Confirmed Details Regarding U.S. Bank’s Altitude Premium Visa Infinite Credit Card (Eligibility Requirements)

We’ve shared news and details about U.S. Bank’s new Altitude Reserve Visa Infinite Card before. We now have some more confirmed details thanks to Wallaby (and more again from Travel After Work).

  • Card will launch on May 2nd
  • Sign up bonus of 50,000 points after $4,500 in spend within 90 days of account opening. This is worth $750 towards travel, no higher targeted bonuses will be offered.
  • Card earns at the following rates:
    • 3x on mobile payments. This only includes NFC transactions (e.g it won’t included in app purchases or Samsung Pay purchases that turn a regular purchase into NFC, aka LoopPay)
    • 3x on travel booked directly (airlines, hotels, car rental agencies)
    • 1x on all other purchases
  • Annual fee is $400 for the primary cardholder and $75 for authorized users. You can offset the annual fee with 35,000 points (1.14¢ per point)
  • $325 annual travel credit. Can be used against purchases made directly from airlines, hotels, car rental companies, taxis, limousines, passenger trains and cruise lines. Update: This is based on a calendar year, yay! Update2: Travel After Work says cardmember, Wallaby says Calendar. Wallaby now says card member as well.
  • Priority Pass Select Membership. Limited to four visits and four guests visits each membership year.
  • Gogo Pass. 12 complimentary passes each membership year (same as what is offered on other U.S. Bank cards)
  • Visa Infinite Benefits. Unclear if it will have $100 saving on round trip flights or not (according to travel after work, this benefit doesn’t apply) Minimum credit line of $5,000 instead of $10,000 normally required.
  • TSA PreCheck/Global Entry Reimbursement once every four year.
  • Silvercar discount. Rent an Audi A4 with no lines or paperwork from airport locations in select cities and receive a discount of up to 30%  on rentals of two days or more.
  • GroundLink Black Car Service. 15% discount and $30 off first ride
  • Metal card.

Eligiblity

Only U.S. Bank customers with one of the following relationships will be eligible:

  • U.S. Bank Checking or Savings account
  • Certificate of Deposit
  • Mortgage
  • Home Equity Loan
  • Home Equity Line of Credit
  • Auto/Boat/RV Loan
  • Personal Loans and Lines
  • Private Banking account
  • Consumer Credit Card

Thankfully most people will have a consumer credit card with U.S. Bank already, if not setting up a small certificate of deposit is not difficult. The account does need to be open for a minimum of 35 days prior to submitting an application.

You also need to go to a local branch to be able to apply (branch locator here).

Transferring Points

U.S. Bank does not have any transfer partners for this card but you’ll be allowed to transfer Flexperk points to Altitude points at a 1:1 ratio. Not clear if you can transfer Altitude to Flexperk as well, if you can then those points are worth up to 2¢ each.

Our Verdict

Lounge access is very limited with only four free passes. Obviously lounge access is much better with American Express’ Platinum, but the fact that this card earns at such a high rate on mobile wallet purchases means a different market segment is more likely to keep the card and pay the annual fee long term.

It’s interesting that only NFC payments will earn that 3x rate, if that didn’t add that restriction then Samsung Pay users would have been able to earn 3x everywhere (really worth 4.5% towards travel). Still waiting to also find out if the travel credit is based on a card member or calendar year, fingers crossed it’s calendar!

This is another card where it’s extremely obvious to apply for it and get the sign up bonus and other benefits, but it’s less obvious if it really makes sense to keep it past year one. What are your thoughts?

Subscribe
Notify of
guest

73 Comments
newest
oldest most voted

Ian
Ian (@guest_392264)
April 19, 2017 22:04

You forgot these “obvious” benefits: *No foreign transaction fees for purchases made in foreign currencies. *The points never expire.

Jeremy
Jeremy (@guest_392219)
April 19, 2017 20:45

DP…I just tried using Android Pay at a favorite letter based pharmacy and it wouldn’t work. Android Pay gave me a check, but the register showed “must swipe or enter chip.”

