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Unlike many of the top credit card companies, US Bank rarely partners with travel providers such as airlines and hotels to offer co-branded cards. Instead, most US Bank cards are designed around cash-back rewards, featuring competitive earning rates and a variety of bonus categories tailored to meet the needs of shoppers, travelers, small businesses, and more.

Check out our picks for the best US Bank credit cards below, and see which ones can boost your return on spending.

Best US Bank Credit Card

Compare the Best US Bank Credit Cards

Methodology: How We Chose the Best US Bank Credit Cards

Insider's credit cards team examined the US Bank portfolio of personal and small business credit cards to determine which are most useful and valuable to cardholders. We narrowed our list by focusing on cards that offer competitive rewards, uncommon benefits, and/or strong overall value.

We evaluated the cards based on several factors, including:

  • Rewards earning potential — If the card earns rewards, are the earning rates competitive with similar cards? Are the bonus categories useful, and are any of them capped at a certain spending amount?
  • Benefits — Does the card offer perks that make it stand out from similar cards, such as statement credits, increased award redemption rates, or travel protections?
  • Fees — How does the annual fee compare to the value cardholders can expect to get from the card? Are there other fees or a high APR to be aware of?
  • Introductory offers — Does the card come with a strong incentive to apply?

Here's a guide to how we rate credit cards at Insider for a full breakdown of our methodology.

US Bank Credit Card Frequently Asked Questions

Are US Bank credit cards good?

US Bank credit cards are good for folks looking to earn cash back (or points that can be redeemed like cash back), with plenty of options to fit all types of spending. They're also a solid choice if you're looking for a credit card to help improve your credit score, because US Bank offers secured versions of several of its most popular cash-back cards.

However, if you're looking for a card that earns transferable points that you can move to airline and hotel loyalty programs, you'll want to give US Bank cards a skip. None of them offer transferable rewards.

Do US Bank credit card rewards expire?

Yes, in some cases, your US Bank rewards can expire, depending on the card you have. For example, with the U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card - Editorial Name Only, your cash rewards expire at the end of the calendar month 36 months after the billing cycle in which they were earned. But if you have a points-earning card like the U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card - Editorial Name Only, your points won't expire as long as your account is open and in good standing.

Is it hard to get a US Bank credit card?

As long as you choose a card you can qualify for with your credit score, US Bank cards aren't terribly hard to get. For instance, if you have a bad credit score, you might consider a secured credit card like the U.S. Bank Altitude® Go Visa® Secured Card - Editorial Name Only, which is geared to those who are new to credit or rebuilding their credit. On the opposite end of the spectrum, a card like the U.S. Bank Altitude® Reserve Visa Infinite® Card - Editorial Name Only, by virtue of being a premium Visa Infinite card, requires an excellent credit score for consideration.

Do US Bank credit cards have preapproval?

Many banks offer pre-approved credit cards on their websites, where you can enter your details and get a good idea if you'll be approved without a hard inquiry on your credit report. US Bank does not offer pre-approval online, but sometimes sends pre-approved card offers by mail, email, or through your online account.

Best overall

US Bank Altitude Reserve Visa Infinite Card

As US Bank's entry into the premium credit card space, the U.S. Bank Altitude® Reserve Visa Infinite® Card - Editorial Name Only offers valuable rewards and a compelling package of benefits that can easily justify its U.S. Bank Altitude® Reserve Visa Infinite® Card - Annual Fee annual fee.

To start with, you can earn a welcome bonus of U.S. Bank Altitude® Reserve Visa Infinite® Card - Intro Bonus. You'll also earn 5 points per dollar on hotels and car rentals booked through Altitude Rewards, 3 points per dollar on other travel purchases and mobile wallet purchases, and 1 point per dollar elsewhere. Few credit cards offer bonus points for mobile wallet purchases, so this card is a great fit for anyone who regularly uses apps like Apple Pay, Google Pay, or Samsung Pay.

Points are worth 1.5 cents when you redeem them for travel through the Altitude Rewards Center, or for other travel purchases using US Bank's Real-Time Mobile Rewards. Those redemption options don't have the same upside as airline and hotel transfer partners offered by other rewards programs, but they do provide a consistent and lucrative return on spending if you travel regularly. Otherwise, you have the option to redeem for cash at a flat rate of 1 cent per point.

The U.S. Bank Altitude® Reserve Visa Infinite® Card - Editorial Name Only's foremost benefit is statement credits that cover up to $325 in travel and dining purchases. The credit works automatically, offsetting most of the annual fee as long as you spend that amount in eligible categories each year. You'll also get a credit of up to $100 every four years to cover the cost of application fees for select expedited security programs like TSA PreCheck or Global Entry. 

