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U.S. Bank Altitude® Go Visa Signature® Card Review
Last updated:
A new standard for dining rewards cards.
- Get this card if you want the leading card on the market for dining rewards.
- Get something else if you’re looking for travel or entertainment rewards.
- Apply with an excellent credit score of 740 or above.
20,000
Points as welcome offer
Up to 4x
Points
$0
Annual fee
0%
Intro purchase APR
for the first 12 billing cycles (then 14.99% to 23.99% variable)
Details
| Product Name | U.S. Bank Altitude® Go Visa Signature® Card |
|---|---|
| Annual fee | $0 |
| Purchase APR | 0% intro for the first 12 billing cycles (then 14.99% to 23.99% variable) |
| Balance transfer APR | 0% intro for the first 12 billing cycles (then 14.99% to 23.99% variable) |
| Balance transfer fee | $3 or 5% of the transaction, whichever is greater |
| Cash advance rate | 25.99% fixed |
| Cash advance fee | $10 or 4% of the cash advance amount, whichever is greater |
| Foreign transaction fee | None |
| Interest free period | Up to 24 days |
| Late payment fee | Up to $40 |
| Returned payment fee | Up to $35 |
| Rates & fees | rates & fees |
Expert review
Review by
Steven Dashiell
steven.dashiell@finder.comSteven Dashiell is a credit cards writer at Finder. He's worked on 250 Finder articles and counting, helping readers embrace and maximize credit cards. Backed by nearly a decade of research and reporting experience, Steve's work can be seen on Debt.com, CreditCards.com and Lifehacker.
Expert review
Card benefits
- Earn rewards. Earn 4x points on dining, including takeout, delivery and even bars. Earn 2x points at grocery stores, for grocery delivery and select streaming services and at gas stations. Earn 1x points on everything else.
- No annual fee. You won’t pay anything to use this card. This is a steal given the value the card offers.
- Intro APR. Get a 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 12 billing cycles, reverting to 14.99% to 23.99% variable.
- Perks. Get travel and emergency assistance, car rental insurance coverage and roadside dispatch. You also get an annual streaming credit worth $15.
- Signup bonus. Earn 20,000 points after you spend $1,000 within your first three months of account opening. This isn’t the greatest signup bonus available, though it’s not the worst either.
What makes these benefits unique?
Rewards. The wide variety of earning categories and their sheer leniency is what helps elevate this card. Very few reward cards let you earn accelerated points at bars, and it’s only recently that providers have started adding delivery and takeout as options. Plus, no spending caps on any category means you can use this card freely without worrying about lost value.
0% intro APR on balance transfers. A great many cards have lost their intro balance transfer offers, or are no longer offering balance transfers at all. Not only does this card offer a 12 billing cycles 0% intro APR period on balance transfer, but it comes with no annual fee and great rewards.
What to watch out for:
- Excellent credit score required. You’ll need an excellent credit score to qualify for this card. This isn’t surprising given the quality of the card.
- No entertainment category. If you’re looking for a card that offers perks and rewards on movies, sports and other purchases, you’ll need to look elsewhere.
How does the U.S. Bank Altitude® Go Visa Signature® Card measure up to the competition?
How does this pandemic-focused rewards card stack up?
U.S. Bank has now opened applications for a new rewards card. It offers accelerated rewards on entertainment categories that US consumers have been spending more on since the isolation and travel precautions enacted in response to COVID-19.
The new U.S. Bank Altitude® Go Visa Signature® Card offers rewards on multiple categories and fits in nicely among the other big everyday reward cards on the market. However, the card gives a little extra attention to its dining categories, offering an above average 4x points on takeout, food delivery and dining — including bars.
U.S. Bank Altitude® Go Visa Signature® Card breakdown
A quick look at theU.S. Bank Altitude® Go Visa Signature® Card‘s features:
| Card feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Rewards | Earn 4x points on takeout, food delivery and dining Earn 2x points at grocery stores, grocery delivery, select streaming services and gas stations Earn 1x points on all other purchases |
| Signup bonus | Earn 20,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 in your first 3 months of account opening |
| Annual fee | $0 |
| Introductory APR | 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 12 billing cycles, reverting to a variable 14.99%–23.99% |
| Streaming credit | Earn an annual $15 credit for streaming service purchases |
| Visa Signature status | Offers a suite of perks, including travel protections and extended warranty |
How does the U.S. Bank Altitude® Go Visa Signature® Card measure up to the competition?
From a quick glance, U.S. Bank came out swinging with this card. For a rewards card with no annual fee, the reward rates are quite generous. The dining rewards rate sits at a rare 4% and U.S. Bank extends this rate to delivery, takeout and bars — the last of which isn’t guaranteed on similar cards.
The 2x rate at grocery stores, streaming services and gas stations is also notable: You often see this kind of generosity on a card with an earning cap on at least one of the categories. Not so with the U.S. Bank Altitude® Go Visa Signature® Card.
That said, there is stiff competition in the rewards card space — especially when it comes to dining and everyday spending. Let’s compare the U.S. Bank Altitude® Go Visa Signature® Card to two other hard hitters: The Capital One® Savor® Cash Rewards Credit Card and the Wells Fargo Propel American Express.
