Best U.S. Bank Credit Cards 2024

Who is U.S. Bank?

U.S. Bank is one of the largest banks in the United States with over 2,000 branches in 26 states. U.S. Bank has a long and storied history that dates all the way back to 1863 and offers a range of financial services and products, including wealth management, bank accounts, retirement accounts, loans, and credit cards. You can learn more about U.S. Bank savings accounts in our helpful guide.

It is consistently ranked among the top 10 credit card issuers in America, and as of 2023 ranked 7th behind other issuers like American Express, Bank of America Capital One, Chase, and Citi. It has been rated as one of the most ethical companies in the world, by The Ethisphere Institute, for nine years straight, as of 2023.

Are U.S. Bank credit cards any good?

Despite being a smaller bank competing against credit card giants like Amex & Chase, U.S. Bank offers some great credit cards. Specifically, U.S. Bank credit cards are praised among consumers for their flexible rewards programs. They offer a wide selection of credit cards in many different categories and come with lower fees than other competitors, making them a great option for middle-class consumers.

Which U.S. Bank credit card is best?

There are several U.S. Bank credit cards that stand out from the rest, although the best option for you depends on your spending style and the type of rewards you want to earn.

For example, the U.S. Bank Altitude® Go Visa Signature® Card is usually the best for people who want to earn rewards with no annual fee, while the U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card is great for earning cash back.

If you prefer to earn travel rewards, on the other hand, the U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card or the U.S. Bank Altitude® Reserve Visa Infinite® Card may serve you best.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Bank Visa® Platinum Card is far and away the best U.S. Bank credit card for debt consolidation.

Which U.S. Bank credit card is best for rewards?

When it comes to earning rewards, several U.S. Bank cards offer general (non-travel) rewards for spending.

Options include the following:

• U.S. Bank Shopper Cash Rewards Visa Signature® Card
• U.S. Bank Altitude® Go Visa Signature® Card
• U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card
• U.S. Bank FlexPerks® Gold American Express® Card
• U.S. Bank Altitude® Go Secured Visa® Card
• U.S. Bank Cash+® Secured Visa® Card

However, which card is best for rewards depends on the type of rewards you are looking for, such as cash back or rewards points.

Best for cash back

In our eyes, the best U.S. Bank credit card for cash rewards is the U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card.

This card offers 5% cash back on the first $2,000 spent in combined purchases each quarter in two categories of your choosing. From there, you earn 2% cash back in one everyday category and 1% cash back on all other purchases. A $200 rewards bonus is even available for cardholders who can spend $1,000 on eligible purchases within 120 days of account opening.

To sweeten the deal even further, the U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card offers 0% APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 billing cycles (followed by a variable APR of 19.74%-29.74%). Best of all, there’s no annual fee.

Best for rewards points

If you are interested in earning points instead of cash back, our pick of the best U.S. Bank rewards card is the U.S. Bank Altitude® Go Visa Signature® Card.

We like that this card offers 4X points on dining (including takeout and delivery), 2X points at grocery stores, grocery delivery, streaming services, gas stations and EV charging stations, and 1X points on other eligible purchases. New card members can also earn 20,000 bonus points after spending at least $1,000 on eligible purchases within 90 days of account opening.

Points earned with this card never expire as long as your account remains open, as is the case with all U.S. Bank credit cards. This card also comes with no annual fee and no foreign transaction fees, among other perks.

Best U.S. Bank credit cards for travel

U.S. Bank also offers many travel rewards credit cards, but the two that stand out among the rest are:

• U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card
• U.S. Bank Altitude® Reserve Visa Infinite® Card

Best for general travel rewards

If you want to enjoy travel rewards without spending the huge sums of money required by premiums travel credit cards, then The U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card could be a good option for you. This card is best for travel enthusiasts who don’t want to pay the high annual fee for a premium card, and while it does have a $95 annual fee, it includes many of the perks you would find on more expensive cards and you can also qualify to have the annual fee waived the first year.

Notable perks include a free credit toward Global Entry or TSA PreCheck, no foreign transaction fees, Visa Signature benefits, cell phone protection, four Priority Pass airport lounges passes each year, and a $30 annual streaming credit (terms apply).

Consumers who pick the U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card can earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $2,000 on eligible purchases within 120 days of approval and account opening. The card also earns 5X points on prepaid hotels and car rentals booked through the Altitude Rewards Center, 4X points on travel, at gas stations and EV charging stations, 2X points at grocery stores, grocery delivery, dining and streaming services and 1X points on other eligible purchases.

Best for luxury travel perks

If you want a travel credit card with all the bells and whistles, the U.S. Bank Altitude® Reserve Visa Infinite® Card is the best option. This card charges a $400 annual fee, but you earn 50% more rewards per dollar than with the U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card. You can also earn up to $325 in annual credits toward travel and dining.

