U.S. Bank Visa® Platinum Card review: Solid intro APR offer, but limited long-term value
Fend off interest for a while, but don’t expect to rack up rewards with this card.
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Snapshot
3.9
Bottom line
The U.S. Bank Visa Platinum offers cardholders dedicated to paying down a balance a solid introductory offer on both balance transfers and new purchases, although its lack of rewards limits its long-term value.
U.S. Bank Visa® Platinum Card
Balance transfer intro APR
0% introductory APR on balance transfers for the first 21 billing cycles.
Regular APR
17.74% - 28.74% Variable
Rewards rate
N/A
Annual fee
$0
4.3
Bankrate score
Introductory offer
APR
Fees
Features
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Bankrate Insight
As of March 17, 2025, the U.S. Bank Visa® Platinum Card has been discontinued in favor of the issuer’s new balance transfer card, U.S. Bank Shield™ Visa® Card, which offers a record-breaking balance transfer offer. Though some may be saddened to see the Visa Platinum card go, its replacement is an upgrade that should be embraced.
U.S. Bank Visa® Platinum Card Overview
The U.S. Bank Visa® Platinum Card is useful for getting a head start on paying down existing credit card debt can be easier with a lengthy introductory APR period, especially if you need more than a year of breathing room to pay off your existing balance or finance new expenses.
While it is not the best balance transfer card offer available, the U.S. Bank Visa Platinum card carries one of the better intro periods for both purchases and balance transfers. But like most balance transfer cards, its lack of rewards hinders its ongoing value after you’ve settled your balance. If you're carrying the U.S. Visa Platinum Card but have finished paying off your balance transfer, it may be time to look at closing the card or reaching to the issuer with replacing it with another card.
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Rewards
- This card doesn’t offer rewards
Expert Appraisal: Unimpressive
See our expert analysis -
0% APR offer
- 0 percent intro APR on purchases for 21 billing cycles
- 0 percent intro APR on balance transfers (completed within the first 60 days) for 21 billing cycles
- 3 percent balance transfer fee ($5 minimum)
- 17.74% - 28.74% Variable
Expert Appraisal: Good
See our expert analysis -
Rates and fees
- No annual fee
- 3 percent balance transfer fee ($5 minimum)
- 3 percent foreign transaction fee
- No penalty APR
- U.S Bank ExtendPay® Fees (Monthly fee, disclosed upon enrollment, that doesn’t exceed 1.6 percent of the principal amount in a U.S. Bank ExtendPay® Plan or U.S. Bank ExtendPay® Loan)
Expert Appraisal: Good
See our expert analysis -
Other cardholder perks
- Cellphone protection (up to two $600 claims per 12-month period, $25 deductible)
- U.S. Bank ExtendPay®
Expert Appraisal: Unimpressive
See our expert analysis
Alternatives to the U.S Bank Visa Platinum
The U.S. Bank Visa Platinum card may no longer be available but there are other cards that have similar offerings. Here's are some alternatives that have extended intro APR periods on both purchases and balance transfers and keep cost low.
Annual fee
Intro offer
Rewards rate
Recommended Credit Score
A FICO score/credit score is used to represent the creditworthiness of a person and may be one indicator to the credit type you are eligible for. However, credit score alone does not guarantee or imply approval for any financial product.
Annual fee
Intro offer
Earn $200 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.
Rewards rate
Earn 2% on every purchase with unlimited 1% cash back when you buy, plus an additional 1% as you pay for those purchases. To earn cash back, pay at least the minimum due on time. Plus, earn 5% total cash back on hotel, car rentals and attractions booked with Citi Travel.
Recommended Credit Score
A FICO score/credit score is used to represent the creditworthiness of a person and may be one indicator to the credit type you are eligible for. However, credit score alone does not guarantee or imply approval for any financial product.
Annual fee
Intro offer
Rewards rate
4% cash back on prepaid air, hotel and car reservations booked directly in the Rewards Center when you use your card.
Recommended Credit Score
A FICO score/credit score is used to represent the creditworthiness of a person and may be one indicator to the credit type you are eligible for. However, credit score alone does not guarantee or imply approval for any financial product.
Bankrate’s Take — The U.S. Visa Platinum will be missed, but not for long
The U.S. Bank Visa Platinum is a solid option if you just need an above-average timeframe to finish paying off your credit card debt. Its cellphone protection and relatively low balance transfer fee give it an edge over other balance transfer cards, but a rewards card with a solid intro APR and sign-up bonus could be much more rewarding down the road. Not to mention its replacement, the U.S. Bank Shield™ Visa® Card, has a 24-month balance transfer offer that blows its competition away.
So, while the U.S. Visa Platinum was a great option for those who wanted a long balance transfer offer, there are still stronger options on the market that include both length intro APR offers and rewards without an annual fee.
How we rated this card
Our proprietary card rating system takes into account a mix of factors when scoring balance transfer and low-interest cards, including each card’s introductory APR, intro APR period length, ongoing APR, balance transfer fee, perks and more.
While balance transfer and low-interest cards share a similar ratings rubric, we weigh features differently based on how a card is categorized. We categorize cards that carry an especially long intro APR offer on balance transfers as dedicated balance transfer cards, while cards that offer an especially low ongoing APR are considered general low-interest cards.
Based on its features, we assigned this card a primary category of balance transfer / low interest and tailored our ratings accordingly.
We analyzed over 100 of the most popular balance transfer and low-interest cards and scored each based on how its key features stacked up against those of other cards in its category.
Here’s a breakdown of what gave this card its score:
What cardholders think
U.S. Bank Visa® Platinum Card
In May 2024 and March 2025, Bankrate collaborated with a third-party vendor to survey 8170 cardholders nationwide. Bankrate and our vendor collected, averaged and presented website analytics and cardholder responses to six questions on a 5-point scale. Responses are based on individual cardholder's product details, and therefore cannot be verified for accuracy. Users received an incentive for their feedback. User ratings are unedited and have not been reviewed or approved by credit card issuers, nor do these ratings reflect Bankrate's own reviews of these cards.
Community Reviews
* See the online application for details about terms and conditions for these offers. Every reasonable effort has been made to maintain accurate information. However all credit card information is presented without warranty. After you click on the offer you desire you will be directed to the credit card issuer's web site where you can review the terms and conditions for your selected offer.
Editorial Disclosure: Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, and have not been reviewed or approved by any advertiser. The information, including card rates and fees, is accurate as of the publish date. All products or services are presented without warranty. Check the bank’s website for the most current information.