U.S. Bank Smartly Visa Signature
By Alex Compton · Last verified
2% base rewards, with higher earning on eligible purchases when the separate Smartly balance requirements are met.
Welcome Bonus
None
No welcome offer; U.S. Bank dropped Smartly's signup bonus
Spend Requirement
None
Annual Fee
$0
3% FTF
Credit Score
Unpublished
No issuer-guaranteed minimum score verified
Common Questions
Can investments unlock 4% on the Smartly credit card?
Not under the reviewed public earning-bonus rules. Qualifying balances must be in consumer Smartly Checking and/or Safe Debit, and an open Smartly Savings account is also required. Smart Rewards bank tiers use a different balance definition.
Does the 2.5% tier start at $5,000 or $10,000?
The current public card FAQ starts the earning-bonus tier at $10,000 in qualifying balances. The $5,000 threshold belongs to the separate Smart Rewards Silver bank tier.
Is the Smartly card’s 4% earning unlimited?
No. The higher earning applies to at most $10,000 of eligible net purchases per billing cycle. Excluded purchase categories and spending above that cap earn the base 2% under the published rules. Existing-account agreements may differ.
Historical Offers Chart
Every public offer change we've tracked. Hover for details, timing your application is worth hundreds of dollars.
| Observed | Offer | Requirement | What changed | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-11-02 | $0 | No recorded spend | Terms reconfirmedFreshness-rotation reconfirmation: US Bank's own Smartly page still shows no sign-up bonus, unlimited 2% base, and the same 2.5%/3%/4% qualifying-balance tiers. No change. | US Bank Smartly Visa Signature page, checked November 2, 2026 → |
| 2026-09 | $0 | No recorded spend | Offer ended: $250 → $0 · Spend: $2,000 → $0 · Window: 4 months → 0 monthsWelcome offer discontinued; card now relies on its 0% intro APR and tiered cash back instead | Archive record · no attached snapshot |
| 2026-06 | $250 | $2,000 in 4 mo | Terms reconfirmed | Archive record · no attached snapshot |
| 2025-04 | $250 | $2,000 in 4 mo | Bonus increased: $200 → $250 · Spend: $1,000 → $2,000 · Window: 3 months → 4 monthsEarning tiers restructured for new cardholders | Archive record · no attached snapshot |
| 2024-10 | $200 | $1,000 in 3 mo | Earliest recordLaunch offer, uncapped 4% era | Archive record · no attached snapshot |
Primary-source verification log
Append-only evidence ledger- changed
Scoped correction of card earning tiers: $10,000 starting threshold, qualifying checking/Safe Debit balances with separate Savings requirement, $10,000 eligible purchase cap and exclusions. Removed investment-balance and unlimited all-purchases claims. Full record and offer dates/history unchanged.
Fields: earningRates, tagline, creditScore, benefits, pros, cons, ourTake, editorialReview
U.S. Bank Smartly card rewards FAQ →
Source checked 2026-11-02 · spot an outdated offer? Report a correction above.
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Earning Rates
- 2%Eligible net purchases at the base rate
- 2.5%Eligible purchases with $10,000–$49,999.99 qualifying balances
- 3%Eligible purchases with $50,000–$99,999.99 qualifying balances
- 4%Eligible purchases with $100,000+ qualifying balancesEarning bonus requires Smartly Savings and qualifying consumer Smartly Checking/Safe Debit balances. Bonus applies only to the first $10,000 of eligible net purchases per billing cycle; excluded purchases and spending above the cap earn the base rate.
Credits
No statement credits, this card wins on earn rates, not coupons.
Benefits
- ✦Base earning is uncapped; higher Smartly Earning Bonus rates have a separate purchase cap and exclusions
- ✦Bank Smart Rewards tier balances and credit-card earning-bonus balances are different calculations
Why it earns its spot
- +2% base rewards without a large qualifying balance
- +Higher earning can benefit customers who already maintain qualifying checking balances
Where it costs you
- −The highest tier requires $100,000 in qualifying checking/Safe Debit balances; investments do not count
- −Higher earning has a $10,000 eligible-purchase cap per billing cycle and merchant/category exclusions
- −3% foreign transaction fee
- −A separate Smartly Savings account is required for the earning bonus
The Compound Verdict
Compare the extra rewards with the cost of keeping a large balance in qualifying checking or Safe Debit accounts. Investment assets that count toward Smart Rewards bank perks do not satisfy the card’s earning-bonus balance test. The purchase cap and exclusions also matter: this is not 4% on every purchase without limits. Check your applicable card agreement, especially for an older account.
Which balances qualify for the Smartly Earning Bonus?
The current public card FAQ requires an open Smartly Savings account funded with a $25 opening deposit, plus qualifying balances in consumer Smartly Checking and/or Safe Debit. Other account deposits and investment balances do not satisfy that qualifying-balance test. The earning tiers begin at $10,000, $50,000 and $100,000. This differs from Smart Rewards bank tiers, which can count eligible investments and begin Silver at $5,000. The card’s qualifying balance uses a 30-day average, or the shorter period since the first qualifying account opened; tier changes can take up to five business days. Existing cardholders should use their applicable agreement.
U.S. Bank Smartly card rewards FAQThe higher rate has a purchase cap and exclusions
The Smartly Earning Bonus applies to a maximum of $10,000 in eligible net purchases per card billing cycle. Spending above that cap earns the base 2%; the base rate itself is uncapped. Education, gift cards, insurance, tax, specified business-to-business categories and third-party bill-payment transactions do not qualify for the extra earning under the published rules. Excluded transactions do not consume the $10,000 bonus-eligible cap. The two-, three- and four-percent figures describe purchase rewards, not deposit APYs. This is a scoped rewards correction; the September 21 full-record date and earlier offer history are unchanged.
U.S. Bank earning-bonus limits and exceptionsReview details and sources updated 2026-10-23
This scoped update covers fees, benefit rules and application guidance. The offer record retains its separate verification date.
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