5 Things to Know About the Synchrony Premier Mastercard

This card has some nice perks, but other cards give you the same benefits plus many that the Synchrony Premier Mastercard doesn’t.

Jae Bratton
Lead Writer | Credit cards

Jae Bratton is a writer for the credit cards team at NerdWallet. She has a bachelor’s degree in English from Wake Forest University and a master’s in English from University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Before writing for NerdWallet, Jae spent 13 years teaching English and journalism. Her writing has been published in newspapers, blogs and an academic journal. Jae is based in North Carolina.

Kenley Young
Assigning Editor | Credit cards, credit scores

Kenley Young directs daily credit cards coverage for NerdWallet. Previously, he was a homepage editor and digital content producer for Fox Sports, and before that a front page editor for Yahoo. He has decades of experience in digital and print media, including stints as a copy desk chief, a wire editor and a metro editor for the McClatchy newspaper chain.

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The Synchrony Premier World Mastercard® boasts a $0 annual fee and unlimited 2% cash back on all purchases.

Among flat-rate cash-back credit cards, that makes it one of the better options on the market, and certainly more versatile than many of Synchrony's co-branded store credit cards , many of which can be used only at a specific merchant.

Still, you can find cards with similar or higher rates, and it lacks some incentives you'd expect to find on cards in its class.

In addition to the Synchrony Premier World Mastercard® , Synchrony also issues a "Plus" and a "Preferred" version, but those cards are currently "invitation-only."

1. 2% back on everything is quite good

A 1.5% rewards rate used to be the gold standard, but the Synchrony Premier World Mastercard® joins a relatively recent wave of credit cards that earn 2% back or more on everything .

There are no limits on the amount of cash back you can earn, and because the 2% rate applies to any purchase, there's no need to keep track of revolving bonus categories. Spend $1,000 in a month; earn $20 back.

True, that simplicity comes at a price. You forfeit higher rewards rates — some as high as 8% — that come with other cards. But those rates generally also come with limits, whether in terms of a spending cap, merchant type or time of year.

If you like the idea of cash back but don’t have the time or desire to learn complicated reward programs, the Synchrony Premier may be a good choice.

2. Redemption is effortless but limited

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It’s pretty easy to redeem the rewards earned for spending with the Synchrony Premier: All cash back is automatically converted to a statement credit every month. There's no minimum redemption threshold .

Again, if you appreciate simplicity, that's great. But if you crave options, maybe it's not so great. The Citi Double Cash® Card , for example, also earns 2% back on every purchase — 1% when you buy, 1% when you pay it back. But technically, those rewards are earned as points, and you can redeem them for a variety of things: statement credits, yes, but also direct deposits, gift cards and purchases on Amazon. You can even transfer those points to a limited number of travel partners.

Also, because the Synchrony Premier automatically converts rewards into a statement credit, you lose the ability to "bank" your cash back and redeem it whenever you like for something specific.

In summer 2022, holders of the Rakuten Cash Back Visa — another Synchrony-issued credit card — were informed that the card was being discontinued and they would be moved to the Synchrony Premier World Mastercard® .

3. There's no sign-up bonus

NerdWallet's ratings are determined by our editorial team. The scoring formula incorporates coverage options, customer experience, customizability, cost and more.

The lack of a sign-up bonus on a cash-back card is a bit of a bummer.

For comparison, the $0 -annual-fee Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card earns 2% back on all purchases and has this welcome offer: Earn a $200 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 in purchases in the first 3 months.

4. There's no 0% intro APR offer

The Synchrony Premier is not the best card if you expect to carry a balance on the account, whether from a balance transfer or a large purchase that you plan to pay off over time. The ongoing APR is 19.24%, 28.24%, or 34.99%, Variable .

Plenty of cash-back credit cards offer 0% intro APR periods, often for a year or longer. Take the aforementioned Citi Double Cash® Card . You'll get a 0% intro APR on balance transfers for 18 months, and then the ongoing APR of 19.24%-29.24% Variable APR .

Meanwhile, the previously mentioned Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card offers 0% intro APR on Purchases for 12 months and 0% intro APR on Balance Transfers 12 months from account opening on qualifying balance transfers, and then the ongoing APR of 20.24%, 25.24%, or 29.99% Variable APR .

5. You'll get other perks via Mastercard

Since the Synchrony Premier is a "World" tier Mastercard, you'll have access to various benefits through the Mastercard payment network , including limited-time credits for Lyft, HelloFresh and DoorDash. (Terms apply.)

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Jae is a writer for the credit cards team at NerdWallet. Her writing has been published in newspapers, blogs and an academic journal. See full bio.

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