Bank Norwegian Visa: 5 Reasons Why You SHOULD Get This Credit Card (2023)

Is the Bank Norwegian Visa still good these days? This card used to be one of the best tools in my pocket back in 2015, and I managed to score so many free flights thanks to it. However, the world has changed drastically since then, and the credit card scenario looks very different in 2023.

There are many other great cards Bank Norwegian has gone through a major restructuring recently. Since November 2022, the bank is now a branch of NOBA Bank Group AB. As part of the transition, they temporarily paused referrals and changed their interest rates and internal product offerings.

Overall, this is a fantastic card to have in your arsenal: it’s free, and gives you a ton of benefits including rewards, insurances, free ATM withdrawals, and even helps you build your credit score. In this post, we look at the new offering IN DETAIL, and I share five reasons why I think should consider getting this card (and I tried over 150 cards, yes).

Let’s get started!

Bank Norwegian Visa: A Comprehensive Look (2023)

What is the Bank Norwegian Visa?

Main Benefits

Rewards: CashPoints or Cashback?

The most interesting part to me is the dual reward system that they introduced back in 2020. In previous years, you could only earn CashPoints and use them in Norwegian Airlines or partners. During the pandemic, almost no-one was flying, and then CashPoints didn’t make sense. So, they enabled Cashback as an alternative system you could switch to and from.

Cashback

This is the most simple system. With cashback, you get money back each time you use your Bank Norwegian card. Earned cashback can be used to pay down your credit card invoice at the end of the month.

If you switch from CashPoints, you will NOT LOSe your CashPoints that you have previously earned. You can switch back to CashPoints earnings at any time if you wish.

The current earning ratres are:

• 0.5% back on purchases
• Withdraw earned points at any time
• 1 cashback corresponds to 1 SEK / NOK
• Applies to card use of up to 100.000 kr per calendar year

CashPoints

The alternative system, and also the original one, is called CashPoints. This currency is basically Norwergian Airlines miles/points. You can get your next vacation free by redeeming CashPoints on their flights.

1 CashPoint = is 1 equivalent to 1 NOK. The earning rates are as follows:

• 0.5% earnings on merchandise purchases
• 3% CashPoints on LowFare tickets with Norwegian
• 4% CashPoints on LowFare+ tickets with Norwegian
• 5% CashPoints on Flex tickets with Norwegian

Insurances

The free card comes with purchase protection plus two other insurances included: travel and groceries. On top of that, you can get extra insurances for a small yearly fee.

Insurances included

• Travel Insurance: Valid as long as a minimum of 50% of the trip’s transport cost is paid with the Bank Norwegian card. If you must cancel the trip or experience other events while on holiday, you can receive compensation from the insurance. The travel insurance gives you full coverage on trips you pay for with your Bank Norwegian card.
• Groceries Insurance: With the grocery insurance, you will be paid up to SEK 10,000 if you are on sick leave, laid off, or unemployed. The Grocery insurance is automatically included when you use the Bank Norwegian card to buy groceries.

Optional insurances

• Dental Insurance
• Payment protection
• Deductible insurance for rental car
• ID theft insurance

Video Walkthrough

If you had the chance to watch my video on how to get 1 MILLION SAS EuroBonus points, you might know that I use two main cards, which are the SAS Amex Elite, and the SAS World Premium Mastercard. However, I didn’t mention in that video that I also use the Bank Norwegian Visa as a 3rd backup.

My Unboxing

I did a full unboxing of the card recently. The cards are issued in plastic and are of lower quality than before. Still, with most people using Apple Pay and Google Pay these days, that shouldn’t be a problem.

The Dashboard

The web dashboard is elegant and simple to use. You can log in using BankID (Mobile or Desktop), or SMS code.

This is the main screen you see. In the overview, you can switch between your products such as Credit Card, Savings Accounts, Loans, etc.

In a quick glimpse, you can see your current balance (credit used), total credit amount available (up to 150.000 SEK/NOK), and balance on your savings account.

