US Bank Altitude Connect card review: Earn a welcome bonus worth $500 and up to 5x points in great categories

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

Review: Is the US Bank Altitude Connect the best credit card for you?

Simplicity and ease of use are among the most undervalued benefits when it comes to choosing a new credit card. While it’s often possible to get a higher return on your spending by earning flexible points and carefully picking the right transfer partner to redeem them with, that takes time.

And let’s be honest, not everyone has the time to learn the intricate web of transfer options or the desire to do so. If you’re looking for a rewarding credit card with strong bonus categories and an annual fee that doesn’t break the bank, the U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card is a very compelling choice.

Read more: The best rewards credit cards

For starters, you’ll earn a welcome bonus of U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card (worth $500), and the annual fee is U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card.

The U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card earns 5x points on prepaid hotels and car rentals booked through the Altitude Rewards Center, 4x points on travel and at gas stations, 2x points at grocery stores, grocery delivery, dining and streaming services, and 1 point per dollar everywhere else.

It also comes with a $30 annual streaming bonus for eligible services like Netflix, Apple TV+, Spotify, and more, and a $100 Global Entry/TSA PreCheck statement credit once every four years. Given the proliferation of streaming services most people should be able to use that $30 credit easily, meaning for just $65 out of pocket each year, you can use the U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card as a one-stop shop for most of your purchases.

Who should and shouldn’t consider the US Bank Altitude Connect

The U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card makes a pretty strong case for itself in the first year, with a waived annual fee, a welcome bonus worth $500, and a $30 streaming credit. After that, it still presents a very strong value proposition. Assuming you take the $30 streaming credit at face value you’ll be paying $65 a year out of pocket for the card, which you could fully recoup by spending just $1,300 on hotels and car rentals or $1,625 on travel and gas.

If you’ve decided that you’d rather not deal with the complexity of transferable points and you want a single credit card that will reward you well at the places you spend most, the U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card fits that bill.

While it’s not necessarily the most rewarding card on the market in any one category, it offers strong earning rates on popular travel expenses, a simple and straightforward redemption process, and even some travel-friendly perks like a Global Entry/TSA PreCheck application fee credit to make your vacations more relaxing.

Comparison: US Bank Altitude Connect vs other US bank cards

	U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card	U.S. Bank Altitude® Go Visa Signature® Card	U.S. Bank Altitude® Reserve Visa Infinite® Card
Annual fee	U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card	U.S. Bank Altitude® Go Visa Signature® Card	U.S. Bank Altitude® Reserve Visa Infinite® Card
Rewards rate	5x points on prepaid hotels and car rentals booked directly in the Altitude Rewards Center 4x points on travel and at gas stations 2x points at grocery stores, grocery delivery, dining, and streaming services 1 point per dollar on all other eligible purchases	4x points on takeout, food delivery, and dining 2x points at grocery stores, grocery delivery, streaming services, and gas stations 1 point per dollar on all other eligible purchases	5x points on prepaid hotels and car rentals booked directly in the Altitude Rewards Center 3x points on travel and on mobile wallet purchases 1 point per dollar on all other eligible purchases
Welcome bonus	U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card	U.S. Bank Altitude® Go Visa Signature® Card	U.S. Bank Altitude® Reserve Visa Infinite® Card
Card benefits	$30 annual credit for streaming service purchases Global Entry/TSA PreCheck application fee credit Cell phone protection Roadside dispatch Travel and emergency assistance services Visa Signature benefits	Introductory 0% APR offer on purchases and balance transfers for the first 12 months, then a U.S. Bank Altitude® Go Visa Signature® Card APR $15 annual credit for streaming service purchases Roadside dispatch Travel and emergency assistance services Visa Signature benefits	Up to $325 in annual travel credit Global Entry/TSA PreCheck application fee credit Priority Pass airport lounge access 12 complimentary Gogo inflight Wi-Fi passes per year Car rental insurance Trip cancellation/interruption insurance Travel accident insurance Lost luggage reimbursement Emergency evacuation/transportation insurance Trip delay reimbursement Purchase protection Return protection Extended warranty Personal identity theft insurance Roadside dispatch Travel and emergency assistance services Visa Infinite benefits
Foreign transaction fee	No	No	No

