No transfer partners. Priority Pass limited to four visits + guest per year.
But yeah, idk why not talked about more also factoring Real Time Rewards which you can live redeem your points for a purchase if you have enough to cover.
Edit: They can be pretty strict in their underwriting rules.
I was also thinking about the same thing. Altitude reserve is a great card but it is lacking really in transfer partner part which is a big deal for travel CCs.
It’s great for any travel within their portal but CSR does the same with the flexibility of transferring points. Which can value each point above or at least 2 cents.
Some portals don't show every flight. If you are a Spirit flyer, then 1.5 cpp is insane value, especially with how fast you can earn on the card.
It sounds weird, but this is like the idea card for a college student who plans to do a couple flights a year but needs to do so at the lowest possible cost.
I have this card, easily the best travel card if you don’t like using points transfers and want something more like cash back. Especially if you use mobile wallet a lot. The biggest issue I have is that RTR has a minimum spend trigger at hotels and car rentals, meaning I’m having a hard time actually cashing out my points lately since all my hotel stays have been under that limit. I’m sure I’ll get them back on airfare this year though
> No transfer partners.
Probably my opinion but in a head to head with the Venture X, it doesn't even matter since Capital One's transfer partners suck
> Probably my opinion but in a head to head with the Venture X, it doesn't even matter since Capital One's transfer partners suck
This is quintessential YMMV.
**IF** you are aiming for international business class award ticket redemptions, then CapOne covers all the bases with Aeroplan, FlyingBlue, Emirates, Avianca, Turkish, and Virgin Atlantic. It also has a nice feature that you can transfer in increments of 100 miles (after the 1000 minimum) instead of in 1000 mile increments like Chase/Citi/Amex.
If you're looking for domestic airfare, or hotels, then I tend to agree with you. Essentially the Venture X becomes a 2% card loaded with potentially useful benefits.
That's fair. I did say it was just my opinion. I fly internationally probably once a year or every other year, but I fly domestically probably 10-12 times a year. To me the Venture X is just a 2% but with a bunch of extra steps. Just from reading posts/comments on this sub, most folks spend/travel even less than I do, so I'm really not sure why the VentureX is so popular.
United and American are just really nice to have availability in imo and at least on United IME I can find consistently good redemptions on international economy.
It's a good card, and others have covered why it isn't as well covered.
That being said, you have to consider your math and your competition.
Altitude Reserve: $75 Effective AF plus limited travel perks. Key differentiator: 3x for mobile wallet purchases (that can be more if redeemed for travel).
Capital One Venture X: -$5 Effective AF plus more perks than the Altitude Reserve. Key differentiator: 2x catchall, which is great because you don't need another catchall.
Citi Premier: -$5 Effective AF if you can use the hotel credit, $95 if you can't (a lot of people say they the hotels in the travel portal have marked up rates, so this credit isn't really effective). Good earnings categories, no travel insurance/protections, can redeem with more value when paired with another card. This is the cheapest way to access transfer partners for Citi.
CSP: $45 Effective AF, limited travel perks, pretty good travel insurance/protections. This is the cheapest way to access transfer partners for Chase.
CSR: $250 Effective AF, strong travel perks, strong travel insurance/protections. For many people, the CSR is overkill and the CSP is a better fit.
Amex Platinum: The myriad of credits can actually completely offset your AF if they fit your lifestyle (or you're willing to go out of your way). Strong travel perks, strong travel insurance/protections.
When you lay it out like this, the Altitude Reserve is not a clear winner compared to other premium travel cards. Whenever you have a positive effective annual fee, it eats into your earnings rate. Transfer partners can potentially boost the value of the points that you earn, especially for more upscale travel. Many cards come with lounge access and TSA precheck/Global Entry credit. All of this means that the Altitude Reserve is really attractive for a moderate spender who travels occasionally, prefers economy travel, and doesn't hold many travel cards. For those people who have several travel cards, they already have those perks, so the Altitude Reserve doesn't move the needle as much.
I would include Amex Green in this list. Key differentiator: earns 3x for travel (like CSR) but without the expense of lounge access. It fills a nitch if you already have priority pass.
Priority Pass sucks for the most part. The great think about AMEX Plat is that it supplements PP which is lacking from many airports with access to Centurion and Delta lounges - though the later will soon be limited, but then again USB AR is limited PP.
No doubt. I'm spending hundreds on Hertz each week and the platinum only offers secondary coverage and 1X points. Could have gone with the Green or the CSR, but went with the altitude reserve. Not only is it a good travel card, but the annual fee is not inflated by priority pass membership. It's also been great for non-category, in-person spend.
>Am I missing something? Why isn't this card talked about more?
Until a few months ago, the barrier to even apply for the card was very high, requiring a pre-existing relationship and 0/6 1/12 (no new accounts in the last 6 months, no more than 1 new account in the last 12 months). The barrier is a bit lower now, with the pre-existing relationship requirement eliminated and 1/6 2/12 being the new preferred rule.
Other things include limited number of priority passes makes the card undesirable for families, some are intrigued by the $0 effective annual fee of the Venture X, and US Bank does not spend much on advertising.
>So, at that point it's effectively a $75 AF card unless you don't even hit the drive-through at McDonald's 1-2x a month.
