US Bank Smartly Credit Card Review: A Comprehensive Guide

The US Bank Smartly Credit Card is a solid choice for those looking for a low-fee credit card with rewards. It has no annual fee, which means you can use it without worrying about extra costs.

The card offers 1% cash back on all purchases, which may not seem like a lot, but it's a great starting point for building your cash back rewards. This rate is applied to all purchases, not just in specific categories.

With the US Bank Smartly Credit Card, you'll also get a 0% introductory APR for 6 billing cycles, which can be a huge help if you need to make a large purchase or consolidate debt. Just be sure to pay off the balance before the introductory period ends.

The card also comes with a relatively low credit limit, which can be a good thing if you're new to credit or want to avoid overspending.

The U.S. Bank Smartly Visa Signature Card has a $0 annual fee, making it a great option for those who want to earn rewards without paying extra.

The card offers an unlimited 2% cash back on all purchases, which can be elevated to 2.5%, 3%, or 4% cash back based on your combined balances in U.S. Bank deposit, trust, and investment accounts.

To earn the higher cash back rates, you'll need to pair the card with a U.S. Bank Smartly Savings account and maintain a minimum balance in eligible U.S. Bank accounts.

Here's a breakdown of the cash back tiers:

The card also offers a 0% introductory APR on purchases and balance transfers for the first 12 billing cycles, followed by a variable APR of 18.49%-28.74%.

The U.S. Bank Smartly Visa Signature Card offers a 0% intro APR period on purchases and balance transfers, which can be a huge help in paying down debt or large purchases.

This intro APR period lasts for 12 billing cycles, giving you a chance to pay off your balance without incurring interest charges.

The ongoing APR after the intro period is 18.49%-28.74% Variable APR, so be sure to make timely payments to avoid these higher interest rates.

The card's intro APR offer applies to both purchases and balance transfers, making it a versatile option for managing your finances.

The rewards and benefits of the U.S. Bank Smartly Visa Signature Card are quite impressive, but they come with some requirements. To earn the card's elevated rates, you'll need to have a U.S. Bank account, and to get the full value of the base 2% cash back rate, you'll need to redeem your rewards as a deposit into an eligible U.S. Bank account.

The card earns cash back rewards as points, but to get the full value of those points, you must redeem them as a deposit into an eligible U.S. Bank account, which will get you 1 cent per point.

If you meet the balance requirements, you can earn a "Smartly Earning Bonus" on top of the card's 2% base rate. Here are the balance requirements to earn the bonus:

To qualify for these higher rates, you'll need to open a Bank Smartly Savings account with a $25 minimum balance and keep the required average daily combined balances for the previous three months.

The U.S. Bank Smartly Visa Signature Card offers potentially rich rewards, but with some strings attached. To earn the highest rewards rate, you'll need to meet certain balance requirements across your eligible U.S. Bank accounts.

Consumers with at least $5,000 in balances can earn a rewards bonus, which increases the cash back rate. The bonus is tiered, with higher balances earning higher rewards rates.

Here's a breakdown of the rewards bonuses and corresponding cash back rates:

To qualify for these higher rates, you'll need to open a Bank Smartly Savings account, which requires a $25 minimum balance, and maintain the required average daily combined balances for the previous three months.

The U.S. Bank Smartly Visa Signature Card doesn't come with a welcome offer for new applicants. Many of the best cash back cards offer bonuses, which can help new cardholders rack up rewards quickly. This lack of a sign-up bonus means you'll need to rely on the card's ongoing rewards rate to earn rewards.

The Us Bank Smartly Credit Card's rates and fees are straightforward. The annual fee is $0, which is a great perk for those who want to avoid paying extra fees.

You won't have to worry about a bonus offer, but you will get a 0% intro APR for 12 billing cycles on purchases and balance transfers. This can be a huge help if you need to make a large purchase or pay off debt.

The ongoing APR is a variable rate that ranges from 18.49% to 28.74%, which is higher than some other credit cards. Cash advances also come with a higher APR of 31.24%.

If you need to transfer a balance, be aware that there's a balance transfer fee of either 3% of the amount of each transfer or $5 minimum, whichever is greater.

When making international purchases, you'll be charged a foreign transaction fee of 3% of each foreign transaction.

The US Bank Smartly Visa Signature Card has some great benefits. It has no annual fee, which is a huge plus for anyone who wants to use a cash back credit card without incurring extra costs.

One of the standout features of this card is its high rewards rate. You can earn 4x, 3x, or even 2.5x back on all your spending, which is hard to beat.

To get the highest rates, you must be a banking customer with US Bank. This means you'll need to have an account open with the institution to qualify for the best rewards.

The card also offers a sign-up bonus, which can give you an extra boost of cash back.

You can redeem your cash back rewards in a variety of ways, including earning 2% cash back on all qualifying purchases. This flexibility makes it easy to use your rewards how you want.

The US Bank Smartly Visa Signature Card also offers a 0% APR promotion for purchases and balance transfers. This can be a big help if you need to make a large purchase or pay off debt.

The U.S. Bank Smartly credit card is a standout option for those who bank with U.S. Bank and meet the balance requirements to snag the higher rewards rate.

The card earns an unlimited 2% cash back, but what makes it stand out is that its base rate can jump to 2.5%, 3%, and even 4% back for holders who meet certain balance requirements.

To earn the card's bonus rates, you must pair it with a U.S. Bank Smartly Savings account and carry a minimum amount across eligible U.S. Bank accounts. This minimum amount is at least $5,000 to boost your earnings rate to 2.5% and at least $100,000 to get the outstanding 4% back.

The card's rewards are earned as points, which must be deposited into a U.S. Bank account to get the full value.

NerdWallet reviews credit cards with an eye toward both quantitative and qualitative features. Quantitative features are those that boil down to dollars and cents, such as fees, interest rates, rewards, and redemption values.

The U.S. Bank Smartly credit card is made of metal, which may appeal to your aesthetic if you value a premium feel.

The US Bank Smartly Credit Card is a solid choice for those looking to earn rewards on their purchases. It offers a base rewards rate of 2% on all purchases, which is very good.

To earn the top rewards rate of 4%, you'll need to meet steep balance requirements, but it's a best-in-class option if you can meet those requirements.

The rewards rate alone makes this card worth considering, especially if you're someone who pays their balance in full each month to avoid interest charges.