determine both baseline income and spending averages across various categories. The 70th percentile of wage-earning households brings in $107,908 annually and has $32,072 in expenses each year that can reasonably be charged to a credit card.
Our sample household spends $2,850 on gas plus $3,243 on Harley-Davidson merchandise, from parts to apparel for a total of $304.61 in earnings.
They spend an additional $5,621 on lodging and restaurants for an additional $112.42 in earnings. All other spending earns $203.58 for total annual earnings of $620.61.
Harley-Davidson Visa Credit Card 0% Introductory Rates
The Harley-Davidson™ Visa Signature® card* comes with the following introductory offer: 0% introductory APR on purchases and balance transfer for the first 12 billing cycles, then a standard APR of 19.24% - 29.99% variable applies. A balance transfer fee of either 3% of the amount of each transfer or $5 minimum, whichever is greater, applies.
Other Harley-Davidson Visa Credit Card Benefits
Those who qualify for the Visa Signature version of this card will get the following benefits:
- Auto rental collision damage waiver. Receive auto coverage for damage due to collision or theft when you decline the rental company’s waiver and pay for the transaction with your eligible card.
- Travel and emergency assistance services. Call anytime for travel or emergency assistance from anywhere in the world.
- Emergency cash and card replacement. If your card is lost or stolen Visa will expedite getting a new card to you.
Fine Print
Interest Rates
- APR: 19.24% - 29.99% variable
Fees
- Annual fee: None
- Foreign purchase transaction fee: 3% of each foreign purchase transaction
- Balance transfer fee: Either 3% of the amount of each transfer or $5 minimum, whichever is greater
How the Harley-Davidson Visa Credit Card Stacks Up
Harley-Davidson™ Visa Signature® card* vs. Citi Double Cash® Card
If your spending is more varied than just Harley-Davidson stuff and gas stations, an all-purpose flat-rate cash-back card is likely to snag you more rewards overall. The Citi Double Cash® Card is an excellent sidekick when it comes to paying for just about anything. For a $0 annual fee, the card earns 2% cash back on all purchases—1% when purchases are made and another 1% when they’re paid off.
If our sample household as outlined above uses this card instead of the Harley-Davidson one, it would earn $641.44 in cash back to the Harley-Davidson’s $620.61.
Harley-Davidson™ Visa Signature® card* vs. Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi*
If you already have all the Harley-Davidson gear your garage and closet can hold, look to a card that will offer generous rewards on gas, lodging and just about everything else you might buy. The Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi* has no annual fee, as long as you have an eligible Costco membership (which starts at $60) and has some of the highest cash-back earnings on gas you’ll find.
The card earns 4% cash back on eligible gas and EV charging purchases for the first $7,000 spent annually, 1% thereafter, 3% cash back on restaurants and eligible travel purchases, 2% cash back on purchases from Costco and Costco.com and 1% cash back on all other purchases. A Costco membership is required to apply. That reward rate leaves the Harley-Davidson card in the dust.
One potential speedbump with the Costco card: You only get your rewards once a year as a rewards certificate redeemable for cash or Costco merchandise.
Harley-Davidson™ Visa Signature® card* vs. Chase Freedom Flex℠*
If you’re looking for an all-purpose card that earns elevated rewards across a broad swath of categories, the Chase Freedom Flex℠* could be the needle in the haystack you’ve been searching for. For an annual fee of $0, cardholders earn 5% cash back on up to $1,500 in categories that rotate quarterly (requires activation), 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3% cash back on dining and drugstores and 1% cash back on all other purchases.
Rewards comes as Ultimate Rewards®, a highly flexible currency that can be redeemed for cash back, travel, gift cards, merchandise or combined with rewards earned from a Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card or Chase Sapphire Reserve® and transferred to one of Chase’s travel partners.
Is the Harley-Davidson Visa Credit Card for You?
Even if your heart goes vroom at the thought of a Harley, it doesn’t mean you should own the co-branded credit card. You’ll get a lot more mileage out of a card that offers greater rewards on a broader swath of expenses. Choose an option with rewards that are more revved-up than the ones offered on the Harley-Davidson card.
Methodology
Forbes Advisor considers a variety of criteria when assigning credit cards a rating. Cards are graded based on numerous factors, including:
- Annual fees
- Welcome bonus offers
- Ongoing earning rates
- Value of individual points or miles
- Included travel or merchant credits
- Additional cardholder benefits
Card features we expect cardholders to use the most often are weighted more heavily in our ratings. Altogether, the factors came together to provide a star rating for each individual card.
Read more: How Forbes Advisor Rates Credit Cards
*The information for the following card(s) has been collected independently by Forbes Advisor: Harley-Davidson™ Visa Signature® card, Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi, Chase Freedom Flex℠. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
