U.S. Bank Cash 365 AmEx Card: 1.5% Cash Back, Hold the Extras
The Bottom Line
4.7
If you want solid rewards with very few frills, it's a good pick. But you can find cards that offer higher rates and make for better travel companions.
Rates, fees and offers
Annual fee
$0
Rewards rate
1.5%
Bonus offer
New Cardmember bonus: $150 after you spend $500 in eligible net purchases in the first 90 days of account opening.
Intro APR
0% Intro APR* on balance transfers for 12 billing cycles
Ongoing APR
APR: 15.74%-25.24% Variable APR
Cash Advance APR: 25.74%, Variable
Balance transfer fee
3%
Foreign transaction fee
2% of each foreign purchase transaction or foreign ATM advance transaction in U.S. Dollars 3% of each foreign purchase transaction or foreign ATM advance transaction in a Foreign Currency
More details from U.S. Bank
- New Cardmember bonus: $150 after you spend $500 in eligible net purchases in the first 90 days of account opening.
- Unlimited 1.5% cash back on all eligible net purchases.
- No categories. Just use your card and earn unlimited cash back.
- Cash back never expires and no minimum redemption options.
- No Annual Fee*.
- 0% Intro APR* on balance transfers for 12 billing cycles. After that, a variable APR currently 15.74% - 25.24%
Pros and Cons
Pros
High rewards rate
No annual fee
Intro APR period on Balance Transfers
Cons
Needs excellent credit
Detailed Review
» This card is no longer available
The U.S. Bank Cash 365™ American Express® Card has stopped accepting new applications. See our best cash back credit cards page for other options. Below is our review from when the card was still available.
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The U.S. Bank Cash 365™ American Express® Card is a solid cash-back rewards card that can get the job done, although it lacks some of the sizzle you might find with other rewards cards.
Earning a 1.5% flat rate back on all spending has become the industry standard, and it makes this kind of card ideal for those who aren't interested in tracking rotating bonus categories or juggling multiple cards for different spending areas. The card can also make a lot of sense for someone who's already a U.S. Bank customer, since having an account there makes redemption easier and more flexible.
But if you're willing to put in some extra work, you can snag better rewards rates elsewhere.
U.S. Bank Cash 365™ American Express® Card: Basics
Card type: Cash back.
Annual fee: $0.
Sign-up bonus: New Cardmember bonus: $150 after you spend $500 in eligible net purchases in the first 90 days of account opening.
Rewards:
Earn an unlimited 1.5% cash back on all eligible spending.
Earnings can be redeemed in the form of a statement credit, a direct deposit into your U.S. Bank checking or savings account, or as a rewards card.
APR: 0% on Balance Transfers for 12 billing cycles, and then the ongoing APR of 15.74%-25.24% Variable APR.
Balance transfer fee: Either 3% of the amount of each transfer or $5, whichever is greater.
Foreign transaction fee:
2% of each foreign purchase transaction or foreign ATM advance transaction in U.S. dollars.3% of each foreign purchase transaction or foreign ATM advance transaction in a foreign currency.Terms apply.
Compare to Other Cards
Benefits and Perks
Simple, straightforward rewards
If you're looking for a credit card with a simple and easy-to-understand rewards structure, the U.S. Bank Cash 365™ American Express® Card delivers. Just use it and earn the same rewards rate of 1.5% on all eligible purchases, every time.
Fuss-free redemption
If you're already using U.S. Bank for a deposit account, you can take your earnings from the card directly into your U.S. Bank checking, savings or money market account in any amount at any time. Or you can apply those earnings as a statement credit to your U.S. Bank Cash 365™ American Express® Card account. The one exception is if you want to take your earnings as a U.S. Bank Visa Rewards card. In that case, earnings have to be taken in multiples of $5, starting at a minimum of $20.
Decent sign-up bonus, balance transfer offer
The card offers a relatively easy-to-attain sign-up bonus, phrased this way: New Cardmember bonus: $150 after you spend $500 in eligible net purchases in the first 90 days of account opening. And if you're looking for a break from paying interest charges on another credit card, the card offers an intro 0% on Balance Transfers for 12 billing cycles, and then the ongoing APR of 15.74%-25.24% Variable APR.
Drawbacks and Considerations
Higher flat rates are available
Earning 1.5% cash back on everything is nice, but higher flat rates are possible. The Citi Double Cash® Card earns a total of 2% cash back on every purchase: 1% when you buy, plus 1% when you pay the bill. The annual fee is $0. Or consider the Alliant Cashback Visa® Signature Credit Card, which earns 3% cash back on all purchases in the first year and 2.5% on everything after that. It does, however, have an annual fee of $0.
Higher rates available in specific spending categories
Maybe you're up for the challenge of tracking your rewards, or you know that most of your credit card spending is concentrated in a few areas like groceries or gas. A better choice for maximizing your rewards might be a card like the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express, which earns 3% cash back on up to $6,000 a year in spending in each of three categories: U.S. supermarkets, U.S. gas stations and U.S. online retail purchases. Other purchases earn 1%. Terms apply (see rates and fees).
Foreign transaction fee
A taste of another culture can benefit you in many ways. But using the U.S. Bank Cash 365™ American Express® Card internationally will hurt your wallet, as the card has a foreign transaction fee. By contrast, the Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card earns the same 1.5% cash-back rate on most purchases, but charges no foreign transaction fee.
Longer intro APR periods available
If you think you'll need a much longer intro APR period for a balance transfer, the U.S. Bank Visa® Platinum Card has you covered, and it also offers the same lengthy intro APR window on purchases. You get an intro 0% intro APR for 18 billing cycles on purchases and balance transfers, and then the ongoing APR of 17.99%-28.99% Variable APR.
If you're interesting in learning more about these cards and others, see NerdWallet's best credit cards roundup.
How To Decide If It's Right For You
If you're already doing some banking with U.S. Bank and you find it easiest to earn rewards on a card that lets you deposit those earnings right into your bank account, the U.S. Bank Cash 365™ American Express® Card can get the job done.
But other cash-back cards offer higher rewards and better perks, including no foreign transaction fees and longer intro APR offers that include purchases, too.
To view rates and fees of the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express, see this page.
The Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express earns 3% cash back on up to $6,000 a year in spending in each of three categories: U.S. supermarkets, U.S. gas stations and U.S. online retail purchases. Other purchases earn 1%. Terms apply. The annual fee is $0.
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Methodology
NerdWallet reviews credit cards with an eye toward both the quantitative and qualitative features of a card. Quantitative features are those that boil down to dollars and cents, such as fees, interest rates, rewards (including earning rates and redemption values) and the cash value of benefits and perks. Qualitative factors are those that affect how easy or difficult it is for a typical cardholder to get good value from the card. They include such things as the ease of application, simplicity of the rewards structure, the likelihood of using certain features, and whether a card is well-suited to everyday use or is best reserved for specific purchases. Our star ratings serve as a general gauge of how each card compares with others in its class, but star ratings are intended to be just one consideration when a consumer is choosing a credit card. Learn how NerdWallet rates credit cards.
