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U.S. Bank Business Altitude™ Connect World Elite Mastercard® Review [2024]: High Earning Potential for Travelers

CREDIT CARDS - BUSINESS CREDIT CARDS
The U.S. Bank Business Altitude Connect Card has excellent earning potential in travel-related categories.
Ben Walker, CEPF, CFEI®
By Ben Walker, CEPF, CFEI®
Mindy Woodall
Edited by Mindy Woodall
Updated Dec. 18, 2024
Fact checked

The U.S. Bank Business Altitude™ Connect World Elite Mastercard® makes sense for small business owners with a lot of travel and on-the-road expenses. If you book cars and hotels for your business and spend a decent amount on gas, then the Business Altitude Connect lets you earn rewards on your everyday spending.

This card’s rewards include 5X points on prepaid hotels and car rentals booked directly in the Rewards Center; 4X points on travel, gas and EV charging stations (on the first $150,000 in combined annual spend); 2X points on dining, takeout, restaurant delivery, and cell service providers; and 1X points for all other eligible purchases.

But if your business expenses don’t align with the Business Altitude Connect’s bonus categories, then a different business rewards credit card might work better for you.

In this U.S. Bank Business Altitude Connect review

Key takeaways

  • You can redeem points for travel, cash back, gift cards, bank deposits, and more at a value of one cent per point.
  • You can’t transfer points to travel partners.
  • You don’t have to pay foreign transaction fees.
  • Any points you earn can be combined with rewards from personal U.S. Bank Altitude credit cards, including the U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card.
  • You can receive up to four complimentary visits per year to Priority Pass lounges.

Who should get the U.S. Bank Business Altitude Connect World Elite Mastercard?

The U.S. Bank Business Altitude Connect makes sense if you have frequent travel-related business expenses.

This card provides high earning potential for travel-related categories and other common spending, including 5X points on prepaid hotels and car rentals booked directly in the Rewards Center; 4X points on travel, gas and EV charging stations (on the first $150,000 in combined annual spend); 2X points on dining, takeout, restaurant delivery, and cell service providers; and 1X points for all other eligible purchases.

You can also take advantage of no foreign transaction fees, up to four complimentary Priority Pass visits per year, and the opportunity to earn a $25 statement credit on every three consecutive monthly taxi or rideshare trips.

The U.S. Bank Business Altitude Connect works best for business owners who want travel, gas, and dining rewards. If you’re not on the road often, you might want to consider a different credit card.

Credit card basics

Card type Travel/Business
Credit card issuer U.S. Bank
Credit card network Mastercard
Annual fee $95 (waived first year)
Intro bonus Earn 60,000 bonus points if you spend $6,000 on the Account Owner's card in the first 180 days from account opening
Reward rate 5X points on prepaid hotels and car rentals booked directly in the Rewards Center; 4X points on travel, gas and EV charging stations (on the first $150,000 in combined annual spend); 2X points on dining, takeout, restaurant delivery, and cell service providers; and 1X points for all other eligible purchases
Recommended credit score Excellent, Good
Foreign transaction fee None

Why we like the U.S. Bank Business Altitude Connect World Elite Mastercard: benefits and perks

  • Generous welcome bonus offer: Earn 60,000 bonus points if you spend $6,000 on the Account Owner's card in the first 180 days from account opening.
  • Good earning potential: Earn 5X points on prepaid hotels and car rentals booked directly in the Rewards Center; 4X points on travel, gas and EV charging stations (on the first $150,000 in combined annual spend); 2X points on dining, takeout, restaurant delivery, and cell service providers; and 1X points for all other eligible purchases.
  • No foreign transaction fees: You don’t have to pay any foreign transaction fees while traveling abroad or if you make any purchases from foreign companies.
  • Priority Pass access: Receive Priority Pass airport lounge access with up to four complimentary visits per year.
  • Rideshare credit: Receive a $25 statement credit after three consecutive months of making taxi or rideshare purchases with your card.
  • Rewards pooling option: Combine points with personal U.S. Bank Altitude credit cards, such as the U.S. Bank Altitude Connect Visa Signature Card, to reach your redemption goals quicker.

