US Bank Altitude Connect Review

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The U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card is a good choice if you're looking for a card that earns a substantial welcome bonus along with strong bonus categories for a moderate annual fee. It also offers excellent perks like Priority Pass airport lounge access, SmartDelay protection, cell phone protection, a Global Entry/TSA PreCheck application fee credit, and a $30 annual streaming credit.

Review: Is the US Bank Altitude Connect the Best Credit Card for You?

Simplicity and ease of use are among the most undervalued benefits when it comes to choosing the best credit card for you. While it's often possible to get a higher return on your spending by earning transferable points and carefully picking the right transfer partner to redeem them with, that takes time.

And let's be honest, not everyone has the time to learn the intricate web of transfer options or the desire to do so. If you're looking for a rewarding credit card with strong bonus categories, travel perks, and an annual fee that doesn't break the bank, the U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card is a very compelling choice.

For starters, you'll earn a welcome bonus of U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card (worth $500), and the annual fee is U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card.

The U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card earns 5x points on prepaid hotels and car rentals booked through the Altitude Rewards Center, 4x points on travel and at gas stations, 2x points at grocery stores, grocery delivery, dining, and streaming services, and 1 point per dollar everywhere else.

It also comes with a $30 annual streaming bonus for eligible services like Netflix, Apple TV+, Spotify, and more, and a $100 Global Entry/TSA PreCheck statement credit once every four years. Given the proliferation of streaming services most people should be able to use that $30 credit easily, meaning for just $65 out of pocket each year, you can use the U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card as a one-stop shop for most of your purchases.

Plus, the card recently added new travel benefits, including Priority Pass airport lounge access with four free visits per year, trip cancellation and interruption insurance, trip delay insurance, and a unique SmartDelay feature that offers airport lounge access when your flight is delayed.

Who Should and Shouldn't Consider the US Bank Altitude Connect?

The U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card makes a pretty strong case for itself in the first year, with a waived annual fee, a welcome bonus worth $500, and a $30 streaming credit. After that, it still presents a very strong value proposition. Assuming you take the $30 streaming credit at face value you'll be paying $65 a year out of pocket for the card, which you could fully recoup by taking advantage of four free Priority Pass lounge visits, or by spending just $1,300 on hotels and car rentals or $1,625 on travel and gas. 

If you've decided that you'd rather not deal with the complexity of transferable points and you want a single credit card that will reward you well at the places you spend most, the U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card fits that bill.

While it's not necessarily the most rewarding card on the market in any one category, it offers strong earning rates on popular travel expenses, a simple and straightforward redemption process, and travel-friendly perks like a Global Entry/TSA PreCheck application fee credit and airport lounge access to make your vacations more relaxing.

We're focused here on the rewards and perks that come with each card. These cards won't be worth it if you're paying interest or late fees. When using a credit card, it's important to pay your balance in full each month, make payments on time, and only spend what you can afford to pay.

How to Earn Rewards From the US Bank Altitude Connect Card

The U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card has a straightforward earning structure that awards bonus points in popular spending categories. Cardholders earn:

• 5 points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and car rentals booked directly through the Altitude Rewards Center
• 4 points per dollar on travel (including airlines, hotels, car rentals, taxis, limousines, passenger trains, and cruise lines) and at gas stations
• 2 points per dollar at grocery stores and on grocery delivery, dining, and eligible streaming services
• 1 point per dollar on all other eligible purchases

It's important to note that only services that appear on US Bank's list of eligible streaming merchants qualify to earn 2x points:

How to Use US Bank Altitude Connect Points

Points earned on the U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card are worth 1 cent each no matter how you redeem them, so you can pick whichever option suits you best. 

You can redeem your rewards for travel purchases, merchandise, gift cards, cash back, and more. You also might get a text from US Bank asking if you'd like to use "Real-Time Rewards" and use your points instantly to cover a purchase you're making with your card. There's a minimum redemption amount of 2,500 points ($25) if you're redeeming for cash back.

One of the benefits of a fixed-value card like this is that there's no incentive to save up your points for some aspirational redemption, meaning you can get your cash back working for you as quickly as you earn it.

US Bank Altitude Connect Benefits and Features

While one of the main selling points of this card is the bonus categories it offers, it comes with numerous additional perks that can make your travels more comfortable and give you peace of mind.

Priority Pass airport lounge access 

One cardholder per U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card account (either primary or authorized user) is eligible to enroll in a complimentary 12-month Priority Pass Select membership. This membership comes with four free visits to over 1,300 participating airport lounges each membership year; after that, visits are $32 per person.

