U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card review: Customize your 5% cash back categories
Jennifer Doss
Last Updated: February 15, 2024 U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card
CardRatings Editor's Analysis: Pros & Cons
- Each quarter you choose two categories in which to earn 5% cash back on up to the first $2,000 you spend, meaning there's no reason you shouldn't maximize your rewards earning with this card.
- Enjoy 2% cash back in a non-rotating category of your choosing and 1% back on all your other purchases.
- If you don't remember to choose your 5% categories each quarter, you'll earn just 1% for that quarter, so this card is best for people who take a hands-on approach to their credit card rewards.
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CardName CATEGORIES
Imagine looking at your monthly budget, finding your highest spending categories and being able to earn cash back on the total amount. It would be free money just for following your budget. With the CardName, the amount of cash back you earn is in your hands. With most cards that offer tiered rewards, there are categories that rotate or remain the same—but few allow the cardholder to choose said categories.
The options with the CardName include two categories of the cardmember's choice, which will earn 5% back, each up to $2,000 in combined spending; one everyday category, also of the cardmember's choice that will earn 2% back unlimited; and 1% on all additional eligible purchases. Additionally, earn 5% back on prepaid air, hotel and car researvations booked directly through the Rewards Center.
Top Features
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- Earn a $250 statement credit after you spend $3,000 in purchases on your new Card within the first 6 months.
- $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95.
- Buy Now, Pay Later: Enjoy $0 intro plan fees when you use Plan It® to split up large purchases into monthly installments. Pay $0 intro plan fees on plans created during the first 12 months from the date of account opening. Plans created after that will have a monthly plan fee up to 1.33% of each eligible purchase amount moved into a plan based on the plan duration, the APR that would otherwise apply to the purchase, and other factors.
- Low Intro APR: 0% on purchases and balance transfers for 12 months from the date of account opening. After that, your APR will be a variable APR of 19.24% - 29.99%. Variable APRs will not exceed 29.99%.
- 6% Cash Back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year in purchases (then 1%).
- 6% Cash Back on select U.S. streaming subscriptions.
- 3% Cash Back at U.S. gas stations.
- 3% Cash Back on transit (including taxis/rideshare, parking, tolls, trains, buses and more).
- 1% Cash Back on other purchases.
- Cash Back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit or at Amazon.com checkout.
- Get up to $120 in statement credits annually when you pay for an auto-renewing subscription to Equinox+ at equinoxplus.com with your Blue Cash Preferred® Card. That's $10 in statement credits each month. Enrollment required.
- Thinking about getting the Disney Bundle which can include Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+? Your decision made easy with $7/month back in the form of a statement credit after you spend $9.99 or more each month on an eligible subscription (subject to auto renewal) with your Blue Cash Preferred® Card. Enrollment required.
- Terms Apply.
CardName REWARDS
Do you spend a significant amount of money in the summer on back-to-school clothes and supplies? Does a large chunk of your budget get earmarked in the fall for holiday shopping? Is your vacation travel paid for and planned in the winter and spring? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you're the reason we love this card! Who wouldn't love being able to plan their own cash back categories and amounts?
What's truly great about this card is how flexible it is to earn rewards. Earning 5% cash back on your first $2,000 in combined eligible net purchases ($100 per quarter) on two categories you choose, adds up to $400 cash back! That's not even including the 2% cash back on your choice of one everyday category, like gas stations or grocery stores and 1% cash back on all other eligible net purchases.
The CardName bonus for new cardholders is also noteworthy. Spend $1,000 on net eligible purchases in the first 120 days your account is open and your wallet will be rewarded with $200. There are no categories required for that nice bonus!
Lastly, there's the added flexibility in that this card offers three ways to redeem rewards. Cardmembers can redeem as a statement credit, a direct deposit to a U.S. Bank account or for a rewards card. Everywhere you look, the CardName cash-back card offers flexibility and possibility to its members— we love that!
CardName FOREIGN TRANSACTION FEE AND OTHER POTENTIAL DOWNSIDES
The CardName, while perfect for some, won't be beneficial if you're not someone who plans their budget monthly and consistently. If you're someone who doesn't follow what they spend very closely, you likely won't maximize your cash-back rewards with this card.
Another potential downside is that cardholders need to remember to choose their categories on a quarterly basis. If you forget, all purchases automatically get put into the 1% back category. And unlike many credit cards, this one sets a 36-month expiration date on its rewards.
