National Bank Syncro Mastercard
A low-rate specialist, not a rewards card. Only worth it if you genuinely expect to carry a balance.
- Annual fee
- $35 (Refunded within three months of account opening (current offer))
- Welcome bonus value (full offer)
- ≈ $70 $70 cash back on $5,000 net purchases in the first 12 months, plus the $35 annual fee refunded
- First-year net value
- ≈ $70
- Interest rates
- 8.90% purchases · 12.90% cash advances (variable (prime + 4% purchases, prime + 8% advances); the 8.90%/12.90% floors currently apply)
Direct issuer link — details verified 2026-07-26
Rewards math assumes you pay your balance in full every month — interest charges quickly exceed any rewards value.
Standard Score breakdown
PassSix weighted components, each rated 0–10. “Contributes” is the rating × weight — add all six and you get a raw 3.35/10, published as 3.4/10.
Evidence behind each input
The facts are structured; the rating remains an editorial judgment. Open any component to audit what was considered without mistaking the evidence for an automatic formula.
First-year value3.0/10
The anchor fixes the starting point; the 1.0-point reduction is within the published maximum and makes the reachability judgment visible.
- $70 first-year net value maps to a 4.0/10 baseline.
- Published first-year input: 3.0/10 (-1.0 versus baseline).
- Adjustment context: The cash-back welcome offer is the only earning opportunity
Ongoing value3.0/10
This input judges recurring earn and cash-like credits after the annual fee; the welcome offer and non-cash perks are excluded.
- $35 annual fee.
- Fee condition: Refunded within three months of account opening (current offer)
- Published earn: No rewards — low-rate card — All purchases.
- No cap is stated in the structured earn rows.
Flexibility2.0/10
This input reflects that the card creates no reward currency and therefore offers no redemption path.
- Reward currency: None (no rewards).
- The card earns no redeemable reward currency.
Perk usability3.0/10
This input credits non-cash benefits at realistic use, separate from cash-like credits already counted in ongoing value.
- No airport lounge access.
- 2 published insurance benefits: Purchase protection; Extended warranty.
Low friction7.5/10
This input combines network acceptance, caps, conditions, eligibility, and operational effort; a higher rating means less friction.
- Mastercard acceptance; 2.5% foreign-transaction fee.
- No published income minimum.
Strategic fit3.5/10
This input asks whether the card fills a distinct role in a small wallet rather than duplicating another card; redemption quality is not counted again here.
- Ranking roles: cash-back, low-interest.
- Fit case: Anyone who occasionally carries a balance and wants to minimize interest cost rather than maximize rewards.
- Main conflict: You pay your balance in full every month — a rewards card earns more with zero downside.
See how the Standard Score works or re-weight it to your priorities.
Earn rates
| Category | Rate |
|---|---|
| All purchases | No rewards — low-rate card |
Included insurance
Purchase protection · Extended warranty
Why it earns its score
- Purchase interest rate as low as 8.90% (prime + 4%), far below standard ~20-21% cards
- Annual fee effectively waived — refunded under the current offer
- Useful for carrying an occasional balance without punishing interest
Where it loses points
- No ongoing rewards program
- The cash-back welcome offer is the only earning opportunity
- Rewards-focused cards make more sense if you pay your balance in full
Who it’s for
Anyone who occasionally carries a balance and wants to minimize interest cost rather than maximize rewards.
Who should skip it
You pay your balance in full every month — a rewards card earns more with zero downside.
The bottom line
Standard Score 3.4/10 — Pass. We estimate ≈ $70 in first-year net value after the $35 fee.
Direct issuer link — no commission shapes this review
Rewards math assumes you pay your balance in full every month — interest charges quickly exceed any rewards value.
Renewal math
Should you keep this card?
The welcome offer only lands once, and the waived first-year fee bills for real at renewal — so the keep-or-cancel question is whether the $35 fee still pays for itself on earn alone. Enter your monthly spend to see the recurring math.
~$0/year in rewards at this spend − $35 fee = -$35/year
The fee outruns rewards by $35/year — consider downgrading or cancelling before it billsEstimates price your spend at the card’s published earn rates and our Points Standard Index valuations; they ignore category earn caps and any retention offer the issuer might make if you call. Perks you actually use — insurance, lounge visits — are value on top of this math, so weigh them before cancelling.
Welcome-offer history
We’ve tracked this card’s welcome offer since Jul 11, 2026 and log every change, so you can judge whether today’s offer is genuinely strong or just loudly advertised.
| Offer | Est. value | Recorded | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| $70 cash back on $5,000 net purchases in the first 12 months, plus the $35 annual fee refunded | ≈ $70 | Jul 11, 2026 | Current |
Source: issuer card page · Last reviewed 2026-07-26. Details change often — confirm current terms with the issuer before applying.
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