U.S. Bank Business Altitude Connect World Elite Mastercard review: Travel perks and bonus points for the road warrior

The U.S. Bank Business Altitude™ Connect World Elite Mastercard® * The information for the U.S. Bank Business Altitude™ Connect World Elite Mastercard® has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. offers generous travel perks for a reasonable annual fee. But the card comes up short compared to others in the category.

About the U.S. Bank Business Altitude Connect World Elite Mastercard

U.S. Bank is shifting gears with its newest business credit card, the U.S. Bank Business Altitude Connect World Elite Mastercard. The card is ideal for business owners on the go who want to be rewarded for where they spend the most without having to spend a truckload. The card’s profile maps towards road warriors with generous rewards on travel, along with primary rental car insurance and Priority Pass lounge access. The card has a $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $95 but partially offset by a $25 rideshare or taxi statement credit.

The welcome bonus provides a great incentive to test-drive the card. Cardholders receive 60,000 points, worth $600, after spending $6,000 on purchases in the first 180 days of account opening. It’s worth noting that these points can only be redeemed for cash back, gift cards, merchandise and travel. Rewards on this card, or any other U.S. Bank credit cards are not transferable to other rewards programs, which could be a speed bump for some.

U.S. Bank Business Altitude Connect basics

• Annual fee: $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $95.
• Welcome bonus: 60,000 points, worth $600, after spending $6,000 on purchases in the first 180 days of account opening.
• Rewards: 5 points per $1 on hotels and rental cars booked directly through the U.S. Bank Rewards Center, 4 points per $1 on other travel purchases including flights, hotels, gas and EV charging, up to $150,000 in combined annual purchases, 2 points per $1 on dining (including delivery) and cellphone services and 1 point per $1 on all other purchases.
• Regular APR: 20.24% to 28.24% variable APR for purchases and balance transfers. There's a balance transfer fee of 3% of each transfer or $5 minimum, whichever is greater.
• Other perks and benefits: Four annual complimentary Priority Pass lounge visits, a $25 taxi or rideshare statement credit after every three consecutive months of charging at least one ride to the card, no foreign transaction fees, ability to transfer points between this card and the Altitude Go and/or Altitude Connect personal card accounts, secondary rental car insurance, pay over time option.
• Does the issuer offer a preapproval tool? No.
• Recommended credit score: Good to excellent.

U.S. Bank Business Altitude Connect other details

U.S. Bank Business Altitude Connect rewards

The U.S. Bank Business Altitude Connect card earns generous rewards in the form of a welcome bonus and recurring category bonuses. New cardholders receive 60,000 points, worth $600, after spending $6,000 on purchases in the first 180 days of account opening. Beyond this one-time bonus, the card offers high earning potential in everyday business spending categories. 

Cardholders earn 5 points per $1 on hotels and rental cars booked directly through the U.S. Bank Rewards Center, 4 points per $1 on other travel purchases including flights, hotels, gas and EV charging, up to $150,000 in combined annual purchases, 2 points per $1 on dining (including delivery) and cellphone services and 1 point per $1 on all other purchases.

You can redeem points at a rate of one cent each toward cash back, gift cards, merchandise or travel. This redemption structure is ideal for business owners looking for a simple reward structure. However, those who want to maximize their rewards for point transfers to airlines and hotels may be disappointed that this option isn’t available.

U.S. Bank Business Altitude Connect rewards potential

One of the most important factors in determining whether the U.S. Bank Business Altitude Connect Mastercard is a good option for you is to evaluate your spending habits. Will the rewards structure help you earn enough points to justify the $95 annual fee after the first year?

Using government data and other publicly available information, we estimate that a business in the U.S. that would be in the market for this card has an annual income of $84,352 and $25,087 in expenses they are likely to be able to charge to a credit card.

• $1,753 in spending on hotels and rental cars booked through the Rewards Center x 5 points per dollar = 8,765.
• $3,416 in spending on airfare, gas and EV charging x 4 points per dollar = 13,664.
• $3,526 in spending on dining x 2 points per dollar = 7,052.
• $16,392 in spending on everything else x 1 point per dollar = 16,392.

