US Bank Business Credit Cards: Best Cards & Review 2020

Headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, US Bank is the 5th largest bank in the United States and has a 25-state branch footprint (mostly in the Midwest and West). US Bank is also an issuer of credit cards, offering a wide array of cards for all purposes.

Of the many credit cards offered by US Bank, five are business credit cards, and it’s those cards we’ll be focused on in this review.

US Bank offers the following business cards:

Let’s take a closer look at each of US Bank’s business credit card offerings.

US Bank Business Cash Rewards World Elite Mastercard

The Business Cash Rewards World Elite Mastercard brings a lot of value to the table for business owners who spend a significant amount on office supplies, gas, and cell phones. These three spending categories will earn you 3% cash back, and though there are other cash back business cards out there that give 5% cash back for certain categories, these cards limit the amount of cash back you can earn at this rate.

Not so with the Business Cash Rewards. This business credit card places no limits on the amount of cash back you can earn at the 3% earning rate.

What’s more, your cash back rewards will never expire. For the business that spends large sums of money on these 3% earning categories, this card is quite a nifty deal.

Another nice perk of the Business Cash Rewards card is the fact that after one year of use, you’ll earn a 25% cash back bonus based on how much cash back you earned the previous year. This annual bonus has a $250 limit. Combine this with the fact that this card has no annual fee, and your yearly card anniversary will see US Bank paying you, not the other way around.

Additionally, you’ll get an intro 0% APR on purchases for your first 9 months. Not too shabby! Unfortunately, you’ll need excellent credit in order to qualify.

A few additional facts regarding the Business Cash Rewards card:

• Purchase APR: 14.24% to 25.24%, variable
• Annual Fee: $0
• Foreign Transaction Fee: 2% when the transaction is in US dollars, 3% otherwise
• Balance Transfer Fee: 3% of transaction or $5 minimum
• Cash Advance Fee: 5% of each advance or $10 minimum
• Late Payment Fees: $19 on balances up to $100, $29 on balances from $100 up to $250, $39 on balances of $250 or more
• APR for Cash Advances: Variable, 26.24%
• Penalty APR: 29.99%

US Bank Business Cash Rewards World Elite Mastercard VS Chase Ink Business Cash

Let’s compare the Business Cash Rewards card with the popular Chase Ink Business Cash, another cash back credit card for business. The Ink Business Cash offers 5% cash back on office supplies and internet, cable, and phone services. You’ll also earn 2% cash back at gas stations and restaurants, and 1% cash back on everything else.

At first glance, the Ink Business Cash appears to be superior to the Business Cash Rewards card in terms of cash back potential due to its 5% earning categories. However, while 5% is better than 3%, Chase limits the amount of spending that will earn you 5% cash back to $25,000. This limit applies to the 2% earning categories as well.

So, which card is superior? That depends entirely on your business spending profile. If you’re spending a significant amount on the highest spending categories, the Chase Ink Business Cash will earn you more cash back. However, if you spend more than $41,667 on, say, office supplies, you’ll begin to accrue cash back at a higher rate with the Business Cash Rewards card due to the lack of spending limits on their 3% cash back categories. You can also get a slightly lower APR with the Business Cash Rewards, while the Ink Business Cash comes with a longer 0% APR period (12 months versus 9 months).

If you’re interested in further researching the business cash back card scene, check out our recent article on the best business cash back credit cards.

US Bank Business Select Rewards Card

The primary selling point of the US Bank Business Select Rewards card is the flexible rewards structure. Rewards are given in the form of points, and card users can choose one of three spending categories on which to earn 3X points: day-to-day expenses, automotive, or travel and entertainment.

Spending on all other purchases will earn you one point per $1 spent. The bonus offer of 20,000 points (available if you spend at least $1,000 in purchases on one card within 90 days of your account opening) equates to $200, assuming a points value of one cent per point. There is no limit to the points you can earn at either the 3X or the 1X level.

There’s also an intro 0% APR on purchases for the first nine billing cycles.

Excellent credit is required to qualify for the Business Select Rewards card. There is no annual fee.

There isn’t much else to discuss in terms of perks and benefits with this card. It’s a relatively simple card that aims to give businesses latitude when earning rewards points. Here are some additional card details:

• Purchase APR: 14.24% to 25.24%, variable
• Annual Fee: $0
• Foreign Transaction Fee: 2% when the transaction is in US dollars, 3% otherwise
• Balance Transfer Fee: 3% of transaction or $5 minimum
• Cash Advance Fee: 5% of each advance or $10 minimum
• Late Payment Fees: $19 on balances up to $100, $29 on balances from $100 up to $250, $39 on balances of $250 or more
• APR for Cash Advances: Variable, 26.24%
• Penalty APR: 29.99%

US Bank Business Select Rewards VS Capital One Spark Cash Select

If you’d rather earn rewards at a decent rate without having to worry about spending categories, consider the Capital One Cash Select card instead. Like the Business Select Rewards, the card carries no annual fee. However, you’ll be earning 1.5% cash back on all purchases with no limits. It’s a better earning rate than you’ll get with the Select Rewards card on all but your chosen 3X points category, so if your spending is fairly diffuse, you might want to consider the Spark Cash Select instead.

Alternately, if you spend more than $19,000 per year, the Spark Cash card comes out ahead of the Spark Cash Select due to the 2% unlimited cash back the card offers. There’s a $95 annual fee, but after $19,000 in spending, the superior cash back rate of the Spark Cash will more than make up the difference.

US Bank FlexPerks Business Travel Rewards Card

The US Bank FlexPerks Business Travel Rewards card is a flexible business travel card. The card’s points-earning potential is decent (there are no limits on the points you can earn in the 2X categories), if not spectacular. The nice part about the points earning is that you get three 2X points-earning categories, one of which is dependent on what you spend the most on in a given month: gas, office supplies, or airlines.

