U.S. Bank has rolled out a new small business credit card that's ideal for digital nomads.
The U.S. Bank Business Altitude™ Connect World Elite Mastercard® has a welcome offer of 60,000 bonus points after spending $6,000 in net purchases with your card within the first 180 days of account opening. The intro bonus alone is worth $600 and it also earns 4X to 5X points in various travel categories.
If you're looking for a card to help maximize your business travel spending, here's everything you need to know.
U.S. Bank Business Altitude Connect benefits
U.S. Bank Business Altitude™ Connect World Elite Mastercard®
Rewards
5X points on hotels and car rentals booked directly in the Altitude Rewards Center; 4X points on travel, including airfare, hotels, gas stations, and EV charging stations on the first $150,000 in combined annual spending; 2X points on dining, takeout, restaurant delivery and cell phone services; 1X point on all other eligible purchases
Welcome bonus
Earn 60,000 bonus points when you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases within the first 180 days of account opening ($600 value)
Annual fee
$0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95
Intro APR
None
Regular APR
20.24% - 28.24% (Variable)
Balance transfer fee
Either 3% of the amount of each transfer or $5 minimum
Foreign transaction fee
None
Credit needed
Excellent/Good
Terms apply.
The U.S. Bank Business Altitude Connect card features benefits and bonuses to help you make the most of your travels. With the card, you can earn points at the following rates:
- 5X points on hotels and car rentals when booked directly through the U.S. Bank Rewards Center
- 4X points on the first $150,000 in combined travel purchases each year, including airfare, hotels, gas and EV charging stations
- 2X points on dining, takeout, restaurant delivery and cell phone services
- 1X points on all other purchases
It has a $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then a $95 annual fee each subsequent year.
Cardholders can freely use this card overseas because it has no foreign transaction fees. It also comes with a Priority Pass airport lounge membership with four free visits per year to any of the 1,300+ member lounges. And you can receive an automatic $25 statement credit when you pay for a rideshare service (including taxis) at least once a month for three consecutive months.
The points you earn with the U.S. Bank Business Altitude Connect card are worth one cent each for a variety of redemptions, including travel, gift cards and cash back (as a statement credit or deposit into a U.S. Bank checking or savings account). That makes the 60,000 welcome bonus worth $600, which is a good offer considering the card's annual fee is $0 for the first year.
But if you don't mind paying an annual fee, you should consider other business travels credits cards with larger bonuses or a wider array of travel perks.
The Chase Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card has a welcome offer of 100k bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $1,000 cash back or $1,250 toward travel when redeemed through Chase TravelSM. Its annual fee is just $95 and it earns 3X points on the first $150,000 spent each account anniversary year across select categories such as travel; shipping purchases; internet, cable and phone services; and advertising purchases with social media sites and search engines.
Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
Rewards
Earn 3X points per $1 on the first $150,000 spent in combined purchases in select categories each account anniversary year (travel; shipping purchases; internet, cable and phone services; and advertising purchases with social media sites and search engines), 1X point per $1 on all other purchases
Welcome bonus
Earn 100,000 bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Annual fee
$95
Intro APR
None
Regular APR
21.24% - 26.24% variable
Balance transfer fee
Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater
Foreign transaction fee
None
Credit needed
Good/Excellent
Terms apply.
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express is loaded with top-tier benefits and the card's statement credits can easily offset its $695 annual fee (see rates and fees). The statement credits include:
- Up to $400 in annual statement credits (up to $200 semi-annually) for Dell purchases (enrollment required).
- Up to $360 in annual statement credits for Indeed products and services (up to $90 per quarter)
- Up to $150 in annual statement credits for select Adobe prepaid annual plans for teams with Creative Cloud and Acrobat Pro DC (enrollment required).
- $120 each year (up to $10 per month) for purchases made directly with any U.S. wireless telephone provider (enrollment required).
- $189 in annual statement credits for a CLEAR® Plus membership
- Up to $200 in airline fee credits per calendar year
- Up to $100 for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fees every 4 to 4.5 years, depending on which one you choose
All of that is on top of the Priority Pass airport lounge membership with unlimited visits, complimentary Gold status with Marriott Bonvoy and Hilton Honors, and travel insurance coverages (primary rental car, trip delay, baggage, trip cancellation/interruption). Terms Apply.
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
Rewards
Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on flights and prepaid hotels on AmexTravel.com and 1X points for each dollar you spend on eligible purchases. Also, earn 1.5X points (that's an extra half point per dollar) on each eligible purchases at US construction material, hardware suppliers, electronic goods retailers and software & cloud system providers, and shipping providers, as well as on purchases of $5,000 or more everywhere else, on up to $2 million of these purchases per calendar year.
Welcome bonus
Earn 150,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $20,000 in eligible purchases on the Card within the first 3 months of Card Membership.
Annual fee
$695
Intro APR
N/A
Regular APR
19.49% - 28.49% variable
Balance transfer fee
N/A
Foreign transaction fee
None
Credit needed
Excellent/Good
See rates and fees, terms apply.
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Bottom line
The U.S. Bank Business Altitude Connect card is a small business card with benefits that cater to digital nomads. It has generous spending bonuses for eligible travel purchases, as well as a handful of travel perks.
However, there are other travel-focused small business cards on the market with larger intro bonuses or more lucrative travel benefits. So before you apply, consider all the options to ensure it's the right fit for your small business and travel style.
Read more
For rates and fees of the The Business Platinum Card® from American Express, click here.