Introduction to the U.S. Bank Altitude Connect Card
The U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card is a good choice if you're looking for a card that earns a substantial welcome bonus along with strong bonus categories for no annual fee.
The card also offers excellent perks like Priority Pass™ airport lounge access, SmartDelay protection, and a Global Entry/TSA PreCheck® application fee credit.
Business Insider experts evaluated this card against the best credit cards and found it to be almost on par with our top picks. Despite a slew of generous benefits, we're not adding it to our favorites because the reward redemption rate is worth slightly less than what you can get from competitors.
This card underwent a major overhaul in late 2024. Here's what you should know.
$0
18.24% - 28.24% Variable
Earn 20,000 bonus points
Excellent/Good
- Great earning rate on travel and at gas stations
- Bonus points on streaming services plus $30 yearly streaming credit can save you money
- Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit is worth up to $100
- Annual fee after the first year
- No airline or hotel transfer partners
The U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card is a good choice if you're looking for a card that earns a substantial welcome bonus along with strong bonus categories for a moderate annual fee. It also offers excellent perks like Priority Pass airport lounge access, SmartDelay protection, cell phone protection, a Global Entry/TSA PreCheck application fee credit, and an annual streaming credit.
U.S. Bank Altitude Connect Visa SignatureU.S. Bank Altitude Connect Overview
Simplicity and ease of use are among the most important criteria when choosing the best credit card for you. The U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card is a compelling choice if you're looking for a rewarding credit card with strong bonus categories, travel perks, and no annual fee.
Plus, the card has travel benefits including Priority Pass airport lounge access with four free visits per year, trip cancellation and interruption insurance, trip delay insurance, and a unique SmartDelay feature that offers airport lounge access when your flight is delayed.
U.S. Bank Altitude Connect Card Rewards
Welcome Bonus
New cardholders can earn a welcome bonus of 20,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 in eligible net purchases in the first 90 days from account opening. The minimum spending requirement is relatively low, so it could be easy to earn this bonus depending on your spending patterns.
How to Earn Rewards
The U.S. Bank Altitude Connect Visa Signature has a straightforward earning structure that awards bonus points in popular spending categories. Cardholders earn:
- 5 points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and car rentals booked directly through the Altitude Rewards Center
- 4 points per dollar on travel and on the first $1,000 spent each quarter at gas stations and EV charging stations, excluding those operated by wholesale clubs and discount stores or supercenters.
- 2 points per dollar at grocery stores and on grocery delivery, dining, and eligible streaming services below. As of September 2024, discount stores, supercenters, and wholesale clubs such as Costco are excluded.
- 1 point per dollar on all other eligible purchases
Note: The $30 annual streaming credit has been discontinued as of September 2024. Only services that appear on U.S. Bank's list of eligible streaming merchants below qualify to earn 2x points per dollar spent:
2x eligible streaming merchants
- Amazon Music Unlimited
- Amazon Prime Video
- Apple Music
- Apple TV+
- Audible
- DirecTV Stream
- Discovery+
- Disney+
- ESPN+
- Fubo TV
- HBO Max
- Hulu
- iHeart
- LiveOne
- Luminary
- MLB TV
- NBA League Pass
- Netflix
- NHL Live
- Pandora
- Paramount+
- Peacock
- Showtime
- SiriusXM
- Slacker Radio
- Sling TV
- Spotify
- Starz
- Stitcher
- Tidal
- Vudu
- YouTube Music
- YouTube TV
- YouTube Premium
How to Redeem Rewards
Points earned on the U.S. Bank Altitude Connect Visa Signature are worth 0.8 cents apiece when redeemed for statement credits, Real-Time Rewards (non-travel), or a U.S. Bank Rewards Card. The minimum redemption for a statement credit is 3,125 points, which equals $25. This 0.8-cent value is a decrease from 1 cent apiece before September 2024.
Points are still worth 1 cent apiece when redeemed as cash back to an eligible U.S. Bank account, as a cash donation to charity, or when you redeem points for travel redemptions in the Altitude Rewards Center or via Real-Time Rewards.
One of the benefits of a fixed-value card like this is that there's no incentive to save up your points for some aspirational redemption, so you can get your cash back working for you as quickly as you earn it.
