The US Bank Altitude Connect card recently launched and I just realized that we hadn’t published a post about the card. It features a nice intro bonus of 50,000 points (worth $500) after $3,000 in purchases in the first 120 days and the annual fee is waived in the first year. This isn’t the most rewarding card on the market by any measure, but it’s got a respectable effective 4% back at gas stations and a streaming credit that helps to offset the fee, so this might be worth picking up for some.
The Offer & Key Card Details
For more information on this card, see our dedicated card page by clicking the card name or info below.
| Card Offer and Details |
|---|
20K points ⓘ Non-Affiliate 20K (worth $200 as a deposit into eligible account or towards travel) after $1K spend in 90 daysNo Annual Fee Information about this card has been collected independently by Frequent Miler. The issuer did not provide the details, nor is it responsible for their accuracy. Recent better offer: 50K after $2K spend in 120 days (Ended 9/9/24) FM Mini Review: This card offers decent returns on gas station and travel spend and it features no foreign transaction fees, but points are now only worth 0.8cpp. However, return on most other spend is relatively weak. Earning rate: 4X travel, gas stations & EV charging (excludes discount stores/supercenters and wholesale clubs) ✦ 2x take out, food delivery (including apps like GrubHub, UberEATS, etc), dining, grocery (including meal kit delivery) and streaming services Base: 1% Travel: 4% Dine: 2% Gas: 4% Grocery: 2% Other: 2% Card Info: Visa issued by USB. This card has no foreign currency conversion fees. Noteworthy perks: Complimentary Priority Pass Select with 4 free visits ✦ Up to $100 in credits for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry ✦ Complimentary 5 GB / 15-day plans + 20% off on all other GigSky plans (international roaming) |
Quick Thoughts
A $500 bonus is nothing to sneeze at and will certainly make this card worthwhile for some. On the other hand, I’d gladly take the US Bank Altitude Reserve over this card and given US Bank’s often tougher approvals, I probably wouldn’t prioritize this over that.
I feel like this card comes up a bit short in US Bank’s lineup. While an effective 4% back at gas stations is decent, I’m not sure that it’s worth paying $95 per year for a card that only has that strength. I suppose the streaming credit is easy enough for many people to trigger, so if you consider the net cost to be $65 maybe that makes it more worthwhile depending on your gas station spend. I’m not sure how tolerant US Bank will be of big gas station spenders; while I’ve been able to spend big on my Radisson card over the years, there were initial reports of shut downs on the Altitude Reserve for heavy spenders. Not sure where things will shake out with this card.
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can I combine or transfer points to Altitude reserve and redeem them at 1.5c/p?
I have the same question!
Unfortunately no.
Why don’t you consider 4% back on all travel a strength? I can’t think of a cash back card with a higher return on general travel.