U.S. Bank Cash+ Visa Signature review 2024: Customize your cash back

The U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card * The information for the U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. earns high rewards on two eligible categories each quarter, but you’ll have to remember to enroll in your picks each quarter.

U.S. Bank Cash+ Visa Signature basics

• Annual fee: $0.
• Welcome bonus: $200 rewards bonus after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 90 days of account opening.
• Rewards: 5% cash back on prepaid air, hotel and car reservations booked directly in the Rewards Center, 5% cash back on your first $2,000 in combined eligible purchases each quarter on two categories of choice, 2% cash back on one everyday category (like gas stations, grocery stores and restaurants) and 1% cash back on all other eligible purchases.
• APR: 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 billing cycles, then a variable APR of 19.49% to 29.74%. A balance transfer fee of 3% ($5 minimum) applies and balances transferred must be completed within 60 days.
• Other perks and benefits: Visa Signature benefits; Eligible for U.S. Bank Real-Time rewards redemption.
• Does the issuer offer a preapproval tool? None.
• Recommended credit score: Good to excellent.

U.S. Bank Cash+ Visa Signature review

The U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card * The information for the U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. does not charge an annual fee and offers a $200 rewards bonus after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 90 days of account opening. Plus, the card comes with a 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 billing cycles, then a variable APR of 19.49% to 29.74%. A balance transfer fee of 3% ($5 minimum) applies and balances transferred must be completed within 60 days. But the main event with this card is the unique and flexible cash-back rewards program, earning 5% cash back on prepaid air, hotel and car reservations booked directly in the Rewards Center, 5% cash back on your first $2,000 in combined eligible purchases each quarter on two categories of choice, 2% cash back on one everyday category (like gas stations, grocery stores and restaurants) and 1% cash back on all other eligible purchases. Eligible choice categories are broad and include:

• TV, Internet and streaming services.
• Fast food.
• Cellphone providers.
• Department stores.
• Home utilities.
• Select clothing stores.
• Electronic stores.
• Sporting goods stores.
• Movie theaters.
• Gyms/fitness centers.
• Furniture stores.
• Ground transportation.

For a detailed list of what qualifies in each of these categories, U.S. Bank has details here. 

The ability to choose your top two categories each quarter (up to 45 days in advance of the start of the quarter) can help you maximize your rewards where you spend the most — but you’ll have to know ahead of time where that spending might be so you can enroll at the start of each quarter. This could be a challenge unless your spending patterns are fairly predictable or you know you have a big buy coming up.

Aside from these benefits, the card doesn’t offer much else in the way of perks — except for some basic Visa Signature benefits. If this was the only card in your wallet, it could be difficult to make the most of the rewards potential — but as a secondary card to use when you know you have certain upcoming expenses, this card could be a fit.

Pros

• Customization of cash-back rewards. 
• Low intro APR offer on both purchases and balance transfers.
• No annual fee.

Cons

• Bonus rewards categories may not align with where you spend the most.
• You have to opt in to the highest rewards categories in advance of each quarter.
• No perks like purchase protections or insurances.

U.S. Bank Cash+ Visa Signature rewards

The U.S. Bank Cash+ Visa has a tiered cash-back reward system of:

• 5% cash back on prepaid air, hotel and car reservations booked directly in the Rewards Center.
• 5% cash back on your first $2,000 in combined eligible purchases each quarter on two categories of choice.
• 2% cash back on one everyday category (like gas stations, grocery stores and restaurants).
• 1% cash back on all other eligible purchases.

Using government data and other publicly available information, we estimate that a household in the U.S. that would be in the market for this card has an annual income of $84,352 and $25,087 in expenses they are likely to be able to charge to a credit card. We calculated what someone could potentially earn who was able to max out the elevated rewards categories each quarter.

