US Bank FlexPerks Travel Rewards Card

[projectx]

Any opinions on this card?
https://www.usbank.com/credit-cards/flexperks-travel.html
With the category bonus, which is basically unlimited, this appears to essentially be a 4x card when used to book flights through their portal. Or a net 6x on charitable donations. Most if not all major carriers are available.

That all sounds great yet it gets hardly any chatter. What's the catch?

 

[Matt]

Great card, US bank are harder to apply for, but certainly nice for Kiva.

 

[TheBOSman]

I have it, the double points on groceries is helpful as well to MS with if you can redeem flights close to max value. It ends up being a significant savings if you book a lot of $400+ flights. Some reports of shutdown for heavy 2x category spend though.

 

[Matt]

I have it, the double points on groceries is helpful as well to MS with if you can redeem flights close to max value. It ends up being a significant savings if you book a lot of $400+ flights. Some reports of shutdown for heavy 2x category spend though.

I was wondering about that $400 - can you apply 20K pts to a flight >$400 and therefore max it out?

 

[TheBOSman]

I was wondering about that $400 - can you apply 20K pts to a flight >$400 and therefore max it out?

No, it works at the intervals. A $400 flight is 20,000 points. A $400.01 flight is 30k points. A $600 flight is 30k points. And so on. I used mine on a $389 flight.

 

[Matt]

No, it works at the intervals. A $400 flight is 20,000 points. A $400.01 flight is 30k points. A $600 flight is 30k points. And so on. I used mine on a $389 flight.

Yeah that is what I thought, I just wondered if you could cash in a voucher for less and pay up the balance also... else it, like the DoubleCash isn't quite as good as it appears (still good mind you) but it makes people assume:

Or a net 6x on charitable donations

When really it wouldn't be that, other than a very rare occasion.

I enjoy the skullduggery of these credit card guys, I am just glad they haven't hired any of our people to tighten up the ship!

 

[projectx]

No, it works at the intervals. A $400 flight is 20,000 points. A $400.01 flight is 30k points.

I was aware of that, but I was under the impression (wrongly?) that the points needed is based on the total of your tickets. So let's say you have a family of 5 and your tickets are $300 you need 75,000 points. But since they make you book in intervals, in reality you need 100,000 points?

Some reports of shutdown for heavy 2x category spend though.

And there lies the problem. I was looking to MS $5k to $6k a month on this card. Plus I do all of my banking at US Bank.

 

[Sesq]

I was aware of that, but I was under the impression (wrongly?) that the points needed is based on the total of your tickets. So let's say you have a family of 5 and your tickets are $300 you need 75,000 points. But since they make you book in intervals, in reality you need 100,000 points?

My understanding is each ticket is its own redemption. So my goal is 80K for 4 sub $400 tix. I am at 56K right now including the more recent Olympic bonus.

And there lies the problem. I was looking to MS $5k to $6k a month on this card. Plus I do all of my banking at US Bank.

I have been doing $4-5k per mo the last 3 mos, $1-3k the 3 mos prior (just worked that way, not a master ramp up plan), and I only use it in the grocery and charity categories. I am planning to sit at $5k /mo from here on out (Hint, Target is grocery).

 

[taxicabnumber]

To offset the "not exactly $400 for 20k points" issue, note that you get a $25 credit with each FlexPoints redemption -- which you can of course use to buy yourself an airline GC. So really, any ticket over $375 on AA/DL/UA/AS/B6/etc (but notablly not US Airways -- they no longer sell GCs, instead suggesting you buy AA ones) nets you the full 2 cents per point, and then some.

Can be really handy for peak season too, if you wanted something like a one-way transcon on Thanksgiving Sunday ...

Also, with respect to Kiva, note that if you play your cards right, this card gives an almost 12% annual return on funds invested into Kiva if redeemed for flights optimally -- better than many investments out there! Why? Because you can find plenty of 6-month Kiva loans with low risk; you get paid back then immediately re-"invest" them (paying by CC of course). As a hypothetical example, let's say you did the following:

1. Make $10K in Kiva loans on January 1. Earn 30k FlexPoints, aka ~$600 for travel.
2. Get paid back by July (a lot of loans pay back monthly, but for simplicity let's pretend you get a lump sum at the end)
3. Get those funds back into your bank account. Immediately make another $10K in Kiva loans, funding by CC of course.
4. You'll get paid back by January 1. Rinse, repeat!

