Update 8/27/24: reader Physicist points out that you’ll still be able to get a full $.01 per point when redeeming into a U.S. Bank bank account, or when redeeming for travel either in the Altitude Rewards Center or redeeming for travel with Real Time Rewards.
Update 4/10/24: Landing page also says that GigSky benefit will be removed on 8/31/2024.
Original Post:
U.S. Bank has announced major changes coming to the Altitude Connect card, effective September 9, 2024:
Biggest changes:
- The $95 Annual Membership Fee will be removed.
- Points are going down in value from 1 cent-per-point to .8 cents per point. This is true for cash back, Real-Time Rewards, U.S. Bank Rewards Card, Shop with Points at Amazon.com and Paypal. You can still get 1 cent per point in the Altitude Rewards Center when redeeming for travel.
- The $30 credit for annual streaming service purchases will be discontinued.
Points Earnings:
- 4X points at gas stations and EV charging stations will be limited to your first $1,000 each quarter.
- The card earns 2X points on dining, streaming services and at grocery stores. Beginning September 9, 2024, discount stores/supercenters and wholesale clubs are excluded.
- You will continue to earn 5X points on prepaid hotels and car rentals booked directly in the Altitude Rewards Center and 4X points on travel purchases.
Other Changes:
- New benefit: Points can be redeemed for a monetary charitable contribution across a variety of nonprofits and U.S. Bank will match your contribution at 100%.
- The cell phone protection benefit will no longer be available with your card.
Final Thoughts
All other benefits remain unchanged. Notably, the card will keep the Precheck or global entry credit. The card also offers complimentary Priority Pass Select membership with 4 free visits. These are sweet perks for a no-fee card.
Altitude Go Card
It’s not clear to me of what changes are happening to the Altitude Go card. It appears from this page that the card will maintain its $15 streaming credit. I’m not sure if points are going down to .8 cents per point on that card.
Hat tip to reader TJ