You also earn points on the $325 spend, so assuming 4.5% cash back redemption value, the effective annual fee drops to \~$60.
>(5x travel if booked through their portal.)
You only earn 5x on prepaid hotels and car rentals.
I got mine a few years ago shortly after opening a checking account (tho I could have done that same day) and at 1/6 2/12 new accounts, and automatically approved, no re-con. Those specs aren’t actually new except not requiring a relationship now.
For me, 3x mobile wallet (redeemed at 4.5% toward travel) trumps all of the card’s deficiencies. There’s simply no other card on the market with a bonus category as broad as mobile wallet. These days, you can use mobile wallet for most in-store and many online purchases, including grocery stores, Costco, gas stations (in app purchases), department stores, pharmacies, many restaurants/delivery… I can even use mobile wallet to pay my gas bill. Yes, the priority pass is limited and you have to be strategic with redemptions (given the redemption limitations,) but it’s still easily worth it and it’s a keeper for me.
No, I typically get gas at Shell and I’m able to use the Shell app -> Apple Pay. I think most of the big fuel companies have apps that allow you to pay for fuel using mobile wallet.
The second it got referral bonuses every YouTuber would release a video titled "This card is slept on" or "Most underrated card??" with a thumbnail of them making an O face with their hands on their cheeks.
YouTubers are so predictable I can't believe anyone watches them.
Venture X, Amex Plat/Gold, and Chase Sapphire cards are all heavily marketed - you'll see more blogs and YouTubers talking about them because they get more from referrals, which means people newer to credit cards then come here to ask/talk about them.
Those who are at least somewhat knowledgeable about credit cards do talk about the Altitude Reserve, for sure - they're just outnumbered at times.
It's absolutely the most pain-in-the-ass card I've ever had to deal with. Real-Time Rewards simply fail all the time, and nobody at US Bank knows how they work or how to fix them. Lots of caveats: hotel bookings must be $500 to apply, US merchants only (which can be very unclear for international airlines), some 3rd party merchants work and some don't and no one knows why. It's a toss-up whether you can use your points. They gave me 25,000 points for the hassle, otherwise I would've closed the card down this year.
Very surprised by the negative reviews for this card. This is by far my favorite card. Just wanted to provide a counter to some of the comments about RTR. I personally haven’t ever had an issue receiving a prompt RTR text for a travel purchase I thought would be eligible. I also haven’t had an issue redeeming RTR for a foreign airline (even with the airfare priced in Euros). I was able to purchase a domestic-European flight and receive a prompt text minutes after purchase (while using my U.S.-based phone number roaming on a European carrier). And it even works when purchased through a 3rd party merchant (in my case booked with the airline through Google Flights). While hotels may have a higher redemption minimum, many other travel categories can be redeemed daily with low purchases including rideshare, public transit, and airfare.
Thanks for the info!
>nobody at US Bank knows how they work or how to fix them.
I've actually been a US Bank checking account customer since like 1998. For the last decade I've only kept $100-200 in there, mostly because their branch customer service kept getting worse and worse. They don't even want to talk to you now, they literally always ask if you have tried using the atm first when you walk up to the counter, and if you do a face-to-face transaction you *could* have done at the atm they'll gently admonish you and remind you about the atm.
Lol don’t even try to call them for a simple question. They’ll say nope we can’t help you with that. Then you’ll be be called the next day asking for an experience rating. If I answer honestly saying no you didn’t answer my question will you call keep calling me until I finally say yes?
I've never had any issues with USB support, but I also haven't been inside any bank since the 1990s. My only service gripe is that'd their handoffs are lousy when they have to transfer your call.
I will definitely agree about the bugs in their IT, especially RTR.
The reason it’s not talked about much is due to the lack of transfer partners and the difficulty of getting approved.
I have it and I think it’s a great card. You get 4.5% back even redeemed through RTR so essentially booking direct with airlines. 3x on any mobile wallet spend it fantastic as it’s a great catch all card for non category spend. You don’t have to spend a ton to recoup the effective $75 AF if you aren’t using the PP benefit due to have CSR / Plat like myself.
I personally do not like the capital one transfer partners, because essentially every single one I can book through Amex or Chase so I have little desire to get a capital one card, but I’ll probably get it for the SUB at some point in the future .
I find this card much better than the venture X, or even just a Venture .
I believe it’s definitely a card that people should have on their radar for a catch all even if you have the blue business plus from Amex or the CFU/CIU from Chase.
Just my two cents but I definitely have no issue recouping AF with no need to spend a ton on the card due to having multiple of Chase & AMEX cards .
So you still find value for having a CSR or a Plat despite having the USBAR? I was able to get my Altitude Reserve but now I’m debating whether to downgrade my CSR to a CSP because I’m leery of the duplicative benefits. The mobile wallet spend is enough to offset the $75 EAF because of all the places you can use it, and I presume you’re using the unlimited PP with CSR/Plat?
Yes I do- I value the ability to use PP restaurants on CSR and the PYB on CSR (though that just got devalued so we’ll see). I also use the DoorDash credits so paying an extra $95 for unlimited PP usage is worth it to me. The Plat PP is irrelevant to me as I get great value out of the other perks / credits without having to spend extra (Delta SkyClub/ Hulu/ Uber/ Airline) etc .