Finally, this card might not be an ideal fit for frequent international travelers as it charges foreign transaction fees. The amount differs depending on the type of transaction (see terms for details)..
CardName CARDHOLDER SCORES
CardRatings conducts a survey annually to learn what actual cardholders think of their cards. Here are the results:
| Current Scores | Past Scores | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Score | 83.3 | 81.5 |
| Features Satisfaction | 8.5 | 8 |
| Customer Service | 8.1 | 8.3 |
| Website/App Usability | 7.8 | 8.6 |
| Likelihood of Continuing to Use | 8.5 | 8.9 |
| Recommend to a Friend/Colleague | 8.4 | 7.8 |
*Scores above reflect the results of surveys with actual cardholders. Full methodology below.
HOW CardName COMPARES TO OTHER CREDIT CARDS
CardName vs. CardName
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The CardName touts flexibility and possibility through its program that allows card members to choose their cash-back categories. Members choose two categories for a 5% return on up to $2,000 in eligible net purchases. A third category will yield an unlimited 2% cash back, with all other purchases earning 1% cash back.
This system varies from the CardName, which has no categories or cash-back ceilings, but offers only 2% cash back on all purchases– 1% at purchase and 1% when you pay at least the minimum balance due on your bill on time. Neither the CardName, nor the CardName has an annual fee Citi is a CardRatings.com advertiser.
If you have the time and want to spend it planning your purchases, the CardName could be the way to go. If hassle-free is your game, and you're okay with a lower return rate, you might be better off with the CardName.
CardName vs. CardName
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While the CardName offers a similar rewards categories setup to the Chase card, with somewhat similar cash-back percentages, there is a slight difference. CardName offers rotating quarterly categories with 5% back on up to $1,500 spent in set categories determined by Chase (activation required) as well as: 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards, 3% on dining purchases, including take out and delivery, 3% on drugstore purchases and 1% cash back on your other eligible purchases. CardName, on the other hand, offers your choice of two rotating quarterly categories with 5% back (up to $2,000 in combined spending quarterly), as well as one everyday category of your choice at 2% back, and 1% back on all other eligible purchases. With both cards, cardholders have to remember to activate the 5% categories in order to earn the incentive.
Another similarity is that neither card charges an annual fee, making them both a great option to add to your wallet, even if they'll just be used alongside other cards instead of as your go-to option.
Information related to Chase Freedom FlexSM has been collected independently by CardRatings and was neither reviewed nor provided by the card issuer
CardName vs. CardName
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If you're looking to maximize your cash-back earnings, the CardName is worth your consideration. This card earns 5% cash back in rotating categories each quarter (up to the quarterly maximum each time you activate) as well as 1% cash back on all other purchases. For all new cardmembers, at the end of your first year, Discover matches all the cash back you earn, including that 5% in rotating categories — meaning you essentially earn 10% cash back in those categories in the first year. Compared to the CardName, which is currently offering a $200 bonus after spending $1,000 in eligible net purchases within the first 120 days of account opening, the Discover card has a higher possible bonus value.
IS CardName A GOOD CARD?
The best applicant for the the CardName is a person who loves a good challenge with a great payout. If you can plan your expenditures by quarter, then adjust them to fit as much in one or two categories as possible, you're a great fit for the CardName. You should also be very organized so you don't forget to plan properly or sign up for your quarterly categories.
Survey Methodology: CardRatings commissioned Op4G in September 2023 to conduct surveys among 1,869 cardholders nationwide. CardRatings website analytics from Jan. 1, 2023-Aug. 31, 2023 were used to determine a selection of the most popular cards and additional cards were included to add survey breadth. Responses to each of nine questions were given on a scale of 1-10 and respondents' scores were then averaged under broad topics. To determine the overall score, responses from questions 1-8 were summed and the answer to "How likely are you to recommend this card to a friend, coworker or family member?" was double weighted. “Current Scores” reflect scores from the most recent survey (2023); "Past Scores" reflect scores from the 2022 survey.
U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card Compared to Other Cash back Cards
Disclaimer: The information in this article is believed to be accurate as of the date it was written. Please keep in mind that credit card offers change frequently. Therefore, we cannot guarantee the accuracy of the information in this article. Reasonable efforts are made to maintain accurate information. See the online credit card application for full terms and conditions on offers and rewards. Please verify all terms and conditions of any credit card prior to applying.
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