BB&T Bright Review

Who is the BB&T Bright Card for?

The BB&T Bright Card is a solid choice for anyone needing to transfer their balances between accounts, finance large purchases, or pay off debt. It offers a generous intro APR of 0% for an extensive 15 months on both balance transfers and purchases.

This, paired with a $0 annual fee, makes it an excellent card to transfer balances and make purchases with zero interest, while not having to pay any additional fees. However, while there is no introductory interest, there is a balance transfer fee of 3% which is important for potential cardholders to keep in mind.

However, anyone who wants to travel or maximize the rewards they earn may prefer other cards. This is because there is a foreign transaction fee of 3%, making it not ideal for overseas purchases. There are also no standard rewards or bonuses associated with this card, meaning there is also no sign-up bonus, making its main feature the ability to make purchases and transfer balances with zero interest on these transactions.

Intro APR

The BB&T Bright Card offers an intro APR of 0% for both balance transfers and purchases. This makes it an excellent low-interest credit card, and a great fit for anyone looking to transfer their balances between accounts.

After the introduction period, however, the APR then lands between 11.24% and 20.24%, depending on the cardholders’ creditworthiness. This shows how important it is to maximize the savings earned within the first 15 months because, after that, you will have to spend a lot more on interest.

Many cardholders have more than one credit card. In this case, it is beneficial for BB&T Bright card users to transfer their balance from a higher interest card to this new card, since they will not have to pay interest for the first 15 months. It is also important to use this card for any new purchases, especially large ones because cardholders can save hundreds of dollars in interest alone. With both 0% APR on purchases, you will be able to finance expensive items that you may not have been otherwise able to obtain. Also, the 0% APR on balance transfers allows you to not have to worry about making more than necessary payments on debts such as personal and auto loans. 

Security Features

One interesting aspect of this card is that there is an assortment of customizable card control features that allow you to have more control in how your card is used.

One of these features is being able to turn your card off instantly if it is lost, stolen, or temporarily misplaced. This is an extremely useful tool to have since it can prevent fraudulent charges being placed on your card. You can also use this feature to limit your spending habits as it allows you to control impulsive purchases. If you find yourself readily purchasing items and services with your credit card that you feel are truly unessential than you can best take advantage of this feature. 

There are additional elements of the card aiming to prevent fraudulent charges. For example, the cardholder can set geographic limits to where their card can be used to eliminate the prospect of foreigners from attaining the cardmember’s credit card information and purchasing goods with it. With the increase in scams happening from foreign operators, you can rest at ease knowing that all your information is safe because of this critical add-on. 

If those two features were not enough, the cardholder can set up fraud alerts. The bank will send them texts, emails, and will call them as well if there are any suspicious charges or spending trends on the cardholders’ account. 

If all else fails, cardholders can still rest assured that they will not be held accountable for fraud charges with the Zero Liability Policy. They must simply report the fraudulent charges as soon as they notice them on their account. With Zero Liability Policy, you are not held responsible for any unauthorized charges made on your account. This means that even if your card is used against your will, you won’t have to pay for any of the transactions made by the third party. 

Additional Features

Another benefit cardholders will receive is they will have access to their credit score. This is through VantageScore and is free to all card owners. Their credit score will be updated regularly, allowing for them to be consistently informed on their creditworthiness, as they can check it whenever they please. This means that you will be able to closely monitor your credit score whenever you wish, without having to worry about paying a fee to check it every time that you do. 

Although card users need an excellent credit score to obtain this card, the BB&T Bright card still provides a feature to help cardholders keep their scores high. For those who are concerned about their spending habits, cardholders have the option to manage their spending through transaction limits. This is an effective tool to help keep your credit score high by ensuring that payments are completed on time. It is also important to complete all payments on time since there is a late fee of up to $38, which can be easily avoided by using this feature. 

BB&T Deals

Although there is no typical rewards program offering certain points depending on purchasing categories, this card offers BB&T deals. These deals are extremely easy to use since it just takes a couple of clicks to collect your savings.

The first thing you must do is log into U by BB&T. There will be a deals tab that you can click and it will show you the offers you have based on purchases you have made. All you have to do is click the deals you want and they will be added to your account. You will also not be penalized for adding deals that you do not end up using, making it simple to add any deals you are interested in without worrying about any potential consequences.

For most purchases, the BB&T Bright card provides cash-back earnings directly into your account. These earnings can be applied to your BB&T deals, making it easier and cheaper to complete online purchases. 

The last step is to shop. All you have to do to redeem your deals is make a purchase using your card. The more you spend, the more deals you receive, showing that being a loyal customer is highly rewarded.

There are many different places and participants in this deal program. For example, some of the locations participating include:

• AT&T
• Chili’s
• Starbucks
• Jamba Juice
• DirectTV
• Petsmart
• Sears
• Sephora

As you can see by the above list, redeeming your BB&T deals can help you shop at a variety of locations, and then earn even more. Cardholders can feel secure with these transactions as well since BB&T does not share any of their card information or account details with any of these companies.

   Credit Score Requirements

To increase your chances of approval, it is recommended that you have a credit score of 670 or higher, which means being in good credit or better, before applying for this card. However, it is important to note that the BB&T Bright card is designed more for people with very good to excellent credit (750 to 850 credit score), so you should aim to raise your credit score as much as possible before applying. You will need a higher credit score to get a lower APR and a higher credit limit. If you don’t get approved for this credit card and get rejected, you would have lowered your credit score for no reason. Your credit score plummets by a few points each time you apply for a credit card, meaning it is in your best interest to check your credit score before you apply. 

Conclusion

While this card is primarily for people who want to transfer balances between accounts and finance large purchases, many other features make it an excellent choice for many types of cardholders.

There is no annual fee, there are plenty of security features, and there is even a BB&T deal program to increase the incentive to own this card.

While there are many benefits to owning this card, it may not be the best choice for people who travel often. This is because there is a 3% foreign transaction fee. Additionally, many other cards offer stronger rewards programs and bonuses, along with lower credit score requirements. This ultimately makes the BB&T Bright a great choice for those with high credit scores who will take advantage of the intro APR period of zero interest, while people with other priorities and lower credit scores may not be as motivated to own this card.