U.S. Bank Business Triple Cash Rewards World Elite Mastercard^® Review [2024]: Cash Back to Boost Your Business

The U.S. Bank Business Triple Cash Rewards World Elite Mastercard^® is a good option for small business owners who spend most of their money on everyday purchases like gas and restaurants. A good cashback credit card for small businesses will offer flexible redemption options and competitive rewards rates for common spending categories, and the U.S. Bank Triple Cash hits the mark. 

This card lets you earn 5% cash back on prepaid hotels and car rentals booked directly in the Rewards Center; 3% cash back on eligible purchases at gas stations and EV charging stations, office supply stores, cell phone service providers, and restaurants; and 1% cash back on all other eligible purchases. 

If most of your business spending is in one of those categories and you prefer to earn cash back rather than travel rewards miles, then the U.S. Bank Business Triple Cash Rewards World Elite Mastercard^® might work well for you — especially if you drive a lot for work and use a cell phone for business. Plus, this card's rewards never expire and you can redeem them via direct deposit to a U.S. Bank account, statement credits, and U.S. Bank Rewards cards. 

Business owners who spend more on office supplies and telecommunications and less on gas and restaurants might be better off with the Ink Business Cash^® Credit Card.

Key takeaways

• The U.S. Bank Business Triple Cash Rewards World Elite Mastercard^® is a good choice for small business owners who spend the most on gas or EV charging, office supply stores, and restaurants.
• You can earn 5% cash back on prepaid hotels and car rentals booked directly in the Rewards Center; 3% cash back on eligible purchases at gas stations and EV charging stations, office supply stores, cell phone service providers, and restaurants; and 1% cash back on all other eligible purchases.
• If you have a big purchase coming up, then the U.S. Bank Business Triple Cash could help you pay for it over time. The card has a 0% intro APR for 15 billing cycles, then 19.24% to 28.24% (Variable) APR after that.
• The U.S. Business Triple Cash can also give you access to Earn Mall, Real-Time Rewards, and ExtendPay.

Who should get the U.S. Bank Business Triple Cash Rewards World Elite Mastercard?

The U.S. Bank Business Triple Cash Rewards is a small business credit card, which means you need to run a business to be eligible for approval. If you’re looking for a personal consumer card, you have plenty of other U.S. Bank credit cards to choose from, including the U.S. Bank Altitude^® Go Visa Signature^® Card and the U.S. Bank Visa^® Platinum Card.

For business owners, this card hits many of the right notes. It offers a generous sign-up bonus and provides cash back for some common business expenses. If the rewards categories on this card align with your business expenses, it could be an excellent option for you — especially because there’s a $0 annual fee.

If your business expenses don’t align with the Triple Cash Rewards rewards categories, it might not make as much sense. There are likely other credit cards, including some of the best U.S. Bank credit cards, that could potentially offer more rewards for your business purchases. Keep in mind that this card typically requires excellent, good credit for approval.

Credit card basics

Why we like this card: benefits and perks

• Generous welcome bonus: Earn $500 in cash back after spending $4,500 on the account owner's card in the first 150 days of opening your account. It may take up to eight to 10 weeks after meeting the spending requirement to receive the bonus, and purchases made on employee cards will not count toward the minimum spend amount. 
• Bonus rewards: Earn 5% cash back on prepaid hotels and car rentals booked directly in the Rewards Center; 3% cash back on eligible purchases at gas stations and EV charging stations, office supply stores, cell phone service providers, and restaurants; and 1% cash back on all other eligible purchases.
• No annual fee: There’s a $0 annual fee, so you don’t have to offset an annual cost each year, even for employee cards.
• Software credit: Receive an annual $100 statement credit for specific recurring software subscriptions, including with FreshBooks or QuickBooks. You receive the credit within two billing cycles of having 11 consecutive months of an eligible software subscription, so you won't see that $100 until at least one year after opening the card.
• Introductory APR offers: Receive 0% intro APR on eligible purchases for 15 billing cycles, and then 19.24% to 28.24% (Variable). Also, receive 0% intro APR on balance transfers for 15 billing cycles, and then 19.24% to 28.24% (Variable) APR. This applies to balance transfers made within 30 days of account opening. If you’re considering a balance transfer, remember to calculate the balance transfer fee to make sure it would be worth it for you.
• Real-Time Rewards: U.S. Bank’s Real-Time Rewards program lets you immediately redeem your earned rewards for statement credits. Simply enroll in the program through your online account (on the website or mobile app) and you can start redeeming rewards for business purchases in real time.
• World Elite perks: Cardholders automatically receive World Elite Mastercard perks, which are centered on offering everyday value and access to premium experiences. This typically includes access to Mastercard global emergency services, cell phone protection, and complimentary professional travel services.

What we don't like about this card: drawbacks

• Foreign transaction fee: Despite earning rewards on travel booked through the Rewards Center, this card comes with a foreign transaction fee. If you’re planning to use your business credit card abroad, then we don't recommend this one. Consider using a card that won’t charge you an additional fee, such as the Capital One Spark Cash Select for Excellent Credit.

Earning and redeeming cashback rewards

If a cashback card doesn’t offer easy ways for you to earn and redeem rewards, it’s likely not worth the hassle. Fortunately, the U.S. Bank Business Triple Cash Card offers a simple and easy-to-understand rewards system.

Best ways to earn

Earning cash back with this card is fairly straightforward — the more you use it on business expenses, the more cash back you’ll earn. However, if you want to earn as much cash back as possible, it’s best to use your card in these rewards categories when you can. 

Maximizing your redemptions

If you compare credit cards, many rewards credit cards offer cashback-related redemption options. With the U.S Bank Business Triple Cash Rewards, this includes:

• Statement credits
• Deposits to U.S. Bank checking, savings, or money market accounts
• Receiving a U.S. Bank Rewards card

Statement credits and bank account deposits are common redemption options, but you might not recognize the option to receive a rewards card. This simply means you would receive a prepaid, non-reloadable card that can be used anywhere debit cards are accepted. These cards would typically be on the Visa or Mastercard networks.

You should expect all three of these redemption options to offer the same value, so choosing which one to use comes down to your preference. 

U.S. Bank Business Triple Cash Rewards World Elite Mastercard FAQ

Other cards to consider

The U.S. Bank Business Triple Cash Rewards World Elite Mastercard^® can offer plenty of value, including a generous welcome offer, depending on your business needs. But if it doesn’t seem like the right fit, consider other credit card offers on our list of the best business credit cards. In addition, consider the Capital One Spark Cash Select for Excellent Credit and the Ink Business Cash^® Credit Card.

The Capital One Spark Cash Select for Excellent Credit doesn’t offer rewards categories like the U.S. Bank Business Triple Cash. Rather, it offers unlimited 1.5% cash back on all purchases on all cards attached to the account; plus 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel. This type of rate can be helpful if your business expenses don’t align with the rewards categories on the U.S. Bank Business Triple Cash. This card also has a $0 annual fee.

For more information, check out our Capital One Spark Cash Select Business review.

The Ink Business Cash^® Credit Card has a $0 annual fee and offers rewards categories similar to those found on the U.S. Bank Business Triple Cash. However, the bonus earning rate on the Ink Business Cash maxes out at 5% compared to the 3% of the Triple Cash. This means you could potentially earn more cash back on the Ink Business Cash if your business expenses fall within the bonus categories. The bonus categories that earn 5% on the Ink Business Cash include the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at office supply stores and on internet, cable and phone services each account anniversary year.

For more information, check out our Ink Cash Business Credit Card review.