U.S. Bank Business Altitude Connect review: Strong travel rewards, limited perks

As a business owner, you can use the U.S. Bank Business Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card to earn rewards on travel, as well as dining and cell phone services. This card is an affordable option with benefits you can use while on the road or at your home office.

U.S. Bank Business Altitude Connect Visa Signature overview

Additional benefits of the U.S. Bank Business Altitude Connect Visa Signature Card

In addition to the annual savings you can get through rideshare credits and airport lounge access, this card has a few additional perks for your business spending:

• U.S. Bank Spend Management: Access U.S. Bank’s platform for business owners to manage expenses, track spending, integrate purchase info into accounting software, and more.

• No foreign transaction fees: Save on purchases you make internationally with no foreign transaction fees. These fees can add up to 3% on each purchase abroad.

• Annual fee waived for the first year: You’ll pay a $0 introductory annual fee for the first year. After that, this card charges a $95 fee annually.

• Free employee cards: Add cards to your account for your employees for no annual fee. 

• Travel protections: This card comes with some added travel protections, including auto rental collision damage waiver, lost luggage insurance, and travel assistance.

How to earn rewards

The best way to earn rewards with the U.S. Bank Business Altitude Connect is by using it for your business travel. Here’s how travel rewards break down:

• 5x points on prepaid hotels and car rentals booked through the U.S. Bank Travel Center

• 4x points on other travel, up to the first $150,000 spent on travel each calendar year

Eligible travel expenses for the 4x category include airfare, hotel bookings, car rentals, gas and EV charging stations (though it excludes gas from superstores or wholesale clubs), passenger trains, and more. After you reach the $150,000 annual cap, travel purchases earn 1x points.

You’ll also get an unlimited 2x points per dollar on dining (including takeout and delivery) and with cell phone service providers. Every other purchase earns 1x points.

As a new cardmember, you can also earn rewards via the U.S. Bank Business Altitude Connect card’s welcome bonus. If you spend at least $6,000 within the first 180 days, you’ll get 75,000 bonus points — worth up to $750 in rewards.

How to redeem rewards

The best way to redeem the points you earn with your U.S. Bank Business Altitude Connect is for travel or as a deposit into your U.S. Bank account. Travel redemptions may include using points to book travel through the U.S. Bank portal or using Real-Time Rewards to cover a travel purchase you charge to your card.

You’ll get a max 1 cent per dollar value with these redemptions. That means, for example, you’d get $750 in rewards value for the 75,000-point welcome bonus.

Other ways to redeem include using points for merchandise, gift cards, or a statement credit. However, the value you’ll get for these options can vary. 

Your points won’t expire as long as your account is active. But leaving your account with no reward, purchase, or balance activity for 12 consecutive months could put your rewards at risk of expiration.

Who is the U.S. Bank Business Altitude Connect Visa Signature Card best for?

There are plenty of things to like about the U.S. Bank Business Altitude Connect, from its low annual fee to rewards categories and rideshare credit. But there are some things you should consider before you apply.

This may not be the best card for you if you and your employees travel for business very frequently. For one, you’ll only earn the full 4x points on travel up to the first $150,000 spent across flights, hotels, gas and EV charging, and other travel expenses each year. You may be leaving rewards on the table if you regularly spend more than that. 

You can also quickly use up the airport lounge membership benefit with frequent travel. This card comes with a Priority Pass Digital membership, which gets you four free lounge visits per year. Many other business travel cards come with Priority Pass Select membership, which has unlimited annual access to airport lounges. 

Other business credit cards for travel may also allow you to transfer your rewards to partner airlines or hotels for a potentially higher redemption value. With the U.S. Bank Altitude Connect, you won’t have the option to transfer points. You’ll need to book your travel with U.S. Bank, use points toward travel purchases on your card, or transfer them to an eligible U.S. Bank account for maximum value.

