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

Overview

The U.S. Bank Business Leverage is a flexible business card that pays 2% on everything plus an automatic extra bonus on your top two spending categories each month, for a $95 fee. The auto-adjusting bonus is a nice touch, since it follows wherever your business spends most without you choosing.

It is a solid, adaptive earner, but the fee means you want enough spending to make the extra earning worthwhile.

Our 6.8 out of 10 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

You earn 2% on everything, plus an elevated rate on your top two spending categories each month, chosen automatically. The auto-adjusting bonus adapts to your business, which is convenient, and it lifts the effective rate above a flat 2% where your spending concentrates.

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 welcome bonus is solid: $600 in rewards after $6,000 in 120 days. A good year-one payout for a business that can hit the spend.

Is it worth the annual fee?

The $95 fee needs enough spending for the extra category bonus to outweigh it. For a business with real volume, the auto-adjusting bonus can justify the fee; for lighter spenders, a free 2% business card avoids it.

First-year value vs ongoing value

The welcome bonus makes year one the high point: roughly $1,189 in value once you count the bonus, this card’s rewards, and its credits, minus the $95 fee. After that, the honest figure is about $589 a year, so judge whether it earns its keep on the ongoing number, not the first-year headline.

*First-year value counts the welcome bonus, estimated rewards, and annual credits, minus the annual fee; ongoing value is a typical year after. Every point at a flat 1 cent, on average spending.

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

If your business spends enough and you like the idea of an automatic bonus on your top categories, the Business Leverage is a nice adaptive earner that beats a flat 2% where you spend most.

If your spending is modest, a free 2% business card gives you the base rate without the fee. The Leverage makes the most sense for higher-volume businesses.

Frequently asked questions

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