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U.S. Bank Shopper Cash Rewards Visa Signature Card Review

Written by Dayana Yochim
Fact-checked by Andrea Coombes
Edited by Carolyn Kimball

April 04, 2024

Why trust us? Investor.com has no financial relationship with any of the credit card providers whose products we analyze and review. Our opinions are based solely on data and our own extensive independent research — that means unbiased guidance for consumers. Rewards cards in our cashback credit card calculator are listed in descending order according to how much money they pay out annually based on the inputs.

The U.S. Bank Shopper Cash Rewards Visa’s 6% cash back rate on purchases from a long list of big-name retailers (including Amazon, Target and Walmart) got my attention. So did the $1,500 quarterly rewards spending cap (oof) and $95 annual fee that kicks in starting in year two.

The U.S. Bank’s Shopper Cash Rewards Card is designed to out-reward big retailers’ credit cards. And it does, up to a point. It offers a frothy 6% cash back on purchases at more than 20 retailers — everywhere from Ace Hardware, Apple and Amazon to Target, Walmart and the major warehouse clubs — versus the 1%-5% that store-branded cards typically offer. But it only applies to two retailers of your choice per quarter on up to $1,500 of purchases combined. Once you hit the quarterly rewards spending cap, the rate drops to 1.5%.

The inclusion of wholesale clubs in the Shopper Cash Reward Card's 3% bonus category choices is an attention-getter among rewards card geeks (raises hand). Most cash back cards only pay the lowest base rewards rate on purchases from Costco, Sam's Club and the like. But here, too, U.S. Bank imposes a $1,500 quarterly rewards spending cap. Sigh.

More: See investor.com's picks for the Best 5% Cash Back Credit Cards.

Need more rewards spending leeway? U.S. Bank also offers a retailer-agnostic rewards card with a similar setup: Its Cash+ Visa Signature Card lets you choose two retail categories per quarter to earn 5% cash back on up to $2,000 in combined spending. See our U.S. Bank Cash+ Visa Signature Card review.

The basics: Earn 6% cash back on your first $1,500 in combined eligible purchases each quarter with two retailers you choose and 3% cash back on your first $1,500 in eligible purchases on your choice of one everyday category. Earn 1.5% cash back on all other eligible purchases. $0 annual fee the first year ($95/year thereafter). Get a $250 bonus after you spend $2,000 in eligible purchases within the first 120 days of account opening.

Credit Card Calculator

Monthly Spend

Spend Categories expand_more

Clear All

dining Dining

theater_comedy Entertainment

local_gas_station Gas

shopping_cart Groceries

monetization_on Other

local_pharmacy Pharmacy

card_travel Travel

local_shipping Amazon

storefront Costco

construction Home Improvement

shopping_bag Online Shopping

smart_display Streaming

local_taxi Transit

power Utilities

kitchen Whole Foods

receipt_long Wholesale Clubs

Calculate Cash Back

U.S. Bank Shopper Cash Rewards Visa Signature Card

Cashback Per Year

$...

Annual Fee

$95

Welcome Bonus

$250

Apply Now

Want to compare more cards? Use our full calculator.

U.S. Bank Shopper Cash Rewards Visa Signature Card pros and cons

thumb_up_off_alt Pros

6% cash back available at many major retailers
3% cash back on gas/EV charging, wholesale clubs and more
5.5% on hotels/rental cars booked through U.S. Bank
Real-time reward redemption available
Includes Visa Signature perks
Offers a sign-up bonus

thumb_down_off_alt Cons

Restrictive $1,500 quarterly rewards earning caps
Requires quarterly reward activation
No 0% intro APR sign-up deals
$95 annual fee starting year two
3% foreign transaction fee
Not the card for hands-off types

U.S. Bank Shopper Cash Rewards Visa Signature Card cashback rewards spending categories

The following table shows the cashback rewards rate per $1 spent in the six most common spending categories. The “Bonus Rate” refers to the amount you can earn in excess of the card’s standard rewards rate.

