#8 Among Transferable Points
Point Value
1.10 ¢
Hobby Score
5.7
The U.S. Bank Loyalty System is a fixed-value travel program with limited upside.
The only way to earn points that redeem directly for travel with U.S. Bank is to open one of their Altitude cards. If you already hold a legacy FlexPerks card, you can still use those points to pay for travel, but none of those cards accept new applicants.
All other U.S. Bank credit cards earn cash back. Most rewards—whether redeemed through the travel portal or as cash back—are worth 1 cent per point. Because of this, you should choose the card with the strongest signup bonus and the best earning structure for your spending. Being able to book travel through the portal isn’t a meaningful advantage when the redemption value is still just 1 cent per point. You can simply redeem for cash back and book any travel you want without portal restrictions.
There are several ways to redeem points with U.S. Bank, but it depends on which credit card you hold. We outline the main categories below. We won’t go too deep into any of them since none can be transferred to partners, which is where the best value lies in this hobby. Nearly all redemption options are worth 1 cent per point, regardless of method.
U.S. Bank has several cash back cards. While the signup bonuses are weak, the category multipliers can help you earn rewards quickly. Redemption options include statement credits, deposits into an eligible U.S. Bank account, gift cards, or Real-Time Rewards. All of these are worth 1 cent per point at best. You cannot use rewards from these cards to book travel in the U.S. Bank portal, but you can redeem for cash and book any travel you want.
There are four U.S. Bank Altitude cards (two business, two personal) plus the U.S. Bank Business Leverage card. Points earned from these cards can be used to book travel through the U.S. Bank travel portal, which is powered by Booking.com. Redemptions are a flat 1 cent per point, so while the points can cover travel, you won’t get outsized value.
U.S. Bank has phased out its FlexPerks program, and all cards that earned FlexPerks are closed to new applicants. Some cardholders may still have FlexPerks-earning cards. The most notable, the U.S. Bank Altitude Reserve Visa Infinite, now only offers 1 cent per point on portal bookings, removing the last strong redemption option in the U.S. Bank ecosystem.
Discover your points' highest-value redemption options. Use the filters to find the optimal sweet spot for your next trip.
We don’t recommend getting into the U.S. Bank points system unless you have no other options outside of the following: American Express, Capital One, Chase, Citi, Wells Fargo, and Bilt. Those systems all have transferable points, whereas U.S. Bank does not. If you’ve followed our advice and avoided going too hard, too fast with the major programs above, you should never need to apply for a U.S. Bank card.
If you are in that situation, though, starting with one of the Altitude cards, especially one of the two business versions, is your best move. These offer the highest signup bonuses and are the only U.S. Bank cards that let you redeem points for travel through their portal. All other cards are cash back cards. Since they each offer different spending multipliers, choose the one that matches your spending habits and earns you the most rewards overall.
Because every redemption across the ecosystem is worth 1 cent per point, you can always take the cash back earned from a U.S. Bank card and use it toward travel on your own terms. That way, you aren’t restricted to their portal.
Since U.S. Bank doesn’t have transfer partners you can move your points to, there is no way to use them once you cancel a card. Any points in your account will be forfeited. You should redeem all points or cash back earned from a card before you decide to close it.