That is, at no point have you had more than $10K in float throughout the course of a year. You've made ~$1200 to spend toward revenue flights. Sure, there's a bit of downside risk (default etc) but if you pick your loans right (use kivalens.com) the expected loss is minimal. At the absolute worst, if shit hits the fan, you can still pretty safely expect a net of >$1000 for the year on your $10K float.


TL;DR: The card can be a pain in the ass, and US Bank isn't the best bank out there to deal with, but if you use this card optimally and can afford some float it can be very lucrative with a high underpants factor.

 

[Differentplanet]

....
Also, with respect to Kiva, note that if you play your cards right, this card gives an almost 12% annual return on funds invested into Kiva if redeemed for flights optimally --....

I've a similar approach. But be sure that you can handle the losses. I only used the highest ranked field partners. I currently have ~$1000 in delinquency.

 

[smittytabb]

Nice discussion here. This card is good for AFT, but check to make sure the store and even register you are at codes as a grocery as they can differ. Have been meaning to use for KIVA so appreciate these tips. Any other advice regarding how to choose the best loans? Frequentmiler has some good posts about this card. As someone who does still go for status with AA, I appreciate that it can be used for paid fares still netting EQMs. It is also a good one for paid F if it is not any higher in the same "bucket" for redemption. It takes some creativity to use this card well but it is an interesting tool in the arsenal.

 

[taxicabnumber]

Nice discussion here. This card is good for AFT, but check to make sure the store and even register you are at codes as a grocery as they can differ. Have been meaning to use for KIVA so appreciate these tips. Any other advice regarding how to choose the best loans? Frequentmiler has some good posts about this card. As someone who does still go for status with AA, I appreciate that it can be used for paid fares still netting EQMs. It is also a good one for paid F if it is not any higher in the same "bucket" for redemption. It takes some creativity to use this card well but it is an interesting tool in the arsenal.

kivalens.org is my go-to. I've got my filters set to rating > 3.5, default < 0.5%, delinquency < 1.7%, repayment term < 8 months, and sort by repayment term. I generally don't choose anything with a repayment term of 7 or more months (sometimes you'll see, e.g., 6.2, but that has to do with the day of the month you get repaid on), although sometimes I'll make exceptions if I think the loan is cool (isn't that what Kiva "should" be about, after all?). I'll do either $25 or $50 per loan, almost never more.

 

[James from BNA]

Has anyone figured out a way to do $399.99 in hotel stays for 20,000 points? I've searched every way to Sunday and can only get the 20k for $400 if I include a flight.

If there was a way to redeem on Southwest this card would be much more useful.

 

[taxicabnumber]

The redemption chart is different for hotels. IIRC 10k points = $150, and upward with that same ratio. Best off redeeming for flights IMO...

 

[Cyclops]

I have both the business and the personal versions and use this card heavily for Kiva. I do carry a large float but so far the benefits have been worth it. I have several loans in default or delinquency, but again the benefits are worth more.

Unfortunately my local Target store does not count towards 'grocery'

 

[projectx]

Has anyone figured out a way to do $399.99 in hotel stays for 20,000 points? I've searched every way to Sunday and can only get the 20k for $400 if I include a flight.

If there was a way to redeem on Southwest this card would be much more useful.

According to the link on the card's webpage, Southwest is on the list of participating airlines. Has your experience shown otherwise?
http://www.arccorp.com/support/participating-carriers.jsp

I had no idea you can use this for hotel stays. Is it on the webpage? I can't seem to find any info on this, other than "Redemption starts at just 5,000 FlexPoints for merchandise, gift cards, statement credits and more."

I'm seriously considering switching banks for this card (don't poop where you eat). I'll have to do some searching for more data points to see how much MS you can put on this card. I'm hoping $5k will be ok, similar to Sesq. If you can also use this card for hotels that's huge, even with the lower point ratio vs airlines. If that's the case, does it become more valuable than the Barclaycard?

 

[madage]

According to the link on the card's webpage, Southwest is on the list of participating airlines. Has your experience shown otherwise?
http://www.arccorp.com/support/participating-carriers.jsp

I had no idea you can use this for hotel stays. Is it on the webpage? I can't seem to find any info on this, other than "Redemption starts at just 5,000 FlexPoints for merchandise, gift cards, statement credits and more."