Some cashback cards limit the spending amount eligible for the bonus rate (aka the “Spend Cap”). Once you hit that cap (e.g., $1,500 spending in a particular category during a defined time period), the rewards rate on future purchases in that category reverts to the lower “Default Rate.”

Category	Default Rate	Bonus Rate	Bonus Spend Cap	Bonus Spend Period (Months)
Gas	1.50%	3.00%	$1,500	3
Travel	1.50%	-	-	-
Dining	1.50%	-	-	-
Entertainment	1.50%	-	-	-
Pharmacy	1.50%	-	-	-
Groceries	1.50%	-	-	-
Other Purchases	1.50%	-	-	-

The U.S. Bank’s Shopper Cash Rewards Card allows cardholders to choose two retailers per quarter to earn 6% cash back, and one 3% “everyday” category (bills and home utilities, gas and EV charging stations, or wholesale clubs). The maximum cardholders will earn at the 6% cashback rate is $90 per quarter ($360 annually). In the 3% category you’ll earn up to $45 per quarter cash back ($180 annually).

Note: The “Spend Categories” in the investor.com cashback calculator do not include all eligible retailers in U.S. Bank’s rewards program, so we chose Amazon as the default 6% retailer and gas as the 3% category.

Calculator instructions: For a more accurate calculation of how much you’ll earn at the 6% and 3% cashback rates using the U.S. Bank Shopper Cash Rewards Card, type in your expected monthly spend at any two of the eligible retailers listed on U.S. Bank’s website into the “Amazon” Spend Category field, and your 3% monthly spend into the “Gas” field.

Tip: Expand the “Spend Categories” in the investor.com credit card rewards calculator above to incorporate additional rewards categories (e.g., Transit, Wholesale Clubs, Utilities) into the cash back per year total.

What we like

6% cashback rate applies to a long list of retailers. Cardholders get to choose two per quarter. The current list (subject to change): Ace Hardware, Apple, Amazon.com, Anthropologie, Bed, Bath & Beyond, Best Buy, Chewy.com, Crate and Barrel, Disney, Home Depot, Ikea, Kohl’s, Lowe’s, Lululemon, Macy’s, Menards, Nordstrom, Pottery Barn, QVC, Restoration Hardware, Target, Walmart, Wayfair.com, Williams Sonoma. (A quarterly rewards spending cap applies, which is my biggest peeve with this U.S. Bank card. See my full whine in the “What we don’t like” section below.)

The 3% everyday cash back rate includes wholesale clubs like Costco and Sam’s Club (a rare bonus category offering among cash back cards, FYI), gas and EV charging stations, and bills and utilities. Cardholders can choose one everyday category per quarter, but, like the 6% rewards tier, a spending cap applies. (Grievance aired below.)

The 1.5% default cashback rate is respectable, as far as default rewards rates go. A lot of cashback cards sport an anemic 1% base rate on purchases that don’t qualify for the higher cashback tiers. That’s the point where I recommend reaching for a rewardier card at the cash register, such as a 2% cash back card.

Opportunity to increase your rewards rate by shopping at the U.S. Bank Rewards Center, which includes more than 1,100 stores that earn varying cashback rates — a good option if you’re bumping up against the $1,500 quarterly reward spending caps.

Earn 5.5% cash back on prepaid hotel and car reservations booked through the Rewards Travel Center, which is higher than the 5% back on the same category offered by the Shopper Cash Reward Visa's sibling, the U.S. Bank Cash+ Visa Card. Two key things to keep in mind with this perk: The travel must be paid for in advance, and your hotel/car rental options may be limited in U.S. Bank’s rewards portal.

Offers real-time rewards when you have enough in cash rewards to cover your entire purchase. Enrollment in Real-Time Rewards is required and cardholders will receive a text alerting them to the option.