Down below, you can also see your CashPoint or Cashback balance, switch between the two systems, and add or remove the optional insurances.

There’s also a native app for Android and iOS

Why should you get this card?

1. No annual fees

I’ve had this card for over 13 years now and never had to pay a single cent in fees.

2. It is a Visa

I use always try to pay with my American Express or my Mastercard. However, believe it or not, there are several places and shops that only take Visa. This happens a lot abroad, especially in South America. This means that you have to pay with either a Visa card or cash.

Since I always refuse to pay cash or debit cards (because of many reasons including buyers’ protection and not getting any points), this card is a great alternative for those cases.

Another use case is that often times you see promotions only if you pay with Visa. Some hotels or touristic attractions offer you 10% or 20% off only if you pay with Visa. Another example is Marriott hotels, which have ongoing promotions with discounted rates only if you pay with Visa.

3. Flexibility in choosing your rewards

The possibility to choose either points or cashback is a big win. It lets customers choose their own way and decide what’s best for a given moment in their life. It’s also great that you can switch any time. The earning rates are similar, but if you are a heavy Norwegian Airlines traveller, it might make more sense to get CashPoints, as you can accelerate the earnings through other partners as well.

The cashback is 4% if you buy the lowest fare tickets and 10% if you buy the most flexible tickets. This is significant if you buy tickets often for business or pleasure.

4. No fees for withdrawals in Sweden or Abroad

This is also a great feature if you need money from an ATM. I never take money from my bank account (or even have money in my checking account since I mainly save or invest the rest and live with my credit cards. This is very convenient when traveling abroad. Keep in mind that you don’t get any CashPoints on withdrawals, tho.

5. Dental Insurance (optional)

You can opt-in to a dental protection plan, where you get reimbursed some amount of money every year for check-ups or treatments. Great protection (not common in low-end cards), especially if you want to cover up for dental issues in the future!

A short disclaimer here, I am talking about these benefits assuming you pay your monthly statement IN FULL.

6. It helps you build your credit score (BONUS)

A free card like this can help you build your credit history (UC Score in Sweden) and can be the key to better cards, interest rates in mortgages and loans, and more benefits later on. Get started ASAP.

Some Downsides

1. Lower earning rate on everyday purchases (Only 0.5% Cashpoints)
2. High-interest if you don’t pay in full. They have an over 21% APY, while other cards have better rates. Even the Northmill Bank overdraft does the job for about 7%-10% APY. If what you want is a card to defer payments and split large expenses into multiple months, this is not the best option in the market.
3. No earning when buying other airlines! This is quite aggressive IMHO.
4. You need to be over 23 years old to apply, compared to other banks where you just need to be over 18 or 20.

Other interesting services

Microcard (Free): Order a contactless microcard for free.

Pay your bills: Use your visa card to pay for invoices, bills, rent and more.

In which countries is the Bank Norwegian Visa issued?

As of 2023, the Bank Norwegian Visa is issued in Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark and Germany.

Bank Norwegian Kreditkarte (Germany)

Bank Norwegian Platinum

There are many searches online every month related to either ‘Bank Norwegian Platinum’ or ‘Norwegian Bank Platinum’, and there seems to be a slight confusion that I wanted to clarify.

There used to be a Norwegian Cruise Line Platinum Mastercard, in the US, that allowed you to rack up points to exchange for Cruises. This card is no longer offered, and there’s only a World Mastercard issued by Bank of America.

As of today, Bank Norwegian (NOBA Group) only issues the no-annual-fee Visa credit card and there’s no other premium tiers such as Gold or Platinum you could choose from. In Germany, the card is issued in Gold, not red.

Other products from Bank Norwegian (NOBA)

• Loans without collateral
• High-yield savings accounts (Sparkonto)

Thanks for checking my post. Feel free to reach out to me on Instagram if you have questions!

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• Bank Norwegian Visa Card Unboxing (2023): Now Part Of NOBA Bank