Beyond credits, the card offers airport lounge access via a 12-month Priority Pass Select membership, plus strong travel protections like primary rental car insurance and trip delay insurance that applies after only six hours.

US Bank Altitude Reserve Review

Best for dining rewards

US Bank Altitude Go Visa Signature Card

The U.S. Bank Altitude® Go Visa Signature® Card - Editorial Name Only offers an excellent return for a card with no annual fee, especially on dining. You'll earn 4 points per dollar for purchases in that category, which includes restaurants, takeout, and delivery. You'll also earn a respectable 2 points per dollar at grocery stores, gas stations, and EV charging stations, and on a long list of streaming services like Amazon Prime, Netflix, and Hulu. All bonus categories are uncapped, so you'll earn at those rates for every dollar you spend on eligible purchases, plus 1 point per dollar spent elsewhere.

The card offers a welcome bonus of U.S. Bank Altitude® Go Visa Signature® Card - Intro Bonus. You also get a U.S. Bank Altitude® Go Visa Signature® Card - Intro APR, followed by a U.S. Bank Altitude® Go Visa Signature® Card - Regular APR APR.

Points have a flat redemption rate of 1 cent apiece. You can redeem for statement credits to your account with a minimum redemption of 2,500 points, or for travel and gift cards starting at 1,000 points. These rewards don't expire, so there's no rush to use them, but also no incentive to save them up.

On top of competitive rewards, the U.S. Bank Altitude® Go Visa Signature® Card - Editorial Name Only offers a $15 annual streaming credit valid on the same services that earn 2 points per dollar spent. The credit is applied automatically following 11 consecutive months of payments to eligible streaming services. You'll also get basic Visa Signature benefits and pay no foreign transaction fees.

US Bank Altitude Go Card Review

Best for gas rewards

US Bank Altitude Connect

With an annual fee of U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card - Annual Fee, the U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card - Editorial Name Only offers a generous earning structure, especially for travel and gas.

Cardholders earn 5x points on prepaid hotels and car rentals booked through the Altitude Rewards Travel Center, 4x points on travel, gas stations, and EV charging stations, 2x points at grocery stores, grocery delivery, dining, and eligible streaming services, and 1 point per dollar on all other eligible purchases.

It starts you off with a welcome bonus offer of U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card - Intro Bonus (worth $500 in cash back, gift cards, merchandise, and more). You'll also receive a $30 streaming credit each year when you use your card to pay for eligible streaming services for 11 consecutive months.

This card comes with a slew of benefits that, when maximized, can be worth much more than the annual fee. Cardholders receive a Priority Pass Select membership with four free visits per year, SmartDelay protection that offers free airport lounge access in the event of a flight delay of 120 minutes or more, a Global Entry/TSA PreCheck application fee credit, cell phone protection, and decent credit card travel insurance. 

US Bank Altitude Connect Card Review

Best for flexible bonus categories 

US Bank Cash+

Unlike other 5% cash back credit cards, the U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card - Editorial Name Only lets you choose which purchases earn the most rewards. Each quarter, you'll earn 5% cash back on up to $2,000 of combined spending in two bonus categories, including fast food, home utilities, TV, internet and streaming services, department stores, electronics stores, cell phone providers, sporting goods stores, furniture stores, movie theaters, gyms and fitness centers, ground transportation, and select clothing stores.

You'll also earn unlimited 5% cash back on prepaid travel booked through the US Bank travel portal, 2% cash back on your choice of groceries, restaurants, or gas stations and EV charging stations, and 1% back on other purchases. While the list of 5% categories includes several uninspiring options, it also features highly useful (and uncommon) ones like home utilities, cell phone providers, and TV, internet, and streaming services.

The card comes with a welcome bonus of U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card - Intro Bonus, and offers a U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card - Intro APR (then a U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card - Regular APR APR). The relatively high cap on bonus spending, the flexibility to choose your own bonus categories, and no annual fee help the U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card - Editorial Name Only stand out. However, the card charges foreign transaction fees and imposes a minimum threshold of $25 to redeem rewards. Also, rewards expire 36 months after the billing cycle in which they were earned, so you can't hold onto them indefinitely.

US Bank Cash Plus Card Review

Best for Amazon, Target, and Walmart purchases

US Bank Shopper Cash Rewards Visa Signature Card

The U.S. Bank Shopper Cash Rewards™ Visa Signature® Card - Editorial Name Only yields an excellent return on purchases from a select list of retailers, including Amazon, Target, and Walmart. If a high cash back rate appeals to you and you shop frequently at those stores or others on the list, then this card is worth a look.

