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The U.S. Bank Altitude Go® Secured Visa® Signature Card is among the few secured credit cards that offer cashback rewards to borrowers. While the card requires a security deposit upfront, it’s a low-cost borrowing option considering its $0 annual fee and hefty rewards program.
Quick Review
The U.S. Bank Altitude Go® Secured Visa® Signature Card is a generous credit card for borrowers with lower credit scores or limited credit histories. Responsibly using the card is a great way to build credit, and the rewards program lets you earn a percentage of your purchases back.
The rewards include:
- 4x points on dining, takeout, and delivery
- 2x points on groceries, gas stations, EV charging stations, and streaming services
- 1 point on all other purchases
- An annual $15 streaming service credit
However, an incredibly high APR means you should think twice before getting this card if you plan on regularly carrying a balance from month to month, as interest charges could easily add up. Not only will credit card debt cost you money, but it may also damage your credit score.
If you don’t plan to carry a balance, the lack of annual fee, cashback rewards, and credit reporting to the major bureaus make this card a great option for credit-builders.
U.S. Bank Altitude Go® Secured Visa® Signature Card Important Details
Basic Card Details
- Annual fee: $0
- APR: 29.74% (variable)
- Deposit: $300–$5,000
- Rewards rate: 1%–4%
- Grace period: 24–30 days
Additional Information
- Credit limit will be between $300–$5,000, equivalent to your security deposit
- Security deposit is refundable
- Get a $15 streaming credit after 11 months of streaming service payments
- $0 fraud liability
- Mobile wallet
- Contactless payment options
- Flexible due dates
- ID Navigator Powered by NortonLifeLock
U.S. Bank Altitude Go® Secured Visa® Signature Card Feature Breakdown
Let’s look at the fees, rates, rewards, and borrowing features of the U.S. Bank Altitude Go® Secured Visa® Signature Card to determine whether it’s the right card for you.
Fees
- Annual fee: $0
- Cash advance fee: 5% or $10 (whichever is greater)
- Convenience check cash advance fee: 3% or $5 (whichever is greater)
- Balance transfer fee: 3% or $5 (whichever is greater)
- Foreign transaction fee: None
- Late payment fee: Up to $41
Interest Rates
- Purchase APR: 29.74% (variable)
- Cash advance APR: 29.74% (variable)
- Balance transfer APR: 29.74% (variable)
All functions on this card carry the same annual interest rate of 29.74% (variable). This is an incredibly high APR, meaning this isn’t a good card to carry a balance on. If you fail to pay your full bill each month, your balance will accrue interest charges at a relatively fast rate.
Security Deposit
The U.S. Bank Altitude Go® Secured Visa® Signature Card requires a credit card security deposit. You can choose the amount you pay, as long as it’s in the range of $300–$5,000. Your initial credit limit on the card will be equivalent to the deposit you put down.
U.S. Bank will periodically review your account and your overall credit to determine whether you qualify for an upgrade to the unsecured version of the card. If you graduate to an unsecured card, your security deposit will be refunded in full.
Rewards
The U.S. Bank Altitude Go® Secured Visa® Signature Card comes with a generous reward program, which is a rare find among credit cards for lower credit scores or unestablished credit. Here’s how the program works:
- 4x points on dining, takeout, and delivery
- 2x points on groceries, gas stations, EV charging stations, and streaming services
- 1 point on all other purchases
U.S. Bank doesn’t specify the value of a point. It’s likely they can be redeemed at a 1:1 value in which 1 point equals 1 cent. However, values may increase or decrease depending on how you choose to redeem points.
Rewards Redemption
You can redeem points earned on the U.S. Bank Altitude Go® Secured Visa® Signature Card in multiple ways, including as:
- Travel
- Merchandise
- Gift cards
- Cash back
Cash back can be in the form of statement credit or a deposit into your U.S. Bank account. However, you need to redeem a minimum of 2,500 points as cash back. Other redemption categories don’t specify a minimum limit.
Streaming Credit
Along with cashback rewards, the card offers an annual credit: $15 statement credit after you’ve made 11 months of payments to a streaming service with your card.
This credit is in addition to the 2x points you regularly earn on streaming service purchases.
Qualifying for the Card
U.S. Bank advertises the U.S. Bank Altitude Go® Secured Visa® Signature Card as a credit card for building credit. This implies that the card is geared towards borrowers with unestablished credit histories or lower credit scores who are working to rebuild their credit.
However, the bank doesn’t specify what credit score you’ll need to qualify for the card.
Cash Advance
You can take out cash advances with the U.S. Bank Altitude Go® Secured Visa® Signature Card, meaning you can withdraw money from the card at an ATM, or use other means of getting cash from the card (such as convenience checks).
However, any cash advance you take out will come at the cost of fees and high APR. Using the card for cash advances will likely be very expensive, so we recommend against it.
Balance Transfers
The U.S. Bank Altitude Go® Secured Visa® Signature Card allows balance transfers. Balance transfers are used to move debt from one credit card to another.
The balance transfer APR of 29.74% (variable) is very high, so transferring a balance to this card would not be a good idea, considering the amount of interest the debt would likely accumulate.
Benefits
The U.S. Bank Altitude Go® Secured Visa® Signature Card doesn’t come with an extensive list of benefits. Their suite of extras includes the standard fare, like:
- Flexible due dates
- Fraud liability protection
- Contactless payment options
- Mobile wallet compatibility
- Identity theft prevention tools
- Automatic payments
Perhaps the two most useful features for anyone trying to build their credit are the flexible due dates and automatic payments. Setting the due date in line with your needs and auto-paying your balance each month can help ensure your credit card stays in good standing and your credit score improves.
Authorized Users
U.S. Bank doesn’t allow authorized users to be added to secured credit card accounts. However, if you eventually upgrade to an unsecured card, you’ll be able to add authorized users.
Credit Reporting
U.S. Bank reports to the major credit bureaus within the last week of each calendar month. Make sure your payments are up to date by the end of the month to ensure good borrowing behavior is recorded on your credit report.
Customer Service
To contact the customer service team at U.S. Bank regarding this card, call: (800) 285-8585
You can also write to them at:
U.S. Bank
800 Nicollet Mall
Minneapolis, MN 55402
Should You Get the U.S. Bank Altitude Go® Secured Visa® Signature Card?
FinanceJar verdict
We highly recommend the U.S. Bank Altitude Go® Secured Visa® Signature Card for borrowers with less-than-stellar credit who are ready to build credit while earning rewards.
The cashback program is generous and the lack of an annual fee means you don’t have to spend a certain amount to earn back what you put in. Plus, the security deposit is fully refundable upon graduation to an unsecured card.
Who is this card for?
- New borrowers: If you’re trying to establish your credit score, landing a good credit card can be difficult, as you haven’t proven yourself a responsible borrower yet. This card is advertised to credit builders, meaning new borrowers can likely qualify. The rewards and lack of an annual fee make it a profitable card, while the flexible due dates and option to set up auto-pay can help you stay on top of your monthly balance.
- U.S. Bank members: If you already have a bank account with U.S. Bank, this card may make a fine addition to your wallet. Rewards can be redeemed in a number of ways, but if you want a cold, hard cash refund, you can get rewards directly deposited into your U.S. Bank checking or savings account.
Comparable Cards
Check out how the U.S. Bank Altitude Go® Secured Visa® Signature Card compares against similar cards on the market.