Opening this card is a low-cost way to enjoy airport lounges, since most credit cards with free Priority Pass airport lounge access are premium cards that charge annual fees of $400 or more. 

SmartDelay 

The U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card quietly added a new benefit called SmartDelay which can ease the inconvenience of travel disruptions. It provides free airport lounge access to the cardholder and up to three travel companions on the same itinerary when their flight is delayed by 120 minutes or more.

To take advantage of the service, you must register your flight on the card's SmartDelay website at least 2 hours prior to your scheduled departure (some flights may not be eligible). SmartDelay will monitor your flight schedule and if a delay of at least 120 minutes occurs, you'll be emailed a voucher to use for lounge access, provided your airport has a participating lounge (you can see the list of lounges, provided by LoungeKey, here). Over 1,000 lounges at over 500 airports worldwide are eligible.

Global Entry/TSA PreCheck application fee credit

Once every four years, cardholders can receive up to a $100 statement credit to cover the cost of a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application or renewal.

$30 annual streaming bonus

When you use the U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card to pay for eligible streaming services for 11 consecutive months, you'll receive an automatic $30 credit each year. The eligible streaming services for the credit are the same as those that qualify to earn 2x points.

Trip cancellation/interruption insurance

If you purchase your travel ticket with the U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card, you're eligible for reimbursement of non-refundable fares if your trip is canceled or interrupted for a covered reason, such as illness or an accident. 

Coverage is for up to $2,000 per covered passenger (cardholder, spouse/domestic partner, and dependent children), and there are exclusions, which you can read about in the card's guide to benefits.

Trip delay insurance

As long as you purchased your tickets with the U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card, you and your immediate family (spouse/domestic partner and dependent children) are eligible for up to $300 in reimbursement of reasonable expenses if your flight is delayed by at least 12 hours.

This trip delay insurance can cover you for expenses like meals or an overnight hotel room. It's secondary coverage, which means it only covers amounts not reimbursed by the airline or other insurance.

Cell phone protection

When you pay your monthly wireless bill with the U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card, you're eligible for up to $600 per claim in cell phone protection against damage or theft. There's a $100 deductible and a maximum of one claim per year.

Travel accident insurance

If you pay for your trip with the U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card, you and your spouse/domestic partner and dependent children are eligible for a very modest amount of travel accident insurance (up to $1,000 per passenger). 

Roadside dispatch

Cardholders can access a 24/7 roadside dispatch hotline which can help arrange services like towing, winching, or jumpstarting. The dispatch service itself is free, but you'll be charged a set fee for the services provided.

Travel and emergency assistance services

If you're traveling and run into issues, you can access a travel and emergency assistance hotline that can help arrange things like legal and medical referrals, prescriptions, translation services, locating lost luggage, and more. Again, the service itself is free, but any third-party costs are your responsibility.

Visa Signature benefits

Because the U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card is a Visa Signature card, cardholders can access additional perks, including:

• Visa Signature Concierge
• Visa Signature Luxury Hotel Collection
• Visa Signature Golf Benefit by Troon
• Car rental discounts

Fees and Costs

The U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card has an annual fee of U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card. You can use the card overseas without incurring extra charges, because it doesn't add foreign transaction fees.

Like most other cards, there are fees for balance transfers, cash advances, and late or returned payments.

Compare US Bank Altitude Connect vs Other US Bank Cards

US Bank Altitude Connect vs Other Rewards Credit Cards

US Bank Altitude Connect Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What credit score do I need to be approved for the US Bank Altitude Connect?

To be considered for the U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card, you should have a good to excellent credit score, which means a FICO score of at least 670.

Is the US Bank Altitude Connect card worth it?

If you spend a lot in its bonus categories and prefer simplicity in redeeming rewards, the U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card is worth considering. However, after the first year, you'll have to decide if you spend enough to justify the annual fee (even with the $30 streaming credit). 

That said, the U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card added new perks (Priority Pass Select membership, trip delay reimbursement, SmartDelay lounge access, and trip interruption/cancellation insurance) on February 2, 2023. If you're on the fence about the card, these new benefits could be more than worth it, depending on your travel habits.

Is the US Bank Altitude Connect a metal card?

No, the U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card isn't made of metal — it's a regular plastic card. If you're looking for a metal card from US Bank, consider the U.S. Bank Altitude® Go Visa Signature® Card or U.S. Bank Altitude® Reserve Visa Infinite® Card instead.

How much are points worth from the US Bank Altitude Connect?

No matter how you redeem rewards from your U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card, you'll get a value of 1 cent per point.