Beacon Travel vs Apex Cash Back: Which Pays More on Groceries?
22 mo · 0% APR sounds like a teaser. After two weeks of testing, we don't think it is. Here's why Beacon Travel earns a slot on the floor — and where it falls short.
Credit Cards · Beacon Travel
As of September 11, 2025 · mo
What we liked
- App and customer service are functional, not just marketing
- Schumer box is clearly disclosed before approval
- Cash-back categories are stable, not rotating ones
Watch outs
- Foreign transaction fee of 3% (no-FX-fee competitors exist)
- Card design is basic — not a status-card play
Beacon Travel just refreshed their cash-back tier table for 2025. The headline 5% on rotating categories is unchanged, but the fixed-category 3% expanded. Here's whether the card is still worth it.
After the intro period
Once the 22 mo 0% APR window expires, the card's go-to APR runs in the 18–28 range based on the prime rate plus a margin set at account opening. Beacon Travel discloses the exact margin in the Schumer box, which we always read first. If you can't clear the balance in time, the standard APR isn't competitive — you'll need a second balance transfer or a personal loan.
Who the card is for
Beacon Travel's card targets the high-middle-income spender with a balance to transfer or steady spend in groceries and gas. The 22 mo 0% APR introductory window covers most balance-transfer scenarios. The ongoing rewards rate isn't industry-leading but isn't bad. If you're chasing maximum cash back, this isn't your top pick. If you're consolidating high-interest balances, it might be.
Balance-transfer math
Balance-transfer fee is typically 3% of the transferred amount with a minimum of $5. On a $10,000 transfer that's $300 upfront — roughly the equivalent of carrying the balance at 24% APR for 6 weeks. Compared to actually carrying that balance for the full 22 mo 0% APR window, the fee pays for itself many times over. Just make a plan to clear the balance before the intro period ends.
Welcome bonus reality check
The welcome bonus on Beacon Travel's card requires a minimum spend in the first 90 days. We do not recommend manufacturing spend you wouldn't otherwise make to hit a welcome bonus — that's a lifestyle change in disguise as a 'free' bonus. If you'd hit the spend threshold from normal household expenses anyway, the bonus is found money. Otherwise, skip.
What's next on the floor
Beacon Travel's 22 mo · 0% APR stays on the credit card watchlist for the next two weeks. We'll re-pull rates Sunday night and post any meaningful change in the next Weekly Rate Floor. If you've used Beacon Travel recently and your experience differed from what we wrote here, drop a comment below — we read everything that lands on the floor.
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