Aug 4, 2020, 2:24 pm
Last edit by: MDtR-Chicago
The US Bank Cash Plus card offers 5% cash back in two categories you choose, up to a total of $2000 in purchases, each quarter. You can also earn 2% unlimited on one other category and 1% unlimited on all other spending.
Public Signup Offer:$150 ($200) cash back after $500 in spending within first 90 days. This card has no annual fee. Also available to many (but not all) customers as a downgrade option from other US Bank personal cards.
https://www.usbank.com/credit-cards/...it-card-1.html
The categories available, as of August 2020, are:
5% Categories
For each category, there is a list published on the US Bank site of specific examples of merchants who qualify in each category: Cash Plus Merchant List
For most categories, similar merchants may also be allowed. Here is a place for the FT community to list what has and has not worked: (always check the Cash Plus site first, to see if the merchant is listed directly)
Public Signup Offer:
https://www.usbank.com/credit-cards/...it-card-1.html
The categories available, as of August 2020, are:
5% Categories
- Cell Phone Providers
- Department Stores
- Electronics Stores
- Fast Food
- Furniture Stores
- Ground Transportation
- Gyms/Fitness Centers
- Home Utilities
- Movie Theaters
- Select Clothing Stores
- Sporting Goods Stores
- TV, Internet & Streaming Services
- Gas Stations
- Grocery Stores
- Restaurants
For each category, there is a list published on the US Bank site of specific examples of merchants who qualify in each category: Cash Plus Merchant List
For most categories, similar merchants may also be allowed. Here is a place for the FT community to list what has and has not worked: (always check the Cash Plus site first, to see if the merchant is listed directly)
- Cell Phone Providers
- Department Stores
- Electronics Stores
- B&H Photo Video did NOT qualify [August 2020, codes as "CAMERA AND PHOTOGRAPHIC SUPPLY STORES"]
- GameStop.com did NOT qualify [November 2021]
- Google Online Store (to purchase Nest direct from Google) did NOT qualify [June 2020 codes as "COMPUTERS, COMP PERIPHERAL EQUIPMENT, SOFTWARE"]
- Micro Center did NOT qualify [July 2020, codes as "COMPUTER SOFTWARE STORES"]
- Netgear.com online store did NOT qualify [November 2021]
- Fast Food
- Potbelly did NOT qualify [November 2020, classified as "EATING PLACES, RESTAURANTS"]
- A&W qualified [November 2020]
- Panera Bread qualified [October 2020]
- Dunkin Donuts (both with and without a paired Baskin Robbins) qualified [November 2020]
- Little Caesar's qualified [October 2020]
- Furniture Stores [this seems to correspond to Merchant Category [color=#0c2074]"EQUIPMENT/FURNITURE/HOME FURNISHINGS (EXCEPT APPLIANCES)"
- Crate & Barrel Online did NOT qualify [May 2020 codes as "MISC HOME FURNISHING STORES"]
- Industry West (industrywest.com) qualified [March 2021]
- Lumens.com qualified [May 2021]
- Ground Transportation
- Gyms/Fitness Centers
- Home Utilities
- PG&E one-time web payment qualified [May 2021]
- Recology, Sunset Scavenger Division web payment, qualified [April 2021]
- San Francisco Water Department web payment qualified [May 2021]
- Lenoir City Utilities Board via their payment processor website lcub.utilitynexus.com qualified
- First Utlility District of Knox County qualified via their payment processor
- Knoxville Utilities Board qualified via their payment processor
- Waste Management qualified via their website
- Silicon Valley Power (City of Santa Clara, CA) qualified via their website
- Waste Connections qualified via their website
- Many Plastiq payments code as utilities. Code your payee as utilities, and it will qualify.
- Movie Theaters
- Select Clothing Stores
- There are only 13 specific merchants, listed on the Cash Plus site, that qualify in this category
- Sporting Goods Stores
- GrabAGun.com didn't qualify
- Most gun stores will qualify, except the above mentioned one.
- TV, Internet & Streaming Services
- Google Fiber Internet [July 2021 - DOES work]
US Bank Cash Plus?
Feb 1, 2016, 7:47 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 82
US Bank Cash Plus?
Hi,
I applied for the US Bank Cash Plus card but was approved for the Cash Reward card.
I unfortunately found out about the recommended freezing your SageStream (formerly ID Analytics) & ARS credit before applying.
I need some advice on what to do since I really prefer the Cash Plus.
Should I?
- freeze the credit now and ask to recon?
- take the hit now and see if I can get an upgrade in 6 months?
- some other solution?
Thanks in advance.
I applied for the US Bank Cash Plus card but was approved for the Cash Reward card.
