US Bank Cash+ Visa Signature Card: 5% Cash Back in Categories You Choose
US Bank has introduced a cash back credit card with rotating quarterly bonus categories, but added a twist. The new US Bank Cash+ Visa Signature Card allows you to choose two categories from a list each quarter where your spending will earn 5% cash back. You’ll also be able to choose either gas, groceries or drug store spending to earn 2% cash back. Your 5% and 2% choices can be changed each quarter, while all other purchases will earn 1% cash back.
In addition, you’ll earn a $25 bonus (in the form of a US Bank Rewards Card) whenever you redeem $100 or more in a single redemption, meaning your 5% bonus categories can effectively earn 6.25%. There are no limits to how much cash back you can earn and there is no annual fee. You can select to have your cash back redeemed either as a deposit into your U.S. Bank deposit account, a U.S. Bank Rewards card or a statement credit.
Ultimately, however, the value of this card in relation to other cash back cards with rotating bonus categories will be dependent upon the list of available 5% categories. US Bank has provided a demo, which shows how you can select your 2% and 5% cash back categories. The demo shows 5% categories as including:
- Department stores
- Restaurants
- Home improvement stores
- Electronics stores
- Airlines
- Hotels
- Bill payment (when you set up automatic bill payments for phone, internet, cable/satllite TV, utilities and insurance)
- Fast food
- Furniture stores
- Car rental
- Charity (such as American Red Cross, United Way, Samaritan’s Purse International Relief and Mercy Chefs)
- Movie theaters
If US Bank keeps certain categories such as restaurants, home improvement stores, department stores and electronics stores available to choose from every quarter, then this card could be a huge winner. If it changes the available categories, which it has said it reserves the right to do each quarter, then the card could quickly become just another run-of-the-mill cash back card. We’ll have to see how this works in practice.
For more info on the card or to apply, see the following link:
Note: There have been reports of people getting their applications rejected because they live in a state where US Bank does not have a branch. The card is supposed to be available in all 50 states, so if this happens to you, you can call 800-947-1444 and request that the underwriting department manually review your application.
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would like to know the categlory walmart, target and k mart atores are in
Hi Rose,
If you call US Bank customer service and provide them with the store name and address + zip code, they should be able to tell you how a store is categorized. Different locations of Walmarts can be categorized differently.
I received notices from U.S. Bank over the last month stating that several benefits are being eliminated or reduced.
1. The $25 bonus for $100 redemption has been reduced to just one such bonus per calendar year.
2. The 25% and 50% bonus on base rewards for linked gold and platinum U.S. Bank accounts is ending on August 12, 2013.
3. The 5% rewards are now capped at $2000 spending on those categories per quarter.
Today I received in the mail the reminder that I should log in to
usbank.com/cashplus, using the last 4 digits if my credit card
number. When U went to us bank.com/cashplus I was confronted
with a bewildering collection of entries. None of the dozen or
so that I tried asked for my credit card number. Please give me
the sequence of instructions after I log on to
usbank.com/cashplus. I’m lost!!!
I too am wondering how to get instructions on how to get 5% back on my purchases..
I am interesting on your program for the earning up to 5% cash back on my purchases.
· may only earn a $25 Cash+ Bonus *the first time* redeeming $100 or more in rebates in a single redemption transaction.
· Rebates expire 36 months after the billing cycle in which they are earned. #lame
Would like to know if when I shop at Walmart and buy food I get 5%?
Doris, probably not. It depends on how your local Walmart codes its purchases. If your Walmart codes itself as a grocery store, and you select grocery stores as one of your 2% “everyday” categories, then you’d get 2%. Grocery stores have never been offered as a 5% category.