Bob
Bob (@guest_392241)
April 19, 2017 21:35

CVS does not participate in any of the major mobile wallets. They have their own system, known as CVS Pay. Separate wallet, separate app

Jeremy
Jeremy (@guest_392285)
April 19, 2017 22:28

Is it still NFC?

NinjaX
NinjaX (@guest_392353)
April 20, 2017 00:29

yes it is. and you can see where things will go from here…

Bob
Bob (@guest_393020)
April 20, 2017 23:38

But clearly it won’t count for 3x on this card since it’s not one of the mobile wallets mentioned

Joe
Joe (@guest_392158)
April 19, 2017 20:00

DoC, just wanted to see if you had any additional information regarding the freeze of a couple credit bureaus to increase odds of approval for US Bank. I’m referring to the comments in one of your posts https://www.doctorofcredit.com/two-credit-bureaus-you-should-freeze-before-you-apply-for-a-u-s-bank-credit-card/ Some of the commentors mentioned their apps weren’t even processed because these 2 small bureaus were frozen. Any legitimacy to these claims? Thanks again for all you do!

Joe
Joe (@guest_392163)
April 19, 2017 20:05

Oh, great. Thanks a lot. Clears that up for me and I’m sure it will help others as well.

brett
brett (@guest_392024)
April 19, 2017 16:19

in-app and in-store mobile payment can earn 3x as well. wallaby have corrected this.

NinjaX
NinjaX (@guest_391999)
April 19, 2017 15:43

just wanted to mention something about NFC 3x since theres a lot of speculation and confusion. while nothing is confirmed about how things will code, Mobile Payment NFC and Samsung Pay MST are very very different tech. Its not even close to the same tech, but of course its made so the end user cant tell crap.

NFC requires special terminals. MST does not. I would even guess that USB didnt want MST to work because it would lead to too much loss. MST is a ninja and codes as a CC swipe. Its not a mobile payment system via NFC. NFC codes very differently and will show up as android pay. Everyone on reddit is going crazy over NFC since a huge chunk are Apple users. Some even wanted to buy a Samsung just for MST or NFC 3x. regardless of what USB says, maybe MST will work. TBD.

but consider this:
1) many locations may be ignorant and refuse to let ur MST phone near their POS. this is location dependent. i have been rejected in SFO many times. but maybe this is irrelevant since USB will not allow MST anyway.

2) NFC terminals are VERY limited with specific regional or store restrictions. so you think u can do CVS WG VGC NFC for 3x? try it and let me know how that goes. matter of fact, why wait for USB? go load up ur android pay with a CC right now and go to ur CVS and try to NFC a VGC. good luck.

excited to see where USB goes with this. i wont be applying. i dont want my other USB accounts shut down. will wait it out.

Jeremy
Jeremy (@guest_391811)
April 19, 2017 11:30

Will it work for tolls, parking, public transportation?

Miz
Miz (@guest_391741)
April 19, 2017 07:43

It is unclear whether the travel credit works for Uber or Lyft. Technically Uber and Lyft are not considered “car rental companies, taxis, limousines”. I hope they are included. I will definitely can use that $325 for good if Uber and Lyft are included.

Bob
Bob (@guest_391777)
April 19, 2017 09:53

Their MCCs code in the same category as do car rental and taxi companies. They wouldn’t be able to tell

Mordechai
Mordechai (@guest_391731)
April 19, 2017 06:48

I don’t see how this is going to be a sapphire reserve killer (not your language, but many), if the initial launch is in branch only. Let’s not underestimate the laziness of most people (‘myself included).

Chase built up a lot of buzz in the first few months and the insane amount of applications by consumers helped to generate even more buzz.

Plus lounge access is inferior, and if the $325 is card member year it’s one of the lowest ranking of all airline credits. Plus it’s not cash so it isn’t knocking your fee down…

brett
brett (@guest_391565)
April 18, 2017 21:21

Wallaby’s source has changed it to “cardmember” year.

Avi
Avi (@guest_391562)
April 18, 2017 21:07

Has anyone heard how the points will be used for travel? Will it be Flexperks style – i.e., needing to book through their portal to get full value, or will it be more like the Arrival cards where you can select eligible charges to use points against? I’m really hoping for the latter – could make or break it for me.