The ExtendPay program can be an attractive option if you occasionally are unable to pay off your entire balance by the due date. U.S. Bank’s ExtendPay Plan allows cardholders to pay off eligible purchases with an installment plan and avoid accruing interest on new purchases. You’ll pay a fixed monthly fee of no more than 1.6% (waived for new cardholders who enroll in the first 60 days after opening an account), which is based on the amount of your balance, current purchase APR and other factors. The terms are revealed when you enroll.

Visa Signature card benefits are included, which include travel/emergency assistance, roadside dispatch, extended warranty protection, zero fraud liability and more.

What we don't like

The low $1,500 quarterly spending cap on purchases eligible for 6% cash back could throttle your earning potential if you make a few high-dollar purchases. Essentially, you’re limited to spending an average of $500 per month at your two retailers of choice (combined) to get the highest cashback rate.

There’s also a $1,500 quarterly spending cap on purchases in your 3% cashback category of choice. Once you hit the ceiling, additional purchases will earn 1.5%. Here I recommend using a credit card rewards calculator to see how much this will affect your rewards earning potential based on your typical spending patterns.

You get to choose just one 3% cashback category. Because of this — and the rewards spending cap — those who spend more than $1,500 per may be better off with a card that offers unlimited cash back on your bigger spending categories.

Active card management required. 🚨 Do not miss the quarterly enrollment deadline for your two 6% cashback retailers and 3% everyday category! 🚨 Otherwise you’ll earn the default 1.5% cashback rate. If you’d rather go the no-hassle route, check out my roundup of Best Flat-Rate Cashback Credit Cards.

Kinda high spending requirement to earn the welcome bonus compared to the terms other similar rewards cards have.

The $95 annual fee kicks in during year two. To cover the fee with the cash back you earn, you’ll sacrifice an entire quarter of 6% cashback rewards. (Here’s the math: 6% of $1,584 = the $95 annual fee you’ll owe U.S. Bank to keep carrying the card.)

You must have at least $25 available in rewards to redeem your cash back in the form of a statement credit or deposit to a U.S. Bank savings, checking or money market account.

The 3% foreign transaction fee makes the U.S. Bank Shopper Cash Rewards Visa a poor choice for world travelers.

The bottom line

Is the U.S. Bank Shopper Cash Rewards Visa Signature Card the best rewards card for your wallet? The answer depends entirely on your spending patterns. Let the numbers speak for themselves: Use the investor.com Cashback Credit Card Calculator to see which credit card pays back the highest rewards based on how much you spend each month.

U.S. Bank Shopper Cash Rewards Visa Signature Card fine print

Click on “Terms & conditions” on the U.S. Bank Shopper Cash Rewards card application page for the nitty gritties you need to know.

Does the U.S. Bank Shopper Cash Rewards Visa Signature Card charge an annual fee?

Yes, the U.S. Bank Shopper Cash Rewards Visa Signature Card charges an annual fee of $95.

tips_and_updates Trivia time!

How common are annual fees? Roughly 17% of the consumer cash back cards we review charge an annual fee. They range from $39 to $99, with an average annual fee of $67.

Does the U.S. Bank Shopper Cash Rewards Visa Signature Card offer a welcome bonus?

Yes, the U.S. Bank Shopper Cash Rewards Visa Signature Card has a welcome bonus of $250.

tips_and_updates Fun fact

More than half (55%) of the consumer cash back credit cards we track in the investor.com database offer a welcome bonus, ranging from $30 up to $300. The average sign-up bonus for new cardholders is $197, with the median being $200.

How much cash back can I earn with the U.S. Bank Shopper Cash Rewards Visa Signature Card?

The average American that spends $1000 per month will earn $110.20 in cash back per year using the U.S. Bank Shopper Cash Rewards Visa Signature Card. For comparison, the average annual rewards payout from the cashback credit cards in the investor.com database is $191.26, and $180 is the median.

