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Back in 2017, U.S. Bank entered the world of premium travel credit cards when they unveiled the U.S. Bank Altitude® Reserve Visa Infinite® Card. It was the first U.S. Bank card that earned points instead of cashback and it was meant to rival other points-earning premium travel cards like The Platinum Card® from American Express and the Chase Sapphire Reserve® card. The Altitude Reserve card charges an annual fee and earns 5X points on prepaid hotels and rental cars booked through the Altitude Rewards Center as well as 3X points on other travel purchases and mobile wallet payments. Additionally, this card offers some valuable statement credits and other perks that can help offset the annual fee.
In 2020, U.S. Bank expanded the Altitude family of cards by releasing the U.S. Bank Altitude® Go Visa Signature® Card, a no-annual-fee card for those who are new to the world of travel-focused credit cards. This card offers some excellent spending bonuses as well as an intro period, making it a solid choice for those who want to earn rewards without paying an annual fee.
In 2022, U.S Bank released the U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card, which was meant to bridge the gap between the two existing cards in the Altitude family. This card also offers 5X points on prepaid hotels and rental cars booked through the Altitude Rewards Center as well as some other valuable spending bonuses and impressive perks. It has no annual fee for the first year and is $95 every year after that.
Recently, U.S. Bank added a business card to the Altitude family lineup with the U.S. Bank Business AltitudeTM Connect World Elite Mastercard®. This card offers many of the same spending bonuses and perks as the personal version of the Altitude Connect card with a stronger focus on rewarding small businesses.
All in all, the Altitude family of cards has some attractive offerings. However, the program has one major flaw: U.S. Bank Altitude points currently can’t be transferred to travel partners, which is a significant disadvantage when you compare the program to transferable points programs like Chase Ultimate Rewards or Capital One Miles. Transferring points to partners allows you to find redemptions with outsized value through other travel rewards programs and the fact that this option isn’t available with U.S. Bank Altitude points significantly devalues the program.
But, if you’re the kind of credit card user that doesn’t want to bother with searching for partner redemptions anyway, the Altitude family of cards may be well worth looking into. So, let’s compare each of the three Altitude personal credit cards so you can decide which one is the best option for your wallet.
U.S. Bank Altitude Rewards Program Overview
Before we examine each of the three personal credit cards in the Altitude family, we need to look into the Altitude Rewards program in general.
With any credit card in the U.S. Bank Altitude family, you’ll earn at least one point for every dollar you spend. Plus, each of these cards offers a welcome bonus that you can earn by spending a certain amount of money on your card in a certain amount of time after account opening.
Unlike some other credit card rewards programs, U.S. Bank doesn’t allow you to purchase Altitude points. You also can’t earn Altitude points by shopping with merchants.
None of the credit cards in the Altitude family of cards charge any foreign transaction fees, meaning you can use them abroad without incurring any additional fees.
As previously mentioned, the U.S. Bank Altitude Rewards program doesn’t currently have any transfer partners, which means that the only way to redeem Altitude points is through the Altitude Rewards Center. You can make redemptions online or over the phone. We’d recommend making any redemptions online as it’s much easier to compare your options.
The amount of value that you get out of your Altitude points depends on which credit card you have and the redemption method that you choose. Here are the different ways to redeem Altitude points:
Redeem for Travel
U.S. Bank allows you to redeem your Altitude points for travel through the Altitude Rewards Center, U.S. Bank’s travel portal. Through this portal, you can book flights, hotels, rental cars and other experiences with every major travel company.
The amount of value that you get for your points when redeeming this way depends on which card you have. If you have the Altitude Reserve card, you’ll get 1.5 cents per point in value when redeeming for travel through the Altitude Rewards Center. If you have any other card in the Altitude family, you’ll receive 1 cent per point in value when redeeming this way.
Once again, you don’t have the option to find outsized value redemptions through transfer partners with the Altitude Rewards program. So, 1.5 cents per point with the Altitude Reserve card is the maximum amount of value that you can possibly get out of Altitude points.
Redeem for Cash Back
Unless you have the Altitude Reserve card, the best redemption option is usually redeeming your Altitude points for cash back. That’s because, with both the Altitude Go card and the Altitude Connect card, the maximum value you can get with any redemption method is 1 cent per point.
You can choose to apply your cash back as a statement credit toward your monthly bill at a rate of 1 cent per point. If you have the Altitude Connect card or the Altitude Go card, there is a minimum redemption requirement of 2,500 points (or $25).