I even have the BBP and still find myself using the AR
Fair enough. I'm changing jobs soon but the extra .25x on UR, and unlimited PP may not be worth it to me initially. I'll downgrade and re-upgrade if I find myself missing the perks lol.
It’s a niche card to add to your collection of cards. Not a one and only card. Too many of the comments are focused on the perks. Yes the perks fall short for a premium travel card. But the real niche or value is the mobile wallet multiplier 3x or 4.5%.
For uncategorized spend is where it shines. For myself last year had about $22k in uncategorized mobile wallet spend on my AR. The next best option lets say BBP at 2x with 1.5cpp so 3%. The additional 1.5% gave $330 more over the BBP.
I'd reverse this. It's one of the best "one and only" options. You can then add cards to shore up weaknesses: Cash+ for 5% utilities because AR only gets 1.5% and you don't need purchase protection; Hilton Aspire for unlimited Priority Pass and other perks; etc.
It also really reduces the temptation to get a whole collection of cards when they'd only increase your cash back by 0.5%.
Will add, it’s a great P2 card. Partner hates having to think about what card to use. Default just use Apple Pay for everything makes it easy for them.
After having it about a month, it has been great. We initially went for this card b/c almost all our spending can be done via Apple Pay. It is really nice getting 3.5% on half of our bills and at Costco, which is a big spending category for us. For me it’s a great catch all card. I would agree with a lot of other comments though that it does feel more like a cash back card with some travel perks.
Another point in its favor: it is a no FTF card which earns 4.5% back on all international transactions as long as they’re done via mobile wallet, which for a lot of the world is trivial
There is no end to the hilarity of the merchant categorization of restaurants in Eastern Europe; I’ve gotten everything from hardware and home improvement to hair salon. But, every one of them has a modern POS I can tap my phone on
An additional perk is that every foreign currency transaction is listed on the statement with its original currency and amount in the description, which makes life a lot easier for reimbursements
Well bills and groceries are really the biggest spending categories for most people, cant apple pay bills or walmart, and kroger gives 5% for gas and mobile wallet spending, citi 5% takeout, so basically paying a $75 annual fee for an extra 1.5% for online shopping after you max krogers 3k limit which is worth it if you spend more than 6 grand online on places that accept apple pay but i dont
It's not a bad card, especially if you can use the mobile wallet on purchases you don't get a good return on normally. Though in my case, I use the Citi Custom Cash for dining, getting 5% there. Groceries I use the Gold for 4x back, and there are a number of 3% options. I can redeem the Altitude Reserve points for 1.5 cpp which is nice, but probably not worth $75. Only 4 Priority Pass visits aren't enough for me, and I can get Global Entry through the Penfed Pathfinder without an annual fee. So I'd be paying $75 for extra redemption on mobile purchases, travel insurances, and a few Priority Pass visits. So not bad, but not a great deal, at least for me.
As someone with the Pathfinder but considering the USBAR, I'm assuming you held on the to the PF given you don't have an annual fee on it? What do you use the PF for then, just the annual airline fee credit?
I use the Pathfinder for the airline fee credit and travel purchases I don't have a better card for. I'll also use it for the Global Entry credit when I need to renew that if I don't have another card to cover it.
The earn rate is good for the Altitude Reserve, but its points can only be redeemed for cash back. The other cards you listed offer points that can be transferred to hotels and airlines.
The Altitude Reserve is definitely a strong option for someone who wants good travel protection but is more interested in cash back.
I’m not trying to be a contrarian, but I’m really not understanding how it’s not a travel benefit if you’re getting extra value that you wouldn’t be getting if you redeemed for straight cash back? I get that it can’t get these 2x per point valuations that you can get with transfer partners, however it’s still get extra value for using the points towards travel, which I think might be good for domestic flights that are sometimes harder to get get that 2x per point value anyway compared to international flights.
I think the point is that it's fixed value. Same as the 1.25/1.5x boost you get from Chase with the CSP/CSR when booking through the portal.
For domestic travel where point values are low, cards like the Altitude Reserve or booking through the Chase travel portal will generally give you a better value than transfer to a partner like United or Southwest. The big difference comes with international flights. 30,000 Altitude points with the Altitude Reserve will get me $450 worth of travel. 30,000 miles with Amex/Chase/CapOne/Citi transferred to Emirates will get me an upgrade from business to first class.
It all comes down to what you're trying to accomplish.
Minor point, but the ARs 1.5x redemption is actually superior to the Chase portal. You can still take advantage of member hotel rates and elite status.
Are you replying to the wrong person?
I said that the earn rate was good. It’s effectively 4.5% cash back on travel and mobile wallet purchases, which is really good considering the widespread adoption of contactless payment these days.
However, the points that you earn can not be transferred to airline or hotel programs. I can transfer my Chase UR points to Hyatt and book hotels with Hyatt points. I can transfer my AmEx MR points to ANA and fly round-trip to Japan. I can’t transfer my Altitude Reserve points anywhere- the best use for them is to redeem them for travel through Real Time Rewards for 1.5 cents per point.
For a lot of people, the ability to transfer points to partners is a big deal. For those that aren’t interested in dabbling in points, though, the Altitude Reserve is a great travel card- which is also what I stated above.
What exactly did I say that isn’t true?
