AARP^® Essential Rewards Mastercard^® from Barclays Review [2024]: Is It Worth It for Older Adults?

A cashback credit card can be the perfect addition to your wallet if you want to earn rewards on everyday expenses. This could help you save money on purchases you’re already making, but some cashback cards might suit you better than others.

The AARP^® Essential Rewards Mastercard^® from Barclays offers 3% cash back on gas and drug store purchases (except for Target and Walmart); 2% cash back on medical expenses; and 1% cash back on all other purchases. This card seems to cater to older adults, but its potential value depends on your situation. Let’s see how it works in this card review.

Earn Cash Back on Medical Expenses

AARP^® Essential Rewards Mastercard^® from Barclays

3.9

FinanceBuzz writers and editors score cards based on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence how we rate products.

AARP^® Essential Rewards Mastercard^® from Barclays

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Current Offer

Earn $100 cash back after spending $500 on purchases in the first 3 months

Annual Fee

$0

Rewards Rate

3% cash back on gas and drug store purchases (except for Target and Walmart); 2% cash back on medical expenses; and 1% cash back on all other purchases

Benefits and Drawbacks

Benefits

• Earn $100 cash back after spending $500 on purchases in the first 3 months
• up to 3% cash back
• 0% intro APR on balance transfers for 18 months, then 21.99% to 29.99% (variable)
• $0 annual fee

Drawbacks

• Has foreign transaction fee

Card Details

• Earn $100 cash back after spending $500 on purchases in the first 3 months
• 3% cash back on gas and drug store purchases (except for Target and Walmart); 2% cash back on medical expenses; and 1% cash back on all other purchases
• Intro balance transfer 0% APR offer: 0% for 18 months then 21.99% to 29.99% (variable)

Who should get the AARP Essential Rewards Mastercard Review?

Your general expenses tend to change as you age, which is why the AARP^® Essential Rewards Mastercard^® from Barclays could appeal to older adults. With bonus earning potential on gas and drug store purchases (except for Target and Walmart), as well as medical expenses, this could be an attractive option for many individuals.

It helps that the AARP name is attached because it’s an organization that focuses on providing benefits to retirees. You don’t need an AARP membership to apply for this card, but you can redeem rewards for a new AARP membership if you want.

This card might not make sense for you if its bonus categories don’t align with your typical expenses or if you can’t meet the recommended minimum credit qualifications of good or excellent credit. But it could make sense if you’re looking for a balance transfer offer on a cashback card.

Card basics

AARP Essential Rewards Mastercard benefits and perks

• Generous welcome offer: Earn $100 cash back after spending $500 on purchases in the first 3 months.
• Helpful rewards: Earn 3% cash back on gas and drug store purchases (except for Target and Walmart); 2% cash back on medical expenses; and 1% cash back on all other purchases.
• No annual fee: With a $0 annual fee, this card’s benefits could provide continued value each year.
• Charitable contributions: Barclays will donate $10 to the AARP Foundation for each newly approved AARP credit card from Barclays between March 22, 2021, and March 31, 2022. In addition, Barclays will also donate 1% of all eligible electronic and telecommunications purchases made with these cards to the AARP Foundation to help support increased social connection.
• Balance transfer offer: Receive a 0% introductory APR offer on balance transfers for 18 months, and then 21.99% to 29.99% (variable).

Drawbacks to the AARP Essential Rewards Mastercard

• Bonus categories: If the bonus categories don’t align with your everyday expenses, this card might not offer as much value to you as other potential options. For more details, check out our list of the best cashback credit cards.
• Balance transfer period: Cardholders will have to transfer balances within 45 days of your account opening for the promotional offer. This is shorter than the typical 60-plus days of account opening you might see on other credit cards. For more options, check out our list of the best balance transfer credit cards.
• Foreign transaction fee: You have to pay a 3% foreign transaction fee when using this card for foreign purchases. If you want to avoid this fee, check out our list of the best travel credit cards.

