How the U.S. Bank Shopper Cash Rewards Card Stacks Up vs. the Competition

For anyone who wants the choose-your-own-adventure credit card experience, the U.S. Bank Shopper Cash Rewards® Visa Signature® Card offers a selection of spending categories that earn up to 6% cash back. But in exchange for that high rewards rate, there’s an annual fee of $0 intro for the first year, then $95.

Rewards:

• Earn 6% cash back on up to $1,500 in combined quarterly spending at two eligible retailers of your choice from a list of 24. (See the retailers below.)

• Earn 3% back in one everyday category on up to $1,500 in spending per quarter. Eligible categories include wholesale clubs, gas and electric vehicle charging, bills and utilities.

• Earn 1.5% back on all other purchases.

You must choose your 6% and 3% categories each quarter. If you decline to do so, you’ll earn only the base rate of 1.5% back.

Sign-up bonus: Earn a $250 bonus after you spend $2,000 in eligible purchases within the first 120 days of account opening.

APR: The ongoing APR is 18.99%-28.99% Variable APR.

Other benefits: Earn 6% back on prepaid hotels and rental cars booked through the U.S. Bank Rewards Travel Center.

Here’s how the U.S. Bank Shopper Cash Rewards® Visa Signature® Card compares with other cards that earn impressive amounts of cash back.

» MORE: Credit cards that offer customizable rewards

Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express

Annual fee: $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95.

Rewards:

• Earn 6% cash back* on up to $6,000 in spending per year at U.S. supermarkets.

• Earn 6% back on select U.S. streaming service subscriptions.

• Earn 3% back at U.S. gas stations and on transit including taxis and ridesharing services, parking, tolls, trains and buses.

• Earn 1% back on all other purchases.

• Terms apply, see rates and fees.

Welcome bonus: Earn a $250 statement credit after you spend $3,000 in purchases on your new Card within the first 6 months. Terms Apply.

Other benefits:

• $84 in statement credits toward a Disney Bundle subscription (as a $7 monthly credit) when you spend $9.99 or more each month.

• Terms apply.

APR: 0% intro APR for 12 months on purchases and balance transfers, and then the ongoing APR of 18.49%-29.49% Variable APR.

How it compares with the U.S. Bank Shopper Cash Rewards® Visa Signature® Card: Both cards have similar annual fees and earn up to 6% cash back, an enviable rate. But the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express is a bit simpler to use because you don’t have to select new merchants each quarter. It comes down to where you spend more: If the bulk of your budget goes toward groceries (and you don't buy those groceries at big-box retailers like Target or Walmart), the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express could be a fit. If you’d prefer to earn more cash back on other spending, like home improvement, furniture or clothing, the U.S. Bank Shopper Cash Rewards® Visa Signature® Card offers a wide variety of eligible retailers to choose from.

» MORE: U.S. Bank Shopper Cash Rewards vs. AmEx Blue Cash Preferred: How they compare

U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card

Annual fee: $0.

Rewards:

• Earn 5% cash back on up to $2,000 in combined quarterly spending in two categories you choose, from a list. (See it below.)

• Earn 2% back on one everyday category you choose each quarter, including gas stations and electric vehicle charging, grocery stores or restaurants.

• Earn 1% back on all other purchases.

You must choose your 5% and 2% bonus categories each quarter. If not, you’ll earn only 1% back on everything.

As you can see from the list above, 5% categories include various shopping; services and utilities; and entertainment.

Sign-up bonus: $200 rewards bonus after spending $1,000 in eligible purchases within the first 90 days of account opening.

Other benefits: Earn 5% back on prepaid airfare, hotels and rental cars booked through the U.S. Bank Rewards Travel Center.

APR: 0% intro APR for 15 billing cycles on purchases and balance transfers, and then the ongoing APR of 18.74%-28.99% Variable APR.