CATEGORY	SPEND	RATE	EARNINGS
5% categories	$10,000	5%	$500
Groceries	$3,459	2%	$69.18
Everything else	$11,628	1%	$116.28
Total	$25,087		$685.46

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In this scenario, our sample cardholder earns $685.46 in cash-back rewards. Your earnings with this card will vary based on how you’re able to take advantage of the elevated rewards categories.

U.S. Bank Cash+ Visa Signature APR

The U.S. Bank Cash+ Visa Signature offers a 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 billing cycles, then a variable APR of 19.49% to 29.74%. A balance transfer fee of 3% ($5 minimum) applies and balances transferred must be completed within 60 days.

How the U.S. Bank Cash+ Visa Signature compares to other cards 

U.S. Bank Cash+ Visa Signature vs. Discover it® Cash Back

The no-annual-fee Discover it® Cash Back earns 5% cash back on purchases at different places each quarter up to $1,500 spent each quarter when activated and 1% cash back on all other purchases. You’ll still need to “activate” the elevated rewards rate each quarter — which simply requires logging into your account and selecting to opt-in to the elevated rewards rate for the categories Discover is offering at a bonus. The disadvantage is that the Discover it® Cash Back chooses which two areas of spending are eligible for those elevated rewards — unlike the U.S. Bank Cash+, which lets you choose.

However, in your first year as a cardholder, you can take advantage of Discover’s unique welcome bonus: Discover will automatically match all the cash back earned at the end of the first cardmember year. The Discover it® Cash Back also comes with a 0% intro APR for 15 months on purchases and eligible balance transfers. Then, a variable rate of 18.24% to 28.24% applies. There's a 3% intro balance transfer fee, up to 5% fee on future balance transfers (see terms). Ultimately, when it comes to pure rewards potential beyond the first year, the U.S. Bank Cash+ Visa has the edge. 

U.S. Bank Cash+ Visa Signature vs. Citi Double Cash® Card * The information for the Citi Double Cash® Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

If you want a simple cash-back card, look to a card like the no-annual-fee Citi Double Cash® Card * The information for the Citi Double Cash® Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. . The rewards are straightforward: 2% cash back on purchases — 1% when purchases are made and another 1% when they’re paid off, plus, for a limited time, 5% total cash back on hotel, car rentals and attractions booked on the Citi Travel℠ portal through 12/31/24. There’s no categories to opt in to or keep track of, you’ll get the same base rate on purchases all year long. The Double Cash, like the U.S. Bank Cash+, also comes with a 0% intro APR on balance transfers for 18 months. After that, the standard variable APR will be 19.24% to 29.24%. An intro balance transfer fee of either $5 or 3%, whichever is greater, applies to transfers completed in the first four months. After that, the fee will be 5% of each transfer (minimum $5). 

Although the card doesn’t come with the opportunity to earn a higher rewards rate, it also doesn’t require any work on your part to remember to check spending limits or choose categories at set times throughout the year. This is a much less complicated proposition for earning rewards on your spending.

U.S. Bank Cash+ Visa Signature vs. Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card 

If you’re looking to earn rewards for travel, consider the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card. It earns 5 points per $1 on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3 points per $1 on dining, select streaming services, and online grocery purchases (excluding Walmart, Target and wholesale clubs), 2 points per $1 on all other travel purchases and 1 point per $1 on all other purchases. 

Although it has an annual fee of $95, it comes with a plethora of perks including a welcome bonus of 60,000 points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening, travel and purchase protections including primary auto rental insurance and bonus points equal to 10% of your total purchases made the previous year. Plus, Chase Ultimate Rewards® points are worth 25% more when booking eligible travel through Chase or you can transfer those earnings to more than a dozen of Chase’s travel loyalty partners for even more flexibility.

Should you get the U.S. Bank Cash+ Visa Signature?

If you have high, consistent spend in the available bonus categories and can commit to changing them quarterly as needed — then yes. With no annual fee to eat away at your earnings, the overall rewards rate is top-notch. But it does require a lot of work and strategic budgeting.

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)