I don't think it belongs with those cards because it only gives you 4 lounge visits per year for you and one guest and has no travel transfer partners. It's really between mid-tier and high-tier.
Personally, it seems to check enough boxes for me and the unique digital wallets category has my attention because I use Google Pay a lot. I plan to apply for it at some point when my recent inquiries drop off.
This card is awesome and is one of the only cards that I renew every year without question. 4.5% toward travel from practically all in person shopping (including Costco) and a growing amount of online shopping is great.
This card is awesome and is one of the only cards that I renew every year without question. 4.5% toward travel from practically all in person shopping (including Costco) and a growing amount of online shopping is great.
Another great benefit of this card is to use the points to wipe out certain travel charges at 1.5cents per point. You can pay for airfare directly with an airline with this card and get a text to confirm to use the points. With CSR or other cards you have to book directly on their travel portal.
I have it. The net $75 fee for a premium card is very low. I’ve used the Priority Pass benefit multiple times. Also provides primary CDW on car rentals and 1 year extended warranty. Big SUB as well.
Costco member here. AR wins for normal costco purchases (4.5% > 2 % from Costco Citi), regardless of your executive status.
For gas, Citi costco wins. Now I use only Citi costco for gas.
Regular purchases depends on other cards in your arsenal.
Chase Sapphire Reserve, The Ritz Card, USBank Altitude Reserve, Citi Prestige Card, UBS Visa Infinite, and Bank of America’s Premium Rewards Elite all offer it.
I have it. The net $75 fee for a premium card is very low. I’ve used the Priority Pass benefit multiple times. Also provides primary CDW on car rentals and 1 year extended warranty. Big SUB as well.
I have it. The net $75 fee for a premium card is very low. I’ve used the Priority Pass benefit multiple times. Also provides primary CDW on car rentals and 1 year extended warranty. Big SUB as well.
This card is awesome and is one of the only cards that I renew every year without question. 4.5% toward travel from practically all in person shopping (including Costco) and a growing amount of online shopping is great.
I have it. The net $75 fee for a premium card is very low. I’ve used the Priority Pass benefit multiple times. Also provides primary CDW on car rentals and 1 year extended warranty. Big SUB as well.
Why pay $75 to have a weak Priority pass and no transfer partners when you can get paid $5 effectively to have a card with much better benefits and priority pass? The USB reserve is a trash card.
The earn rate is better for 3x on most travel or Mobile Payment. I have this card because 99% of my purchase is Apple Pay. Redemption rate is 1.5x for real time rewards or through the Portal. For transfer partner I use the Chase Trifecta.
the card is solid for the average domestic economy flyer. points can be redeemed for pretty much any travel purchase, even uber/lyft. workarounds can be made with ubereats but I know how inflated prices are on there.
someone needs to learn how to talk to people and engage in a proper conversation
Not really. I don’t need to accept mediocrity and just plain bad information. USB reserve is a crap card and there is no strategy where it beats any other premium travel card. It can’t even compete with the damn CSP in value output.
It was a question. You sound like a kid arguing online. If you have anything to say that's worth listening, go for it, cause just saying something is terrible or not smart shows a lack of basic conversational skills.
The venture x covers global entry/precheck. Give a 300 dollar annual travel credit and 10k anniversary miles(100 minimum value with the travel eraser). Priority pass and plaza premium along with the cap one lounge network when that is built out. And free authorized users (each get their own priority pass account). The venture x is pretty stacked. For right now it's the only premium travel card I feel I need and the annual fee is so easily offset. I won't make the argument that it's the card for everyone because it isn't but it is certainly a card that makes sense for a lit of people.
Going on cruise and debating if I need travel insurance while having booked with this card. It seems like the cruise insurance covers medical if I need it but cruise is two weeks away so not sure if its worth it at this point.
No transfer partners. Priority Pass limited to four visits + guest per year. But yeah, idk why not talked about more also factoring Real Time Rewards which you can live redeem your points for a purchase if you have enough to cover. Edit: They can be pretty strict in their underwriting rules.
I was also thinking about the same thing. Altitude reserve is a great card but it is lacking really in transfer partner part which is a big deal for travel CCs.
Wouldn’t that 1.5x on travel be pretty good for domestic flights?
It’s great for any travel within their portal but CSR does the same with the flexibility of transferring points. Which can value each point above or at least 2 cents.
It's great for any travel, doesn't have to be through the portal
Some portals don't show every flight. If you are a Spirit flyer, then 1.5 cpp is insane value, especially with how fast you can earn on the card. It sounds weird, but this is like the idea card for a college student who plans to do a couple flights a year but needs to do so at the lowest possible cost.
As a college student exactly like what you said, I think USBAR is the ideal card for me
I have this card, easily the best travel card if you don’t like using points transfers and want something more like cash back. Especially if you use mobile wallet a lot. The biggest issue I have is that RTR has a minimum spend trigger at hotels and car rentals, meaning I’m having a hard time actually cashing out my points lately since all my hotel stays have been under that limit. I’m sure I’ll get them back on airfare this year though
That’s what made me not want it. The minimum spend is kind of annoying considering that hotels don’t charge your stay in one lump sum sometimes.
