U.S. Bank Cash+ Review: 5% Back in Bonus Categories of Your Choice

The U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card puts you in control of your rewards. Every quarter, you can pick and activate two categories where your card will earn 5% back on up to $2,000 in combined purchases. Is that offer as great as it sounds? Find out in this U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card review.

This credit card is a good fit for: Cardholders interested in picking where they'll earn bonus cash back every quarter.

Top perks

The U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card has several valuable features.

$200 sign-up bonus

As a new cardholder, you can earn $200 in bonus rewards after you spend $1,000 on eligible purchases within 120 days of account opening. That's in line with the biggest sign-up bonuses we've seen from no annual fee credit cards. To get more, you usually need to go with a card that has an annual fee.

MORE OPTIONS: Best Credit Card Sign-Up Bonuses

Flexible rewards program

The U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card lets you choose the spending categories where you earn bonus cash back. Here's how much you can earn:

• 5% back on the first $2,000 in combined purchases each quarter across two categories of your choice, such as home utilities, department stores, and ground transportation
• 5% on prepaid air, hotel, and car reservations booked directly in the Rewards Travel Center
• 2% back on your spending in one "everyday" category of your choice, such as gas stations and EV charging stations, grocery stores, or restaurants
• 1% back on other purchases

You must activate your bonus categories each quarter to earn the higher cash back rates. Categories can change from quarter to quarter, although many remain the same.

Being able to pick your bonus categories is a big plus with this card. The spending cap in its 5%-back categories is also higher than other cards with rotating rewards. Most of them cap bonus cash back at $1,500 in bonus category spending per quarter.

SEE MORE: Best Cash Back Credit Cards

No annual fee

Most cash back cards are no annual fee credit cards, and that's the case with this one. That means you can get value from it no matter how much you use it. Even if you already have another card you use often, you could add this U.S. Bank card to your wallet solely to earn 5% back in a couple more categories every month.

0% intro APR for 15 billing cycles

This card offers a 0% intro APR for purchases and balance transfers for 15 billing cycles. Here are the important rules to know if you plan to use this benefit:

• Balance transfers must be made within the first 60 days of account opening to qualify for the 0% intro APR.
• A balance transfer fee applies: Either 3% of the amount of each transfer or $5 minimum, whichever is greater. This is a standard balance transfer fee amount.
• After the intro period, the go-to 19.49% - 29.74% (Variable) APR applies.

With this 0% intro APR, you can pay down big purchases over time without interest charges. Or, you can transfer over credit card debt to avoid interest charges during the intro period. However you use it, do your best to pay off your balance within the intro period. If you have a lot of credit card debt, keep in mind that some of the best balance transfer credit cards offer a longer 0% intro APR period.

What could be improved

There are a few areas where this cash back card could be better.

Lackluster 5% back categories

The 5% back options for the U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card may not be the best for everyone. Here are some examples of categories U.S. Bank has offered:

• Fast food
• Movie theaters
• Gyms and fitness centers
• Furniture stores
• TV, internet, and streaming services
• Home utilities

These aren't broad, everyday categories like gas and groceries. You can pick an everyday category, too. But that's a 2% back category, not a 5% category, and you only get to pick one. While choosing your bonus categories is a nice perk, it loses some appeal if you don't spend much in any of the available options.

Make sure to review the bonus category options before you apply. If you see a category that fits your spending habits, then this card could be a great fit for you. If not, you're probably better off browsing more credit card reviews.

Cash back redemption minimum

Although you can potentially earn lots of rewards by maxing out your 5% categories each quarter, you won't necessarily be able to redeem that cash back right away. This U.S. Bank card has a $25 minimum redemption if you want to use your cash back as a statement credit or deposit it to a U.S. Bank account. It has a $10 redemption minimum if you use Real-Time rewards to apply it toward purchases you make.

Cash back rewards also expire 36 months after the billing cycle in which they're earned. These aren't huge issues, but they're inconvenient and frustrating, considering many rewards cards let you redeem cash back any time, with no minimum.

SEE MORE: Best Credit Cards

The U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card is aimed at consumers who have good to excellent credit scores, which means a FICO® Score of at least 670 is recommended. Your credit score isn't the only factor that decides whether you get the card or not, but a higher score does give you a better chance of an approval.

You can take advantage of its unique 5% cash back categories. If your biggest expenses are in popular categories, such as groceries or dining, other cards can earn you more back. What makes the U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card is that it has bonus categories that most other cards don't. If you spend heavily in any of those categories, then this cash back card could be a winner.

Our credit card methodology

At The Motley Fool Ascent, we rate credit cards on a five-star scale (1 = poor, 5 = best). Our rating criteria includes rewards rates, welcome bonuses, fees, and perks like travel credits and 0% intro APR offers to evaluate our ratings.

We combine these factors with an evaluation of brand reputation and customer satisfaction to ensure you're getting the best card recommendations. Learn more about how The Ascent rates credit cards.