How it compares with the U.S. Bank Shopper Cash Rewards® Visa Signature® Card: The U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card comes up a wee bit short of the cash-back rate you can get with the U.S. Bank Shopper Cash Rewards® Visa Signature® Card, but the annual fee is a hard-to-beat $0. Plus, the 5% categories are broader. Instead of, say, Macy’s, you can earn more cash back at department stores in general. If an annual fee is a dealbreaker, or you’re willing to sacrifice a top rewards rate for some more flexibility, the U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card wins out — though it, too, will require some maintenance in terms of tracking bonus categories and quarterly spending caps.

» MORE: U.S. Bank Shopper Cash Rewards vs. U.S. Bank Cash+: A clash of customizable cards

Citi Custom Cash® Card

Annual fee: $0.

Rewards:

• Earn 5% cash back on up to $500 per billing cycle in your top eligible spending category (from a list, see below), then 1% back after reaching the spending limit.

• Earn 1% back on all other purchases.

Eligible 5% categories include restaurants, gas stations, grocery stores, select travel and transit, select streaming service subscriptions, drugstores, home improvement stores, fitness clubs and live entertainment.

Sign-up bonus: Earn $200 in cash back after you spend $1,500 on purchases in the first 6 months of account opening. This bonus offer will be fulfilled as 20,000 ThankYou® Points, which can be redeemed for $200 cash back.

APR: 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months, and then the ongoing APR of 18.49%-28.49% Variable APR.

How it compares with the U.S. Bank Shopper Cash Rewards® Visa Signature® Card: The $500 monthly spending cap to earn 5% cash adds up to the same $6,000 per year as the quarterly $1,500 spending cap for the 6% merchants with the U.S. Bank Shopper Cash Rewards® Visa Signature® Card. That means with the Citi Custom Cash® Card, you’re looking at $60 less in cash back per year, assuming you max out the high-earning categories or merchants — but the Citi card's annual fee is $0. Another benefit of the Citi Custom Cash® Card is that you don’t have to select categories. You’ll automatically earn the highest cash-back rate where you spend the most that month. You also earn rewards in the form of ThankYou points, which can be redeemed for travel.

» MORE: Full review of the Citi Custom Cash® Card

Store cards

The U.S. Bank Shopper Cash Rewards® Visa Signature® Card includes the big three of big-box stores among its 6% merchants: Amazon, Target and Walmart. Here’s how it compares with those merchants’ store cards:

» MORE: NerdWallet’s best store cards

Prime Visa

The Prime Visa earns 5% cash back on Amazon.com, at physical Amazon stores and at Whole Foods Market; 2% back at gas stations, restaurants, and local transit and commuting; and 1% back on everything else. Though the annual fee is $0, you must have an Amazon Prime membership to get this card, meaning you effectively pay $139 per year. You don’t need a Prime membership with the U.S. Bank Shopper Cash Rewards® Visa Signature® Card, but if you shop on Amazon.com a lot anyway, you might already be paying for Prime.

» MORE: Best credit cards to use at Amazon

Target Circle™ Credit Card

The Target Circle™ Credit Card offers 5% off most in-store and online Target purchases. You also get an extra 30 days to return or exchange items. Note that some Target purchases are excluded from earning 5% back, such as prescriptions, Target Optical eye exams, Target gift cards and prepaid cards. The annual fee is $0, and there’s no spending cap on that 5% discount. Loyal Target shoppers who spend more than $7,200 per year there will come out on top with the Target Circle™ Credit Card. But if you don’t spend that much or you want the flexibility to switch to other merchants, the U.S. Bank Shopper Cash Rewards® Visa Signature® Card could win out.

» MORE: U.S. Bank Shopper Cash Rewards vs. store cards: When 5% beats 6%

The store card competition at a glance

Of the 24 possible 6%-back retailers you can choose from with the U.S. Bank Shopper Cash Rewards® Visa Signature® Card, many of them already offer $0-annual-fee store credit cards that earn rewards as high as 5% back. Here's a list: