Advertiser Disclosure – BestCards is an independent, Florida-based credit card comparison platform. Many of the card offers that appear on this site are from companies from which BestCards receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site (including, for example, the order in which they appear). BestCards does not include all card companies or all card offers available in the marketplace.
Editorial Disclosure – The opinions expressed on BestCards’ reviews, blogs, and all other content on or relating to the website are solely those of the content’s author. They are not reflective of any card issuer or financial institution and have not been reviewed or approved by these entities unless otherwise noted. Further, BestCards lists credit card offers that are updated daily with information believed to be accurate to the best of our knowledge.
U.S. Bank Business Altitude™ Power World Elite Mastercard® Review
If you manage your company’s spending and are looking for a lucrative travel card to supercharge your business rewards, then the U.S. Bank Business Altitude™ Power World Elite Mastercard® might be just what the doctor asked for.
How to Earn Rewards
The U.S. Bank Business Altitude™ Power World Elite Mastercard is a travel manager’s dream thanks to its hugely impressive points on eligible travel purchases. Cardholders earn a whopping 6X points on prepaid hotels and car rentals booked directly in the U.S. Bank Rewards Center. This card can quickly provide a significant amount of points for companies with multiple employees crisscrossing the United States for business.
Cardholders also earn an accelerated 2.5X points on mobile wallet purchases. U.S. Bank defines a “mobile wallet” as the payment method for a transaction using a mobile device (in-store, in-app, or online, including Apple Pay®, Samsung Pay, and Google Pay™. It’s worth noting that the 2.5X points per $1 spent on digital wallet purchases is only for the first $5,000 combined in mobile wallet purchases, with all purchases earning 2X per $1 spent afterward.
All other eligible purchases with the Business Altitude Power Card earn an unlimited 2X points. Points never expire if your business account is open and in good standing.
Travel Business Card Comparison
The 6X points per $1 spent on eligible travel purchases is a great feature, but how does the U.S. Bank Business Altitude™ Power World Elite Mastercard stack up against other similarly positioned business cards?
Business Altitude™ Power |
Marriott Bonvoy Business® Amex |
Business Altitude™ Connect |
|
Annual fee | $195 | $125 | $95 ($0 first year) |
Travel rewards | 6X on prepaid hotels and car rentals booked directly in the Rewards Center | 6X on properties in the Marriott Bonvoy hotels portfolio | 5X on prepaid hotels and car rentals booked directly in the Rewards Center; 4X on travel, including airfare, hotels, gas, and EV charging stations on the first $150,000 in combined annual spend |
Other rewards | 2.5X on mobile wallet purchases (up to $5,000 in combined spending, with 2X points after that; 2X on all other purchases | 4X on global dining, gas at U.S. gas stations, wireless services through U.S. service providers, and U.S. shipping; 2X on all other purchases | 2X points on dining, takeout, restaurant delivery, and cell phone services and 1X on all other purchases |
Travel savings | No foreign transaction fees | 7% discount off standard rates, 1 Free Night Award every year, Bonvoy Gold Elite Status | No foreign transaction fees |
Network | Mastercard | American Express | Mastercard |
How to Redeem Points with the Business Altitude
To redeem your points with U.S. Bank, log in to your online banking, click “My Account,” and select “My Rewards.” From there, redeeming points is straightforward. Rewards are redeemable for the usual awards, including merchandise, gift cards, cash back, travel, and more. Claiming rewards as a U.S. Bank Rewards Card requires at least $25 in cash back rewards.
Transfer Points to Personal Altitude Cards
One of the great features of the Altitude business cards is that points are transferrable to personal versions of the Altitude family of products. This means you can transfer your business points to the U.S. Bank Altitude™ Connect and the U.S. Bank Altitude™ Go credit cards. Rather frustratingly, points cannot be transferred to the U.S. Bank Altitude™ Reserve Visa Infinite®, one of the finest ultra-premium credit cards on the market. Both U.S. Bank credit card accounts must be in good standing to transfer points.
Other Card Features
Other noteworthy features of the U.S. Bank Business Altitude™ Power include transferring points to/from the Account Owner to a personal U.S. Bank Altitude® Go or Altitude® Connect card. This unique feature lets you amass points – and redeem for awards – faster. Companies also enjoy the typical U.S. Bank features of the card, including:
① Customer service | Like Discover, Chase, Amex, and other major issuers, U.S. Bank provides 24/7, U.S.-based customer service for all of its credit cardholders |
② EMV chip | While the bank states that “select cards” feature chip technology, in reality, all new U.S. Bank credit card products come with EMV chip technology. This technology provides an additional layer of security for point-of-sale purchases. |
③ Free TransUnion credit score access | All cardholders receive complimentary access to their TransUnion credit score each month. |
④ FlexControl™ | U.S. Bank also provides free card management tools via its FlexControl™ budgeting tools. These resources include automatic payment tools, account alerts, and more. |
⑤ No penalty APR | U.S. Bank cards don’t feature a penalty APR – a great feature that doesn’t penalize cardholders who miss payments. |
Businesses also enjoy Mastercard Business World Elite protections and perks. World Elite is the premier tier in the Mastercard payment network, offering companies the very best features, including:
Zero Liability | ID theft Protection | Global Emergency Services | Mastercard Biz |
Car Rental Insurance | Mastercard Airport Concierge | Priceless Golf | Business Controls |
Mastercard Receipt Management | Mastercard Easy Savings® | Intuit QuickBooks® and TurboTax® | Salesforce Essentials |
Microsoft 365 | 24/7 Business Assistant | Mastercard Premium Easy Savings | Mastercard Travel & Lifestyle Services |
U.S. Bank Ratings
How does the U.S. Bank rate as a lender? Here is a selection of expert reviews for U.S. Bank and its credit card products:
BestCards | Better Business Bureau | TrustPilot |
3.5/5 |
N/A |
1.5/5 |
Should You Apply for the U.S. Bank Business Altitude™ Power World Elite Mastercard®?
The U.S. Bank Business Altitude Power Mastercard is a generous business rewards card for companies that want to squeeze the maximum travel rewards out of every dollar. The card offers an enhanced 6X on eligible travel booked directly through the U.S. Bank Rewards Center – that’s a full point more than the Altitude Connect business card. The flexible reward earning rate is solid, enhanced further by the lack of foreign transaction fees and four complimentary lounge visits each year through Priority Pass. The $125 annual fee is somewhat annoying, especially with the lack of airport features.