U.S. Bank Altitude Go Review: 4X Points at Restaurants for No Annual Fee
The Bottom Line
4.9
If you spend a good chunk of your budget on dining and don't want to pay an annual fee, this card is as good as it gets. But if entertainment rewards are also important, or if your credit is only so-so, you'll want to look elsewhere.
Rates, fees and offers
Annual fee
$0
Rewards rate
1x-4x
Bonus offer
Earn 20,000 bonus points when you spend $1,000 in eligible purchases within the first 90 days of account opening.
Intro APR
0% intro APR for 12 billing cycles on purchases and balance transfers
Ongoing APR
APR: 17.74%-28.74% Variable APR
Cash Advance APR: 31.74%, Variable
Balance transfer fee
Either 3% of the amount of each transfer or $5 minimum, whichever is greater.
Foreign transaction fee
3% of each foreign transaction
More details from U.S. Bank
- Intro Offer: Earn 20,000 bonus points when you spend $1,000 in eligible purchases within the first 90 days of account opening. That's a $200 value redeemable towards merchandise, gift cards, cash back, travel and more.
- 4X points on dining, takeout, and restaurant delivery.
- 2X points on streaming services. Plus, a $15 credit for annual streaming purchases like Netflix, Hulu, Spotify®, Apple Music, Disney+, HBO Max and more!
- 2X at grocery stores (excludes discount stores/supercenters and wholesale clubs)
- 2X at gas stations/EV charging stations (excludes discount stores/supercenters and wholesale clubs)
- Points never expire.
- Redeem points towards a monetary charitable contribution and U.S. Bank will match your contribution at 100%.
- Terms and conditions apply.
Pros and Cons
Pros
No annual fee
New cardholder bonus offer
Bonus categories
Intro APR period
Cons
Complicated rewards
Detailed Review
If you're a foodie looking for a fee-free rewards credit card, the U.S. Bank Altitude® Go Visa Signature® Card may be the creme de la creme.
The card's main course? Unrivaled rewards-earning potential on restaurant purchases among cards with a $0 annual fee. But it's not a one-trick pony. The card also offers solid earnings in categories like grocery stores, gas stations and eligible streaming services.
Unlike some other cards in its class, though, it doesn't earn bonus rewards on entertainment spending — things like movies, concerts, sporting events, etc. — which may be important if you routinely enjoy nights out on the town. And of course, if you cook at home more than you dine out, there are many better options for your budget.
U.S. Bank Altitude® Go Visa Signature® Card: Basics
Card type: Rewards.
Annual fee: $0.
Sign up bonus: Earn 20,000 bonus points when you spend $1,000 in eligible purchases within the first 90 days of account opening.
Rewards:
4 points per $1 spent on dining, including takeout and delivery.
2 points per $1 spent at grocery stores (including grocery delivery), gas stations, EV charging stations and on eligible streaming services (discount stores/supercenters and wholesale clubs excluded, effective Sept. 9, 2024).
1 point per $1 spent on all other eligible purchases.
U.S. Bank points are worth a penny each when redeemed for options like cash back, travel, gift cards or merchandise, although minimum redemption requirements apply. (You need at least 2,500 points for cash back.)
Points don’t expire, and there’s no cap on the amount you can earn.
APR: 0% intro APR for 12 billing cycles on purchases and balance transfers, and then the ongoing APR of 17.74%-28.74% Variable APR.
Balance transfer fee: 3% of the amount of each transfer or $5 minimum, whichever is greater.
Foreign transaction fee: 3%.
Other perk: $15 annual credit for eligible streaming services purchases like Netflix and Spotify.
Compare to Other Cards
Benefits and Perks
It’s a dining rewards powerhouse
The card's 4X rate on dining, paired with no annual fee, is essentially best in class. To be sure, you can find cards that earn a higher rate. For instance, the Citi Custom Cash® Card or the U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card both give you the option to earn 5% back on dining. But both of those cards have a spending cap on this elevated rate ($500 per billing cycle and $2000 per quarter, respectively). And with the U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card, only fast food earns the elevated rate. Other dining earns a paultry 1% back.
Among rewards credit cards with no annual fee, few products, if any, match the U.S. Bank Altitude® Go Visa Signature® Card for dining.
Statement credits for streaming
If you subscribe to an eligible streaming service, you’ll get a little bit of cash back each year if you charge it on your U.S. Bank Altitude® Go Visa Signature® Card. An annual credit of $15 will be automatically added to your statement for streaming services like Netflix, Spotify, Peacock or YouTube TV, to name a few.
It's not an immediate, upfront benefit. The credit comes annually, not monthly, and you'll receive it only after you've charged 11 consecutive months of eligible streaming expenses. Still, an automatic $15 credit on a $0-annual-fee card isn’t too shabby.
A healthy bonus
While some $0-annual-fee credit cards don’t offer a bonus to get started, U.S. Bank Altitude® Go Visa Signature® Card offers the following: Earn 20,000 bonus points when you spend $1,000 in eligible purchases within the first 90 days of account opening.
That’s worth $200, which is pretty solid for a no-annual-fee card.
Drawbacks and Considerations
No bonus rewards on entertainment spending
The dining rewards market is full of stiff competition, and perhaps the competitor that looms largest for the U.S. Bank Altitude® Go Visa Signature® Card is the Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card. It does earn less on dining: 3% back. But unlike the Altitude Go, it also earns 3% back on eligible entertainment spending — including things like movies, concerts, sports events, theme parks and more.
If most of your spending just goes toward dining out, the U.S. Bank Altitude® Go Visa Signature® Card is probably the better option. But if you also tack on a movie or concert after dinner, the Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card is a solid contender.
Not ideal if you cook at home
If you’re not spending much of your monthly budget on eating out, then the card's standout 4X on dining doesn't do much for you. And while its 2X earnings at grocery stores is a decent rate, you can earn more from a different card. For a $0 annual fee, you could also get the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express, which earns 3% cash back on up to $6,000 a year in spending in each of three categories: U.S. supermarkets, U.S. gas stations and U.S. online retail purchases. Other purchases earn 1%. Terms apply (see rates and fees). Or, you could opt for the card's big sibling, the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express, if you don't mind an annual fee: $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95. It earns 6% back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 in spending per year; 6% back on select U.S. streaming subscriptions; 3% back on transit including U.S. gas stations; and 1% back on everything else. Terms apply (see rates and fees).
Enjoy eating out and dining in? The aforementioned Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card also earns 3% back on grocery purchases.
Points can’t be pooled or maximized for outsized value
The good news is that U.S. Bank Altitude® Go Visa Signature® Card points are simple and straightforward. You don’t have to worry about rotating bonus categories or worry about some redemptions being better deals than others. The downside is that because a point is worth one cent no matter what, you won’t be able to find ways to squeeze even more upside from them.
For instance, the U.S. Bank Altitude® Go Visa Signature® Card has a premium cousin called the U.S. Bank Altitude™ Reserve Visa Infinite® Card. It's a travel rewards card that gives cardholders the ability to redeem points for 1.5 cents each on travel. (To get this card, you must first have an existing relationship with U.S. Bank.) But notably, if you have both cards, you cannot transfer points between them.
Other rewards systems, like American Express Membership Rewards or Chase Ultimate Rewards®, allow such pooling.
How To Decide If It's Right For You
If you’re a foodie who doesn’t want to pay an annual fee, the U.S. Bank Altitude® Go Visa Signature® Card is your best bet. Its stellar rewards rate on dining — combined with solid returns on grocery stores, streaming services and gas stations — add up to an impressive combo.
But if entertainment spending makes up large chunk of your budget, or if you don’t spend much on eating out at all, you can do better.
To see how this card stacks up against the competition, see NerdWallet's list of the best credit cards to get.
To view rates and fees of the American Express® Gold Card, see this page. To view rates and fees of the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express, see this page. To view rates and fees of the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express, see this page.
Information related to the Citi Prestige® Card has been collected by NerdWallet and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of this card.
Earn cash back twice: 1% when you buy, plus an additional 1% as you pay for those purchases. You don't have to worry about which categories earn more. But you won't get a 0% intro APR period for purchases.
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Methodology
NerdWallet reviews credit cards with an eye toward both the quantitative and qualitative features of a card. Quantitative features are those that boil down to dollars and cents, such as fees, interest rates, rewards (including earning rates and redemption values) and the cash value of benefits and perks. Qualitative factors are those that affect how easy or difficult it is for a typical cardholder to get good value from the card. They include such things as the ease of application, simplicity of the rewards structure, the likelihood of using certain features, and whether a card is well-suited to everyday use or is best reserved for specific purchases. Our star ratings serve as a general gauge of how each card compares with others in its class, but star ratings are intended to be just one consideration when a consumer is choosing a credit card. Learn how NerdWallet rates credit cards.
Frequently asked questions
What are the rewards on the U.S. Bank Altitude Go?
The card earns 4 points per dollar spent on dining, including takeout; 2 points per dollar at grocery stores, at gas stations and on streaming services; and 1 point per dollar on other purchases.
How much are points worth on the U.S. Bank Altitude Go?
U.S. Bank points are worth 1 cent each when redeemed for options like cash back, travel, gift cards or merchandise, although minimum redemption requirements apply. (You need at least 2,500 points for cash back or gift cards; 1,000 points for travel or merchandise.)
Is it hard to get approved for the U.S. Bank Altitude Go?
You’ll need excellent credit, generally defined as a credit score of at least 720, to qualify for the U.S. Bank Altitude® Go Visa Signature® Card. Card issuers also take into account your income, existing debts and other information when evaluating applications.
Does the U.S. Bank Altitude Go have a fee?
The annual fee is $0.
Can I earn a sign-up bonus on the U.S. Bank Altitude Go?
Yes. The current bonus offer is: Earn 20,000 bonus points when you spend $1,000 in eligible purchases within the first 90 days of account opening.
Can I combine Altitude points?
If you have a U.S. Bank Altitude™ Reserve Visa Infinite® Card, the points you earn are worth more. But you can’t combine the points you earn from the U.S. Bank Altitude® Go Visa Signature® Card with points from the U.S. Bank Altitude™ Reserve Visa Infinite® Card to redeem for a higher value.