The Capital One® Savor® Cash Rewards Credit Card
We view the Capital One® Savor® Cash Rewards Credit Card as the model dining rewards card. So much so that we nominated it to a spot on our Best of 2020 list.
On top of 4% back on dining, it also earns this rate on entertainment such as concerts, clubs and theme parks. Add 2% back on groceries, a limited time offer of 8% back on sporting event tickets purchased through Vivid Seats, plus a solid welcome offer, and you have a formidable dining and entertainment card.
U.S. Bank Altitude® Go Visa Signature® Card vs. Capital One Savor Cash Rewards
| Feature | U.S. Bank Altitude® Go Visa Signature® Card | Capital One® Savor® Cash Rewards Credit Card |
|---|---|---|
| Rewards | Earn 4x points on takeout, food delivery and dining Earn 2x points at grocery stores, grocery delivery, select streaming services and gas stations Earn 1x points on all other purchases | Earn 4% back on dining and entertainment Earn 2% back at grocery stores Earn 1% back on all other purchases Earn 8% back on Vivid Seats tickets until January 2022 |
| Signup bonus | Earn 20,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 in your first 3 months of account opening | Earn $300 cash back after spending $3,000 within the first 3 months of account opening |
| APR | 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 12 billing cycles, reverting to a variable 14.99%–23.99% | 15.99%–24.99% variable |
| Annual fee | $0 | Intro annual fee of $0 for the first year, then $95 |
| Statement credits | Annual streaming credit worth $15 | $0 |
| Travel perks | Travel and emergency assistance Car rental insurance Roadside dispatch | Travel insurance Car rental insurance |
The U.S. Bank Altitude® Go Visa Signature® Card holds its own when it comes to dining and grocery stores, and offers a few categories not found in the Capital One® Savor® Cash Rewards Credit Card, including streaming services and gas. On the other hand, the Capital One® Savor® Cash Rewards Credit Card‘s “entertainment” category is a value you won’t find in the U.S. Bank Altitude® Go Visa Signature® Card.
Of course, the Capital One® Savor® Cash Rewards Credit Card categories are more “traditional” and were created during a time when people had no qualms gathering in large spaces every weekend for a concert, sports game or other social events.
Interestingly, the U.S. Bank Altitude® Go Visa Signature® Card offers an intro APR on purchases and balance transfers, a feature missing in the “premium” Capital One® Savor® Cash Rewards Credit Card.
The Wells Fargo Propel American Express® Card
The Wells Fargo Propel American Express® Card is something of a “do-no-wrong” card. Thanks to the numerous earning categories and solid earning rate, it’s difficult to pick up this card and not squeeze plenty of value out of it.
U.S. Bank Altitude® Go Visa Signature® Card vs. Wells Fargo Propel American Express® Card
| Card Feature | U.S. Bank Altitude® Go Visa Signature® Card | Wells Fargo Propel American Express® Card |
|---|---|---|
| Rewards | Earn 4x points on takeout, food delivery and dining Earn 2x points at grocery stores, grocery delivery, select streaming services and gas stations Earn 1x points on all other purchases | Earn 3x points on dining out and delivery, gas stations, ride shares, transit, flights, hotels, home stays, car rentals, and popular streaming services Earn 1X back on all other purchases |
| Signup bonus | Earn 20,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 in your first 3 months of account opening | Earn 20,000 bonus points after you spend $1,000 in your first 3 months of account opening |
| APR | 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 12 billing cycles, reverting to a variable 14.99%–23.99% | Intro 0% APR on purchases and balance transfers for 12 months, reverting to 14.49% to 24.99% |
| Annual fee | $0 | $0 |
| Statement credits | Annual streaming credit worth $15 | $0 |
| Travel perks | Travel and emergency assistance Car rental insurance Roadside dispatch | Cell phone protection Lost luggage reimbursement Roadside dispatch Car rental insurance |
TheU.S. Bank Altitude® Go Visa Signature® Card and Propel are much closer in features compared to the Go and Capital One® Savor® Cash Rewards Credit Card, sporting similar annual fees, intro APRs and even signup bonuses. The earning rate differences and your spending habits will be the primary decider in which of these cards is the better value.
A sign of things to come
That the U.S. Bank Altitude® Go Visa Signature® Card stands so competitively among the existing dining reward cards is impressive, and possibly a sign of things to come as more providers adjust their offerings to cope with evolving consumer spending habits in the time of COVID-19.
How to apply for the U.S. Bank Altitude® Go Visa Signature® Card
Applying for the U.S. Bank Altitude® Go Visa Signature® Card is straightforward:
- Go to the U.S. Bank website.
- At the top menu bar, click on Personal, followed by Credit Cards.
- From the dropdown menu, click on Rewards cards.
- Navigate to the U.S. Bank Altitude® Go Visa Signature® Card and click Apply Now.
- Fill in your information and click Submit.
What credit score do I need to apply for the U.S. Bank Altitude® Go Visa Signature® Card?
You’ll need at least an excellent credit score of 740 to qualify for the U.S. Bank Altitude® Go Visa Signature® Card.
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Bottom line
If you’ve been looking for a card with the perfect mix of rewards on dining and everyday spending, the 740 is a great option. This card stands up to its competitor, and even surpasses them in many cases. But if this isn’t what you’re looking for, or you simply need another card to complement this one, compare your other rewards credit card options.
Photo: US Bank