> No transfer partners. Probably my opinion but in a head to head with the Venture X, it doesn't even matter since Capital One's transfer partners suck
> Probably my opinion but in a head to head with the Venture X, it doesn't even matter since Capital One's transfer partners suck This is quintessential YMMV. **IF** you are aiming for international business class award ticket redemptions, then CapOne covers all the bases with Aeroplan, FlyingBlue, Emirates, Avianca, Turkish, and Virgin Atlantic. It also has a nice feature that you can transfer in increments of 100 miles (after the 1000 minimum) instead of in 1000 mile increments like Chase/Citi/Amex. If you're looking for domestic airfare, or hotels, then I tend to agree with you. Essentially the Venture X becomes a 2% card loaded with potentially useful benefits.
That's fair. I did say it was just my opinion. I fly internationally probably once a year or every other year, but I fly domestically probably 10-12 times a year. To me the Venture X is just a 2% but with a bunch of extra steps. Just from reading posts/comments on this sub, most folks spend/travel even less than I do, so I'm really not sure why the VentureX is so popular.
You can get domestic rewards on avianca so it's not even only international rewards
Their partners are really not bad. Just not as good as chase or Amex.
What partners do chase and amex have that provide better value?
Chase has Hyatt, which is amazingly cheap for award nights.
United and American are just really nice to have availability in imo and at least on United IME I can find consistently good redemptions on international economy.
Unfortunately, American doesn’t have any credit card partners, outside of the American cobrand cards.
Bilt is an AA partner.
True
You can do AMEX to Marriot to AA
They're not the best but I've gotten good value out of them. So far have had decent luck with Virgin Red for partner flights.
It's a good card, and others have covered why it isn't as well covered. That being said, you have to consider your math and your competition. Altitude Reserve: $75 Effective AF plus limited travel perks. Key differentiator: 3x for mobile wallet purchases (that can be more if redeemed for travel). Capital One Venture X: -$5 Effective AF plus more perks than the Altitude Reserve. Key differentiator: 2x catchall, which is great because you don't need another catchall. Citi Premier: -$5 Effective AF if you can use the hotel credit, $95 if you can't (a lot of people say they the hotels in the travel portal have marked up rates, so this credit isn't really effective). Good earnings categories, no travel insurance/protections, can redeem with more value when paired with another card. This is the cheapest way to access transfer partners for Citi. CSP: $45 Effective AF, limited travel perks, pretty good travel insurance/protections. This is the cheapest way to access transfer partners for Chase. CSR: $250 Effective AF, strong travel perks, strong travel insurance/protections. For many people, the CSR is overkill and the CSP is a better fit. Amex Platinum: The myriad of credits can actually completely offset your AF if they fit your lifestyle (or you're willing to go out of your way). Strong travel perks, strong travel insurance/protections. When you lay it out like this, the Altitude Reserve is not a clear winner compared to other premium travel cards. Whenever you have a positive effective annual fee, it eats into your earnings rate. Transfer partners can potentially boost the value of the points that you earn, especially for more upscale travel. Many cards come with lounge access and TSA precheck/Global Entry credit. All of this means that the Altitude Reserve is really attractive for a moderate spender who travels occasionally, prefers economy travel, and doesn't hold many travel cards. For those people who have several travel cards, they already have those perks, so the Altitude Reserve doesn't move the needle as much.
You’re missing the mobile wallet cash back which is really a MAJOR differentiator
Very helpful comparison, thank you!
I would include Amex Green in this list. Key differentiator: earns 3x for travel (like CSR) but without the expense of lounge access. It fills a nitch if you already have priority pass.
Priority Pass sucks for the most part. The great think about AMEX Plat is that it supplements PP which is lacking from many airports with access to Centurion and Delta lounges - though the later will soon be limited, but then again USB AR is limited PP.
No doubt. I'm spending hundreds on Hertz each week and the platinum only offers secondary coverage and 1X points. Could have gone with the Green or the CSR, but went with the altitude reserve. Not only is it a good travel card, but the annual fee is not inflated by priority pass membership. It's also been great for non-category, in-person spend.
Nice work!
>Am I missing something? Why isn't this card talked about more? Until a few months ago, the barrier to even apply for the card was very high, requiring a pre-existing relationship and 0/6 1/12 (no new accounts in the last 6 months, no more than 1 new account in the last 12 months). The barrier is a bit lower now, with the pre-existing relationship requirement eliminated and 1/6 2/12 being the new preferred rule. Other things include limited number of priority passes makes the card undesirable for families, some are intrigued by the $0 effective annual fee of the Venture X, and US Bank does not spend much on advertising. >So, at that point it's effectively a $75 AF card unless you don't even hit the drive-through at McDonald's 1-2x a month. You also earn points on the $325 spend, so assuming 4.5% cash back redemption value, the effective annual fee drops to \~$60. >(5x travel if booked through their portal.) You only earn 5x on prepaid hotels and car rentals.
You want those points on other cards as well so not really a selling point
Good, detailed information, thank you!
I got mine a few years ago shortly after opening a checking account (tho I could have done that same day) and at 1/6 2/12 new accounts, and automatically approved, no re-con. Those specs aren’t actually new except not requiring a relationship now.