Instead, this card is best for business owners who travel less frequently or primarily travel by car. For a relatively low annual fee (which is waived for the first year), you can get solid earnings on travel expenses up to the spending cap as well as on dining out while you’re on the road. 

U.S. Bank Business Altitude Connect pros

• Rewards on travel and everyday purchases: Earn rewards on your travel spending, dining, and cell phone service. If you spend a lot each year across these categories, you can more than make up the annual fee in rewards value.

• Welcome bonus: This card’s welcome bonus is worth hundreds of dollars. As long as the minimum required spend is within your budget, this can give you a huge first-year rewards boost.

• $25 rideshare credit: For every three consecutive months you make a taxi or rideshare purchase with your card, you’ll get a $25 statement credit. If you make rideshare purchases each month of the year, you could earn four statement credits annually (worth $100 total), which alone could wipe out the card’s annual fee.

U.S. Bank Business Altitude Connect cons

• Annual fee: This card charges a $95 annual fee, though it’s waived for the first year.

• Spending cap for travel rewards: If you spend a lot of money on business travel each year, make sure you keep the $150,000 travel spending cap in mind. After you reach that amount on travel purchases, your rewards will drop from 4x to 1x.

• Few added benefits: Beyond the rideshare credit and four Priority Pass lounge visits, this card doesn’t offer the same range of annual benefits as you’ll find from other travel credit cards.

Where can you use the U.S. Bank Business Altitude Connect Visa Signature Card?

This card is a Visa Signature card, which means you can use it anywhere that Visa is accepted, both in-store and online. 

The U.S. Bank Business Altitude Connect also charges no foreign transaction fees. If your business often takes you abroad, you’ll save up to 3% on international transactions when you it to pay.

How to make a U.S. Bank Business Altitude Connect Visa Signature Card payment

You can pay down your U.S. Bank credit card through your online account or the U.S. Bank mobile app. Both the main account holder and employees with employee cards can make card payments.

Log in to your account, select “Transfer & pay,” then “Pay bills.” Choose your card and the payment date, and select the checking or savings account you want your payment to come from.

U.S. Bank Business Altitude Connect customer service info

• Customer service is available 24/7

• Phone number: 866-485-4545 or call the number on the back of your card

• Online: Navigate to “Need help?” online after you log in or “Help & services” in the mobile app

• You can also visit a U.S. Bank branch during business hours

• U.S. Bank login page

Alternative cards to consider

The U.S. Bank Business Altitude Connect is an affordable option for travel savings that may suit some business travelers, but there are other great travel cards to consider. Here are a few of our top picks:

Bank of America® Business Advantage Travel Rewards World Mastercard® Credit Card

Why we like it: This no-annual-fee business travel card makes it easy to maximize your business spending at home and while traveling. You’ll earn a flat 1.5x points on every purchase, but you can get a higher 3x rewards rate when you book travel through the Bank of America Travel Center.

The Bank of America Business Advantage Travel Rewards card also has a solid welcome bonus and an introductory APR on new purchases. And if you’re a Bank of America Preferred Rewards for Business member, you can earn an even higher rewards rate on every purchase.

Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

Why we like it: Like the U.S. Bank Business Altitude Connect, the Ink Business Preferred has a $95 annual fee. For that, you’ll earn 3x rewards across a range of everyday categories as well as travel — up to the same $150,000 limit each calendar year. After that, earn 1x on every purchase. This card also has a fantastic welcome bonus, and you can redeem your points in multiple ways, including for travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards or transferring to travel partners. 

The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express

Why we like it: The Amex Blue Business Plus is a no-annual-fee business card with flat 2x Membership Rewards® points on every purchase. This card is best for business owners with limited annual budgets, since you’ll only get 2x points on the first $50,000 in purchases each year. After that, everything earns 1x points per dollar. You can redeem your rewards for statement credits or travel by booking through Amex Travel or transferring them to Amex’s travel partners. This card also has a solid welcome bonus and an intro APR for purchases. 

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