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U.S. Bank Smartly Visa Signature Card review: Earn 2% cash back or more on every purchase
The U.S. Bank Smartly™ Visa Signature® Card makes it easy to maximize every purchase with 2% cash back. But if you have an existing U.S. Bank account with a qualifying balance, you can get even more: up to double the cash back on your spending.
U.S. Bank Smartly Visa Signature overview
- Annual fee
$0 - Introductory Purchases APR
0% intro on purchases for 12 billing cycles - Ongoing Purchases APR
18.24% – 28.24% Variable - Introductory Balance Transfer APR
0% intro on balance transfers for 12 billing cycles - Ongoing Balance Transfer APR
18.24% – 28.24% Variable
- Rewards rate
- Unlimited 2% cash back on every purchase
- Up to an additional 2% cash back on your first $10,000 in eligible purchases each billing cycle when paired with U.S. Bank Smartly® Savings account, plus qualifying balances in U.S. Bank Smartly® Checking and/or Safe Debit account
- Benefits
- Earn extra cash back on purchases with qualifying U.S. Bank savings and checking acounts
- Get your cash back directly deposited into your U.S. Bank checking or savings accounts, as a statement credit, a rewards card, merchant gift cards and more
- Terms & conditions apply
How to earn rewards
Earning rewards with this card is easy. You’ll get a flat 2% cash back on every purchase. There’s no cap, and you don’t need to track spending categories or purchases.
The best way to earn rewards with this card, though, is by qualifying for the Smartly Earning Bonus. You can get up to 4% cash back on spending if you already have or open a U.S. Bank Smartly Savings account and you have a qualifying balance in a U.S. Bank Smartly Checking account or Safe Debit account.
Here’s how much you’ll earn with varying qualifying balances:
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2.5% cash back with a qualifying balance between $10,000 and $49,999
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3% cash back with a qualifying balance between $50,000 and $99,999
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4% cash back with a qualifying balance of $100,000 or more
You’ll earn the bonus rewards you qualify for on up to $10,000 in purchases each billing cycle. If you spend more than that per month, everything else still earns 2% cash back.
Some purchases are also excluded from the Smartly Earning Bonus, though they will still earn the standard 2% cash back. Exclusions include education/school, gift cards, insurance, taxes, business-to-business transactions, such as advertising services (even if the purchase isn’t for a business purpose), and transactions that use a third-party bill payment service.
How to redeem rewards
You can redeem your cash back for full value as a deposit into a U.S. Bank account or as a statement credit to your card account.
Your rewards won’t expire as long as your account is active. That means you must have at least one purchase, reward, or balance activity on your account every 12 billing cycles.
Who is the U.S. Bank Smartly Visa Signature Card best for?
The U.S. Bank Smartly Visa Signature is an easy pick for U.S. Bank customers with high enough balances to qualify for the Smartly Earning Bonus.
Most flat cash-back cards cap rewards at 2%. If you can earn even the lowest bonus rate (2.5% cash back with a qualifying balance between $10,000 and $49,999) your cash back earnings will multiply by a lot over time.
For example, say you spend about $20,000 each year on various purchases made with your card. Here’s how your rewards would grow as you qualify for different Smartly Earning Bonus tiers:
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Standard 2% cash back: $400 annually
However, the exclusions for the Smartly Earning Bonus are worth considering, depending on your spending. For example, taxes are excluded from the extra earnings. Paying your taxes with a credit card usually comes with a fee higher than 2% — so without the bonus, you likely won’t earn enough to make up the payment fee.
Even if you don’t have an eligible U.S. Bank account, this card’s regular 2% cash back rate is still a great option for most everyday spending. That’s among the highest rewards rates available from flat cash-back cards today.
Whether you want a standalone card to help you maximize every purchase or a card to use alongside higher-earning travel or rewards cards, the U.S. Bank Smartly Visa Signature could make a solid addition to your wallet without any added cost.
U.S. Bank Smartly Visa Signature Card pros
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No annual fee: You won’t have to pay any annual fee to own this card.
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Introductory APR: The U.S. Bank Smartly Visa Signature offers an introductory APR on both new purchases and balance transfers. This can be a great option for earning cash back on an upcoming purchase or for paying down existing debt. After the intro period ends, you can use the card to earn cash back on your regular spending.
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2% cash-back rewards:Flat 2% rewards on every purchase can help you rack up solid savings on your most frequent purchases. Since you won’t have to worry about tracking categories or multipliers, this is a great option for simple rewards on spending.
U.S. Bank Smartly Visa Signature Card cons
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No added benefits: You won’t get many added benefits with this card over the long term. If you’re looking for annual credits or travel perks, you may want to consider other rewards cards.
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Need high balance to qualify for bonus rewards: This card offers an outstanding bonus rewards program worth up to 4% cash back on up to $10,000 each billing cycle. But to earn that max bonus, you’ll need at least $100,000 in an eligible U.S. Bank account. If you don’t bank with U.S. Bank or you don’t have enough savings to score the Smartly Earnings Bonus, it’ll be difficult to maximize this benefit.
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No welcome bonus: While the U.S. Bank Smartly Visa Signature has great rewards, you won’t have the opportunity to earn a welcome bonus with this card. Many other cash-back credit cards offer cash welcome bonuses worth $150 to $250 or even more after meeting a minimum spending requirement.
Where can you use the U.S. Bank Smartly Visa Signature Card?