These calculations are based on average consumer spending data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and the reward payout rates from the providers we track. Of course, you’re so much more than an average data point (aka “consumer unit,” in BLS parlance). The amount you can earn in cashback rewards using the U.S. Bank Shopper Cash Rewards Visa Signature Card depends entirely on your unique spending habits.

Find out exactly how much you’ll rake in with the U.S. Bank Shopper Cash Rewards Visa Signature Card by tailoring the spending inputs in the calculator above.

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Methodology

The results of the investor.com Credit Card Rewards Calculator are based on the monthly spending amounts you enter and the annual dollar value of the rewards each credit card program pays per $1 spent. Credit card companies often express this payout amount as a percentage (e.g., 1.5% of every dollar spent) or on a points basis (e.g. ,1.5 points for every dollar spent). We converted all of them to a dollar amount (“Cash Back Per Year”) to make comparing offers easier.

To calculate the amount of cash back you could earn per year, we factored in:

Spend category inputs: The default dollar values for each “Spend Category” in the Best Cashback Credit Cards tool — gas, groceries, travel, restaurant, entertainment, pharmacy, other — are based on average American spending data from the Consumer Expenditure Surveys from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. We also include additional spend categories (such as streaming services, online shopping, utilities, transit, Amazon and more) to help you see which rewards cards are most closely aligned with your actual spending patterns. We encourage you to customize the monthly spend inputs for the most accurate results.
Tiered rewards rates: If a rewards credit card pays higher cashback rates on certain spending categories (also called “Bonus Rewards”), that difference is reflected in the total “Cash Back Per Year” tally.
Rewards spending caps: Some cards impose category- or time-based limits (monthly, quarterly, annually) that affect the amount of rewards you can earn. For example, a card may pay 3% cash back on groceries on up to $1,000 of spending each quarter, then revert to the base/default rewards rate until the following quarter. We accounted for bonus spending caps and timeframe in the calculations.
Default rewards rates: Purchases that exceed a spending cap are usually subject to a lower default rewards rate (e.g., 1% or 1.5%). We mathed that out too.
Annual fees: If a rewards card charges an annual fee, we deducted that amount from the “Cash Back Per Year” total to provide a true accounting of a card’s annual rewards payout.

What’s not included in the “Cash Back Per Year” total is the cash value of any sign-up/introductory bonus. We highlight any Welcome Bonus separately. While sign-up bonuses can be the most lucrative part of getting a new cashback rewards credit card, not everyone will want or be able to do what it takes to earn the extra cash. (It usually requires spending a certain amount in a specified time period after the card is activated.)

About the Editorial Team

Dayana Yochim

Dayana Yochim has been writing (articles, books, podcasts, stirring speeches) about personal finance and investing for more than two decades, focusing on bringing clarity and the occasional comedic aside to what is often a murky, humorless topic. She’s written for NerdWallet, The Motley Fool, HerMoney.com, Woman’s Day, Forbes, Newsweek and others, and been a guest expert on "Today," "Good Morning America," CNN, NPR and wherever they’ll hand her a mic.

Andrea Coombes

Andrea Coombes has 20+ years of experience helping people reach their financial goals. Her personal finance articles have appeared in the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, MarketWatch, Forbes, and other publications, and she's shared her expertise on CBS, NPR, "Marketplace," and more. She's been a financial coach and certified consumer credit counselor, and is working on becoming a Certified Financial Planner. She knows that owning pets isn't necessarily the best financial decision; her dog and two cats would argue this point.

Carolyn Kimball

Carolyn Kimball is Managing Editor for Reink Media Group and the lead editor for content on investor.com. Carolyn has more than 20 years of writing and editing experience at major media outlets including NerdWallet, the Los Angeles Times and the San Jose Mercury News. She specializes in coverage of personal financial products and services, wielding her editing skills to clarify complex (some might say befuddling) topics to help consumers make informed decisions about their money.