I'm seriously considering switching banks for this card (don't poop where you eat). I'll have to do some searching for more data points to see how much MS you can put on this card. I'm hoping $5k will be ok, similar to Sesq. If you can also use this card for hotels that's huge, even with the lower point ratio vs airlines. If that's the case, does it become more valuable than the Barclaycard?

I've redeemed Flexpoints for hotel stays. Redemption rate maxes out at $0.015 per flexpoint for hotel stays.

 

[taxicabnumber]

If that's the case, does it become more valuable than the Barclaycard?

Entirely depends on where you MS (or do real spend, I suppose). If you MS with Kiva/at grocery stores... then an emphatic YES. This is how I get a non-trivial portion of my domestic airfare. (I travel a lot, but mostly for leisure/my SO lived on the other coast until three weeks ago)

If your MS primarily consists of non-bonused spend [edited] then Arrival is better. Also, Arrival redemption is much more straightforward (just redeem however many points you need, don't need round numbers) whereas to maximize the value of FlexPerks you need ticket/hotel prices that are slightly below the thresholds (e.g. $145 hotel, $395 roundtrip airfare). Still, if your hotel is between $110 and $150 (or your flight is between $220 and $400) and you're MSing at grocery stores, you come out ahead (in terms of dollars you need to "spend" in order to have enough points for the redemption). If you MS at Kiva, then obviously this card is a no-brainer.

RE: your other point, I haven't heard of too many (any?) US Bank shutdowns for MSing. Whether this is due to fewer data points or US Bank not giving a damn, I don't know.

 

[James from BNA]

According to the link on the card's webpage, Southwest is on the list of participating airlines. Has your experience shown otherwise?
http://www.arccorp.com/support/participating-carriers.jsp

I had no idea you can use this for hotel stays. Is it on the webpage? I can't seem to find any info on this, other than "Redemption starts at just 5,000 FlexPoints for merchandise, gift cards, statement credits and more."

I'm seriously considering switching banks for this card (don't poop where you eat). I'll have to do some searching for more data points to see how much MS you can put on this card. I'm hoping $5k will be ok, similar to Sesq. If you can also use this card for hotels that's huge, even with the lower point ratio vs airlines. If that's the case, does it become more valuable than the Barclaycard?

I haven't figured out a way to redeem on Southwest. Southwest never shows up in the search results. If you figure out how to do this, let me know. This card will replace Arrival as my #2.

I've done $20k/month on this card no problem.

 

[smittytabb]

I think this card has an interesting niche. I have yet to redeem as I am hoarding points for a more expensive fare and want to wait until next year to do it in a new miles earning cycle. I also still need to get going with Kiva loans with it. That will be my next thing to sort out. I like that it can be used with AFT as grocery at Target where I am. And it is another tool in the arsenal. I use Arrival+ for different things, mostly nonbonused spend. And I try to use it for hotel incidentals on award stays, trains and other miscellaneous travel that are easy to redeem. And I did use it for tax payments this year as a break even in order to get rid of some travel redemptions that were needing to be taken care of.

 

[Sesq]

I haven't figured out a way to redeem on Southwest. Southwest never shows up in the search results. If you figure out how to do this, let me know. This card will replace Arrival as my #2..

In older threads (2011-ish?) at FT the suggestion was you need to call to do it. Also, since it was a call in, the web only "wanna getaway" fares were not an option. I also believe there was conflicting discussion about getting a SW refundable fare and then trying to cancel and rebook (e.g. find a full fare $399 dollar tix, book it, then change it into 2 $200 web fares). I am going from memory (for all this), but it looked like that ran the risk that the refund would route back to US Bank, and then you have an issue to sort out.

 

[projectx]

Entirely depends on where you MS (or do real spend, I suppose). If you MS with Kiva/at grocery stores... then an emphatic YES.

That what I figured. If you use it only at grocery stores and use it for airfare, this card is at worst a 3% return. A 4 to 5% return doesn't sound all that difficult. I'm surprised this card doesn't get more attention.

 

[smittytabb]

That what I figured. If you use it only at grocery stores and use it for airfare, this card is at worst a 3% return. A 4 to 5% return doesn't sound all that difficult. I'm surprised this card doesn't get more attention.

