US Bank Points

How much is a US Bank Point worth? 1.00 cents, because you can redeem as few as 1,500 to 2,500 points for cash-equivalent rewards at a rate of 1.00 cent per point.

Redemption Options.

• Cash – Choose the cash back option to earn cash at a 1 cent per point reward rate.
• Gift Cards – 2,500 for $25 Amazon or Best Buy gift certificate. College rewards start at 1,500 points.

Expiration.

• Points expire 5 years from the date they are earned.

How best to earn them:

US Bank credit cards aren’t fantastic. The best offerings are their lackluster airline cards, which give 1% as a base rate and 2% when you fly on that specific airline. Cards that earn US Bank points kind of suck. The FlexPerks card earns 3% on gas on the first 90 days, and then only earns a flat 1% rate. Instead, take a look at:

The American Express Blue Cash Preferred, which gives 6% on groceries, 3% on department stores, and 3% on gas (with nary a rewards cap nor time limit in sight)

The Chase Freedom, which gives 5% on bonus categories that rotate quarterly and include gas. This ends up being a 2% rewards rate on all bonus categories (5% one quarter, and 1% three quarters, averages out to 2%), and you’re not limited to just gas or a certain timeframe. Plus, you get $200 cash back, and there’s no annual fee.

The Hilton credit card gives 3 HHonors points per $1 spent on gas, supermarket and drugstore purchases, plus 6 per $1 spent at the hotel itself and 1 per $1 spent everywhere else. It also has no fee.