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U.S. Bank Altitude Connect Visa Signature vs Smartly Visa Signature

Both are U.S. Bank cards. Here is every spend category, ranked by what each card actually returns.

Best card by category Card terms as of Oct 29

Everything else

  1. Smartly Visa Signature 2.0% 2% base rate
  2. Altitude Connect Visa Signature 1.0% 1x base rate

Dining

  1. Altitude Connect Visa Signature 2.0% 2x
  2. Smartly Visa Signature 2.0% 2% base rate

Groceries

  1. Altitude Connect Visa Signature 2.0% 2x
  2. Smartly Visa Signature 2.0% 2% base rate

Gas

  1. Altitude Connect Visa Signature 4.0% 4x, capped
  2. Smartly Visa Signature 2.0% 2% base rate

Streaming

  1. Altitude Connect Visa Signature 2.0% 2x
  2. Smartly Visa Signature 2.0% 2% base rate

Flights

  1. Altitude Connect Visa Signature 4.0% 4x
  2. Smartly Visa Signature 2.0% 2% base rate

Hotels

  1. Altitude Connect Visa Signature 4.0% 4x
  2. Smartly Visa Signature 2.0% 2% base rate

Hotels · portal

  1. Altitude Connect Visa Signature · U.S. Bank Travel Center 5.0% 5x

Car rental · portal

  1. Altitude Connect Visa Signature · U.S. Bank Travel Center 5.0% 5x

What the numbers are doing

Altitude Connect Visa Signature's 4x on gas runs out: it applies to the first $1,000 of gas spend a quarter, and everything past that earns 1x.

Abroad the answer flips: Smartly Visa Signature charges a 3% foreign transaction fee, so once that comes off the rate Altitude Connect Visa Signature is the better card for everyday spend.

Where they differ: Smartly Visa Signature takes everything else; Altitude Connect Visa Signature takes gas, flights and hotels.

pointslipEveryday
Pass content preview
CategoryBest card
Everything elseSmartly Visa Signature2.0%
DiningAltitude Connect Visa Signature2.0%
GroceriesAltitude Connect Visa Signature2.0%
GasAltitude Connect Visa Signature4.0%
StreamingAltitude Connect Visa Signature2.0%
FlightsAltitude Connect Visa Signature4.0%
HotelsAltitude Connect Visa Signature4.0%
Hotels · portalAltitude Connect Visa Signature · U.S. Bank Travel Center5.0%
Car rental · portalAltitude Connect Visa Signature · U.S. Bank Travel Center5.0%

Content preview. Apple Wallet controls the layout; visible categories vary by device. Categories that rank the same as Everything else are left off; every other category is in pass details.

Every category, every card

Everything else

  1. Smartly Visa Signature — 2.0%
  2. Altitude Connect Visa Signature — 1.0%

Dining

  1. Altitude Connect Visa Signature — 2.0%
  2. Smartly Visa Signature — 2.0%

Groceries

  1. Altitude Connect Visa Signature — 2.0%
  2. Smartly Visa Signature — 2.0%

Gas

  1. Altitude Connect Visa Signature — 4.0%
  2. Smartly Visa Signature — 2.0%

Streaming

  1. Altitude Connect Visa Signature — 2.0%
  2. Smartly Visa Signature — 2.0%

Flights

  1. Altitude Connect Visa Signature — 4.0%
  2. Smartly Visa Signature — 2.0%

Hotels

  1. Altitude Connect Visa Signature — 4.0%
  2. Smartly Visa Signature — 2.0%

Hotels · portal

  1. Altitude Connect Visa Signature · U.S. Bank Travel Center — 5.0%

Car rental · portal

  1. Altitude Connect Visa Signature · U.S. Bank Travel Center — 5.0%
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