U.S. Bank Cash+ Visa Signature Card Review
Written by
Cynthia Measom
Edited by
Melanie Grafil
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GOBankingRates Score
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Cash Back
4.3
Pros
- 5% cash back on two categories of your choice
- 2% unlimited cash back on one everyday category
- 15-month intro APR on purchases and balance transfers
- Easy-to-earn cash rewards bonus
Cons
- 5% cash-back rewards aren't unlimited
- Regular APR is not as competitive as some other cash-back cards
U.S. Bank Cash+ Visa Signature Card Overview
The U.S. Bank Cash+ Visa Signature Card is a cash-back rewards card that will allow you to earn 5% cash back in a variety of categories that you can choose from each quarter. But the rewards don’t stop there. You can also earn 5% for prepaid travel reservations made through the Rewards Travel Center and 2% cash back for everyday purchases. And when you spend outside of the 5% and 2% cash-back categories, you’ll still earn 1%. Plus, the card also offers a decent cash rewards bonus that’s relatively easy to earn.
Key Features
Here are the standout features that make the U.S. Bank Cash+ Visa Signature Card worth considering.
Number of Rewards
Cash-back rewards are a nice perk to have when using a credit card — especially if the rewards rate is 5% or more. With the U.S. Bank Cash+ Visa Signature Card, you can earn 5% back in two categories of your choice. The card offers 12 5% cash-back categories:
- Cellphone providers
- Department stores
- Electronics stores
- Fast food
- Furniture stores
- Ground transportation
- Fitness centers
- Home utilities
- Movie theaters
- Select clothing stores
- Sporting goods stores
- TV, internet and streaming services
Cardholders can also earn 5% back on Rewards Travel Center reservations.
Additionally, the card offers unlimited 2% cash-back rewards on everyday purchases, including those made at gas and EV charging stations, restaurants and grocery stores. Cardholders are allowed to choose one category from the list.
All other purchases with the card qualify for unlimited 1% cash back.
Length of 0% APR Period
The length of the 0% APR period for this card is 15 months for both purchases and balance transfers. Fifteen months is a pretty common introductory period and much better than shorter introductory periods of six months or one year. However, it is possible to find credit cards that have even longer 0% APR introductory periods, such as 18 months or 21 months, but those are not as common. After the introductory APR period ends, a APR will apply.
Sign-Up Bonus
Overall, it’s pretty easy to earn the cash rewards bonus the U.S. Bank Cash+ Visa Signature Card offers. The bank doesn’t make you jump through too many hoops. All you have to do is spend $1,000 on purchases within the first 120 days of card ownership to earn $200. That’s the equivalent of approximately $250 per month. For example, if you use the card to pay for your utility bills, your internet and streaming services and your cellphone bill, you’ll reach the required spend in no time.
Annual Fee
Cards with perks often include a mandatory annual fee, which can diminish the value of any rewards you might receive. The U.S. Bank Cash+ Visa Signature Card has no annual fee, which makes this card even more valuable because you won’t have to spend anything to enjoy the card’s benefits.
How the U.S. Bank Cash+ Visa Signature Card Stands Out
The U.S. Bank Cash+ Visa stands out due to its cash-back rewards program. Unlike some other cash-back rewards cards that have preset, designated categories each quarter, this card gives cardholders the ability to choose two 5% cash-back categories and one 2% cash-back category each quarter that work best for their spending needs.
Comparable Cash-Back Credit Card Options
When trying to decide whether a particular cash-back credit card is right for your financial lifestyle, it can help to compare similar options. Here are two to consider.
The Chase Freedom Flex card offers 5% cash-back rewards on up to $1,500 worth of purchases each quarter when you activate, while U.S. Bank allows up to $2,000 worth of purchases at the 5% rewards limit. Also unlike U.S. Bank, Chase limits cardholder flexibility by designating the 5% cash-back categories each quarter instead of allowing cardholders to choose from a category list. The Chase Freedom Flex does, however, have two 3% cash-back categories — restaurants and drugstores — while the U.S. Bank Cash+ Visa Signature Card’s next-highest rewards category offers 2%.
Credit Card
With the Discover it Cash Back Credit Card, cardholders can earn 5% cash back in select categories, which must be activated, just like they can with the U.S. Bank Cash+ card. However, Discover designates the 5% categories each quarter instead of allowing cardholders to choose from a list. And Discover limits 5% rewards to $1,500 each quarter, while U.S. Bank has a $2,000 limit.
And while the U.S. Bank Cash+ Visa Signature offers a $200 rewards bonus for spending $1,000 within the first 120 days, the Discover it Cash Back card matches all the cash you’ve earned at the end of your first year as a cardholder.
How To Apply
Applying for the U.S. Bank Cash+ card is easy. Head to the U.S. Bank Cash+ Visa Signature Card’s webpage and click on the red “Next step: Apply” button, which will redirect your browser to the application page. According to U.S. Bank, the application will take about five minutes to fill out. However, if you’re already a U.S. Bank customer, you can log in to your account to apply more quickly.
Who the U.S. Bank Cash+ Visa Signature Card Is Best For
If you’re interested in the flexibility of being able to choose two 5% cash-back categories from a list of 12 each quarter and earning unlimited 2% cash-back rewards in everyday categories like gas and grocery store purchases, this card is a perfect pick. And if that’s not enough, the card also offers a 15-month 0% APR on both purchases and balance transfers, which is great if you want to have time to pay off higher-interest credit card debt or make a larger purchase that you can pay off over time without having to worry about interest charges for over a year. Plus, right now, the card is offering a $200 cash rewards bonus.
Final Take
A cash-back rewards card can be a valuable tool in your wallet. With this card, it’s important to pay off your balance before the 0% APR introductory period ends and then regularly pay off your balance before interest charges apply each month. Also, keep in mind that 5% cash-back categories must be activated each quarter, and 5% rewards can only be earned on up to $2,000 worth of purchases per quarter. The rewards rate for purchases exceeding $2,000 decreases to 1%.
FAQ
Here are the answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about the U.S. Bank Cash+ Visa Signature Card.- Is the U.S. Bank Cash+ Visa Signature Card good?
- Whether the U.S. Bank Cash+ Visa Signature Card is a good match for you will depend on your spending habits. If you plan to use this card for purchases to earn rewards and pay off the balance before interest charges accrue, it can be a good choice.
- What credit score do you need for the U.S. Bank Cash+ Visa Signature Card?
- U.S. Bank does not reveal the credit score needed to be approved for its Cash+ Visa Signature card. However, you can assume that you'll need to have good to excellent credit, with a score of at least 670.
- What are the categories for the U.S. Bank Cash+ card?
- The card offers 12 5% cash-back categories, including cellphone providers; department stores; electronics stores; fast food; furniture stores; ground transportation; fitness centers; home utilities; movie theaters; select clothing stores; sporting goods stores; and TV, internet and streaming services. It also offers an additional 5% cash back for Rewards Travel Center reservations. Additionally, the card offers three 2% cash-back categories, including grocery stores, gas and EV charging stations and restaurants, and 1% on all other purchases.
- How does the U.S. Bank Cash+ card work?
- The U.S. Bank Cash+ card offers various earning categories and cash-back rewards to cardholders, including 5%, 2% and 1% cash-back categories. Cardholders can earn even more cash back by making purchases at more than 1,100 online retailers via the Rewards Center Earn Mall.
Rates are subject to change; unless otherwise noted, rates are updated periodically. All other information on accounts is accurate as of Oct. 11, 2022.
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