New benefit: Points can be redeemed for a monetary charitable contribution to a variety of nonprofits. U.S. Bank will also match your contribution 100%. You can see the full list of participating nonprofits in your cardmember account.
U.S. Bank Altitude Connect Benefits and Features
While one of the main selling points of this card is the bonus categories it offers, it comes with numerous additional perks that can make your travels more comfortable and give you peace of mind.
Note: This card no longer offers cellphone protection.
Priority Pass airport lounge access
One cardholder per U.S. Bank Altitude Connect Visa Signature account, either primary or authorized user, is eligible to enroll in a complimentary 12-month Priority Pass Select membership. This membership comes with four free visits to over 1,500 airport lounges each membership year; after that, visits are $32 per person.
Opening this card is a low-cost way to enjoy airport lounge access, since most credit cards with free Priority Pass airport lounge access are premium cards with annual fees of $400 or higher.
SmartDelay
The U.S. Bank Altitude Connect Visa Signature quietly added a new benefit called SmartDelay which can ease the inconvenience of travel disruptions. It provides free airport lounge access to the cardholder and up to three travel companions on the same itinerary when their flight is delayed by 120 minutes or more.
To take advantage of the service, you must register your flight on the card's SmartDelay website at least 2 hours prior to your scheduled departure (some flights may not be eligible). SmartDelay will monitor your flight schedule.
If a delay of at least 120 minutes occurs, you'll be emailed a voucher to use for lounge access, provided your airport has a participating lounge (you can see the list of lounges, provided by LoungeKey, here). Over 1,000 lounges at over 500 airports worldwide are eligible.
Global Entry/TSA PreCheck application fee credit
Once every four years, cardholders can receive up to a $100 statement credit to cover the cost of a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® application or renewal.
Trip cancellation/interruption insurance
If you purchase your travel ticket with the U.S. Bank Altitude Connect Visa Signature, you're eligible for reimbursement of nonrefundable fares if your trip is canceled or interrupted for a covered reason, such as illness or an accident.
Coverage is for up to $2,000 per covered passenger (cardholder, spouse/domestic partner, and dependent children), and there are exclusions, which you can read about in the card's guide to benefits.
Trip delay insurance
As long as you purchased your tickets with the U.S. Bank Altitude Connect Visa Signature, you and your immediate family (spouse/domestic partner and dependent children) are eligible for up to $300 in reimbursement of reasonable expenses if your flight is delayed by at least 12 hours.
This trip delay insurance can cover you for expenses like meals or an overnight hotel room. It's secondary coverage, which means it only covers amounts not reimbursed by the airline or other insurance.
Travel accident insurance
If you pay for your trip with the U.S. Bank Altitude Connect Visa Signature, you and your spouse/domestic partner and dependent children are eligible for a very modest amount of travel accident insurance (up to $1,000 per passenger).
Roadside dispatch
Cardholders can access a 24/7 roadside dispatch hotline which can help arrange services like towing, winching, or jumpstarting. The dispatch service itself is free, but you'll be charged a set fee for the services provided.
Travel and emergency assistance services
If you're traveling and run into issues, you can access a travel and emergency assistance hotline that can help arrange things like legal and medical referrals, prescriptions, translation services, locating lost luggage, and more. Again, the service itself is free, but any third-party costs are your responsibility.
Visa Signature benefits
Because the U.S. Bank Altitude Connect Visa Signature is a Visa Signature card, cardholders can access additional perks, including:
- Visa Signature Concierge
- Visa Signature Luxury Hotel Collection
- Visa Signature Golf Benefit by Troon
- Car rental discounts
$0
18.24% - 28.24% Variable
Earn 20,000 bonus points
Excellent/Good
- Great earning rate on travel and at gas stations
- Bonus points on streaming services plus $30 yearly streaming credit can save you money
- Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit is worth up to $100
- Annual fee after the first year
- No airline or hotel transfer partners
The U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card is a good choice if you're looking for a card that earns a substantial welcome bonus along with strong bonus categories for a moderate annual fee. It also offers excellent perks like Priority Pass airport lounge access, SmartDelay protection, cell phone protection, a Global Entry/TSA PreCheck application fee credit, and an annual streaming credit.