The U.S. Bank Smartly Visa Signature is a Visa card, so you can use it at most places that accept credit cards. Visa is one of the most widely accepted card networks worldwide.
However, this card does have a 3% foreign transaction fee. When you use your card internationally, the fee you pay will exceed your rewards (unless you’re in the highest Smartly Earning Bonus tier). While you canstill use this card abroad, you may want to look for one with no foreign transaction fees instead if you travel often.
How to make a U.S. Bank Smartly Visa Signature Card payment
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Make a payment through your online account or U.S. Bank’s mobile app. In the app, select “Transfer & pay,” select your credit card bill, and then choose the checking or savings account you want to use to pay.
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Send your payment by mail: Cardmember Service PO Box 790408 St. Louis, MO 63179
U.S. Bank Smartly Visa Signature Card customer service info
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Customer service is available 24/7
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Phone number: 800-285-8585 or call the number on the back of your card
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Navigate to the “Help center” through your online account or choose “Help & services” then “Contact us” within the U.S. Bank mobile app
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Visit a U.S. Bank location during business hours
Alternative cards to consider
The U.S. Bank Smartly Visa Signature offers great rewards and a 0% APR for no annual fee, but there are other valuable cash-back cards to consider before you apply. These are a few of our top picks:
Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express
- Annual fee
$0 - Welcome offer
Earn as high as $200 cash back after spending $2,000 within the first 6 months (welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer; cash back is received as Reward Dollars, redeemable for statement credit or at amazon.com checkout) - Introductory Purchases APR
0% on purchases for 15 months - Ongoing Purchases APR
19.49%-28.49% Variable - Introductory Balance Transfer APR
0% on balance transfers for 15 months - Ongoing Balance Transfer APR
19.49%-28.49% Variable
- Rewards rate
- 3% cash back at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $6,000 per year in eligible purchases, then 1%)
- 3% cash back on U.S. online retail purchases (on up to $6,000 per year in eligible purchases, then 1%)
- 3% cash back at U.S. gas stations (on up to $6,000 per year in eligible purchases, then 1%)
- 1% cash back on all other purchases
- Cash back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit or on Amazon.com at checkout
- Benefits
- Generous intro APR on purchases and balance transfers
- Get up to a $7 monthly statement credit after using your enrolled Blue Cash Everyday® Card for a subscription purchase, including a bundle subscription purchase, at DisneyPlus.com, Hulu.com, or Stream.ESPN.com U.S. websites (subject to auto-renewal)
Why we like it: The Blue Cash Everyday from Amex can help you make the most of everyday spending with 3% back (up to limits) across multiple categories, including U.S. supermarkets and U.S. gas stations, as well as U.S. online retailers, which isn’t a common cash-back category. It also has no annual fee, a long intro APR offer for purchases and balance transfers, and a cash welcome bonus that you can earn as a new cardholder.
Chase Freedom Unlimited®
- Annual fee
$0 - Welcome offer
Earn a $200 bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening - Introductory Purchases APR
0% Intro APR on Purchases for 15 months - Ongoing Purchases APR
18.24% – 27.74% Variable - Introductory Balance Transfer APR
0% Intro APR on Balance Transfers for 15 months
- Rewards rate
- Enjoy 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠
- 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants (includes takeout and eligible delivery service)
- 1.5% on all other purchases
- Benefits
- No minimum to redeem for cash back; use points to redeem for cash through an account statement credit or an electronic deposit into an eligible Chase account located in the U.S.
- Chase Credit Journey helps you monitor your credit with free access to your latest score, alerts, and more
- Generous intro APR on purchases and balance transfers
Why we like it: The no-annual-fee Chase Freedom Unlimited is a flat cash-back card with 1.5% back on everything. But you’ll earn even more across select bonus categories, including travel booked through Chase Travel (5% cash back), and drugstores and restaurants (3% cash back). You can also earn a welcome bonus with this card and take advantage of an introductory APR on new purchases and balance transfers.
Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card
- Annual fee
$0 - Welcome offer
Earn a $200 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 within the first 3 months - Introductory APR
0% intro APR for 12 months from account opening on qualifying balance transfers (balance transfers made within 120 days qualify for the intro APR and intro balance transfer fee; 18.49%, 24.49%, or 28.49% variable APR after that) - Purchase APR
18.49%, 24.49%, or 28.49% variable APR - Introductory Balance Transfer APR
0% intro APR for 12 months from account opening on qualifying balance transfers - Ongoing Balance Transfer APR
18.49%, 24.49%, or 28.49% Variable APR
- Benefits
- Get up to $600 of cell phone protection against damage or theft ($25 deductible applies)
- Pay-per-use 24/7 roadside dispatch assistance
- Auto rental collision damage waiver coverage
Why we like it: Simple cash-back rewards are the main benefit of the Wells Fargo Active Cash Card. Like the U.S. Bank Smartly Visa Signature, this card offers a flat 2% cash back on every purchase. It has no annual fee, offers an introductory APR for new purchases and balance transfers, and even comes with a solid cash welcome bonus.
Editorial Disclosure: The information in this article has not been reviewed or approved by any advertiser. All opinions belong solely to Yahoo Finance and are not those of any other entity. The details on financial products, including card rates and fees, are accurate as of the publish date. All products or services are presented without warranty. Check the bank’s website for the most current information. This site doesn’t include all currently available offers. Credit score alone does not guarantee or imply approval for any financial product.
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