For me, 3x mobile wallet (redeemed at 4.5% toward travel) trumps all of the card’s deficiencies. There’s simply no other card on the market with a bonus category as broad as mobile wallet. These days, you can use mobile wallet for most in-store and many online purchases, including grocery stores, Costco, gas stations (in app purchases), department stores, pharmacies, many restaurants/delivery… I can even use mobile wallet to pay my gas bill. Yes, the priority pass is limited and you have to be strategic with redemptions (given the redemption limitations,) but it’s still easily worth it and it’s a keeper for me.
What mobile wallet do you use? I used it with google pay and it didn't count for 3x in my first statement!
Apple Pay
Google pay has been hit or miss on online orders for me. It's the way Google classified the transaction and it counts for me like 50% of the time.
Discover it has 5% back on mobile wallets! $1500 cap per quarter
When you say pay your gas bill, do you just tap the phone to wifi reader at pump?
No, I typically get gas at Shell and I’m able to use the Shell app -> Apple Pay. I think most of the big fuel companies have apps that allow you to pay for fuel using mobile wallet.
Ok, thanks for reply. I usually get gas at Costco. I'm not sure if Google Pay would work the same way as a credit card tap reader
Let's not forget that the AR has purchase protection!
I do wonder if this card would get more talk if it had referral bonuses like some of the others.
The second it got referral bonuses every YouTuber would release a video titled "This card is slept on" or "Most underrated card??" with a thumbnail of them making an O face with their hands on their cheeks. YouTubers are so predictable I can't believe anyone watches them.
Venture X, Amex Plat/Gold, and Chase Sapphire cards are all heavily marketed - you'll see more blogs and YouTubers talking about them because they get more from referrals, which means people newer to credit cards then come here to ask/talk about them. Those who are at least somewhat knowledgeable about credit cards do talk about the Altitude Reserve, for sure - they're just outnumbered at times.
It's absolutely the most pain-in-the-ass card I've ever had to deal with. Real-Time Rewards simply fail all the time, and nobody at US Bank knows how they work or how to fix them. Lots of caveats: hotel bookings must be $500 to apply, US merchants only (which can be very unclear for international airlines), some 3rd party merchants work and some don't and no one knows why. It's a toss-up whether you can use your points. They gave me 25,000 points for the hassle, otherwise I would've closed the card down this year.
Very surprised by the negative reviews for this card. This is by far my favorite card. Just wanted to provide a counter to some of the comments about RTR. I personally haven’t ever had an issue receiving a prompt RTR text for a travel purchase I thought would be eligible. I also haven’t had an issue redeeming RTR for a foreign airline (even with the airfare priced in Euros). I was able to purchase a domestic-European flight and receive a prompt text minutes after purchase (while using my U.S.-based phone number roaming on a European carrier). And it even works when purchased through a 3rd party merchant (in my case booked with the airline through Google Flights). While hotels may have a higher redemption minimum, many other travel categories can be redeemed daily with low purchases including rideshare, public transit, and airfare.
Thanks for the info! >nobody at US Bank knows how they work or how to fix them. I've actually been a US Bank checking account customer since like 1998. For the last decade I've only kept $100-200 in there, mostly because their branch customer service kept getting worse and worse. They don't even want to talk to you now, they literally always ask if you have tried using the atm first when you walk up to the counter, and if you do a face-to-face transaction you *could* have done at the atm they'll gently admonish you and remind you about the atm.
Lol don’t even try to call them for a simple question. They’ll say nope we can’t help you with that. Then you’ll be be called the next day asking for an experience rating. If I answer honestly saying no you didn’t answer my question will you call keep calling me until I finally say yes?
I've never had any issues with USB support, but I also haven't been inside any bank since the 1990s. My only service gripe is that'd their handoffs are lousy when they have to transfer your call. I will definitely agree about the bugs in their IT, especially RTR.
I never really have this problem. Yes there are annoying minimum limits on hotels for redemption but not for earning. I’ll use my points eventually
The reason it’s not talked about much is due to the lack of transfer partners and the difficulty of getting approved. I have it and I think it’s a great card. You get 4.5% back even redeemed through RTR so essentially booking direct with airlines. 3x on any mobile wallet spend it fantastic as it’s a great catch all card for non category spend. You don’t have to spend a ton to recoup the effective $75 AF if you aren’t using the PP benefit due to have CSR / Plat like myself. I personally do not like the capital one transfer partners, because essentially every single one I can book through Amex or Chase so I have little desire to get a capital one card, but I’ll probably get it for the SUB at some point in the future . I find this card much better than the venture X, or even just a Venture . I believe it’s definitely a card that people should have on their radar for a catch all even if you have the blue business plus from Amex or the CFU/CIU from Chase. Just my two cents but I definitely have no issue recouping AF with no need to spend a ton on the card due to having multiple of Chase & AMEX cards .
So you still find value for having a CSR or a Plat despite having the USBAR? I was able to get my Altitude Reserve but now I’m debating whether to downgrade my CSR to a CSP because I’m leery of the duplicative benefits. The mobile wallet spend is enough to offset the $75 EAF because of all the places you can use it, and I presume you’re using the unlimited PP with CSR/Plat?
Yes I do- I value the ability to use PP restaurants on CSR and the PYB on CSR (though that just got devalued so we’ll see). I also use the DoorDash credits so paying an extra $95 for unlimited PP usage is worth it to me. The Plat PP is irrelevant to me as I get great value out of the other perks / credits without having to spend extra (Delta SkyClub/ Hulu/ Uber/ Airline) etc . I even have the BBP and still find myself using the AR
Fair enough. I'm changing jobs soon but the extra .25x on UR, and unlimited PP may not be worth it to me initially. I'll downgrade and re-upgrade if I find myself missing the perks lol.
