U.S. Bank Altitude Connect Visa Signature Card 2024 Review
If your travel plans regularly include hotel stays, it pays to have a credit card that rewards you for those purchases.
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offers a generous rewards program for travelers who want to earn points on hotels and car rentals.
You can also use this card to earn points on other travel purchases and everyday spending with a $0 introductory annual fee.
Flexible redemption options allow you to use your rewards for travel or for other purposes.
Could the U.S. Bank Altitude Connect Visa Signature Card be right for you?
Our review explores the card's finer points to help you decide whether it's worth adding to your wallet.
U.S. Bank Altitude Connect Visa Signature Pros & Cons
Main Highlight: Earn Competitive Rewards on Travel
The U.S. Bank Altitude Connect Visa Signature Card is designed with travelers in mind.
When you make purchases with this card, you can earn:
- 5 points per dollar on prepaid hotels and car rentals booked through the Altitude Rewards Center
- 4 points per dollar on travel and gas
- 2 points per dollar on groceries, dining and streaming services
- 1 point per dollar on all other purchases
Rewards are unlimited. So there's no cap on the number of points you can earn.
So, say you spend $1,200 per month in each of those four categories. You could easily earn well over 200,000 points per year.
Your points never expire, so you can redeem them when you want. Redemption options include:
- Travel
- Cashback
- Gift cards
- Merchandise
You also don't have to juggle any rotating bonus categories either. And there's an introductory points bonus for new cardmembers who meet the minimum spending requirement.
TSA PreCheck or Global Entry Fee Credit
Getting through the airport lines can be stressful. But TSA PreCheck or Global Entry membership can make for a smoother trip.
The U.S. Bank Altitude Connect Visa Signature Card includes up to $100 in statement credit to reimburse you for membership fees.
You can apply this benefit to either TSA PreCheck or Global Entry fees. The credit is available once every four years.
Other Card Benefits
The U.S. Bank Altitude Connect Visa Signature Card is not exceptionally heavy on travel benefits.
The main appeal for travelers lies in its rewards program structure.
But you do get a few added benefits with this card, including:
- $30 credit toward annual streaming services, such as Netflix and Spotify
- Contactless payments
- Up to $600 in cell phone insurance protection when you use your card to pay your monthly bill
- Mobile wallet access
- Access to the Visa Signature luxury hotel collection
- Visa Signature golf benefits
- Silvercar car rental
- Rental car discounts from top providers
- Visa Offers
- Access to food and wine events
- ID Navigator
If you're looking for a card that offers airport lounge access or VIP benefits, you'll need to look elsewhere.
But overall, the U.S. Bank Altitude Connect Visa Signature Card offers a good amount of value.
Card Fees
The U.S. Bank Altitude Connect Visa Signature Card is reasonably priced as far as annual fees go. And a $0 introductory annual fee applies for the first year.
The question is, are the card's rewards and features worth the fee?
It depends on how often you charge purchases and which category you spend the most in.
If you're regularly charging hotels, rental cars, travel or gas, you could earn back more than enough points annually to outweigh the fee.
On the other hand, if you mainly charge miscellaneous purchases that earn one point per dollar, you'll need to spend more to earn the fee back in rewards.
You also don't get a lot of added benefits that could cancel out a fee.
While you get the fee credit for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry, for example, that only applies once every four years.
Compared to Other Travel Rewards Credit Cards
The U.S. Bank Altitude Connect Visa Signature Card could be a good option for earning travel rewards. But there are other cards you might consider instead.
Here are three other options to compare.
Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
Chase Sapphire Preferred Card Pros & Cons
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The is a well-known player in the travel rewards card game.
Here's how the rewards for this card add up:
- 5 points per dollar on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards (excluding certain hotel purchases)
- 2 points per dollar on other travel purchases
- 3 points per dollar on dining
- 3 points per dollar on online grocery purchases (excluding Target, Walmart and wholesale clubs)
- 3 points per dollar on select streaming services
- 1 point per dollar on all other purchases
This card features a competitive introductory points bonus for eligible cardmembers. It's well above what you'll get with the U.S. Bank Altitude Connect Visa Signature Card.
You can squeeze out even more value when you book travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards.
If you choose this option, rewards points are worth 25% more. So 100,000 points is equal to $1,250 in travel.
Chase allows you to transfer points to travel partners on a 1:1 basis. There's a $95 annual fee but no foreign transaction fee. And there's no $0 introductory annual fee.
Read the Chase Sapphire Preferred editor's review.
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Capital One Venture Rewards Card Pros & Cons
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If you're looking for a simpler way to earn travel rewards you might consider the .
This card offers unlimited two miles per dollar on all purchases.
You can redeem miles for hotels, flights and other travel purchases. Capital One has 15+ travel partners you can transfer miles to.
You can also use miles to shop with Amazon or get cashback. Miles don't expire as long as your account is in good standing.
This card's travel perks include a TSA PreCheck or Global Entry fee credit and no foreign transaction fees.
There is, however, a $95 annual fee.
Read the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card editor's review.
American Express Green Card
See Rates & Fees. Terms apply.
American Express Green Card Pros & Cons
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The offers points for travel and everyday purchases, including:
- 3 points per dollar at restaurants
- 3 points per dollar on transit
- 3 points per dollar on travel
- 1 point per dollar on other purchases
This card is flexible, since you can earn three points per dollar on airfare, hotels, car rentals and other travel purchases. You can also earn three points per dollar on ridesharing, cabs or tolls.
In place of TSA PreCheck or Global Entry fee credits, the American Express Green Card offers a $100 CLEAR credit. This is another expedited airport security program.
You can also get a $100 airport lounge credit, along with trip delay insurance and baggage insurance.
There's a $150 annual fee for this card, so it's a bit pricier than the U.S. Bank Altitude Connect Visa Signature Card. But there are no foreign transaction fees.
Read the American Express Green Card editor's review.
Final Verdict: Should You Apply for the U.S. Bank Altitude Connect Visa Signature Card?
The U.S. Bank Altitude Connect Visa Signature Card could be what you're looking for if you're interested in a travel rewards card that offers a higher points payout on hotels.
You might like this card if:
- You want a hotel rewards card that doesn't require you to be loyal to any one hotel brand
- You're also interested in earning rewards on other travel spending as well as everyday purchases
- You're a U.S. Bank customer who's interested in the bank's credit card options
This card rates pretty well, in terms of the introductory bonus and ongoing rewards. It falls short in terms of added benefits, such as lounge access or premium travel features.
Those are important to weigh when looking for the right travel rewards card. Also, keep the costs in mind.
Between the annual fee and the interest rate you might pay for carrying a balance, it's important to make sure you're getting the best value for your money.
