Americans are leaning on credit card rewards for everyday expenses, not just dream vacations

This article is sponsored by USAA.

While credit card rewards are often seen as a way to pay for travel or dining, more Americans are using them to offset rising household costs. A recent USAA Bank survey found that 36% of consumers redeem rewards for essentials like groceries and gas, nearly equal to the 37% that save them for travel and other major purchases.

To help families save money and earn more for their important spending, USAA Bank has launched a new suite of credit cards with no annual fees, flexible rewards and additional benefits designed for military families.

The Eagle Ascend™ American Express® Credit Card, for example, combines cash back with a pathway to building credit. The card offers 2% cash back on a member's top eligible spend category, such as gas stations or groceries, and 1% cash back on other purchases.

For a limited time, Eagle Ascend also comes with a one-time statement credit up to $98 (plus applicable taxes) for an annual Walmart+ membership, which includes free delivery, video streaming, gas savings and more.

Cardholders enjoy an automatic late-fee waiver every 12 months and, with on-time payments, can be considered for a credit limit increase as early as six months.

For more established members, the new Eagle Adapt™ Visa® Credit Card earns 3% cash back on the first $3,000 in combined quarterly purchases on a range of everyday spending categories — plus unlimited 1% cash back on other purchases.

USAA Bank's popular Cashback Rewards Plus American Express® Credit Card has been refreshed with enhanced rewards tailored to military households: 5% cash back on military base purchases (up to $5,000 annually), 5% on gas and 3% on groceries (both up to $3,000 annually), along with unlimited 1% on other purchases.

 "This new lineup is designed to put more money back in members' pockets by rewarding the spending they do most often," Russell MacKaron, head of retail banking at USAA Bank, told CNBC Select. "Whether it's a young service member building credit or an established family managing a household budget, the goal is to help our members build a stronger financial future."

Founded in 1922, USAA serves military service members, veterans and their family members. Military families face unique challenges, MacKaron said, from frequent moves and deployments to higher rates of unemployment among military spouses.

"With these cards, we've focused on giving more back in spending categories that are important to military life, including on-base purchases," he added.

 The USAA survey also found that 72% of respondents redeem rewards monthly or as soon as possible, compared to 24% who let them build to a bigger sum. Separately, 47% used Pay With Points options at the register to cover essentials.

This trend is also true among USAA Bank cardholders, who now redeem their rewards to pay for groceries, gas and more at retail checkouts via USAA's "Shop with Rewards" program more frequently than ever.

While the current economic crunch may pass, MacKaron believes the trend in credit card rewards will persist.

"Convenience and flexibility are powerful drivers," he said. "As more people get familiar with using rewards seamlessly for everyday purchases, we expect those options to remain popular."

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