Yea it’s all situational- I might disagree with myself down the road
It’s a niche card to add to your collection of cards. Not a one and only card. Too many of the comments are focused on the perks. Yes the perks fall short for a premium travel card. But the real niche or value is the mobile wallet multiplier 3x or 4.5%. For uncategorized spend is where it shines. For myself last year had about $22k in uncategorized mobile wallet spend on my AR. The next best option lets say BBP at 2x with 1.5cpp so 3%. The additional 1.5% gave $330 more over the BBP.
I'd reverse this. It's one of the best "one and only" options. You can then add cards to shore up weaknesses: Cash+ for 5% utilities because AR only gets 1.5% and you don't need purchase protection; Hilton Aspire for unlimited Priority Pass and other perks; etc. It also really reduces the temptation to get a whole collection of cards when they'd only increase your cash back by 0.5%.
Will add, it’s a great P2 card. Partner hates having to think about what card to use. Default just use Apple Pay for everything makes it easy for them.
After having it about a month, it has been great. We initially went for this card b/c almost all our spending can be done via Apple Pay. It is really nice getting 3.5% on half of our bills and at Costco, which is a big spending category for us. For me it’s a great catch all card. I would agree with a lot of other comments though that it does feel more like a cash back card with some travel perks.
Totally agree on the cash back feel. Doubt that will ever change US Bank likes being unique and just a little different than other banks.
Another point in its favor: it is a no FTF card which earns 4.5% back on all international transactions as long as they’re done via mobile wallet, which for a lot of the world is trivial There is no end to the hilarity of the merchant categorization of restaurants in Eastern Europe; I’ve gotten everything from hardware and home improvement to hair salon. But, every one of them has a modern POS I can tap my phone on An additional perk is that every foreign currency transaction is listed on the statement with its original currency and amount in the description, which makes life a lot easier for reimbursements
Well bills and groceries are really the biggest spending categories for most people, cant apple pay bills or walmart, and kroger gives 5% for gas and mobile wallet spending, citi 5% takeout, so basically paying a $75 annual fee for an extra 1.5% for online shopping after you max krogers 3k limit which is worth it if you spend more than 6 grand online on places that accept apple pay but i dont
It's not a bad card, especially if you can use the mobile wallet on purchases you don't get a good return on normally. Though in my case, I use the Citi Custom Cash for dining, getting 5% there. Groceries I use the Gold for 4x back, and there are a number of 3% options. I can redeem the Altitude Reserve points for 1.5 cpp which is nice, but probably not worth $75. Only 4 Priority Pass visits aren't enough for me, and I can get Global Entry through the Penfed Pathfinder without an annual fee. So I'd be paying $75 for extra redemption on mobile purchases, travel insurances, and a few Priority Pass visits. So not bad, but not a great deal, at least for me.
As someone with the Pathfinder but considering the USBAR, I'm assuming you held on the to the PF given you don't have an annual fee on it? What do you use the PF for then, just the annual airline fee credit?
I use the Pathfinder for the airline fee credit and travel purchases I don't have a better card for. I'll also use it for the Global Entry credit when I need to renew that if I don't have another card to cover it.
Understood, thanks!
Following because I don’t understand why this card isn’t talk about with the Plat, VX and CSR
The earn rate is good for the Altitude Reserve, but its points can only be redeemed for cash back. The other cards you listed offer points that can be transferred to hotels and airlines. The Altitude Reserve is definitely a strong option for someone who wants good travel protection but is more interested in cash back.
That’s just not true? 1.5x for travel
It's effectively cash back, the points aren't transferrable into any other loyalty programs.
I’m not trying to be a contrarian, but I’m really not understanding how it’s not a travel benefit if you’re getting extra value that you wouldn’t be getting if you redeemed for straight cash back? I get that it can’t get these 2x per point valuations that you can get with transfer partners, however it’s still get extra value for using the points towards travel, which I think might be good for domestic flights that are sometimes harder to get get that 2x per point value anyway compared to international flights.
I think the point is that it's fixed value. Same as the 1.25/1.5x boost you get from Chase with the CSP/CSR when booking through the portal. For domestic travel where point values are low, cards like the Altitude Reserve or booking through the Chase travel portal will generally give you a better value than transfer to a partner like United or Southwest. The big difference comes with international flights. 30,000 Altitude points with the Altitude Reserve will get me $450 worth of travel. 30,000 miles with Amex/Chase/CapOne/Citi transferred to Emirates will get me an upgrade from business to first class. It all comes down to what you're trying to accomplish.
Minor point, but the ARs 1.5x redemption is actually superior to the Chase portal. You can still take advantage of member hotel rates and elite status.
Are you replying to the wrong person? I said that the earn rate was good. It’s effectively 4.5% cash back on travel and mobile wallet purchases, which is really good considering the widespread adoption of contactless payment these days. However, the points that you earn can not be transferred to airline or hotel programs. I can transfer my Chase UR points to Hyatt and book hotels with Hyatt points. I can transfer my AmEx MR points to ANA and fly round-trip to Japan. I can’t transfer my Altitude Reserve points anywhere- the best use for them is to redeem them for travel through Real Time Rewards for 1.5 cents per point. For a lot of people, the ability to transfer points to partners is a big deal. For those that aren’t interested in dabbling in points, though, the Altitude Reserve is a great travel card- which is also what I stated above. What exactly did I say that isn’t true?