New cardholders get the chance to earn 50,000 bonus points worth $750 in travel after spending $4,500 on new purchases within the first 90 days of account opening. Other rewards include 5X points on prepaid hotels and car rentals booked through the Altitude Rewards Center, 3X points on eligible travel and mobile wallet spending, and 1X points on all other eligible purchases.

In addition, the card also comes with four Priority Pass airport lounge visits per year, a free credit toward Global Entry or TSA Precheck, and more.

Best U.S. Bank credit cards for low interest

A handful of cards from this issuer offer an introductory APR that applies to purchases and balance transfers, but the two stand-out cards are the following:

• U.S. Bank Visa® Platinum Card
• U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card

Best for balance transfers

If you are in the market for a card that offers a good introductory offer for paying down debt through a balance transfer, The U.S. Bank Visa Platinum Card could be a good option for you. This card doesn’t charge an annual fee and comes with 0% APR on purchases and balance transfers for 18 billing cycles. Keep in mind you will have to pay a balance transfer fee of 3% (minimum $5) which is about average for most credit cards. After the introductory APR period, a variable APR of 18.74% to 29.74% applies.

This card doesn’t earn rewards, but it’s a great deal for people who want to pay down high-interest debt without interest for more than a year.

Best low introductory APR with cash rewards

If you want a credit card that offers 0% intro APR for purchases and balance transfers but also functions as a cash rewards card, consider the U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card.

This card comes with no annual fee and offers cash rewards on spending and 0% APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 billing cycles (followed by a variable APR of 19.74%-29.74%).

New card members can also earn a $200 cash bonus after spending $1,000 on eligible purchases within 120 days of account opening.

Best U.S. Bank credit cards with no annual fee

U.S. bank credit cards with no annual fee include:

• U.S. Bank Altitude® Go Visa Signature® Card
• U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card
• U.S. Bank Visa® Platinum Card

As you can see from the above list, there are several U.S. Bank credit cards with no annual fee. However, the best depends on what other benefits you are looking for in a card.

If your goal is to earn rewards points for spending, consider The U.S. Bank Altitude® Go Visa Signature® Card. If you are interested in earning cash back, consider the U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card. Lastly, if you are looking to transfer a balance and pay down a debt, consider the U.S. Bank Visa® Platinum Card.

Best U.S. Bank credit cards for bad credit

U.S. Bank offers three different secured credit cards that can work for people who have no credit or bad credit:

• U.S. Bank Secured Visa® Card
• U.S. Bank Altitude® Go Secured Visa® Card
• U.S. Bank Cash+® Secured Visa® Card

Each of these cards makes approval easy regardless of your creditworthiness, although a refundable security deposit is required to get started.

However, among these 3 cards, the best U.S. Bank credit card for bad credit is the U.S. Bank Altitude® Go Secured Visa® Card. While the Cash+ card offers more flexible rewards in the sense that you can redeem points for cash, the Altitude® Go Secured Visa® Card offers an easier, flat-rate points system and no limit to the number of points you can earn in spending categories. At the end of the day, the points system is also virtually identical with minor differences. Therefore it makes sense to go with the easier option with no rewards limits.

Note that the credit limit on secured cards is typically equal to the collateral put down, so any one of these cards can come with a credit limit as low as $300.

Best U.S. Bank credit cards for small business

U.S. Bank offers four different business credit cards for small business owners and entrepreneurs:

• U.S. Bank Business Altitude Connect World Elite Mastercard®
• U.S. Bank Triple Cash Rewards Visa® Business Card
• U.S. Bank Business Leverage® Visa Signature® Card
• U.S. Bank Business Platinum Card

Best small business rewards card

The U.S. Bank Triple Cash Rewards Visa® Business Card is our top pick for U.S. Bank business rewards because you earn 3% cash back on eligible purchases at gas and EV charging stations, office supply stores, cell phone service providers, and restaurants, as well as 1% cash back on other purchases.

A $500 cash bonus is available if you can spend $4,500 on purchases within three months of account opening, and there’s no annual fee. A $100 software credit for recurring purchases with FreshBooks or QuickBooks also applies.

Best business credit card with intro APR

If you’re not worried about rewards but your business needs a break on interest instead, make sure to check out the U.S. Bank Business Platinum Card. This business credit card doesn’t have an annual fee, and cardholders get 0% APR on purchases and balance transfers for the first 18 billing cycles (followed by a variable APR of 17.24% to 26.24%).

Does U.S. Bank offer credit card pre-approval?

U.S. Bank offers credit card pre-approval, but it’s not available through an online tool open to the public. Instead, the U.S. Bank sends out pre-approved offers by post or through email.

Existing U.S. Bank customers may also find pre-qualified offers on their online account management page.