New Rove Card Promises Travel Rewards, No Credit History Needed

The Rove credit card, issued by Stealth Bank, pitches itself as “the first travel credit card to approve users without a credit history.” The $0-annual-fee card intends to use more than just an applicant’s credit scores to determine eligibility and will earn rewards on travel and everyday purchases. Plus, Rove says users will be able to redeem those rewards across 13 airline partners and at least one hotel program.

The card is not yet obtainable, and for now, interested applicants can only join the waitlist. The card is set to become available to some waitlist applicants beginning in December 2024 and then more broadly throughout early 2025, according to Arhan Chhabra and Max Morganroth, Rove’s co-founders.

Rather than focus solely on FICO scores to determine creditworthiness the way a traditional credit card does, Rove will also use data like income and account balances, for example, to evaluate whether an applicant is fiscally responsible. (Applicants will have to agree to link their bank accounts to Rove.)

Additionally, there’ll be a preapproval process, so interested customers will have a sense of their odds of qualifying — and what terms they might get — before officially applying. If you’re approved and accept a Rove card offer, only then will there be a hard inquiry on your credit report, which can temporarily affect your credit scores.

Using nontraditional underwriting to determine creditworthiness is not new, especially among alternative credit cards from startups. However, it is rare to find a travel card that considers applicants with no credit history or poor credit (FICO scores of 629 or lower).

Chhabra and Morganroth say that relying on more than an applicant’s credit score will allow those with no credit or who have worse than average credit, including a younger demographic, to have access to a travel card. The best travel credit cards typically require good or higher scores (FICO scores of at least 690).

The Rove credit card will earn the following:

• 3 points per $1 spent on travel booked through the Rove portal, which will include flight and hotel bookings, car rentals and experiences. 

• 2 points per $1 spent on anything else. 

Once the card launches, users will also have the opportunity to earn 4 points per $1 spent on every purchase, by referring new users. When your referred user gets a Rove credit card, you’ll earn that elevated reward rate for 30 days, or up to $2,500 in rewards, whichever comes first.

According to Rove’s co-founders, points are worth 0.75 cent each as cash back, but you’ll get better value when redeeming for travel. You can do that directly through the Rove travel portal, generally at a value of 1.25 cents per point. If you use the portal to book with one of Rove’s travel partners, however, points can be worth an average of 2 to 3 cents each.

Cardholders can redeem points across 13 airline partners and one hotel program including Flying Blue, Etihad Airways, Qatar Airways, Aeromexico, Accor Live Limitless and others. Rove notes the full list will be announced on its website soon.

Rove says it also plans to allow cardholders to redeem points with partners that offer alternate modes of transportation and experiences, like private jet and helicopter companies.

In addition to the credit card, Rove plans to offer an artificial intelligence travel agent called “The Rover.” The tool will act as an in-app travel concierge that can help users explore flight deals, suggest trip itineraries, and provide information about points usage for flights, hotels and experiences.

“Rover is about being everyone’s friend that knows how to travel-hack,” Morganroth says. “They don’t have to text someone asking them: It’s right there in the app for you.”