Earning and redeeming cash back

Potential earnings in years one and two

Here's a look at how your cashback rewards can add up with the AARP Essential Rewards Mastercard.

Remember, this is an estimation. The actual value will be determined by how much you spend and in which categories you spend.

Year one earnings: $483

Year two earnings: $383

These values are based on the FinanceBuzz Credit Card Rewards Valuation Model, which looks at points earned via spending, the sign-up bonus, and the annual fee.

The earning categories we include in our valuation model are groceries, dining out, gas, entertainment, travel, and other. For this specific card, including significant spending on medical expenses and drug store purchases would likely increase the estimated amount of cash back earned each year.

Best ways to earn

If you want to earn loads of cash back with a rewards credit card, it’s best to use your card as much as possible on purchases you’re already making. Using this strategy on the AARP Essential Rewards Mastercard will ensure you earn at least 1% cash back on every eligible purchase.

But if you want to maximize your earning potential, always use your card for purchases that fall within its bonus categories. Bonus earning potential on this card include 3% back on gas and drug store purchases (except for Target and Walmart), as well as 2% back on medical expenses.

Considering this card doesn’t offer bonus cash back for all your everyday expenses, including groceries and utilities, an easy way to maximize your overall earnings is to use multiple cards with different bonus categories. To find additional card options, use our dedicated page to compare credit cards.

Maximizing your redemptions

With most cashback credit cards, there’s not much of a difference between the value provided from your different redemption options. The cashback value is typically the same, so which redemption option(s) you choose for your cashback bonus comes down to your preference.

With the AARP Essential Rewards Mastercard, you can redeem your cash back for these options:

• Bank deposit to a U.S. checking or savings account
• Statement credit
• Gift card
• AARP membership
• Merchandise

All these redemptions hold the same value with your cash back, but you might find one suits your situation better than another. For example, it could be useful to redeem rewards for an AARP membership rather than paying for one. But, it’s hard to beat a deposit into a linked bank account, which is like receiving cash you can use for anything.

AARP Essential Rewards Mastercard FAQs

Other cards to consider

The AARP Essential Rewards Mastercard could make sense in some situations, but it won’t be the right fit for everyone. For other similar options, consider the AARP Travel Rewards Mastercard and the Chase Freedom Flex.

The AARP^® Travel Rewards Mastercard^® from Barclays is also an AARP co-branded cashback credit card from Barclays, but it’s styled as a travel rewards card that focuses on different spending categories. This includes 3% cash back on airfare, hotel stays, and rental cars, as well as 2% cash back on restaurant purchases. Apart from these bonus categories, the two AARP cards are virtually the same, so the better card for you depends on your typical expenses.

For more information, check out our AARP Travel Rewards Mastercard review.

The Chase Freedom Flex^® is also a cashback credit card, but it focuses more on common everyday expenses. This includes earning 5% cash back on rotating quarterly categories you activate (on up to $1,500 spent) and travel purchased through Chase Travel℠; 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants (including takeout and eligible delivery service); and 1% cash back on all other purchases. The 5% bonus is higher than what you’d find on either AARP card, and rotating categories in the past have included grocery stores, home improvement stores, select streaming services, gas stations, Amazon, and more.

For more details, check out our Chase Freedom Flex review.

Earn Cash Back on Medical Expenses

AARP^® Essential Rewards Mastercard^® from Barclays

3.9

FinanceBuzz writers and editors score cards based on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence how we rate products.

AARP^® Essential Rewards Mastercard^® from Barclays

3.9

FinanceBuzz writers and editors score cards based on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence how we rate products.

Why We Like It

Earn $100 cash back after spending $500 on purchases in the first 3 months

See how these cards compare:

AARP® Travel Rewards Mastercard® from Barclays

• Earn $200 cash back after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 90 days
• Up to 3% cash back
• 0% intro APR on balance transfers for 15 months, then 21.49% to 29.99% (variable)
• $0 annual fee

Chase Freedom Flex®

• Earn a $200 Bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening
• Up to 5% cash back on spending
• Perks from Lyft, DoorDash, and more