U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card Review 2024

• U.S. Bank Altitude Connect Visa Signature Credit Card Introduction
• Quick Facts
• What Is the U.S. Bank Altitude Connect Visa Signature Credit Card Best For?
• U.S. Bank Altitude Connect Visa Signature Credit Card Rewards
• Introductory Rates
• U.S. Bank Altitude Connect Visa Signature Card Benefits
• Fine Print
• How the U.S. Bank Altitude Connect Visa Signature Card Stacks Up
• Is the U.S. Bank Altitude Connect Visa Signature Credit Card for You?
• Methodology

The U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card* keeps earning and redeeming rewards simple. It offers extra rewards on travel and gas, earning 5 points per dollar on prepaid hotels and car rentals booked directly in the Altitude Rewards Center, 4 points per dollar on travel and at gas and EV charging stations on the first $1,000 each quarter, 2 points per dollar at grocery stores, dining and streaming services (excluding discount stores, supercenters and wholesale clubs) and 1 point per dollar on all other eligible purchases. Rewards can be redeemed for cash back, travel, charity, merchandise and gift cards via the Rewards Center. Points are worth 1 cent for all redemptions except statement credits which are redeemed at 0.8 cents per point. Cash back redeemed to a U.S. Bank account is at the rate of 1 cent per point which makes the card a natural fit for existing U.S. Bank customers who want to earn cash-back rewards while enjoying some travel benefits.

Cardholders get four complimentary visits to Priority Pass airport lounges. While this benefit isn’t unlimited, it’s unusual for a card with no annual fee to provide lounge access. Plus, by registering your flight for SmartDelay, you and up to three more passengers can receive complimentary lounge access at over 1,000 locations if your flight is significantly delayed. Other travel perks include a statement credit for TSA PreCheck® or Global Entry® application fees, trip cancellation and interruption coverage and trip delay reimbursement.

As an everyday card with generous earnings in several common areas of spending—especially on travel and gas—the Altitude Connect is a useful option for those who want elevated rewards in the areas they spend the most, along with a taste of premium perks typically reserved for cards charging annual fees.

• Earn 20,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 in eligible purchases within the first 90 days of account opening
• Annual fee: $0
• Earn 5 points per dollar on prepaid hotels and car rentals booked directly in the Altitude Rewards Center, 4 points per dollar on travel and at gas and EV charging stations on the first $1,000 each quarter, 2 points per dollar at grocery stores, dining and streaming services (excluding discount stores, supercenters and wholesale clubs) and 1 point per dollar on all other eligible purchases
• No foreign transaction fees
• Four free Priority Pass lounge visits per year
• Points don’t expire
• Get a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit once every four years

The card is a good choice for those who want to earn extra cash back on their everyday spending while benefiting from some premium travel perks without incurring an annual fee. It is a particularly good fit for existing U.S. Bank customers due to the higher cash-back rate received when redeeming to a U.S. Bank account.

Earning Rewards

The U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card* earns at the following rates: 5 points per dollar on prepaid hotels and car rentals booked directly in the Altitude Rewards Center, 4 points per dollar on travel and at gas and EV charging stations on the first $1,000 each quarter, 2 points per dollar at grocery stores, dining and streaming services (excluding discount stores, supercenters and wholesale clubs) and 1 point per dollar on all other eligible purchases.

There’s also a welcome bonus: Earn 20,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 in eligible purchases within the first 90 days of account opening.

Redeeming Rewards

For most redemptions, points are worth 1 cent each. They can be redeemed through U.S. Bank’s Rewards Center for cash back to a U.S. Bank checking or savings account, travel, gift cards, merchandise and more. For cash back redeemed as a statement credit, points are valued at 0.8 cents per point. All cash-back redemptions must be a minimum of the equivalent of $25 or more.

A unique feature of U.S. Bank rewards-earning cards is a redemption option called Real-Time Rewards. Real-Time Rewards allow you to redeem points instantly for purchases at participating retailers via text message.

Something to note is that you can combine your rewards with those earned on the U.S. Bank Altitude® Go Visa Signature® Card*. However, you can’t combine the rewards from the Altitude Connect with U.S Bank’s premium travel card, the U.S. Bank Altitude® Reserve Visa Infinite® Card*.

Rewards Potential

Forbes Advisor uses data from various government agencies to determine baseline income and spending averages across various categories. The 70th percentile of wage-earning households brings in $118,438 annually and puts a total of $39,337 on credit cards per year.

U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card* Rewards Potential

Category	Earning Rate	Estimated Annual Spend	Estimated Annual Earnings
Prepaid Hotels and Car Rentals Through the Altitude Rewards Center	5X	$3,649	18,245
Other Travel	4X	$4,924	19,696
Gas and EV Charging (Up to $1,000/Quarter)	4X	$3,562	14,248
Dining, Streaming Services, Grocery Stores	2X	$10,009	20,018
All Other Purchases	1X	$17,193	17,193
			Total: 89,400 Points

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In all, a total of 89,400 points (potentially worth $894) would be earned in the first year in addition to the card’s welcome bonus.