The statement credits usually show up in two to three business days and will count towards your balance. However, it’s worth noting that redeeming this way will not count toward your minimum monthly payment.
If you have a checking or savings account with U.S. Bank, you can choose to deposit your cash back rewards into your bank account. If you don’t have a bank account with U.S. Bank, you don’t have this option.
Real-Time Mobile Rewards
In order to make redeeming your points as convenient as possible, U.S. Bank allows you to redeem your points for statement credits to cover recent purchases through the Real-Time Mobile Rewards program.
To use this option, you’ll need to enroll your eligible U.S. Bank credit card and then enter your mobile number. Then, when you make an eligible purchase, you’ll receive a text asking if you want to apply your Altitude points to your recent purchase. If you confirm, then a statement credit will be automatically applied to that purchase.
It’s worth noting that, if you enroll the Altitude Reserve card in Real-Time Mobile Rewards and use it to make travel purchases, your points will be worth 1.5 cents apiece. All other redemptions made through Real-Time Mobile Rewards (regardless of which card you have) will have a value of 1 cent per point.
It’s also worth noting that gas station and restaurant purchases aren’t available for Real-Time Mobile Rewards redemptions.
Redeem for Merchandise
While you can’t earn Altitude points for shopping with merchants online (as you can with certain other credit card rewards programs), you can use your Altitude points to purchase merchandise from certain online vendors.
Redeeming for merchandise is probably the worst redemption option in the Altitude Rewards program. The maximum redemption value when purchasing merchandise is 1 cent per point. However, certain merchandise redemptions offer far less than 1 cent per point in value.
Considering that all redemptions made through Real-Time Mobile Rewards are worth a minimum of 1 cent per point, you’re much better off just purchasing any merchandise with cash and then redeeming your points through Real-Time Mobile Rewards than you are purchasing the merchandise directly with points.
Redeem for Gift Cards
U.S. Bank also allows you to redeem your Altitude points for gift cards from dozens of popular retailers. Redeeming your points this way always yields a value of 1 cent per point.
Once again, since you can get 1 cent per point by paying for purchases with Real-Time Mobile Rewards or by applying cash back to your monthly bill, you may as well just pay for purchases with merchants in cash and then apply your rewards to those purchases later.
Side-By-Side Comparison
While the Altitude Connect card and the Altitude Go card are both branded as travel rewards cards, since they only get a maximum redemption value of 1 cent per point, their points are no more valuable than any cash back card.
If you have the Altitude Reserve card, on the other hand, you can redeem your Altitude points for travel at a rate of 1.5 cents per point (either through the Altitude Rewards Center or through Real-Time Mobile Rewards). And, while that’s a better redemption rate than any other Altitude card, it’s still not very impressive compared to the value per point that you can get with transferable rewards currencies (such as Citi ThankYou points or American Express Membership Rewards points).
While the redemption options for these cards are fairly underwhelming, some of them do offer solid spending bonuses and some great additional benefits. To make comparing these cards a little easier, we’ve listed all three cards and their most important features in the chart below.
| Annual fee | Foreign transaction fee | Spending bonuses | Other notable benefits | |
| U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card | $0 intro for the first year, then $95 | None | 5X points on prepaid hotels and rental cars booked through the Altitude Rewards Center4X points on other travel and at gas and EV charging stations2X points at grocery stores, grocery delivery, dining and streaming services1X points on all other purchases | $30 in annual statement credits for streaming services$100 application fee reimbursement statement credit for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry. Four complimentary visits per year to Priority Pass lounges. Up to $600 in cell phone protection |
| U.S. Bank Altitude® Go Visa Signature® Card | $0 | None | 4X points on dining, takeout and restaurant delivery2X points at grocery stores, grocery delivery, streaming services and gas and EV charging stations1X points on all other purchases | $15 in annual statement credits for streaming services |
| U.S. Bank Altitude® Reserve Visa Infinite® Card | $400 | None | 5X points on prepaid hotels and rental cars booked through the Altitude Rewards Center3X points on other travel and mobile wallet spending1X points on all other purchases | $325 in annual statement credits for eligible travel purchases and dining, takeout and restaurant delivery$100 application fee reimbursement statement credit for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry. Four complimentary member visits and four complimentary guest visits per year to Priority Pass lounges |
Which of these four cards is the best option for your wallet depends mostly on how much you spend per year, what you spend your money on, what additional perks you prefer to have access to and whether or not you can afford to pay an annual fee.
Let’s examine each of these cards individually and consider their advantages and drawbacks.