You’ll also earn 2X points on all spending on cellular providers and on charitable organizations.

Additionally, if redeemed for travel, each point is worth 1.5 cents. That’s a higher point value than you’ll get with most credit card rewards programs. You can also get $25 per air travel award ticket for baggage fees, in-flight food and drinks, or a seat upgrade — little perks that make air travel slightly less miserable.

Big spenders won’t have to pay the $55 annual fee that kicks in the second year. If you make at least $24,000 in net purchases in the first 12 billing cycles, you’ll receive a credit for your annual fee back to your account. Unfortunately, additional cards for your employees will cost $10 apiece per year, and there is no introductory 0% APR period.

Good to excellent credit is required to qualify for the FlexPerks Business Travel Rewards card. Some additional card stats for you:

• Purchase APR: 14.24% to 25.24%, variable
• Annual Fee: $0 the first year, $55 thereafter (unless you spend at least $24K on purchases in the preceding year)
• Foreign Transaction Fee: None
• Balance Transfer Fee: 3% of transaction or $5 minimum
• Cash Advance Fee: 5% of each advance or $10 minimum
• Late Payment Fees: $19 on balances up to $100, $29 on balances from $100 up to $250, $39 on balances of $250 or more
• APR for Cash Advances: Variable, 26.24%
• Penalty APR: 29.99%

US Bank FlexPerks Business Travel Rewards Card VS Chase Ink Business Preferred

One popular business travel alternative to the Business Travel Rewards card is Chase’s Ink Business Preferred card. The card carries a $95 annual fee and a higher minimum APR, but on the upside, the Ink Business Preferred’s bonus offer is much more generous than that of the Business Travel Rewards card (though you have to spend more to get it). You’ll get 80,000 bonus points — the equivalent of $1,000 toward travel or $800 toward something else — if you spend $5,000 on purchases within the first 3 months of opening your account.

As for points earned through spending, you’ll earn 3X points on the first $150,000 spent in combined purchases on travel, shipping purchases, Internet, cable and phone services, and online advertising. If you spend a lot on these categories for your business, you probably stand to benefit more from the Ink Business Preferred card despite the higher annual fee and the higher minimum APR.

Furthermore, unlike the Business Travel Rewards card, there are no additional fees attached to employee cards.

Want the big picture regarding your business travel card options? Check out our piece on the best business credit cards for travel.

US Bank Business Leverage Visa Signature Card

US Bank’s new Business Leverage Visa Signature card is designed to reward the business with spending that varies significantly from month to month. It does this with an unusual reward structure.

With the Business Leverage Visa Signature card, you’ll earn two points per dollar for all purchases made in the top two spending categories in which you spend the most each month. There are 48 such categories, running the gamut from advertising firms to wholesale goods providers. It’s a level of personalization not found in most business credit cards.

You won’t have to activate or even keep track of anything to get your extra points in whatever spending category you’ve spent the most on in a month. It’s all automatic! Unfortunately, you’ll need excellent credit to qualify for the card.

Some further details:

• Purchase APR: 18.74%, variable
• Annual Fee: $0 the first year, $95 thereafter
• Foreign Transaction Fee: 2% when the transaction is in US dollars, 3% otherwise
• Balance Transfer Fee: An introductory fee of either 5% of each transfer or $5 minimum, whichever is greater, for balances transferred with this application – after that, either 3% of each transfer or $5 minimum, whichever is greater
• Cash Advance Fee: 5% of each advance or $15 minimum, whichever is greater
• Late Payment Fee: $39
• APR for Cash Advances: 26.24%
• Penalty APR: 29.99%

US Bank Business Platinum Card

Unlike the other business cards discussed here, the US Bank Business Platinum card is a no-frills business card offering no cash back and no rewards points. The draw of the card is this: it has a lower APR than much of the competition and an introductory 0% APR period of 20 billing cycles that applies to both purchases and balance transfers.

If you’re looking to pay down debt from high-interest credit cards and aren’t concerned with earning rewards for your spending, this card is worth a look. However, you’ll have to initiate your balance transfers within 30 days of opening your account.

Good credit is required to get the Business Platinum card. There is no annual fee.

Some further card details:

• Purchase APR: 12.24% to 20.24%, variable
• Annual Fee: $0
• Foreign Transaction Fee: 3%
• Balance Transfer Fee: 3% of each transaction or $5 minimum
• Cash Advance Fee: 5% of each advance or $10 minimum
• Late Payment Fees: $19 on balances up to $100, $29 on balances from $100 up to $250, $39 on balances of $250 or more
• APR for Cash Advances: Variable, 26.24%
• Penalty APR: 29.99%

US Bank Business Platinum Card VS Amex Blue Business Plus

Speaking of low APR cards with introductory 0% APR periods, the American Express Blue Business Plus card may have a slightly higher APR and a 0% APR period of 15 months. However, the card actually offers rewards and a welcome offer.

You’ll get 10,000 points if you spend $3,000 in your first 3 months, and you’ll earn 2X points on the first $50,000 in purchases each year with no category restrictions and 1X points on all subsequent purchases.

If you’re looking for more than a low APR card with a long intro 0% APR but no rewards, the Blue Business Plus is a better choice than the US Bank Business Platinum.

Final Thoughts

No matter what your business type, US Bank has a credit card for you. While not every US Bank business card is impressive — the Business Platinum is a bit underwhelming — the company’s cash and travel rewards cards are solid entries indeed, offering significant value to the right kind of business.

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Ramp offers a free corporate card for virtually any business. Start earning rewards with your corporate spending today. Get your free card.