The U.S. Bank Altitude Connect Visa card offers a 0% intro APR for the first 12 billing cycles on balances transferred within the first 60 days of account opening, followed by a 17.74% - 28.74% variable APR on purchases and balance transfers. A balance transfer fee of 3% of the amount of each transfer or $5 minimum, whichever is greater, applies.

• Complimentary Priority Pass Select membership. Visit over 1,500 airport lounge locations around the world with four free visits. After that, per-person lounge visit fees will be applied.
• Global Entry/TSA PreCheck statement credit. Get credit to cover application fees, once every four years.
• Travel insurance. Get coverage for trip cancellation/interruption and trip delay.

Interest Rates

• Regular APR: 17.74% - 28.74% (Variable)
• Purchase intro APR: N/A
• Balance transfer intro APR: 0% intro APR for the first 12 billing cycles on balances transferred within the first 60 days of account opening

Fees

• Annual fee: $0
• Balance transfer fee: Either 3% of the amount of each transfer or $5 minimum, whichever is greater
• Foreign purchase transaction fee: None

U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card* vs. Chase Freedom Flex®

The no annual fee Chase Freedom Flex® offers quarterly rotating bonus earning categories that earn 5% (on up to $1,500 in purchases) with activation in addition to generous regular earnings rates on dining and drugstore purchases. Like the Altitude Connect, travel purchases made through Chase Travel℠ earn 5% cash back. On the benefits side, the Freedom Flex provides a strong suite of protections, including an auto rental collision damage waiver, cellphone coverage and purchase protections, none of which the Altitude Connect offers.

The Freedom Flex can help with large expenses, providing a 0% intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers, then a variable APR of 19.99% - 28.74% applies. Balance transfer fee of up to 5% (min. $5) of the amount of each transfer applies.

Those who regularly have gas or EV purchases may find the Altitude Connect more rewarding. The Freedom Flex may be especially appealing for cardholders who already have a Chase Ultimate Rewards®-earning premium card and want to increase their stash of flexible points through pairing their cards.

U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card* vs. Citi Double Cash® Card

The Citi Double Cash® Card takes all the guesswork out of earning rewards. It earns a flat-rate of 2% cash back on all purchases—1% when purchases are made and another 1% when they’re paid off, and earn 5% total cash back on hotel, car rentals and attractions booked on the Citi Travel℠ portal through 12/31/25 with no cap and no annual fee. It doesn’t get any easier than that. The card earns ThankYou® Points which are redeemable for cash back at 1 cent per point by statement credit, direct deposit or check.

Points are transferable to a limited number of Citi’s travel partners and can be combined with points earned by any other ThankYou Point-earning card in Citi’s portfolio. The ability to pool points can be valuable if you hold a Citi credit card such as the Citi Strata Premier℠ Card which allows transfers to the full range of Citi’s airline and hotel partners. However, the Double Cash is lackluster on the benefits front, providing little in the way of perks.

The Double Cash offers a 0% intro APR on balance transfers for 18 months. After that, the standard variable APR will be 18.74% - 28.74%, based on creditworthiness. An intro balance transfer fee of either $5 or 3%, whichever is greater, applies to transfers completed within the first 4 months of account opening. After that, the fee will be 5% of each transfer (minimum $5). This is longer than the intro period offered by the Altitude Connect, so if a longer period for an intro APR is needed, this may be attractive.

U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card* vs. Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card

The no annual fee Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card earns unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases while providing some solid benefits such as cellphone protection (subject to a $25 deductible) and an auto collision damage waiver on car rentals—neither of which are available with the Altitude Connect card. Reward redemption is straightforward and can be done via statement credit, gift cards, direct deposit to a Wells Fargo account or mortgage or even at an ATM with a Wells Fargo debit card (available in $20 increments).

If you’re planning a large purchase and need an intro APR offer, the card offers a 0% intro APR for 12 months from account opening on purchases and qualifying balance transfers, then a 19.74%, 24.74%, or 29.74% variable APR applies. Balance transfers made within 120 days qualify for the intro rate and fee of 3% (min. $5) then a fee of up to 5% (min. $5) applies.

Those who already bank with Wells Fargo, may find this card a good fit as it integrates easily with your other financial accounts.

If you are seeking a simple, low-cost travel card that earns extra rewards for everyday purchases of gas, groceries and dining, you may find that the U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card* fits the bill. And if travel perks such as the limited lounge access are useful for you, then this card could be a winner. But if you’re looking down the road and want to maximize travel rewards, then the Chase Freedom Flex® or the Citi Double Cash® Card may be a better choice due to their ability to be paired with other cards to enable transfers to airline and hotel partners.

Forbes Advisor considers a variety of criteria when assigning credit cards a rating. Cards are graded based on numerous factors, including:

• Annual fees
• Welcome bonus offers
• Ongoing earning rates
• Value of individual rewards
• Included travel or merchant credits
• Additional cardholder benefits

Card features we expect cardholders to use the most often are weighted more heavily in our ratings. Altogether, the factors come together to provide a star rating for each individual card.

To learn more about our rating and review methodology and editorial process, check out our guide on how Forbes Advisor rates credit cards.

Forbes Advisor Credit Cards Writer Barbara King contributed to this article.