PNC recently launched its new relationship program called TotalRewards. By keeping different amounts of assets with PNC, you can unlock various perks. The most notable benefit is a boost on your credit card cashback earnings. This program is very similar to the well-known Bank of America Preferred Rewards program.
Tiers and Benefits
PNC TotalRewards has the following tiers, along with their asset requirements and cashback bonuses:
- Base (no tier)
- Silver: $25k+ assets, 5% cashback boost
- Gold: $100k+ assets, 25% cashback boost
- Platinum: $500k+ assets, 35% cashback boost
| Default | Silver | Gold | Platinum | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Asset Requirement | $0+ | $25k+ | $100k+ | $500k+ |
| Cashback Boost | 0 | 5% | 25% | 35% |
Among these, the sweet spot is clearly the Gold tier. The requirement is much lower than Platinum at just $100k, while the 25% boost is already quite attractive.
What Assets Count
Eligible assets include balances across PNC accounts such as checking, savings, and brokerage. As usual with these programs, it’s especially appealing that brokerage assets count—you can simply park something like VOO there. Since you have to hold those investments somewhere anyway, this effectively comes at near-zero opportunity cost.
PNC Checking Requirement
In addition to meeting the asset threshold, you must also maintain an active PNC checking account. If you don’t already have one, it’s worth opening one and stacking it with a checking account bonus along the way.
Best PNC Credit Cards
Here are the most relevant PNC cards that benefit from this program:
PNC Cash Unlimited — 2% Everywhere Card ($0 AF)
This card is originally a straightforward 2% cashback card on all purchases with no annual fee. But once you factor in the rewards boost, it becomes extremely powerful:
- With Gold (25% boost): 2.5% cashback everywhere
- With Platinum (35% boost): 2.7% cashback everywhere
At 2.7%, this becomes one of the strongest no-category cashback cards on the market. It beats Bank of AmericaUnlimited Cash Rewards (2.625% with Preferred Rewards), though still slightly below Robinhood Gold Card’s 3% (which has exclusions).
PNC Cash Rewards — 4% Gas Card ($0 AF)
This card earns 4% cashback on gas (up to $8,000 per year). With the boost:
- Gold: 5% on gas
- Platinum: 5.4% on gas
That makes it one of the highest-earning gas cards available.
Summary
PNC TotalRewards offers meaningful value if you can meet the asset requirements:
- Gold ($100k+): 25% boost
- Platinum ($500k+): 35% boost
Combined with PNC’s solid 2% flat-rate card, you’re effectively looking at 2.5%–2.7% cashback on all purchases, which is top-tier in the current market. If you have idle assets that can be moved, this is definitely a program worth considering.
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