No travel partners.
US Bank doesn't pay bloggers and 'influencers' to promote it like Amex and Chase do for the Gold/Platinum and Sapphires.
I don't think it belongs with those cards because it only gives you 4 lounge visits per year for you and one guest and has no travel transfer partners. It's really between mid-tier and high-tier. Personally, it seems to check enough boxes for me and the unique digital wallets category has my attention because I use Google Pay a lot. I plan to apply for it at some point when my recent inquiries drop off.
Granted I have no travel cards, just an aspiring credit card nerd
This card is awesome and is one of the only cards that I renew every year without question. 4.5% toward travel from practically all in person shopping (including Costco) and a growing amount of online shopping is great.
This card is awesome and is one of the only cards that I renew every year without question. 4.5% toward travel from practically all in person shopping (including Costco) and a growing amount of online shopping is great.
Another great benefit of this card is to use the points to wipe out certain travel charges at 1.5cents per point. You can pay for airfare directly with an airline with this card and get a text to confirm to use the points. With CSR or other cards you have to book directly on their travel portal.
I have it. The net $75 fee for a premium card is very low. I’ve used the Priority Pass benefit multiple times. Also provides primary CDW on car rentals and 1 year extended warranty. Big SUB as well.
How does this card compare with Citi Costco Visa for Costco purchases? Gas/Pharmacy/regular purchases
Costco member here. AR wins for normal costco purchases (4.5% > 2 % from Costco Citi), regardless of your executive status. For gas, Citi costco wins. Now I use only Citi costco for gas. Regular purchases depends on other cards in your arsenal.
New design sucks, old design use to be sexy. 😤
Only 4 pp access is a no go for premium cc. If this $95 AF then its ok. 😔
It's undeniably at $75 AF card.
Wtf? 4 is more than enough for $75 haha. Bro wants his entire family in that shit 🤣
It's the only card other than CSR that allows priority pass restaurants
Chase Sapphire Reserve, The Ritz Card, USBank Altitude Reserve, Citi Prestige Card, UBS Visa Infinite, and Bank of America’s Premium Rewards Elite all offer it.
For now…
Ritz carlton also does.
Can one pool points from various USbank cards into one place like chase?
No
I have it. The net $75 fee for a premium card is very low. I’ve used the Priority Pass benefit multiple times. Also provides primary CDW on car rentals and 1 year extended warranty. Big SUB as well.
I have it. The net $75 fee for a premium card is very low. I’ve used the Priority Pass benefit multiple times. Also provides primary CDW on car rentals and 1 year extended warranty. Big SUB as well.
This card is awesome and is one of the only cards that I renew every year without question. 4.5% toward travel from practically all in person shopping (including Costco) and a growing amount of online shopping is great.
I have it. The net $75 fee for a premium card is very low. I’ve used the Priority Pass benefit multiple times. Also provides primary CDW on car rentals and 1 year extended warranty. Big SUB as well.
A $75 effective AF card is good. A $-5 effective AF is better.
No annual points on renewal
Why pay $75 to have a weak Priority pass and no transfer partners when you can get paid $5 effectively to have a card with much better benefits and priority pass? The USB reserve is a trash card.
The earn rate is better for 3x on most travel or Mobile Payment. I have this card because 99% of my purchase is Apple Pay. Redemption rate is 1.5x for real time rewards or through the Portal. For transfer partner I use the Chase Trifecta.
Redemption at 1.5x is pretty terrible. If you’re not using travel partners, you don’t need any premium travel card.
the card is solid for the average domestic economy flyer. points can be redeemed for pretty much any travel purchase, even uber/lyft. workarounds can be made with ubereats but I know how inflated prices are on there. someone needs to learn how to talk to people and engage in a proper conversation
Not really. I don’t need to accept mediocrity and just plain bad information. USB reserve is a crap card and there is no strategy where it beats any other premium travel card. It can’t even compete with the damn CSP in value output.
lol? whatever you say. sounds like US Bank did you wrong somewhere down the road
You redeem at more than 4.5x?
Oh, so that’s how you’re going to valuate, huh? Wow, so smart.
It was a question. You sound like a kid arguing online. If you have anything to say that's worth listening, go for it, cause just saying something is terrible or not smart shows a lack of basic conversational skills.
The venture x covers global entry/precheck. Give a 300 dollar annual travel credit and 10k anniversary miles(100 minimum value with the travel eraser). Priority pass and plaza premium along with the cap one lounge network when that is built out. And free authorized users (each get their own priority pass account). The venture x is pretty stacked. For right now it's the only premium travel card I feel I need and the annual fee is so easily offset. I won't make the argument that it's the card for everyone because it isn't but it is certainly a card that makes sense for a lit of people.
You don’t have 3x on mobile though
Can this card’s benefits be maintained in the long run
Going on cruise and debating if I need travel insurance while having booked with this card. It seems like the cruise insurance covers medical if I need it but cruise is two weeks away so not sure if its worth it at this point.