U.S. Bank Smartly™ Visa Signature® Card

The U.S. Bank Smartly™ Visa Signature® Card is a new daily driver credit card that earns 2% to 4% on all purchases and there’s no annual fee. If you already have a U.S. Bank Smartly Savings Account, this card is an excellent choice since you need one to earn cash back rates above 2%. You can earn 2.5%, 3%, or 4% cash back on all purchases when you also have a qualifying balance in a U.S. Bank deposit, trust, or investment account. However, to earn those cash back rates, you also have to redeem your cash back into an eligible U.S. Bank deposit account. Note that the card earns points that you redeem for cash back into your eligible U.S. Bank account. Other redemptions options like statement credits and gift cards may reduce the value of the points. We’ll dive into the details and the rewards tiers in this U.S. Bank Smartly Card review.

U.S. Bank Smartly™ Visa Signature® Card

Our Rating

4.8/5.0

Welcome Offer

None

Annual Fee

$0

0% Intro on Purchases

12 months

Reward Rate

2% – 4% cash back

0% Intro on Balance Transfers

12 months

Welcome Offer

None

Editorial Review

What Is the Value of Your U.S. Bank Smartly™ Visa Signature® Card Rewards Over Time?

We enjoy seeing how much value you can get from your rewards when you choose to invest them. We call it Rewards Stacking. In the example below, we’ll assume someone spends $2,000 per month or $24,000 a year with this credit card. We’ll also assume the card holder pays off the balance in full every month. Otherwise, the value of rewards is greatly diminished. Here’s how your rewards can grow over a period of 10 years and 20 years if you invest them every year at a 9% return rate.

Annual chargesCash back rateEstimated annual cash backEstimate after investing rewards at 9% return for 10 yearsEstimate after investing rewards at 9% return for 20 years
$24,0002%$480$7,900$26,595
$24,0002.5%$600$9,875$33,243
$24,0003%$720$11,850$39,892
$24,0004%$960$15,800$53,189

Features & Benefits

SecurityEMV Chip Enabled, Zero Liability, Identity theft protection
Contactless PaymentsTap to Pay, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay, PayPal
BenefitsFree credit score access
Travel PerksConcierge Services, Emergency Travel Assistance, Roadside Assistance

Rewards

2% cash back
All eligible purchases
Earn unlimited 2% cash back on all purchases
2.5% cash back
All eligible purchases
Earn a 25% Smartly Earning Bonus: Earn 2.5% cash back on all purchases when you have a U.S. Smartly Savings Account with a qualifying balance between $5,000 - $49,999 in U.S. Bank deposit, trust or investment accounts. To get this rate, rewards must be redeemed into an eligible U.S. Bank deposit account.
3% cash back
All eligible purchases
Earn a 50% Smartly Earning Bonus: Earn 3% cash back on all purchases when you have a U.S. Smartly Savings Account with a qualifying balance between $50,000 - $99,999 in U.S. Bank deposit, trust or investment accounts. To get this rate, rewards must be redeemed into an eligible U.S. Bank deposit account.
4% cash back
All eligible purchases
Earn a 100% Smartly Earning Bonus: Earn 4% cash back on all purchases when you have a U.S. Smartly Savings Account with a qualifying balance of $100,000 or more in U.S. Bank deposit, trust or investment accounts. To get this rate, rewards must be redeemed into an eligible U.S. Bank deposit account.

Interest Rates & Fees

Annual Fee$0
Foreign Transaction Fee3% of each foreign transaction
Regular APR18.74% to 28.99% (V) APR
Balance Transfers0% Intro APR for 12 months on balance transfers, then 18.74% to 28.99%(V) APR after that.
Balance Transfer FeeEither 3% of the amount of each transfer or $5 minimum, whichever is greater.
Purchases0% Intro APR for 12 months on purchases, then 18.74% to 28.99% (V) APR after that.

What Credit Score Is Required to Get the U.S. Bank Smartly™ Visa Signature® Card

The following credit score data are based on publicly available information we have collected from various forums. We have no way to confirm the accuracy of this data. In addition, keep in mind that credit card issuers use numerous factors in their underwriting process, and these factors can change at any time.

Lowest Approved Credit Score: 756

Average Approved Credit Score: 793

App StatusDateCredit ScoreBureauCredit Limit
Approved11/14/2024
813
TransUnion
$25,000
Approved11/14/2024
823
Experian
$25,000
Approved11/14/2024
841
Equifax
$25,000
Approved11/11/2024
800
Equifax
$15,000
Approved11/11/2024
756
Experian
$2,000
Approved11/11/2024
757
Equifax
$2,000
Approved11/11/2024
761
TransUnion
$2,000
Approved11/13/2024
771
TransUnion
$2,000
Approved11/11/2024
770
Experian
$15,000
Approved11/11/2024
789
TransUnion
$15,000
Approved11/11/2024
800
Equifax
$15,000
Approved11/14/2024
817
TransUnion
$15,000
Approved11/12/2024
800
Not Provided
$17,000
Approved11/14/2024
800
Not Provided
$15,000

Pros & Cons

Pros
  • No annual fee
  • Up to 4% cash back
Cons
  • No welcome bonus
  • High APR
  • Foreign transaction fee
  • Requires good credit

What Are the Best Alternatives?

Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card
Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card

Rating

4.9

Rewards Range

2%

Annual Fee

$0

Citi<sup>®</sup> Double Cash Card
Citi® Double Cash Card

Rating

4.9

Rewards Range

1% to 2%

Annual Fee

$0

Alliant Cashback Visa® Signature Credit Card
Alliant Cashback Visa® Signature Credit Card

Rating

4.7

Rewards Range

1.5% - 2.5% cash back

Annual Fee

$0

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