The U.S. Bank Business Leverage® Visa Signature® Card allows you to earn 2x points on eligible net purchases made in the top two categories where you spend the most each month. This small business credit card offers no annual fee for the first year and a welcome bonus of $750 after you meet certain purchase requirements.
U.S. Bank Business Leverage® Visa Signature® Card
BEST FOR
Expenses that shift from month to month
- Earn 75,000 points worth $750 cash back. Just spend $7,500 in eligible net purchases on the Account Owner's Card within the first four months of account opening.
- Earn 2X points per dollar spent on eligible net purchases made in the top two categories where you spend the most each month - automatically.
- Earn 1X points per dollar spent on all other eligible net purchases.
- No caps or limits on the total points you can earn.
- Earn even more rewards when you link you card to your U.S. Bank payment processing account. Only U.S. Bank rewards you for both taking payments and making purchases. Learn more at usbrelationshiprewards.com
- Free employee cards
Pros
- Personalized ongoing rewards
- Large sign-up bonus
- Unlimited points
Cons
- Requires excellent credit
- No introductory 0% APR
- Rewards have expiration
- Extended warranty protection: The issuer will double an original manufacturer’s warranty up to an additional one year for warranties of three years or less. The coverage is limited to $10,000 per item.
- Purchase protection: Protection for items that are damaged or stolen within 90 days of purchase. Coverage is limited to $500 per claim and up to $50,000 per cardholder, per year.
How We Evaluate Points Rewards Business Credit Cards
When grading points rewards business credit cards like the U.S. Bank Business Leverage® Visa Signature® Card, we consider both ongoing and introductory rewards first. We also take into account the annual fee, introductory and ongoing annual percentage rates (APRs), and other card benefits.
Grading Criteria | Card Score | Highest Possible Score |
|---|---|---|
Ongoing Rewards | 20 | 30 |
Introductory Rewards | 20 | 20 |
Annual Fee | 10 | 15 |
Features | 15 | 15 |
Introductory APR | 0 | 10 |
Ongoing APR | 5 | 10 |
Total Score | 70 | 100 |
Who the U.S. Bank Business Leverage® Visa Signature® Card Is Best For
- Business owners with expenses in several categories: The U.S. Bank Business Leverage® Visa Signature® Card offers ongoing rewards in 48 eligible categories, letting you earn 2x points per dollar spent in the top two categories where you spend most.
- Business owners who need employee credit cards: The U.S. Bank Business Leverage® Visa Signature® Card offers free employee cards with no annual fee.
U.S. Bank Business Leverage® Visa Signature® Card Fees
- Introductory APR: None
- Ongoing APR: 15.99% to 20.99% variable, which will adjust with the prime rate
- Annual fee: None for the first year—$95 thereafter for account owners
- Balance transfer fee: $5 or 5% of the transaction during the application, whichever is greater—$5 or 3% of the transaction thereafter
- Foreign transaction fee: None
- Cash advance fee: $15 or 5% of the advance, whichever is greater, with a 25.99% cash advance APR
U.S. Bank Business Leverage® Visa Signature® Card Rewards
- 2x points per dollar spent on eligible net purchases in the top two categories where you spend the most each month
- 1x point per dollar spent on all other eligible net purchases
- Welcome offer: 75,000 points—worth $750 cash back after spending $7,500 in eligible net purchases within the first four months of account opening
You can redeem your rewards as a statement credit or deposit them into your U.S. Bank business checking, savings, or money market account with a $50 minimum deposit. You can also redeem them for tickets on more than 150 airlines with no blackout dates or as gift cards from hundreds of retailers. While you can accumulate unlimited points, they’ll expire five years from the date on which they were earned.
U.S. Bank Business Leverage® Visa Signature® Card Features
Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver
When you rent a car in the United States and most foreign countries with your U.S. Bank business credit card, you’re covered up to the cash value of the vehicle in case of accident or theft. Coverage is secondary if you have personal auto insurance, which means you’ll have to file a claim with your insurance company first. U.S. Bank will reimburse you for your insurance deductible.
Purchase Protection
U.S. Bank may repair or reimburse you for items purchased with your U.S. Bank Business Leverage® Visa Signature® Card that are damaged or stolen within 90 days of purchase. Coverage is limited to $500 per claim and up to $50,000 per cardholder. Items that aren’t covered include animals, living plants, motorized vehicles, collectibles, jewelry, items for resale, and items that are lost in an unexplained manner.
