The U.S. Bank Flexperks® Gold American Express® Card
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The information for the U.S. Bank Flexperks® Gold American Express® Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
offers several elevated rewards categories, but the best redemption options are through U.S. Bank’s own FlexPerks Rewards Center.
U.S. Bank Flexperks Gold American Express Card basics
- Annual fee: $85.
- Welcome bonus: 30,000 points after spending $2,000 on purchases within the first four months of account opening.
- Rewards: 5 points per $1 on prepaid hotels and car rentals booked directly in the FlexPerks Rewards Center, 3 points per $1 on dining, takeout and restaurant delivery, 2 points per $1 at airlines, gas stations and EV charging stations; 1 point per $1 on all other eligible purchases.
- APR: 19.49% to 29.49% variable APR on purchases and balance transfers.
- Other perks and benefits: Rewards are worth 50% more when used for eligible travel booked through U.S. Bank, TSA Precheck or Global Entry application fee reimbursement, 20% off your bill or a free appetizer at participating restaurants through Amex and up to a $25 airline incidental credit on award tickets booked through the FlexPerks Rewards Center (minimum 10,000 points).
- Does the issuer offer a preapproval tool? None.
- Recommended credit score: Good to excellent.
About the U.S. Bank Flexperks Gold American Express Card
The U.S. Bank Flexperks Gold American Express Card earns appealing rewards for a reasonable annual fee of $85. However, making the most out of the card’s benefits can take a little extra work.
The card comes with a generous welcome offer of 30,000 points after spending $2,000 on purchases within the first four months of account opening. The Flexperks Gold Amex earns ongoing tiered rewards of 5 points per $1 on prepaid hotels and car rentals booked directly in the FlexPerks Rewards Center, 3 points per $1 on dining, takeout and restaurant delivery, 2 points per $1 at airlines, gas stations and EV charging stations; 1 point per $1 on all other eligible purchases.
Other upfront traveler’s perks include a lack of foreign transaction fees, a complimentary TSA Precheck (every 4.5 years) or Global Entry (every 4 years) application fee credit and a 20% discount or complimentary appetizer at select restaurants through a partnership with Resy, Amex’s dining reservation system.
Here’s where it starts to get tricky. FlexPoints can be redeemed to purchase travel in U.S. Bank’s FlexPerks Rewards Center, taken as cash back, used towards the card’s annual fee, or to buy merchandise or gift cards through U.S. Bank. The best value comes from redeeming your rewards to cover the card’s annual fee. This can be done for 5,000 FlexPoints which gives you a value of 1.7 cents per point. The next most valuable use of your points would be to redeem them for eligible travel booked through U.S. Bank which would give you a value of 1.5 cent per point.
However, booking hotel travel through the bank’s travel center also means if you have elite status with a lodging brand, it won’t be recognized since you’re not booking directly with the property itself. Cash back as a statement credit is worth one cent per point. There are other travel rewards cards at the same price point that offer greater benefits and a more straightforward value for your earnings. We’ll go into more detail on those options below.
Pros
- Strong rewards categories: The card earns above-average rewards across several categories where travelers are likely to spend.
- Flexible redemption options: FlexPoints can be redeemed for travel, cash back or credited toward the card’s annual fee.
- Generous welcome bonus: The welcome offer of 30,000 points after spending $2,000 on purchases within the first four months of account opening is generous for a card with an annual fee below $100.
- A few travel perks: Credit for TSA Precheck or Global Entry application fee and 20% off at participating Resy restaurants.
Cons
- $85 annual fee: The annual fee is not waived the first year.
- Bonus categories may not match your spend: The highest rewards tier is reserved for hotels and cars booked through the rewards center, which may not be your preferred way to book travel. Those who hold elite hotel or rental car status typically do not have their status recognized when booking through a third party.
- Limited use for points: FlexPoints can’t be transferred to airline, hotel or other loyalty programs, unlike many other travel reward card programs.
- Lack of travel protections: The card doesn’t come with any baggage or trip delay coverage or access to emergency services like many other travel cards do.
U.S. Bank Flexperks Gold American Express Card rewards
The U.S. Bank Flexperks Gold American Express Card offers tiered rewards, based on where you spend. You’ll earn 5 points per $1 on prepaid hotels and car rentals booked directly in the FlexPerks Rewards Center, 3 points per $1 on dining, takeout and restaurant delivery, 2 points per $1 at airlines, gas stations and EV charging stations; 1 point per $1 on all other eligible purchases. Additionally, the Flexperks Gold Card offers a welcome bonus of 30,000 points after spending $2,000 on purchases within the first four months of account opening.
These FlexPoints can be redeemed to purchase travel in U.S. Bank’s FlexPerks Rewards Center, merchandise gift cards and cash back. The points can also be redeemed to pay for the card’s annual fee.
