Ness Card review — get rewarded for healthy purchases

Editor's note: On Nov. 15, 2023 Ness announced that the Ness Card program is shutting down.

Designed for users who spare no expense on wellness products and services, the Ness Card is a premium card issued by the Bank of Missouri. Cardholders can earn reward points through eligible health and wellness purchases or physical activity and redeem fitness clothing, gear, classes, food and more. 

The Ness card is currently in public beta at Nesswell.com, which means it is available to anyone who qualifies but could undergo various changes and bugs as the card evolves.  

Below, CNBC Select breaks down the Ness card rewards, benefits and fees to help you decide if it's the right card for you. 

• Welcome bonus
• Benefits and perks
• Rates and fees
• How do other cards compare?
• Bottom line

The Ness card offers a limited-time welcome bonus of 50,000 points after spending $6,000 within the first 90 days of account opening. 

There are plenty of ways to earn rewards through the Ness card. Cardholders can earn two points per $1 on all purchases and five points per $1 through qualified health and wellness merchants, including food, health care, cosmetics, outdoor activities and fitness, when redeeming through the Ness Card Rewards Marketplace. Cardholders may also redeem points for cash back. However, points will then be worth only half a cent.   

Because the card is still in beta mode, these redemption options are subject to change

Other brand-specific offers include: 

• $15 statement credit after spending $75 in a month at Sweetgreen (limit up to two times per month) 
• Up to $300 annual credit for Parsley Health (advanced primary care) 
• Up to $200 annual credit for self-care services at Exhale Spa (up to $50 per quarter)
• Up to $200 annual credit for personal training with Fyt ($100 credit for a personal training session every 6 months)
• Up to $180 annual credit for in-home beauty services via a Glamsquad membership ($15 in statement credits per month)
• Up to $100 annual credit for probiotics from Seed ($25 statement credit every quarter)
• Up to $100 annual credit for inner wellness tech gear at HigherDOSE 
• Additional benefits from Magic Spoon, SOTO Method, Modern Age and others 

While the Ness card offers many valuable perks, it also comes with a hefty annual fee of $349. It's also a charge card, meaning it doesn't charge interest or allow you to carry a balance from one month to the next, so cardholders must pay the balance in full each billing cycle. If a late payment is made, cardholders will be charged an initial $29 late fee and a $39 late fee if another payment is —missed within the subsequent six billing cycles. If two consecutive late payments are made, the late fee will be $39 or 1.99% of the unpaid balance, whichever is greater.

There aren't many credit cards created solely for health and wellness rewards. The Paceline Card offered rewards for physical activity and eligible health and wellness purchases but was discontinued in February 2023.

The AARP® Essential Rewards Mastercard® from Barclays* also offers rewards on healthcare-related spending. For no annual fee, the card earns 3% cash back on gas and drug store purchases (excluding Target and Walmart) and 2% cash back on eligible medical expenses. Cardholders can also redeem rewards for cash back or an AARP membership, among other options, via BarclaysUS.com. 

If you want to earn solid points on purchases beyond just health and wellness, premium travel cards like the Chase Sapphire Reserve® and The Platinum Card® from American Express also offer numerous annual statement credits. For an annual fee of $550, the Sapphire Reserve offers an automatic $300 statement credit whenever the card is used on a travel purchase. In contrast, the Platinum card offers other valuable statement credits on luxury travel and shopping purchases, such as hotels, including a monthly Equinox gym credit for an annual fee of $695 (see rates and fees). Terms apply.  

The Ness Card is a great credit card for consumers devoted to health and wellness spending because of its various reward options and statement credits. But unless you can commit to shopping with the participating merchants that will earn you the offered credits, it may not be worth the $349 annual fee. You may also want to wait until the card is finished with beta testing, which could significantly change its features. If you're still looking for a card that offers rewards on healthcare spending, check out the AARP® Essential Rewards Mastercard® from Barclays*. And if you just want a card that provides great perks and benefits, consider the Chase Sapphire Reserve or The Platinum Card® from American Express.

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For rates and fees of the Platinum Card® from American Express, click here.