The U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card offers 50,000 points, worth $500 toward cash back, travel, or other redemptions when you spend $2,000 in the first 120 days of having the card.
The card currently has no annual fee in the first year ($95/year thereafter) but changes to a no annual fee card on September 9, 2024. That means, if you get the card now, you won’t end up paying an annual fee on this card, ever.
This is a welcome bonus that you should get now. Once the card drops its ongoing annual fee on September 9, 2024, we believe that the welcome bonus will drop to a bonus more in-line with a no-annual-fee card.
U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card welcome bonus:
U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card: Earn 50,000 bonus points. Just spend $2,000 in the first 120 days. That’s $500 value redeemable toward cash back. $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, $95/year thereafter. Effective September 9, 2024, you will enjoy a $0 annual fee.
Our take on the welcome bonus: Recently, U.S. Bank announced changes to this card. It’s becoming a $0 annual fee card on September 9, 2024. That said, we expect the bonus to become less generous on or before that date. We know of no previous better offers on this card.
The link above is a link directly to the bank’s website. We don’t make money when you use the above link, but we always show you the best offer.
U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card at a glance:
Annual fee: $0 intro fee in the first year / $95 thereafter. Effective September 9, 2024, you will enjoy a $0 annual fee.
Rewards: 5x on prepaid hotels and car rentals booked in bank portal. 4x on travel, gas stations, EV charging, 2x on grocery stores, grocery delivery, dining and streaming services. 1x all other eligible purchases
Perks: 4 Priority Pass lounge visits, Global Entry/PreCheck Credit, Cell phone protection.
About the U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card
The U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card offers some of the most generous point earning rates on travel, gas stations, and EV charging of any card. The card comes with a $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $95/year. (On September 9th, 2024, this will change—the card will be dropping its annual fee.)
The card features 5x points on prepaid hotels and car rentals booked directly in the Altitude Rewards Center, plus 4x points on travel, gas stations, and EV charging stations. The Altitude Connect also offers 2x points at grocery stores, grocery delivery, dining, and streaming services, plus 1x points on all other purchases.
The U.S. Bank Altitude Connect also offers a fairly generous set of travel benefits for the price, and is one of the lowest-cost ways to access airport lounges if you travel occasionally. With the U.S. Bank Altitude Connect, you’ll get four free visits to airport lounges through the card’s included Priority Pass Select membership, a $100 credit toward PreCheck or Global Entry once every four years, cell phone protection, and trip delay reimbursement.
For more on the U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card, check out our overview of the card.
My take on the welcome bonus
This welcome bonus is a great bonus, full stop. Most cards that offer welcome bonuses this generous have annual fees, the spending requirements generally are much higher, and you don’t usually have 120 days to get the bonus. 90 days is more typical.
But I believe that the welcome bonus will eventually change to something much less generous, and you should get this welcome bonus now. Here’s why…
Upcoming changes to the card
I covered the upcoming changes to the Altitude Connect card in a separate post. Among the changes coming are the elimination of the card’s annual fee and the devaluation of the reward points. You can read about the changes to the card in the other post, but here’s what matters for you if you’re getting the card now:
You will never pay an annual fee. As it stands currently, the card offers a $0 introductory annual fee for the first year and $95/year in subsequent years. On September 9, 2024, the card becomes a no-annual-fee card. By the time your card anniversary comes around, the current ongoing annual fee will be $0.
You should earn and cash out your points before September 8, 2024. The 50,000 points you can earn with the welcome bonus currently can get you $500 of cash back or other redemptions. On September 9th, those 50,000 points can only be redeemed for their full $500 of value if you redeem them for travel rewards through the Altitude Rewards center. If you want cash, you’ll get only $400 (0.8 cents per point) if you redeem for cash back.
Frequently asked questions
How are the 50,000 points on the Altitude Connect welcome bonus worth $500?
Redeeming the 50,000 points that you can earn from this card’s welcome bonus will get you $500 of cash back. But be sure to redeem your points before September 8, 2024. After that date, the points will only be worth 0.8 cents each toward cash back redemptions.
What changes are coming to the U.S. Bank Altitude Connect?
The U.S. Bank Altitude Connect card will be changing on September 9, 2024. Points will be worth less toward cash back and other non-travel redemptions and the card feature fewer benefits.