U.S. Bank Altitude Connect Visa Signature
U.S. Bank Altitude Connect Fees and Costs
The U.S. Bank Altitude Connect Visa Signature no longer has an annual fee. You can use the card overseas without incurring extra charges, because it doesn't add foreign transaction fees.
Like most other cards, there are fees for balance transfers, cash advances, and late or returned payments.
U.S. Bank Altitude Connect Card Comparison
Since the U.S. Bank Altitude Connect Visa Signature no longer has an annual fee, we also updated our card comparisons to evaluate two of the top contenders from our guide to the best no-annual-fee credit cards.
U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card vs. Chase Freedom Flex®
The no-annual-fee Chase Freedom Flex® earns 5% cash back in the form of Chase Ultimate Rewards® points, on up to $1,500 of spending each quarter across rotating bonus categories (then 1%). Cardholders also earn 3% on dining and drugstores, 5% on travel booked through Chase Travel℠, and 1% on everything else.
This card does not offer bonuses on groceries like the U.S. Bank Altitude Connect Visa Signature does, so it's a better fit for cardholders who frequently dine out.
The Chase Freedom Flex® offers the most value when paired with one or more of the best Chase cards such as the Chase Sapphire Reserve®, because you can combine rewards earned between the two cards for maximum value by transferring them to Chase transfer partners such as United Airlines or Hyatt Hotels.
New cardholders can also take advantage of a zero-interest intro APR: 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for the first 15 months (with a 18.99% - 28.49% Variable APR afterward).
Read our Chase Freedom Flex credit card review to learn more.
U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card vs. Discover it® Cash Back
The Discover it® Cash Back is similar to the Chase Freedom Flex® above for rotating bonus categories that earn 5% cash back on up to $1,500 spent each quarter (then 1% back), as well as 1% cash back on everything else (from January 1 to March 31, 2025, earn 5% cash back at restaurants, home improvement stores, and select streaming services on up to $1,500 in purchases after enrollment, then 1%).
This card is especially valuable in its first year, because Discover will match all your cash back at the end of your first cardmember year. So if you earned $500 in cash back in your first year, Discover would match that $500 for a total of $1,000 in cash back.
The Discover it® Cash Back does not consistently earn elevated rewards on groceries, which is a big selling point for the U.S. Bank Altitude Connect Visa Signature. However, the quarterly rotation bonus categories occasionally feature supermarkets.
Read our Discover it® Cash Back review to learn more.
U.S. Bank Altitude Connect Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What credit score do I need to be approved for the U.S. Bank Altitude Connect?
To be considered for the U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card, you should have a good to excellent credit score, which means a FICO score of at least 670.
Is the U.S. Bank Altitude Connect card worth it?
If you spend a lot in its bonus categories and prefer simplicity in redeeming rewards, the U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card is worth considering. However, after the first year, you'll have to decide if you spend enough to justify the annual fee (even with the $30 streaming credit).
That said, the U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card added new perks — Priority Pass Select membership, trip delay reimbursement, SmartDelay lounge access, and trip interruption/cancellation insurance — on February 2, 2023. If you're on the fence about the card, these new benefits could be more than worth it, depending on your travel habits.
Is the U.S. Bank Altitude Connect a metal card?
No, the U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card isn't made of metal — it's a regular plastic card. If you're looking for a metal card from U.S. Bank, consider the U.S. Bank Altitude® Go Visa Signature® Card or U.S. Bank Altitude® Reserve Visa Infinite® Card instead.
How much are points worth from the U.S. Bank Altitude Connect?
No matter how you redeem rewards from your U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card, you'll get a value of 1 cent per point.
Editorial Note: Any opinions, analyses, reviews, or recommendations expressed in this article are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any card issuer. Read our editorial standards.
Please note: While the offers mentioned above are accurate at the time of publication, they're subject to change at any time and may have changed, or may no longer be available.
**Enrollment required.
***Terms, conditions, and exclusions apply. Refer to your Guide to Benefits for more details. Travel Accident Insurance is not guaranteed, it depends on the level of benefits you get at application.
For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the benefits may be provided by Visa® or Mastercard® and may vary by product. See the respective Guide to Benefits for details, as terms and exclusions apply.
