Green Light
Proceed through a Green Light without hesitation, would get any card identified with a green light without giving it a second thought. All these are elite Credit Cards
Yellow Light
Proceed through a Yellow Light with hesitation but still run a yellow 9/10 times, would get any card identified with a yellow light but think twice or take a step back before applying
Red Light
Proceed through a Red Light with a good reason (wife’s about to give birth) would only get a card identified with a red light for a GOOD reason (going on a cruise or need to build your credit)
US BANK ALTITUDE
Green Light
-Good return on intro spend
-Tons of travel benefits that make the $400 annual fee easily worth it
-Must be a previous US Bank customer to get it
Pros:
-Earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $4,500 on your card within 90 days of opening (worth $750 in airfare, hotel, car rentals, and more travel)
-Earn 5 points for every $1 spent on prepaid hotels and car rentals booked through the Altitude Rewards Center
-Earn 3 points for every $1 spent on travel purchases and purchases made with your mobile wallet
-12 complimentary Gogo inflight Wi-Fi passes per year
-4 free Priority Pass select lounge visits for you and a guest ($27 per person after that)
-Up to a $100 statement credit for your Global Entry or TSA Precheck application fee
-$325 Annual Travel Credit for purchase made directly with merchants that classify themselves as travel
-Trip Delay Reimbursement, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Lost Luggage Reimbursement
Cons:
-Exclusive to existing US Bank customers
-Earn 1 point for every $1 spent on everything else
-$400 annual fee not waived for the first year (which is actually a steal cause you get $325 in travel credit right away but expensive nonetheless)
-If you cancel the card you loose your bonus points
US BANK CASH BACK+
Yellow Light
-Good return on intro spend
-No annual fee
-0% intro APR for 12 months
-Choice of where you get the most cash back
Pros:
-Earn a $150 bonus after applying online and spending $500 in purchases on your card within 90 days of opening
-No annual fee
-Earn 5% cash back on your first $2,000 in combined purchases each quarter on two spending categories that you choose
-Earn 2% cash back on one everyday spending category of your choice
-Get cash back as a statement credit, direct deposit into one of your US Bank accounts, or a rewards card
-0% intro APR for 12 months on balance transfers
Cons:
-Earn 1% cash back on everything else outside of your chosen categories
-If you make a balance transfer, interest will be charged on your purchases unless you pay your entire balance (including the balance transfer) off
-Balance transfers must be posted within 60 days of opening the account
-3% Foreign Transaction Fee
US BANK PLATINUM CARD
Yellow Light
-No annual fee
-0% intro APR for 20 months is a very long time
-No point accrual or intro bonus
Pros:
-No annual fee
-0% intro APR for 20 billing cycles on purchases and balance transfers
-Cell Phone Protection Plan
-Choose your payment due date
Cons:
-No cash back or rewards earned on spend
-Minimum interest charge is $2, 4x the Citibank minimum interest charge
-3% Foreign Transaction Fee
US BANK FLEX GOLD CARD AMERICAN EXPRESS
Yellow Light
-Good return on intro spend
-$85 annual fee
-Look at cards directly from American Express before thinking about this one
Pros:
-Earn 30,000 bonus FlexPoints after spending $2,000 on purchases in your card within 4 months of opening
-Earn 5 points for every $1 spent on prepaid hotels and car rentals booked through the FlexPerks Rewards Center
-Earn 3 points for every $1 spent at restaurants
-No foreign transaction fees
-Statement credit for your Global Entry or TSA Precheck application fee (which ever program you apply for first)
-Complimentary Boingo Wi-Fi at over 1 million hotspots worldwide
-Redeem at least 10,000 FlexPoints for roundtrip airfare and receive $25 towards baggage fees or in-flight food and drinks
Cons:
-$85 annual fee not waived for the first year
-Earn 2 FlexPoints for every $1 spent with airlines and at gas stations
-Earn 1 FlexPoint for every $1 spent on everything else
-If you cancel the card you loose your FlexPerk points
-If FlexPoints are anything like amextravel points there’s a 20% chance you’ll get $450 of value out of 30,000
US BANK SECURED VISA
Red Light
-No intro bonus or point accrual
-$29 annual fee
-Only for people that want the US Bank Altitude
Pros:
-Free Transunion Credit Score
-Choose your payment date
Cons:
-$29 Annual fee
-Must put up a security deposit for the amount of credit you’re approved for
-No point or cash back accrual on purchases
-3% Foreign Transaction Fee