US Bank Credit card Choose your own two 5% cash back categories (even for airticket)

Quote from LxMxFxD : i recently almost applied for amex blue just for the 6%. But the $90 annual fee (i think) totally dissuaded me. Not you?

Annual fee is $75 and a recent deal on that was giving $150 bonus (beside the cash back) on the first one grand in the first three months. Will do something after two years

actually the deal is still up: http://www304.americanexpress.com...pref/12006

For example, you can buy $1250 "that was easy" GCs from your grocery stores, here goes $75 toward your annual fee, then spend all of those GCs in one of those special week(s) to buy FASERs' softwares, to get your money back (probably plus some other rewards) and also become Premier like "that was easy".

This (amex blue preffered) is for one who wants to keep a card for a long time and in most of cases get the 6% daily for almost everything. I understand there are one time offers of giving a lot more money or miles, but then you either cancel after a year, or you need to have a business to put big expenses which are probably not out of your pocket, or you need to go through channels like AMZP to satisfy high purchasing condition to get those levels of sign-in bonuses. Many people who don't wanna go through these hoops, can benefit a lot from this 6% guy

Quote from NickkNack : return and rebuy

Half of that is special order, the other half is heavy tile...

Quote from shifty_ : Half of that is special order, the other half is heavy tile...

go buy them again in store with this card and return on the spot with the first receipt.

wish someone would just bring back the schwab 2%, they would get its loyal customers who pay their bills on time...


this is nothing more than tricks and traps (as Elizabeth Warren would say).

Read through a few comments but couldn't find if someone addressed this: Couldn't U.S. Bank just make airfare a 1% category next quarter? I live abroad, so tickets are super expensive to the U.S. and I fly often, so 5% would be awesome, but (if they were smart) airfare will probably only be a category for the first quarter of the promotion, and as I am abroad all the other categories are essentially useless. Am I missing somethign?

What type of credit score would you need? I'm trying to build credit for a family member and couldn't get approved for the Freedom.

Quote from s1nad0w : What type of credit score would you need? I'm trying to build credit for a family member and couldn't get approved for the Freedom.

Dunno, but this is the first time in 4 credit card apps where I was not instantly approved. It's "under review" and I'm supposed to get something in the mail in 7-10 days. My score is around 800. I have a Chase Freedom and I was instantly approved for that card.

This alone sold me for this card:

Get a $25 Cash+ Bonus each time you redeem $100 or more cash back in a single redemption.

I've Chase Freedom and Sapphire, which only gives 1%, but used to give $50 additional cash back when u redeemed $250. They stopped that additional $50 cash back, so I'll be using USBank now.

For Gas purchase, I use PenFed [penfed.org], which gives 5% cashback.

1 Should your application for the U.S. Bank Cash+™ Visa Signature® card be denied, submitting this application constitutes your application for a U.S. Bank Cash Rewards Visa Platinum® card.

After reading this and all the replies saying they were denied, it sounds like bait and switch.
any thoughts...

Quote from grueber : Dunno, but this is the first time in 4 credit card apps where I was not instantly approved. It's "under review" and I'm supposed to get something in the mail in 7-10 days. My score is around 800. I have a Chase Freedom and I was instantly approved for that card.

i dont know if us bank has a credit analyst number, But i have called for reconsideration within a few hours and have gotten it approved.

try one of these

US Bank: 800-947-1444, 800-685-7680 (Underwriting)

I have Citi Dividend, Chase Freedom, and Discover. None of you mentioned that there is a $1500 per quarter for Chase and Discover, while Citi has a $300 max dividend per year limit. Last summer I totally forgot about the $1500 limit with Chase Freedom and ended up spending $4000 on travel and gas which effectively lowered my CB percentages as I was only able to get $75. For me it doesn't hurt to have another card to spread out the load if the spending limit has been reached.

Having more card means that you have more 5% cashback categories covered in a given quarter. This quarter Citi cards is giving 5% on home improvement and home furnishing. These categories aren't for 5% CB in either Chase Freedom or Discover the entire 2012. Last quarter was even better: 5% CB on utility bills not found in Chase (only 2% from Discover). Chase and Discover did have restaurant covered for the last 3 quarters.

I have to say the Chase Freedom's categories are pretty lame this year. It was nice having Amazon 5% for Jan-Mar. But Chase put airfare, hotel, and Best Buy on Sep-Dec months. Who goes on vacation during the fall/winter? I'm probably going to spend $1500 on Best Buy anyway. I wish they put airfare and hotel for the 3rd quarter.

Which category would amazon and newegg fall under?

Did anyone get instant approval?

Like everyone else, I have various cards that offer 5% on Amazon, restaurants, quarterly changing categories, etc. This card offers two things that I haven't seen - the ability to choose and potentially lock in 5% categories (assuming they don't change quarter to quarter) and the ability to get 5% on "bill pay".

Haven't seen anyone ask, but would mortgage payments fall under bill pay? I wouldn't mind getting 5% back on my mortgage payment every month, not to mention using this card to pay off the other CCs might allow you to stack the 5% rewards (assuming that CC payments qualify as bill pay).

Can anyone provide insight and/or experiences regarding the usefulness of the "bill pay" category?


From the site, bill pay information provided is as follows:

Examples include service providers like Comcast, DIRECTV, AT&T and State Farm insurance.

Get cash back every month when you set up automatic bill payments for phone, internet, cable/satellite TV, utilities, and insurance.