U.S. Bank Olympics Credit Card Bonus — Earn Points When USA Medals!

The Beijing Winter Olympics start today, and there’s a new credit card bonus that will give you bonus points for medals won by Team USA. 

Over the course of the 2022 Winter Games in Beijing, U.S. Bank is offering a boosted welcome bonus offer on the U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card. Already, you can earn 50,000 bonus points when you spend at least $2,000 within the first 120 days of account opening — equal to $500 when you redeem for cash back, travel, and more. And for a limited time, you’ll earn additional points depending on how many medals Team USA wins.

If the Olympic team wins any number between zero and 35 medals, you can get an additional 5,000 bonus points (worth $50). And if they come home with 36 medals or more, you’ll get an additional 10,000 points added to your welcome bonus for a total 60,000 points. And that’s not just gold medals — any silver or bronze wins count as well. 

For reference, the U.S. team won 23 medals at the 2018 Winter Games in PyeongChang, South Korea — which would have been worth 5,000 bonus points under this promotion.

The limited offer is available to new applicants through Feb. 20, 2022.

The Altitude Connect Visa is a travel rewards credit card with good rewards but few other benefits. Here’s how you can decide if it’s right for you, plus other travel rewards cards with great welcome bonuses we recommend:

What to Look for In a Travel Card

A lucrative welcome bonus like U.S. Bank’s limited-time Olympics offer is a great perk, but consider the long-term value of any new credit card before you apply. 

Travel rewards credit cards often offer rewards on travel purchases, everyday spending, or some combination of both. Consider your regular spending habits to find the best rewards structure for you. If you travel very often, you might prefer the option to accumulate rewards on the flights, hotels, or car rentals you’re purchasing frequently. But if you only travel a few times each year and most of your budget goes toward groceries, gas, dining out, or other expenses, it might make more sense to find a card that earns points on everyday spending that you can use to book your next trip.

Another thing to consider is annual fees. Travel credit cards can often carry very high annual fees — even upwards of $600 for the most premium options. In exchange for the high price, you’ll often get benefits like an annual statement credit, lounge access, and more. But if you don’t use those benefits, you’re not going to get enough value from them to offset the annual fee price. Before you apply, make sure you evaluate the added perks of any annual fee travel card to ensure you’re getting value on spending you would have done anyway. 

Finally, some of the best travel cards are part of robust rewards programs that can add even more value to your spending. Programs like Chase Ultimate Rewards and American Express Membership Rewards offer a variety of redemption options for the rewards you earn, which can help you maximize every point to fit your travel plans and budget. These programs often offer redemptions through their own travel portals, or potentially even more lucrative points transfers to airline, hotel, and other travel partners. This is one area where the U.S. Bank Altitude Connect falls short, since U.S. Bank does have any transfer partner options.

Travel Credit Cards with Great Welcome Bonuses

Here’s a rundown of other rewards and benefits you can expect from the U.S. Bank Altitude Connect, along with a few of our favorite travel card picks that come with great welcome bonus offers.

U.S. Bank Altitude Connect Visa Signature Card

In addition to its limited time welcome offer, the Altitude Connect Visa Signature offers 5x points on prepaid hotels and car rentals booked through U.S. Bank’s Altitude Rewards Center; 4x points on travel, at gas stations and at electric vehicle charging stations; 2x points at grocery stores, on grocery delivery, dining, and on select streaming services; and 1x points on all other spending.

There’s no annual fee the first year, but after that you’ll pay $95 annually. Other benefits include up to $100 in statement credits toward TSA PreCheck or Global Entry, no foreign transaction fees, and a $30 streaming service credit after 11 months of streaming purchases.

Chase Sapphire Preferred Card

Chase Sapphire Preferred is our favorite rewards credit card with an annual fee under $100. For $95 annually, you’ll earn 5x points on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards; 2x points on all other travel spending; 3x points on dining, online grocery purchases, and select streaming services; and 1 point per dollar on everything else.

In addition to points rewards, you’ll get up to $50 in annual credits when you book hotels through Chase Ultimate Rewards, a 10% anniversary points bonus, and your rewards are worth 1.25 cents per point when you redeem for travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards. Plus, if you spend at least $4,000 within the first three months of account opening, you’ll earn 60,000 bonus points.

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

Unlike other travel rewards cards, Capital One Venture doesn’t require tracking bonus categories. You’ll earn a flat 2x miles on every purchase you make. However, you can get a boosted 5x miles for every dollar you spend on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel.

There’s a $95 annual fee, and a welcome bonus of 60,000 miles after you spend $3,000 within three months of account opening. You’ll also get up to $100 in credits toward TSA PreCheck or Global Entry and up to two complimentary annual visits to Capital One Lounge locations.

American Express Gold Card

With the American Express Gold Card, you’ll earn 4x points at restaurants and at U.S. supermarkets (up to $25,000 in spending each year, then 1x), 3x points on travel booked through AmexTravel.com or directly with airlines, and 1 point per dollar on everything else. There’s a 60,000-points welcome offer after spending $4,000 within the first six months of account opening.

There’s a $250 annual fee, but you can offset that if you’re able to take advantage of this card’s benefits. You’ll get up to $120 in annual dining credits, up to $120 in annual Uber Cash toward rides or Uber Eats, and up to $100 in annual credits toward qualifying activities when you book hotels through the Amex Hotel Collection.

Chase Freedom Unlimited

Chase Freedom Unlimited is a cash back card, but it’s also a great option for travelers. There’s no annual fee, and you’ll earn rewards across a number of categories. You’ll get a base 1.5% back on every purchase, plus 5% on travel booked through Chase Ultimate Rewards, 5% back on Lyft rides through March 2022, and 3% back on dining and at drugstores. 

For the first year, you’ll earn an additional 1.5% back in every category, up to the first $20,000 in spending — if you meet that threshold, that’s equal to an additional $300 in cash back. And while you can redeem your rewards for cash, you can also redeem them as points to book travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards.