Last week, we wrote about a rumored new credit card from U.S. bank that is supposedly launching in early May. There has been extensive discussion on sites such as Flyertalk and Reddit, about the new card, which has generated a lot of excitement in the points & miles community. Earlier this week Doctor of Credit confirmed more details about the card which can be found below.

 

  • Launches on May 2nd, 2017 and will be exclusively offered to U.S. Bank customers with an eligible consumer U.S. Bank account relationship open a minimum of 35 days prior to submitting an application. You must be a U.S. Bank customer in order to be approved for this card. An eligible U.S. Bank account can be one of the following; checking or savings account, certificate of deposit, mortgage, home equity loan, home equity line of credit, auto/boat/RV loan, personal loans or consumer credit card issued by U.S. Bank.
  • Sign up bonus of 50,000 points after $4,500 in spend within the first 90 days of account opening. This is worth $750 towards travel when redeemed through the U.S. Bank travel portal.
  • Earn 3x  points on travel booked directly with airlines, hotels and rental car agencies.
  • Earn 3x points on mobile payments such as Apple Pay & Android Pay
  • Annual fee of $400 for the primary cardholder and $75 for authorized users. You can offset the annual fee with 35,000 points (1.14¢ per point)
  • $325 annual travel credit – Much like the Chase Sapphire Reserve card, this can be used for purchases made directly with airlines, hotels, car rental agencies, taxis, limousines, passenger trains , nd cruise lines. It is still unclear if this will be awarded on a calendar year basis like the Chase Sapphire Reserve card, or on a cardmember year basis.
  • Priority Pass Select Membership – This will be limited to four visits and four guests visits each membership year.
  • 12 Gogo Inflight Wifi Passes –  Receive 12 complimentary Gogo iin-flightWifi passes each membership year.
  • Visa Infinite Benefits such as 24-hour, 7 day a week complimentary concierge service. With a dedicated toll free number, the concierge can help with any cardholder request big or small.
  • TSA PreCheck/Global Entry Reimbursement once every four years.
  • Silvercar discount – Rent an Audi A4 with no lines or paperwork from airport locations in select cities and receive a discount of up to 30%.
  • GroundLink Black Car Service – 15% discount and $30 off of your first ride
  • Metal card similar to the Chase Sapphire Reserve and new American Express Platinum card.

 

Bottom Line

It's interesting to see U.S. Bank step up to the plate with a premium travel credit card offering. This is a space that has historically been dominated by American Express, but has since seen increased competition from banks like Citi and Chase. With the $325 travel credit effectively making the annual fee only $75 , I think this card offers incredible value when you consider all of the benefits.