U.S. Bank Business Leverage® Visa Signature® Review

Overview

The U.S. Bank Business Leverage® Visa Signature® is a category rewards card from U.S. Bank, running on the Visa network. The U.S. Bank Business Leverage® Visa Signature® earns up to 2x on office supplies, advertising, and phone bills, so it pays you the most exactly where you already spend. The $95 annual fee is waived the first year, so year one costs nothing; after that the question is whether its rewards, credits, and perks clear the $95 bar for the way you spend. New cardholders can earn $600 in rewards after $6,000 in 120 days.

It lands in the mid tier: a modest annual fee in exchange for stronger earn rates and a meaningful welcome offer. The right call depends on whether your spending and the perks clear that fee each year.

Our 4.0 out of 5 rating

Each score weighs the rewards rate, value after the annual fee, welcome offer, points flexibility, and perks, with every point valued at a flat 1 cent. This is our editorial assessment to help you compare cards, not a guarantee of approval or of the value you will get.

Rewards: how it earns

Where the U.S. Bank Business Leverage® Visa Signature® earns its rewards is its bonus categories: 2% back on office supplies (about $60 a year on the $3,000 a business typically spends there), 2% back on advertising (about $192 a year on the $9,600 a business typically spends there), and 2% back on phone bills (about $36 a year on the $1,800 a business typically spends there). Across a full year of business spending, the card returns roughly $684 in rewards before any welcome bonus, so the more your spending overlaps those categories, the better it does.

Brand and bonus rates: beyond the everyday categories above, this card also earns:

• 5x points on prepaid hotels and car rentals booked in the U.S. Bank Rewards Center

The fine print on rates: The 2x rate applies automatically to your top two eligible spending categories each month; all other purchases earn 1x.

Every point and mile above is valued at a flat 1 cent, the same honest standard we use for every card. Run your own spending through the calculator to see what this card would actually return for you.

Pros and cons

The welcome bonus

The current welcome offer is $600 in rewards, earned after you spend $6,000 in 120 days. Valued honestly at a flat 1 cent per point, that is worth about $600. Stacking the welcome offer on top of a typical year of rewards and accounting for the $95 annual fee, the first year is worth roughly $1,189.

Is the annual fee worth it?

To come out ahead on the U.S. Bank Business Leverage® Visa Signature® you need to clear its $95 annual fee, and it leans on rewards rather than credits to get there. On typical spending it earns about $684 a year. For anyone who spends in its categories, the fee is easy to justify.

Benefits and protections

Beyond the rewards, the perks and protections worth knowing about include:

• $600 in rewards after $6,000 in purchases in the first 120 days
• Points are worth 1 cent each toward cash back, travel, or gift cards
• $0 intro annual fee the first year, then $95
• No foreign transaction fees
• Free employee cards

Statement credits

This card does not come with recurring statement credits. Its value is in the rewards rate and welcome offer.

Who should get it, and who should skip it

It is best for small-business owners and freelancers who want to separate business spending, earn on it, and hand out employee cards at no extra cost.

Skip it if your spending does not line up with its bonus categories, or if you would rather not think about where you swipe at all.

Frequently asked questions

Best-card guides featuring this card