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FNBO Evergreen Card Review: A Hidden Gem With Big Cash Rewards

Review Updated
Lyle Daly

Our Credit Cards Expert

Many or all of the products here are from our partners that compensate us. It’s how we make money. But our editorial integrity ensures our experts’ opinions aren’t influenced by compensation. Terms may apply to offers listed on this page.

The Evergreen® by FNBO Credit Card gets you unlimited cash back, a welcome bonus offer, and a 0% intro APR, all for no annual fee. It may not be as well known as the competition, but its features make it just as valuable as many of the best cash back credit cards. There are, however, a couple of minor flaws to know about before you apply. Read our full Evergreen® by FNBO Credit Card review for all the details.

Evergreen® by FNBO Credit Card
Rating image, 4.00 out of 5 stars.
4.00/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
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= Excellent
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Rating image, 4.00 out of 5 stars.
4.00/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
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= Excellent
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Credit Score: Circle with letter I in it. Falling within this credit range does not guarantee approval by the issuer. An application must be submitted to the issuer for a potential approval decision. There are different types of credit scores and creditors use a variety of credit scores to make lending decisions.

Recommended Credit Score required for this offer is: Good/Excellent (670-850)
Credit Score Circle with letter I in it. Falling within this credit range does not guarantee approval by the issuer. An application must be submitted to the issuer for a potential approval decision. There are different types of credit scores and creditors use a variety of credit scores to make lending decisions.

Good/Excellent (670-850)

Intro APR Circle with letter I in it. 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for the first 12 billing cycles. After that, a variable APR applies.

Purchases: 0%, 12 billing cycles

Balance Transfers: 0%, 12 billing cycles

Regular APR

17.99%-26.99% (variable)

Rewards Circle with letter I in it. Earn unlimited 2% cash back on every purchase

2% cash back

Annual Fee

$0

Welcome Offer Circle with letter I in it. $200 bonus when you spend $1,000 on the card within three billing cycles of opening the account.

$200

  • The unlimited 2% cash back rate makes this credit card highly valuable and versatile. It could work equally well in a one-card wallet or as part of a combo with other cards that have bonus categories.

  • Pros

    • Sign-up bonus
    • Cash back rewards
    • 0% intro APR
    • Free FICO® Score
    • No annual fee

    Cons

    • Cash back redemption minimum
    • Foreign transaction fee
    • Balance transfer fee
    • $200 cash bonus (20,000 points equivalent) when you spend $1,000 within the first 3 billing cycles after account is opened
    • Earn unlimited 2% cash back on every purchase
    • No rewards expiration
    • Redeem for cash back as a statement credit, an ACH deposit into a checking or savings account or a check
    • 0% introductory APR for the first 12 billing cycles on purchases and balance transfers after account is opened. After that, a variable APR based on the Prime Rate between 17.99% to 26.99% APR depending on your creditworthiness
    • A balance transfer fee of 5% applies to each balance transfer that you make (minimum $10)
    • No annual fee

Credit card comparison

We recommend comparing options to ensure the card you're selecting is the best fit for you. To make your search easier, here's a short list of standout credit cards.

Offer Our Rating Welcome Offer Rewards Program APR Learn More
Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars.
5.00/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
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Best for cash back on rotating categories
Discover will match all the cash back you've earned at the end of your first year. Circle with letter I in it. N/A 1% - 5% Cashback Circle with letter I in it. Earn 5% cash back on everyday purchases at different places you shop each quarter like grocery stores, restaurants, gas stations, and more, up to the quarterly maximum when you activate. Plus, earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases—automatically.

Intro:

Purchases: 0%, 15 months

Balance Transfers: 0%, 15 months

Regular: 18.24% - 28.24% Variable APR

Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars.
5.00/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
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Best for cash back
Up to $300 cash back Circle with letter I in it. Earn an extra 1.5% on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) — worth up to $300 cash back. That's 6.5% on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 4.5% on dining and drugstores, and 3% on all other purchases. 1.5% - 5% cash back Circle with letter I in it. Enjoy 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, our premier rewards program that lets you redeem rewards for cash back, travel, gift cards and more; 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and 1.5% on all other purchases

Intro: Circle with letter I in it. 0% Intro APR on Purchases and Balance Transfers for 15 months

Purchases: 0% Intro APR on Purchases, 15 months

Balance Transfers: 0% Intro APR on Balance Transfers, 15 months

Regular: 20.49% - 29.24% Variable

Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars.
5.00/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
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= Excellent
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Best for earning travel rewards
75,000 Miles Circle with letter I in it. 75,000 Miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening 2X-5X miles Circle with letter I in it. Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day. Earn 5X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options.