Extended Warranty Protection
U.S. Bank will add up to one additional year to manufacturers’ warranties of three years or less. U.S. Bank will replace the item or reimburse you up to the amount charged on your U.S. Bank card up to $10,000. Items that aren’t covered include motorized vehicles, real estate, leased items, medical equipment, preowned items, and items purchased for resale.
Travel Accident Insurance
Travel accident insurance is provided if you die or lose a limb, sight, speech, or hearing in a plane, train, ferry, or cruise ship accident while on a trip paid for with your U.S. Bank card. The maximum coverage of $500,000 is only available in the event of death. Injuries are eligible for $125,000 to $250,000 in coverage. Self-inflicted injuries, underlying illnesses, infections not resulting from wounds caused by the accident, and injuries sustained while riding as a pilot or crew member aren’t covered.
Travel and Emergency Services
Visa will provide travel, emergency, medical, and legal assistance 24 hours a day to the cardholder, the cardholder’s spouse, or a dependent child under the age of 22. You can request assistance by calling Visa’s toll-free numbers. However, you’ll be responsible for the cost of services provided.
Lost Luggage Reimbursement
U.S. Bank will provide reimbursement up to $3,000 per trip if your checked luggage or carry-on bags and their contents are lost due to theft or misdirection from the plane, train, ferry, or cruise ship. To be eligible, the trip should be paid for using your U.S. Bank card. This benefit is supplemental to any insurance you might hold or reimbursements from the travel operator. It covers the difference between the amount claimed and what you were paid. Items that aren’t covered include motorized vehicles, tickets, perishables, business items, cellular phones, traveler’s checks, and prosthetics.
Account Management Tools
The U.S. Bank Business Leverage® Visa Signature® Card also comes with several spending controls and protections that can help your business manage risk. It includes a reporting tool, which makes it easier to track and monitor expenses with a chart that shows your spending information at a glance. A liability waiver is available, and it covers eligible transactions billed or made 75 days before or up to 14 days after you terminate an employee.
Pros & Cons Explained
Pros of the U.S. Bank Business Leverage® Visa Signature® Card
- Personalized ongoing rewards: With the U.S. Bank Business Leverage® Visa Signature® Card, you can automatically earn 2% cash back in the top two categories where you spend the most. This is advantageous for businesses that have expenses in different categories from month to month.
- Large sign-up bonus: The U.S. Bank Business Leverage® Visa Signature® Card allows you to earn as much as $750 in signup bonuses after you meet the purchase requirements.
- Unlimited points: With the U.S. Bank Business Leverage® Visa Signature® Card, you can accumulate an unlimited number of points. There are no caps or limits on the total rewards your business can earn.
Cons of the U.S. Bank Business Leverage® Visa Signature® Card
- Requires excellent credit: You need to have an excellent credit score to qualify for the U.S. Bank Business Leverage® Visa Signature® Card. If you have below-excellent credit, consider applying for other business credit cards such as Capital One Spark Cash Select Good Credit.
- No introductory 0% APR: The U.S. Bank Business Leverage® Visa Signature® Card doesn’t offer a 0% introductory APR. This may be a disadvantage for those who plan to make a big purchase.
- Rewards expire: While you can earn unlimited rewards, your points will expire five years from the date they were earned. Points are redeemed or expire on a first-in, first-out (FIFO) basis—the points you earned earlier are used before the points you earned later.
U.S. Bank Business Leverage® Visa Signature® Card Alternatives
Chase Ink Business Preferred®
Chase Ink Business Preferred® is an excellent rewards card for business owners that usually spend on travel, shipping purchases, advertising on search engines and social media sites, and internet, cable, and phone services.
Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
BEST FOR
Maximizing travel rewards at a lower annual fee
- Earn 100k bonus points after you spend $15,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $1,000 cash back or $1,250 toward travel when redeemed through Chase Ultimate Rewards®
- Earn 3 points per $1 on the first $150,000 spent on travel and select business categories each account anniversary year. Earn 1 point per $1 on all other purchases
- With Fraud Protection your card transactions will be monitored for possible signs of fraudulent activity using real-time fraud monitoring.