I unfortunately found out about the recommended freezing your SageStream (formerly ID Analytics) & ARS credit before applying.
I need some advice on what to do since I really prefer the Cash Plus.
Should I?
- freeze the credit now and ask to recon?
- take the hit now and see if I can get an upgrade in 6 months?
- some other solution?
Thanks in advance.
Feb 2, 2016, 8:27 am
#5
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: NYC
Posts: 556
From my experience, they won't PC into Cash+ either, but that's about a year and a half old understanding. You're stuck with whatever you're approved with, and US Bank has really abnormally low total exposure limits, so I still recommend having them cancel your approval, waiting until you get freeze confirmations, and applying again.
Feb 2, 2016, 10:54 am
#7
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 384
Feb 2, 2016, 11:03 am
#8
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: NYC
Posts: 556
Call them and tell them you don't want the account rather than risk another downgraded approval when you apply for the Cash+ again. Canceling the account will stop it from eating in to your total exposure limit with US Bank, who requires they issue you at least a $5K CL for the Cash+ card.
Feb 27, 2018, 4:58 pm
#10
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: PDX
Programs: Don't think it matters...
Posts: 5,240
My dp's - credit scores range from 720 - 750, 5/12 and 4/6 in cards, have US bank account with balance always more than $5k.
Was looking to apply for the Cash + card, more to have a no AF card + cash back than anything else, since I notice I have only minimal no AF cc's.. Branch person says looking at profile we can apply, but seems US Bank is quite strict with approvals and looks for 6m + of history for all cc's ? If this is the case, believe I should not apply for it now..
Any dp's to the contrary ? Can branch folks have recommendation authority on these matters ?
Thanks
Was looking to apply for the Cash + card, more to have a no AF card + cash back than anything else, since I notice I have only minimal no AF cc's.. Branch person says looking at profile we can apply, but seems US Bank is quite strict with approvals and looks for 6m + of history for all cc's ? If this is the case, believe I should not apply for it now..
Any dp's to the contrary ? Can branch folks have recommendation authority on these matters ?
Thanks
Mar 1, 2018, 11:27 pm
#11
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: TYS/BNA/ATL
Programs: UR, TYP, MR, C1, AA, UA, WN, BA, AS, AV, AC, Choice, Hyatt, IHG, Hilton, Wyndham, Marriott
Posts: 1,970
Always wanted to get this card. Tried to PC from Flexperks, they denied. But now it has $150 bonus at least, it had none before. Maybe I should apply now? I have Flexperks, Altitude Reserve and Club Carlson business.
Mar 2, 2018, 1:30 pm
#12
Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 539
I'd go for it, especially now that they added utilities (electric, gas, etc. but not internet and cable) as one of their 5% categories beginning in April.
Mar 2, 2018, 5:03 pm
#13
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: TYS/BNA/ATL
Programs: UR, TYP, MR, C1, AA, UA, WN, BA, AS, AV, AC, Choice, Hyatt, IHG, Hilton, Wyndham, Marriott
Posts: 1,970
Yes, that's better than bookstores, but my utilities spending is around $50-100 per month, so not much of a cashback. I was mostly looking at electronics, department, sporting goods and furniture stores categories, which are not covered by my other cards.
Mar 3, 2018, 12:21 pm
#14
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: home = LAX
Posts: 25,932
What is your CL on your Flexperks? Cash+ is a Visa Signature card, which has a minimum CL (I'm not sure what it at US Bank, but at some other banks it's $5k CL minimum).
And was it Flexperks Visa, or another type of Flexperks?
And how long had you had it open? (Many banks these days refuse to PC a card that's been for less than a year.)
I was able to PC a no-AF legacy Flexperks Visa (which had started out as a NW Visa) card to Cash+ a week or two ago, but then I had a CL well above $10k on the Flexperks (even though my Flexperks was not a Visa Signature).
And was it Flexperks Visa, or another type of Flexperks?
And how long had you had it open? (Many banks these days refuse to PC a card that's been for less than a year.)
I was able to PC a no-AF legacy Flexperks Visa (which had started out as a NW Visa) card to Cash+ a week or two ago, but then I had a CL well above $10k on the Flexperks (even though my Flexperks was not a Visa Signature).
Mar 4, 2018, 11:59 pm
#15
Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 539
You have to pick what works best. If you plan ahead for those one time purchases (like furniture - unless you are constantly buying furniture lol) then this could really work. For me utilities are higher and always an outlier in terms of having no cards that cover them. In terms of electronics and department stores I used to pick those categories around the holidays, but then Amex or Freedom or Discover would have offers or Amazon would have offers and I'd end up not using the Cash+. With utilities I know nobody else is going to cover it so I know I can always count on getting a return on that.