U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card
The U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card is the middle ground between the no-annual-fee Altitude Go card and the $400-annual-fee Altitude Reserve card and offers the most bang for your buck out of all three cards.
The Altitude Connect card has a $0 intro annual fee for the first year and then charges $95 annually every year after that. It offers a valuable spending bonus that can help you offset that annual fee for several years.
Additionally, the Altitude Connect card offers excellent spending bonuses for a card with such a low annual fee (even considering that you can only redeem those points for a maximum value of 1 cent per point). Here are the spending bonuses offered by the Altitude Connect card:
- 5X points on prepaid hotels and rental cars booked through the Altitude Rewards Center
- 4X points on other travel and at gas and EV charging stations
- 2X points at grocery stores, grocery delivery, dining and streaming services
- 1X points on all other purchases
If you’re willing to book your hotels and rental cars through the Altitude Rewards Center, you’ll earn 5X points on those purchases, which is just as good as the bonuses offered by many premium credit cards for purchases through their respective travel portals.
Plus, if you make other travel purchases outside the Altitude Rewards Center, you’ll still earn 4X points. The travel category is loosely defined to include airfare, taxis, limousines, passenger trains, cruise lines and more. You’ll also earn 4X points every time you spend at a gas or EV charging station.
You’ll earn 2X points at grocery stores, grocery delivery, dining and streaming services, which are major expense categories for most consumers.
Where the Altitude Connect card really shines is in its other benefits. First of all, the fact that this card offers four annual complimentary visits to Priority Pass lounges is extremely impressive for a card with a $95 annual fee. The Altitude Connect card is the cheapest card available that offers complimentary Priority Pass lounge access (along with the U.S. Bank Business Altitude™ Connect World Elite Mastercard®).
It’s worth noting, though, that guests’ visits will count towards your four yearly complimentary visits. For instance, if you visit a Priority Pass lounge and you bring one guest, it will count as two of your complimentary visits.
The $100 reimbursement statement credit for the application fee for either TSA PreCheck or Global Entry (which is available every four years) is another perk that’s only normally available with high-annual-fee premium travel cards.
Overall, the Altitude Connect card offers some great spending bonuses and additional perks for a card with such a low annual cost. And, if you use all of its perks to the fullest, you can easily offset the annual fee year after year.
U.S. Bank Altitude® Go Visa Signature® Card
The U.S. Bank Altitude® Go Visa Signature® Card is the entry-level card in the Altitude family with no annual fee. While this card doesn’t offer much in terms of benefits, it does come with some solid spending bonuses.
Here are the spending bonuses offered by the Altitude Go card:
- 4X points on dining, takeout and restaurant delivery
- 2X points at grocery stores, grocery delivery, streaming services and gas and EV charging stations
- 1X points on all other purchases
For those who like to dine out or order takeout or delivery often, the Altitude Go offers 4X points in these categories, which is great for a card that doesn’t charge an annual fee (even considering that these points can be redeemed at a maximum value of 1 cent apiece).
Additionally, you’ll earn 2X points in other popular spending categories including grocery stores, grocery delivery, streaming services and gas and EV charging stations. For many people, the aforementioned categories cover most of their everyday spending.
The Altitude Go card also offers $15 in statement credits annually towards streaming services like Netflix, Spotify, Apple TV+ and more. Plus, like all other cards in the Altitude family, the Altitude Go card doesn’t charge any foreign transaction fees.
U.S. Bank Altitude® Reserve Visa Infinite® Card
The U.S. Bank Altitude® Reserve Visa Infinite® Card is the top-of-the-line premium card in the Altitude family with an annual fee of $400. While this card comes with some solid perks, it doesn’t stack up well against other premium travel cards like the Chase Sapphire Reserve card ($550 annual fee) or the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card ($395 annual fee).
Still, the Altitude Reserve card has some decent spending bonuses, particularly for those who frequently use mobile wallet payments. Here are the spending bonuses offered by the Altitude Reserve card:
- 5X points on prepaid hotels and rental cars booked through the Altitude Rewards Center
- 3X points on other travel and mobile wallet spending
- 1X points on all other purchases
The Altitude Reserve card earns 5X points on prepaid hotels and rental cars through the Altitude Rewards Center. However, these exact same earnings are also available with the Altitude Connect card, which has a considerably lower annual fee.
The Altitude Reserve card also earns 3X points on other travel purchases. But, the Altitude Connect card earns 4X points in this category, again, for a lower annual fee.