Intro:

Purchases: N/A

Balance Transfers: N/A

Regular: 19.99% - 29.99% (Variable)

Full Evergreen® by FNBO Credit Card review

This credit card is a good fit for: Cash back enthusiasts who want to earn a competitive rewards rate no matter the spending category.

Pros

  • Sign-up bonus
  • Cash back rewards
  • 0% intro APR
  • Free FICO® Score
  • No annual fee

Cons

  • Cash back redemption minimum
  • Foreign transaction fee
  • Balance transfer fee

Top perks

The Evergreen® by FNBO Credit Card has a lot going for it benefits-wise.

$200 cash bonus

You receive this $200 bonus when you spend $1,000 on the card within three billing cycles of opening the account. The bonus requirements are easy to reach, even if you don't spend much, since it's only about $334 per month. And the bonus amount is in line with sign-up bonuses on similar credit cards.

Unlimited 2% cash back

This credit card earns an unlimited 2% back on purchases. The spending category doesn't matter, and there's no limit to how much cash back you can earn with your card. Among flat-rate rewards credit cards, 2% is the highest unlimited rate we've seen.

Your card's cash rewards also never expire, although they are forfeited if the card account is closed for any reason. You can redeem them as a statement credit on your credit card bill, an ACH deposit to a bank account, or a check.

0% intro APR for 12 billing cycles

The Evergreen® by FNBO Credit Card has a 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for the first 12 billing cycles. After that, a variable APR applies.

This type of benefit is useful if you need to finance large purchases. Or, if you're working on getting rid of credit card debt, a 0% balance transfer APR allows you to refinance that debt and pay it down over time. It's worth mentioning that there are some credit cards that offer a 0% intro APR for a longer time period. If that's the main benefit you're looking for, then you may want to check out other card options.

COMPARE TOP PICKS: Best 0% APR Credit Cards

Free FICO® Score

FNBO gives cardholders free access to their FICO® Score. The FICO scoring system is the one that's most widely used by lenders. It's good to keep track of your credit score, and FNBO makes this easy for you with its free credit score tool.

What could be improved

While there aren't any huge issues, this credit card has some drawbacks worth knowing about.

Cash back redemption minimum

My only frustration with this card's cash back program is that you must make redemptions in $25 increments. If you have $15 or $20, you need to wait until you've earned more cash back to redeem it.

There are plenty of popular credit cards out there that let you redeem any amount, anytime, with no redemption minimum. It'd be nice to see FNBO offer the same.

Foreign transaction fee

This card charges a foreign transaction fee of 3% of the transaction amount in U.S. dollars. It's far from the only card to have this fee, to be fair, but it's still a potential problem. If you travel internationally and you want to stick to a one-card wallet, this card wouldn't be a good choice. In that case, you're better off browsing more credit card reviews for a card that won't cost you extra during your travels.

Balance transfer fee

The Evergreen® by FNBO Credit Card charges a 5% balance transfer fee with a $10 minimum. It's rare to find a credit card without a balance transfer fee, but this fee is on the high side.

Many balance transfer cards charge a 3% fee instead. If you're transferring over $5,000 in balances, a 3% fee would cost you $150, whereas a 5% fee would cost you $250. Even though you can transfer balances with this FNBO card, it's not the best option for that.

Want to save on credit card debt? Check out The Ascent's best balance transfer credit cards.

Suggested credit score

A FICO® Score of 670 or above is recommended to apply for the Evergreen® by FNBO Credit Card. Applicants should aim for credit score in the good credit range or higher.

To make the application process a little easier, FNBO offers a prequalification form that it has you fill out first. Once you submit the form, FNBO lets you know if you're prequalified, without running a hard credit check. Although this isn't a guarantee of an approval, it gives you an idea of whether you're likely to be approved.

IMPROVE YOUR ODDS: How to Increase Your Credit Score

The Evergreen® by FNBO Credit Card is right for you if:

You want to save money by earning cash rewards without needing to keep track of bonus categories.

The Evergreen® by FNBO Credit Card is one of the top card choices for keeping it simple. You don't need to spend any time learning the ins and outs of its rewards program or activating bonus categories every quarter. All you need to do is use your card, and you'll earn generous cash rewards on your expenses.

Our credit card methodology

At The Motley Fool Ascent, we rate credit cards on a five-star scale (1 = poor, 5 = best). Our rating criteria includes rewards rates, welcome bonuses, fees, and perks like travel credits and 0% intro APR offers to evaluate our ratings.

We combine these factors with an evaluation of brand reputation and customer satisfaction to ensure you're getting the best card recommendations. Learn more about how The Ascent rates credit cards.