What we don’t like about the U.S. Bank Business Altitude Connect World Elite Mastercard card

  • Annual fee: You have to pay a $95 (waived first year) annual fee. This isn’t a huge amount compared to credit cards with annual fees over $200, but it’s still an annual cost you have to worry about. Some of the best business credit cards have no annual fees.
  • No transfer partners: You can’t transfer points you earn to any travel partners, such as hotel or airline loyalty programs. This is a common redemption option with many of the best business cards for travel. Transferring points gives you more flexibility with your rewards, but you can’t do it with the U.S. Bank Business Altitude Connect.
  • No intro APR offers: This card has no intro APR offers on purchases or balance transfers, so it’s not a good choice if you want to pay off a big purchase over time with no interest.

Earning and redeeming U.S. Bank rewards

Best ways to earn

Categories Rewards rate
Prepaid hotels and car rentals booked directly in the Rewards Center 5X
Travel, gas and EV charging stations (on the first $150,000 in combined annual spend) 4X
Dining, takeout, restaurant delivery, and cell service providers 2X
All other eligible purchases 1X

The best way to earn with the U.S. Bank Business Altitude Connect is to use it as much as possible on business purchases you’re already planning to make. Specifically, you want to make sure you’re using this card on purchases that align with its bonus categories.

For example, you can earn 4X points on travel, gas and EV charging stations (on the first $150,000 in combined annual spend), which is a better rewards rate for these categories than you’ll see on most other travel cards.

So making gas station, Altitude Rewards Center, and general travel purchases is an excellent way to boost your travel rewards with this card.

Maximizing your redemptions

The U.S. Bank Business Altitude Connect provides these redemption options:

  • Travel
  • Statement credits
  • Deposits into your U.S. Bank business checking, savings, or money market account
  • Gift cards
  • Merchandise

Note that while the U.S. Bank Business Altitude Connect is primarily considered a “travel credit card” because it earns points and has multiple travel-related benefits, it could also be considered a decent cashback card. We’d say it competes with the best cashback credit cards out there.

That’s because the rewards on this card are generally worth one cent per point no matter which redemption option you choose. For example, 50,000 points could be worth $500 in flights or hotel stays, bank deposits, or gift cards.

Many travel cards give you a lower redemption rate if you opt for a statement credit rather than redeem your points for travel, but the Business Altitude Connect gives you the same value regardless.

FAQ

What credit score is needed for U.S. Bank Altitude Connect?

These are types of credit scores you typically need to qualify for U.S. Bank Altitude Connect credit cards:

An excellent credit score is at least a 740 on the FICO scoring model, while a good credit score is at least a 670. Keep in mind that your credit score alone doesn’t necessarily guarantee your approval.

Will U.S. Bank increase my credit limit?

It’s possible that U.S. Bank will increase your credit limit if they review your credit card account and determine you’re eligible for an increase. This typically means you’re regularly using your card and making on-time payments. You can also request a credit limit increase through your U.S. Bank online account.

What bureau does U.S. Bank pull for business credit cards?

U.S. Bank generally pulls credit reports from all three major credit bureaus, including Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax. But, overall, reports show that U.S. Bank tends to favor TransUnion. Keep in mind that the credit bureaus pulled for you could depend on where you live.

Other cards to consider

If you don’t think the U.S. Bank Business Altitude Connect is the right fit, compare credit card offers to find one that makes more sense for you. We recommend the Capital One Spark Miles for Business and Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card as two potential alternatives.

The Capital One Spark Miles has a $95 (waived first year) annual fee, and it’s a good choice if you want a simple earning rate that works for all eligible purchases. This card earns 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars and booked through Capital One Travel, and 2X miles on every purchase, every day.

You can also transfer your miles to over a dozen travel partners and receive up to a $120 statement credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck.

Learn more in our Capital One Spark Miles for Business review.

The Ink Business Preferred has a $95 annual fee and it’s a good choice if you want to earn Chase Ultimate Rewards points — one of the most flexible travel currencies available. Chase points can be transferred to over a dozen travel partners, including United, Southwest, and Hyatt.

The Ink Business Preferred earns 3X points on the first $150,000 spent in combined purchases on travel, shipping purchases, Internet, cable and phone services, advertising purchases made with social media sites and search engines each account anniversary year; and 1X points per $1 on all other purchases.

Check out our Ink Business Preferred review.