However, the fact that the Altitude Reserve card offers 3X points on mobile wallet payments is fantastic. Since nearly every business in the U.S. accepts mobile wallet payments these days, you can essentially earn 3X points on all of your purchases just for paying with your smartphone, smartwatch, or tablet.
This card also offers $325 in annual statement credits that are automatically applied to eligible travel and dining purchases. It’s worth noting that these credits apply to travel purchases made both through the Altitude Rewards Center and outside the Altitude Rewards Center. U.S. Bank includes restaurants, fast food and bars under the umbrella of dining purchases.
These statement credits are superior to the $300 annual travel credit offered by the Capital One Venture X card, which can only be used for travel purchases through the Capital One Travel portal. Likewise, the $300 annual travel credit offered by the Chase Sapphire Reserve can only be used for travel purchases (and not for dining purchases like the credits offered by the Altitude Reserve card).
The Altitude Reserve card also offers a $100 reimbursement statement credit for the application fee for either TSA PreCheck or Global Entry once every four years. This is a benefit that comes standard with nearly every premium travel credit card and is also available with the Altitude Connect card.
Unfortunately, the Altitude Reserve card comes up short when it comes to airport lounge access. While cards like the Capital One Venture X and Chase Sapphire Reserve offer unlimited complimentary access to Priority Pass lounges, the Altitude Reserve only offers four complimentary visits for the primary cardmember and four complimentary guest visits per year. For people who fly often, that’s a major disadvantage of this card.
All in all, you should be able to easily offset the $400 annual fee of the Altitude Reserve card with its statement credits, welcome bonus, spending bonuses and other perks. However, other premium travel cards outcompete the Altitude Reserve card in many ways.
Most importantly, the U.S. Bank Altitude Rewards program currently has no transfer partners. So, while you can find outsized value redemptions through transfer partners with other premium travel cards, the most value you can possibly get out of Altitude points is with the Altitude Reserve card at 1.5 cents per point.
The Bottom Line
While U.S. Bank isn’t the first issuer that most people think of in terms of travel rewards credit cards, the Altitude family of credit cards has grown over the past several years to include some unique and intriguing cards. Unfortunately, the U.S. Bank Altitude Rewards program is significantly devalued by the fact that it doesn’t have any transfer partners. Still, some of the cards in the Altitude family are worth paying attention to.
The best value proposition in this family of cards is probably the U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card. This card has a $0 intro annual fee for the first year and then charges $95 every year after that. For that low annual fee, you’ll receive a $100 reimbursement credit every four years toward TSA PreCheck or Global Entry, $30 in annual statement credits toward streaming services and four complimentary visits to Priority Pass lounges per year. These are perks that one would normally only expect from high-annual-fee premium travel cards. Plus, the Altitude Connect card also has excellent spending bonuses for its price.
The Altitude Go card is a solid card for beginners who don’t want to pay an annual fee but still want to earn good rewards. The fact that you can earn 4X points on dining, takeout and delivery is impressive for a no-annual-fee card. The 2X points for grocery stores, grocery delivery, streaming services and gas and EV charging stations certainly doesn’t hurt either.
The Altitude Reserve card was the first card in the Altitude family and since it was released, other cards have come on the market that have made the Altitude Reserve nearly obsolete. This card offers fairly unimpressive spending bonuses other than the fact that you can earn 3X points on mobile wallet purchases, considering you can use mobile wallets to pay for pretty much anything these days. The $325 annual statement credit toward dining or travel purchases is also a great perk but aside from that, the Altitude Reserve card doesn’t stack up against other premium travel cards like the Chase Sapphire Reserve or the Capital One Venture X in terms of premium perks.
All in all, the main issue plaguing all three Altitude cards is the program’s lack of transfer partners. With most other credit card points programs, you have the option to transfer your points to travel partners, which allows you to find redemptions with value far exceeding 1 cent per point. With the Altitude Rewards program, the highest value you can get with the Altitude Go card or Altitude Connect card is 1 cent per point and the highest value you can get with the Altitude Reserve card is 1.5 cents per point. For this reason, going with a different credit card issuer is probably the right decision for most consumers.
Just getting started in the world of points and miles? The Chase Sapphire Preferred is the best card for you to start with.
With a bonus of 60,000 points after $4,000 spend in the first 3 months, 5x points on travel booked through the Chase Travel Portal and 3x points on restaurants, streaming services, and online groceries (excluding Target, Walmart, and wholesale clubs), this card truly cannot be beat for getting started!
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