That comes to a grand total of 45,873 in rewards annually, which is redeemable for about $458 in rewards. That’s well worth it for a card with a $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $95 annual fee, but you should also consider whether another credit card is more rewarding in other categories where the Altitude Connect only offers the base earning rate.

U.S. Bank Business Altitude Connect APR

The U.S. Bank Business Altitude Connect charges 20.24% to 28.24% variable APR for purchases and balance transfers. There's a balance transfer fee of 3% of each transfer or $5 minimum, whichever is greater. The exact APR will depend on creditworthiness, which includes your credit score and ability to repay debt. Generally, a good credit score will get you a lower APR.

U.S. Bank Business Altitude Connect pros

• Substantial welcome bonus: The card offers 60,000 points, worth $600, after spending $6,000 on purchases in the first 180 days of account opening.
• Waived annual fee during the first year: There’s a $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $95.
• Lounge benefit: Cardholders get four Priority Pass lounge visits per year.

U.S. Bank Business Altitude Connect cons

• Limited category bonuses: The category bonuses are not particularly focused on business spending. 
• No point transfer options: Points aren’t transferable to airlines or hotels, limiting their redemption value. Points are worth just one cent each towards cash back, gift cards, merchandise, and travel. 
• Relatively high spending requirement: The welcome bonus requires a higher than average minimum spend.

How the U.S. Bank Business Altitude Connect compares to other cards 

U.S. Bank Business Altitude Connect vs. Chase Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card * The information for the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

The Ink Business Preferred Credit Card offers a better alternative if you want to earn transferable rewards. As part of the Chase Ultimate Rewards program, points can be transferred to more than a dozen airline and hotel programs, including Hyatt, United and Southwest. The Ink Business Preferred earns 3 points per $1 on the first $150,000 spent on travel and select business categories each account anniversary year and 1 point per $1 on all other purchases. For the same $95 annual fee, the card offers primary rental car coverage and a higher welcome bonus of 120,000 points after spending $8,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening.

U.S. Bank Business Altitude Connect vs. U.S. Bank Triple Cash Rewards Visa® Business Card * The information for the U.S. Bank Triple Cash Rewards Visa® Business Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

The Triple Cash Rewards Visa offers 5% cash back on prepaid hotels and car rentals booked directly in the Travel Rewards Center, 3% cash back at gas and EV charging stations, office supply stores, cellphone service providers and restaurants and 1% cash back on all other eligible purchases. Cardholders also get $100 every year toward software subscriptions like FreshBooks and QuickBooks, which is pretty fantastic considering the card has no annual fee. The Triple Cash Rewards Visa’s welcome bonus is also pretty close to the Business Altitude Connect’s, ringing in at $500 in cash back after spending $4,500 on purchases in the first 150 days of account opening.

U.S. Bank Business Altitude Connect vs. U.S. Bank Business Leverage® Visa Signature® Card * The information for the U.S. Bank Business Leverage® Visa Signature® Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

If you want a more simplified reward structure, the U.S. Bank Business Leverage Visa Signature Card might be a better fit. The card automatically earns 5% cash back on prepaid hotels and car rentals booked directly in the Rewards Center, 2% cash back in the top two categories each month and 1% cash back on all other eligible purchases. Like the Altitude Connect, this card has a $0 introductory annual fee for the first 12 months, after that $95 per year. It also comes with a higher welcome bonus than the Altitude Connect: you’ll earn $750 in rewards after spending $7,500 in eligible purchases in the first 120 days of account opening.

Should you get the U.S. Bank Business Altitude Connect?

The U.S. Bank Business Altitude Connect can be an excellent addition to your wallet if you want to maximize your earnings on travel, dining and cell phone services. The card earns rewards on travel and on dining and cell phone services, making it a great option. The $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $95 annual fee provides an excellent incentive for testing the card out to see if it’s worth the annual fee.

The annual fee can still be worthwhile if you take advantage of the $25 annual taxi and rideshare credit or four annual Priority Pass lounge visits. These are rare perks for a card at this price point. 

As with any credit card, review your spending to determine if your business can benefit from charging expenses to the U.S. Bank Business Altitude Connect card. If the answer is no, then you may want to consider some of the alternatives we outlined above. 

U.S. Bank Business Altitude Connect summary

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)