The U.S. Bank Altitude® Go Visa Signature® Card excels at dining with 4x points on restaurants and delivery, but falls flat with just 1% back on everyday purchases. While it offers decent rewards on groceries, gas, and streaming services, its weak base earning rate makes it better as a specialized dining card than an everyday spending option
This credit card review will cover everything you need to know about this card to determine if you should add this card or a different card to your wallet. Let's dive right in.
- Earn 20,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 in Net Purchases in the first 90 days.
- 4X Points on Dining, Takeout, and Food Delivery
- 2X Points at Grocery Stores, Grocery Delivery, Streaming Services, Gas Stations, and EV Charging Stations
- $15 Annual Streaming Credit
- No Annual Fee
Welcome Bonus for Altitude Go
The Altitude Go Visa currently offers the following welcome bonus:
Earn 20,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 in Net Purchases in the first 90 days.
You’ll want to pay attention to the qualification terms since U.S. Bank tends to be strict about approvals. Banking with U.S. Bank first can improve your chances of approval, although it’s not required.
Once approved, hitting the spending threshold is fairly straightforward since the card includes popular bonus categories like dining, groceries, and gas stations.
Earning Points
The Altitude Go Visa earns points at the following rates:
- 4x points on dining, takeout, and restaurant delivery on your first $2,000 each quarter.
- 2x points at grocery stores, streaming services, gas stations, and EV charging stations.
- 1x points everywhere else.
The 4x on dining is solid for a no-annual-fee card, but since points are worth just one cent each, the 2x categories only equate to 2% cash back – a return you can match or beat with many other cards.
The quarterly cap on dining rewards also limits the card’s value for high restaurant spenders. While the dining rewards are decent, the mediocre return on other categories makes this a less compelling option compared to cards that earn transferable points or higher cash back rates.
No Annual Fee
The Altitude Go Visa has no annual fee allowing you to enjoy all the benefits without a yearly fee.
Altitude Go Card Benefits
The U.S. Bank Altitude Go offers the following benefits:
$15 Annual Streaming Credit: You can get a $15 steaming credit each year after paying with your Altitude Go card for 11 consecutive calendar months of eligible streaming services. You can mix and match streaming services as long as you have a streaming charge each month.
0% Intro APR: The U.S. Bank Altitude Go card offers 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for the first 12 billing cycles. After that, a variable APR that is currently 19.24% to 28.24% applies.
No Foreign Transaction Fees: You’ll save money on every purchase while traveling internationally since this card doesn’t add the typical 3% surcharge that many other cards impose.
Redeeming Rewards
Redeeming your U.S. Bank Altitude Go rewards is refreshingly simple. Every point is worth one cent, no matter how you cash it in, so you'll never need to calculate award charts or chase outsized value.
Cash back is the most popular option here. You can deposit points as a statement credit or send them straight to an eligible U.S. Bank checking or savings account, though you'll need at least 2,500 points to redeem this way.
If you'd rather spend points elsewhere, U.S. Bank also lets you redeem for travel, merchandise, or gift cards through its online rewards center. Just know these options sometimes dip below the one-cent rate, so cash back tends to be the stronger play.
One feature that sets this card apart is Real-Time Rewards. Once you enroll, U.S. Bank will text you whenever you make a purchase in a category you've selected. Reply "REDEEM," and your points cover that purchase instantly as a statement credit. It's a nice way to see your rewards go to work in the moment rather than waiting to redeem later.
Feeling generous? You can also donate points to charity, and U.S. Bank will match your donation dollar for dollar.
Since this card leans more toward straightforward cash back than a transfer-partner powerhouse, there's no need to worry about airline or hotel programs here. Points also never expire as long as your account stays open and in good standing, giving you flexibility to redeem whenever it makes sense for you.
Pros and Cons
Here are the advantages and disadvantages of this card:
Pros:
Strong Dining Rewards: Impressive 4x points on dining, takeout, and food delivery purchases, making it an excellent choice for food spending.
No Annual Fee: The card provides solid rewards earning potential without requiring any annual fee, maximizing the value proposition.
Simple Real-Time Redemption: The Real-Time Rewards feature allows for easy point redemption right after purchases through text message confirmation.
Cons:
Limited Travel Value: Points are worth a fixed 1 cent each with no ability to transfer to travel partners, limiting their potential value for travel rewards.
No Travel Bonus Category: Does not offer any bonus points on travel purchases, making it suboptimal for frequent travelers.
Quarterly Caps: Dining rewards will be capped at $2,000 in spending per quarter, limiting earning potential.
Basic Card Benefits: Offers minimal premium perks beyond standard Visa Signature benefits, lacking travel insurance and other protections found on competing cards.
Is the Attitude Go Worth It?
The Altitude Go Visa offers decent value for dining purchases with its 4x points multiplier, but its overall rewards structure leaves something to be desired with just 1x points on everyday spending.
While the card includes useful 2x categories like groceries, streaming, and gas, the fact that points are worth only 1 cent each significantly limits their potential value compared to transferable points cards. The lack of an annual fee is appealing, but you’ll find higher earning rates and more valuable rewards with other credit cards in today’s market.
This card could work as a supplementary dining card for someone who wants simple cash back rewards, but there are more compelling options available if you’re looking to maximize your credit card rewards strategy.
If you already bank with U.S. Bank and want a straightforward rewards card, the Altitude Go could fit your needs – just don’t expect it to dramatically boost your rewards earning potential.
- Earn 20,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 in Net Purchases in the first 90 days.
- 4X Points on Dining, Takeout, and Food Delivery
- 2X Points at Grocery Stores, Grocery Delivery, Streaming Services, Gas Stations, and EV Charging Stations
- $15 Annual Streaming Credit
- No Annual Fee