FlexPoints vary in value between 1 cent and 1.7 cents per point depending on how they’re redeemed. To maximize rewards, we recommend using your points to pay for the annual fee, exchanging 5,000 points for $85 at a 1.7 cent per point value and for travel, which can be redeemed at a 1.5 cent valuation.
U.S. Bank Flexperks Gold American Express Card rewards potential
Using government data and other publicly available information, we estimate that a household in the U.S. that would be in the market for this card has an annual income of $84,352 and $25,087 in expenses they are likely to be able to charge to a credit card.
In the above example our sample cardholder would earn a grand total of 46,073 FlexPoints annually. After redeeming 5,000 points toward the annual fee, the remaining 41,073 points could be used to book $616 worth of travel through U.S. Bank or taken as $410.73 in cash back.
U.S. Bank Flexperks Gold American Express Card APR details
The card has a 19.49% to 29.49% variable APR on purchases and balance transfers. There is no introductory offer with this card.
How the U.S. Bank Flexperks Gold American Express Card compares to other travel cards
U.S. Bank Flexperks Gold American Express Card vs. Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
If you’re seeking a travel rewards card with greater redemption flexibility and want to keep the annual fee below $100, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is a stellar choice. For an annual fee of $95, it outperforms the U.S. Bank Flexperks card in multiple ways. The Sapphire Preferred card earns 5 points per $1 on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®, 3 points per $1 on dining, select streaming services, and online grocery purchases (excluding Walmart, Target and wholesale clubs), 2 points per $1 on all other travel purchases and 1 point per $1 on all other purchases and offers a welcome bonus of 60,000 points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening.
The Sapphire Preferred also comes with a slew of perks including up to $50 in statement credits each account anniversary year for hotel stays purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards, primary auto rental coverage, trip cancellation and interruption insurance, baggage and trip delay coverage and extended warranty and purchase protection. Plus rewards are worth 25% more when redeemed for travel through or transfer your earnings to one of more than a dozen of Chase’s travel loyalty partners for potentially greater value.
Is the Chase Sapphire Preferred’s annual fee worth it? Here’s how to maximize the benefits.
U.S. Bank Flexperks Gold American Express Card vs. U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card
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The information for the U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
If you want to stay within the U.S. Bank family offers a very similar rewards card, consider the U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card
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The information for the U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
. It has an annual fee of $0 introductory annual fee for the first 12 months, then $95 and the rewards are even better on travel than that of the Flexperks Gold card, earning 5 points per $1 on prepaid hotels and car rentals booked directly in the Altitude Rewards Center, 4 points per $1 on travel and gas stations, 2 points per $1 at grocery stores, grocery delivery, dining and streaming services and 1 point per $1 on all other eligible purchases.
Additionally, the Altitude Connect offers a $30 annual credit on streaming services, like Netflix, Apple TV+ or Spotify, four complimentary Priority Pass lounge passes, a TSA Precheck or Global Entry application fee credit every four years, cellphone protection, trip cancellation/interruption coverage and trip delay reimbursement. These attributes make the Altitude Connect a better choice then the Flexperks Gold as a travel card.
U.S. Bank Flexperks Gold American Express Card vs. Chase Freedom Unlimited®
If you want the ease of using your earnings anyway you’d like, without being limited to booking travel through an issuer’s rewards center, consider the Chase Freedom Unlimited®. Although it’s a cash-back card, it’s an excellent alternative to the U.S. Bank Flexperks Gold American Express Card.
The no-annual-fee card earns 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®, 3% cash back on eligible dining and drugstore purchases and 1.5% cash back on all other purchases. It also comes with a welcome bonus of 1.5% back on everything bought in the first year on up to $20,000 in spending, which is worth up to $300. Cash back is the most flexible reward of them all, since you can use it any way you’d like – on travel or otherwise. But the Chase Freedom Unlimited also comes with some useful perks for those on the go including trip cancellation/interruption insurance and access to travel and emergency assistance services plus extended warranty and purchase protections.
Should you get the U.S. Bank Flexperks Gold American Express Card?
The U.S. Bank Flexperks Gold American Express Card is an OK card, but most people will be better served by another option. Unless you’re partial to the FlexPerks Rewards Center, you’d likely be better served with a different card. See our list of the best travel rewards cards to help you find the best card for your particular needs.
U.S. Bank Flexperks Gold American Express Card summary
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
Cardholders can redeem their FlexPoints to purchase travel, merchandise and gift cards. The points can also be redeemed as cash back or to pay for the card’s annual fee.
Most rewards cards, like this one, are geared towards consumers with good to excellent credit. This would typically mean a FICO Score of 670 and higher.
FlexPoints vary in value between 1 cent and 1.7 cents per point depending on how they’re redeemed.
