Navy Federal Nearly Doubles Its Flagship Annual Fee — and Existing Cardholders Aren't Spared
Navy Federal is giving its top travel card a makeover, and it comes with a bigger price tag. The Visa Signature Flagship Rewards card is being refreshed and rebranded as the Flagship Premier — now a metal card — with the annual fee jumping from $49 to $95. That's nearly double.
The part that stings: this isn't just a new-applicant thing. Navy Federal has emailed existing Flagship Rewards cardholders that the $95 fee takes effect November 2, 2026. Members do have the right to reject the change — but rejecting it closes the account, and you'd have to call before November 1 to do so. In other words, if you want to keep the card, you're paying the higher fee.
What you get for the extra money. The card isn't just charging more for the same thing. Earning improves to 4x points on travel and 3x on dining, up from the old 3x on travel and 2x on everything. There's also a brand-new $100 annual airline incidental credit. The Global Entry/TSA PreCheck credit, complimentary Amazon Prime membership, and Visa Signature perks all carry over.
The catch buried in the fine print. While travel and dining earn more, the base rate on everything else drops — from 2x to 1x. So if a lot of your spending falls outside travel and dining, the refreshed card actually earns you fewer points on that spend, not more. This is a repricing that rewards category spenders and quietly penalizes everyday, flat-rate use.
What to do. Run the numbers before November 1. The new $100 airline credit more than covers the $95 fee — if you'll actually use it on airline incidentals. If you do, and you spend meaningfully on travel and dining, keeping the card is easy; $95 is still cheap for a metal travel card with a real credit. But if the airline credit doesn't fit how you travel, or most of your spending is outside the bonus categories, the rejection deadline is worth a hard look. Just remember: closing a long-held card can shorten your average account age and nick your credit score, so weigh that before you cancel over $95.
Verified September 9, 2026.