- With Zero Liability you won't be held responsible for unauthorized charges made with your card or account information.
- Redeem points for cash back, gift cards, travel and more - your points don't expire as long as your account is open
- Points are worth 25% more when you redeem for travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards®
- Purchase Protection covers your new purchases for 120 days against damage or theft up to $10,000 per claim and $50,000 per account.
Pros
- Opportunity to boost the value of reward points
- Offers cellphone protection and trip cancellation insurance
Cons
- Does not offer an interest-free financing period
- Charges an annual fee
- Auto rental collision damage waiver: Coverage is primary—meaning it replaces any coverage your personal insurance might offer—when renting for business purposes. It provides reimbursement up to the actual cash value of the vehicle for theft and collision damage for most cars in the U.S. and abroad.
- Cellphone protection: You and the employees named on the phone bill you pay for with your card are covered for up to $600 in theft or damages per claim. You are limited to three claims per 12-month period, with a $100 deductible per claim.
- Trip cancellation and delay insurance: If your trip is canceled, you can be compensated up to $15,000 for prepaid expenses such as airfare or hotels. If your trip is delayed for 12 hours or more, you can be reimbursed up to $500 for your hotel room, meals, and transportation.
Chase Ink Business Cash®
If your business usually makes purchases at office supply stores and spends on internet, cable, and phone services, consider applying for the Chase Ink Business CashSM card. This small business credit card offers 5% cash back on the first $25,000 spent on combined purchases in these categories each account anniversary year, allowing you to maximize rewards on your expenses.
Ink Business Cash® Credit Card
BEST FOR
Office-based businesses that want top cash back rewards
- Earn $750 bonus cash back after you spend $7,500 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening
- Earn 5% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at office supply stores and on internet, cable and phone services each account anniversary year
- Earn 2% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at gas stations and restaurants each account anniversary year. Earn 1% cash back on all other purchases
- With Fraud Protection your card transactions will be monitored for possible signs of fraudulent activity using real-time fraud monitoring.
- With Zero Liability you won't be held responsible for unauthorized charges made with your card or account information.
- No Annual Fee
- Redeem rewards for cash back, gift cards, travel and more through Chase Ultimate Rewards®.
- 0% introductory APR for 12 months on purchases
Pros
- Top rewards for office supply spending
- Introductory APR on purchases
- Cash sign-up bonus
Cons
- 0% APR doesn’t apply to balance transfers
- High balance transfer fee of 5%
- Designed mainly for office-oriented companies
- Auto rental collision damage waiver: Coverage is primary—meaning it replaces any coverage your personal insurance might offer—when renting for business purposes. It provides reimbursement up to the actual cash value of the vehicle for theft and collision damage for most cars in the United States and abroad.
- Purchase protection: Covers your new purchases for 120 days against damage or theft up to $10,000 per claim and $50,000 per account per year.
- Extended warranty protection: Extends the time period of the US manufacturer’s warranty by an additional year on eligible warranties of 3 years or less.
Capital One® Spark® Cash Select Good Credit
Capital One® Spark® Cash Select Good Credit is an excellent cash back credit card option that offers no annual fee and unlimited 1.5% cash back on all business-related purchases. This is also a good alternative for businesses that need a 0% introductory APR and those that have below-excellent credit scores.
Capital One® Spark® Cash Select Good Credit
BEST FOR
Businesses with good credit that want a 0% introductory APR
- Earn unlimited 1.5% cash back for your business on every purchase, everywhere, no limits or category restrictions.
- Enjoy a $0 annual fee in addition to the big rewards and cash bonus you can earn.
Pros
- No annual fee
- Ability to finance purchases with 0% APR for 12 months
Cons
- 0% APR doesn’t apply to balance transfers
- No sign-up bonus
- $0 foreign transaction fee: No foreign transaction fees on purchases made outside of the United States
- $0 fraud liability: Advance emergency replacement for lost and stolen card plus a cash advance
- Roadside assistance: Services such as jump-starting, tire changing, and towing
Bottom Line
The U.S. Bank Business Leverage® Visa Signature® Card offers rewards in various spending categories at a low annual fee. It also offers automatic bonus points in the top two categories you spend in each month. To find other cards that may be a better fit for your business’s needs, check out our list of top credit cards.