US Bank Altitude Connect vs other rewards credit cards

	U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card	Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card	Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Annual fee	U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card	Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card	Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Rewards rate	5x points on prepaid hotels and car rentals booked directly in the Altitude Rewards Center 4x points on travel and at gas stations 2x points at grocery stores, grocery delivery, dining, and streaming services 1 point per dollar on all other eligible purchases	5x points on Lyft rides through March 2022 5x points on all travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards 3x points on dining, including eligible delivery services, takeout, and dining out 3x points on select streaming services 3x points on online grocery purchases (excluding Target, Walmart, and wholesale clubs) 2x points on other travel 1 point per dollar on everything else	2x miles on every purchase
Welcome bonus	U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card	Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening	Earn 60,000 bonus miles once you spend $3,000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening
Card benefits	$30 annual credit for streaming service purchases Global Entry/TSA PreCheck application fee credit Cell phone protection Roadside dispatch Travel and emergency assistance services Visa Signature benefits	Up to $50 in statement credits toward hotel stays booked through Chase Up to $60 back on an eligible Peloton Digital or All-Access Membership through December 31, 2021 Complimentary year of DoorDash DashPass membership (activation required by December 31, 2021) 10% anniversary point bonus Primary car rental insurance Trip interruption/cancellation insurance Trip delay insurance Baggage delay insurance Lost luggage reimbursement Extended warranty Purchase protection	Global Entry/TSA PreCheck application fee credit Secondary car rental insurance Travel accident insurance*** Extended warranty
Foreign transaction fee	No	No	No
Review		Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card review	Capital One Venture card review

How to earn rewards from the US Bank Altitude Connect card

The U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card has a straightforward earning structure that awards bonus points in popular spending categories. Cardholders earn:

5 points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and car rentals booked directly through the Altitude Rewards Center
4 points per dollar on travel (including airlines, hotels, car rentals, taxis, limousines, passenger trains, and cruise lines) and at gas stations
2 points per dollar at grocery stores and on grocery delivery, dining, and eligible streaming services
1 point per dollar on all other eligible purchases

It’s important to note that only services that appear on US Bank’s list of eligible streaming merchants qualify to earn 2x points:

How to use US Bank Altitude Connect points

Points earned on the U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card are worth 1 cent each no matter how you redeem them, so you can pick whichever option suits you best.

You can redeem your rewards for travel purchases, merchandise, gift cards, cash back, and more. You also might get a text from US Bank asking if you’d like to use “Real-Time Rewards” and use your points instantly to cover a purchase you’re making with your card. There’s a minimum redemption amount of 2,500 points ($25) if you’re redeeming for cash back.

Read more: The best cash-back credit cards

One of the benefits of a fixed-value card like this is that there’s no incentive to save up your points for some aspirational redemption, meaning you can get your cash back working for you as quickly as you earn it.

Benefits and features

The main selling point of this card is certainly the bonus categories it offers, but it does come with a few additional perks.

Global Entry/TSA PreCheck application fee credit

Once every four years, cardholders can receive up to a $100 statement credit to cover the cost of a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application or renewal.

$30 annual streaming bonus

When you use the U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card to pay for eligible streaming services for 11 consecutive months, you’ll receive an automatic $30 credit each year. The eligible streaming services for the credit are the same as those that qualify to earn 2x points.

Cell phone protection

When you pay your monthly wireless bill with the U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card, you’re eligible for up to $600 per claim in coverage for cell phone damage or theft. There’s a $100 deductible and a maximum of one claim per year.

Roadside dispatch

Cardholders can access a 24/7 roadside dispatch hotline which can help arrange services like towing, winching, or jumpstarting. The dispatch service itself is free, but you’ll be charged a set fee for services provided.

Travel and emergency assistance services

If you’re traveling and run into issues, you can access a travel and emergency assistance hotline that can help arrange things like legal and medical referrals, prescriptions, translation services, locating lost luggage, and more. Again, the service itself is free, but any third-party costs are your responsibility.

Visa Signature benefits

Because the U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card is a Visa Signature card, cardholders can access additional perks, including:

Visa Signature Concierge
Visa Signature Luxury Hotel Collection
Visa Signature Golf Benefit by Troon
Car rental discounts

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

Fees and costs

The U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card has an annual fee of U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card. You can use the card overseas without incurring extra charges, because it doesn’t add foreign transaction fees.

Like most other cards, there are fees for balance transfers, cash advances, and late or returned payments.

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