You'll earn 6% cash back on your first $1,500 of combined spending each quarter with two eligible retailers of your choice. The list includes Home Depot, Best Buy, Macy's, and others in addition to the big names above. You'll also earn 5.5% cash back on prepaid rental car and hotel reservations booked through US Bank, and 3% cash back on up to $1,500 of eligible purchases in your choice of one everyday category (like wholesale clubs, gas and EV charging stations, bills, and utilities). All other purchases earn 1.5% cash back.

The card comes with a welcome offer of a U.S. Bank Shopper Cash Rewards™ Visa Signature® Card - Intro Bonus. Cash back is the main attraction, so it doesn't offer any premium benefits, but it does offer basic Visa Signature benefits like extended warranty and return protection. The card has an annual fee of U.S. Bank Shopper Cash Rewards™ Visa Signature® Card - Annual Fee, so you can try it out at no cost.

While 6% cash back is hard to beat, it may not be your best option if you shop primarily at one of the eligible retailers and not others, or if you tend to spend a lot more than $1,500 per quarter at eligible retailers. In those cases, you may be better off getting a store-branded card (like the Prime Visa - Product Name Only or Target Red Card Credit Card - Product Name Only) that earn an unlimited 5% back with no annual fee.

US Bank Shopper Cash Rewards Card Review

Best for small business owners

US Bank Business Triple Cash Rewards World Elite Mastercard 

The Triple Cash card makes our list of best rewards business credit cards by offering well-rounded cash back bonus categories with no annual fee. You'll earn unlimited 3% cash back at office supply stores, gas stations and EV charging stations, restaurants, and cell phone service providers. You'll also earn 5% cash back on prepaid hotels and car rentals booked through the US Bank Rewards Center, plus 1% cash back on other purchases.

The card offers a welcome bonus of U.S. Bank Business Triple Cash Rewards World Elite Mastercard® - Intro Bonus, as well as U.S. Bank Business Triple Cash Rewards World Elite Mastercard® - Intro APR (followed by a U.S. Bank Business Triple Cash Rewards World Elite Mastercard® - Regular APR APR). You'll get Mastercard World Elite benefits, and an annual $100 credit for recurring software subscriptions (like QuickBooks or FreshBooks).

US Bank Business Triple Cash Rewards Card Review

Best for building or rebuilding credit 

US Bank Altitude Go Secured Card

The U.S. Bank Altitude® Go Visa® Secured Card - Editorial Name Only functions much like the regular U.S. Bank Altitude® Go Visa Signature® Card - Editorial Name Only discussed above, offering unlimited 4 points per dollar on dining purchases, as well as unlimited 2 points per dollar at grocery stores, gas stations and EV charging stations, and eligible streaming services. All other purchases earn an unlimited 1 point per dollar.

Points have a consistent redemption value of 1 cent apiece toward statement credits, travel, and gift cards, with similar minimum redemption thresholds and no expiration. The U.S. Bank Altitude® Go Visa® Secured Card - Editorial Name Only also offers the same $15 annual streaming credit, which is an uncommon perk for a secured credit card with no annual fee.

The card deviates from the regular version by not offering a welcome bonus or introductory 0% APR, and by requiring a minimum security deposit of $300. The secured card also incurs foreign transaction fees and lacks Visa Signature benefits, but US Bank will periodically assess your eligibility for an upgrade to the regular version, so it's a useful stepping stone for those looking to build or rebuild credit.

US Bank Altitude Go Secured Credit Card Review

Best for 0% introductory APR 

US Bank Visa Platinum Card 

This card offers no welcome bonus and doesn't earn rewards of any kind, so it's not a good fit for long-term spending. What it does offer is a long U.S. Bank Visa® Platinum Card - Intro APR (then a U.S. Bank Visa® Platinum Card - Regular APR APR). There are 0% APR card offers available with longer introductory rates (up to 21 months), as well as some with 18-month or 15-month introductory periods that earn rewards. Still, this card is a viable short-term solution for anyone who needs interest-free purchasing power and wants to stay in the US Bank ecosystem.

The U.S. Bank Visa® Platinum Card - Editorial Name Only has no annual fee, but it does charge foreign transaction fees. The one benefit you'll get with this card is cell phone protection against theft and damage when you use your card to pay for your wireless bill. The coverage applies up to $600 per claim with a $25 deductible. Cell phone protection is a useful benefit, but it's one you can find on more rewarding credit cards. In short, if you're not getting this card for the introductory APR, then you can almost certainly do better.

US Bank Visa Platinum Card Review

 

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The Best US Bank Credit Cards of May 2023