I agree. And they just started having no foreign transaction fees as a new feature too!

 

[taxicabnumber]

My guess is it's in part due to smaller signup bonuses/maybe US Bank pays smaller commissions than everyone's beloved "70K OFFER MUST ACT NOW!!!!!". Also, US Bank's website looks like it was thrown together in about 6 total hours of work back in 1999, without having been updated since, which doesn't really help their case.

 

[projectx]

I agree. And they just started having no foreign transaction fees as a new feature too!

Where did you see this? Maybe it hasn't been updated yet but their T&C posted online still has the 3% fee listed.

 

[madage]

Where did you see this? Maybe it hasn't been updated yet but their T&C posted online still has the 3% fee listed.

I got a slowmail notice. Not sure the effective date.

 

[smittytabb]

Where did you see this? Maybe it hasn't been updated yet but their T&C posted online still has the 3% fee listed.

It was in my bill. It started September 1. At this website, enter your FlexPerks number (can be found on website) and last four digits of your account number (if you have one) and it will show up.

https://flexperkspromos.usbank.com/index.cfm/main/login

 

[Fuerza]

Has anyone seen the Amex version of FlexPerks?

https://m.usbank.com/mobile-web/credit-cards/flexperks-travel-rewards-american-express-card.html?prtype=cc&prid=CC-34

1 point everywhere.
2 points at Airlines, Gas or Grocerys.
2 points on cell phones.
2 points at restaurants.
3 points for charity.

 

[taxicabnumber]

Has anyone seen the Amex version of FlexPerks?

https://m.usbank.com/mobile-web/credit-cards/flexperks-travel-rewards-american-express-card.html?prtype=cc&prid=CC-34

1 point everywhere.
2 points at Airlines, Gas or Grocerys.
2 points on cell phones.
2 points at restaurants.
3 points for charity.

Yep, got a mailer for this ("you're pre-approved for half the publicly available signup bonus! Congrats!"). The 2 points at restaurants could be interesting for someone without a grandfathered Citi Forward card -- everything else is identical to the Visa version (most importantly, the 3x charity)...

 

[Gooselator]

Just a data point. Just received this card in early December, tried to use at Kroger's to buy 4 $500 GC. Got charge not approved, spent over 1 1/2 hours on various hold with different CSRs. Finally fraud dept supervisor said he would give me 10,000 miles for my trouble that would show on my first statement. Also, stayed on the phone with me while I tried transaction again with Kroger CSR manually inputting card number. Tried same thing next day different K store with different fraud dept rep on phone. Would not work. Was told by same rep that it would take a couple of billing cycles before the card would work for large purchases. Their computer program would have to learn my purchasing rhythms! They saw fit to give me $22,000 CL and still this! US bank sure is tough. I've never seen anything like it

 

[madage]

Just a data point. Just received this card in early December, tried to use at Kroger's to buy 4 $500 GC. Got charge not approved, spent over 1 1/2 hours on various hold with different CSRs. Finally fraud dept supervisor said he would give me 10,000 miles for my trouble that would show on my first statement. Also, stayed on the phone with me while I tried transaction again with Kroger CSR manually inputting card number. Tried same thing next day different K store with different fraud dept rep on phone. Would not work. Was told by same rep that it would take a couple of billing cycles before the card would work for large purchases. Their computer program would have to learn my purchasing rhythms! They saw fit to give me $22,000 CL and still this! US bank sure is tough. I've never seen anything like it

Interesting. I don't think I've gotten a single fraud alert on my FlexPerks. I've been using it for $2,000+ AFT loads for months.

 

[taxicabnumber]

Interesting. I don't think I've gotten a single fraud alert on my FlexPerks. I've been using it for $2,000+ AFT loads for months.

I'm in the same boat (not AFT, but large grocery store + Kiva purchases). The funny thing about this card is that their algorithms are shitty enough that you can either MS on it or use it for everyday spending. But absolutely, positively, definitely, not both.

 

[skibum3d]

Is US Bank normally stingy with credit lines? I was approved for the Flexperks yesterday and I was given a much smaller credit line ($5k) than I've gotten with every other issuer; it's a pain to deal with small CLs like that, but I can manage.