Every quarter, U.S. Bank Cash+ cardholders log in and pick three things: two categories that earn 5% cash back and one everyday category that earns 2%. Everything else earns 1%. The 5% rate applies to the first $2,000 in combined purchases across your two 5% categories each quarter; after that, those purchases drop to 1%.
If you forget to choose, you get 1% on everything for that quarter. That single rule shapes the whole experience of owning this card, so it’s worth saying up front.
The category menu
As of 2026, the 5% options include:
- Home utilities
- TV, internet and streaming services
- Cell phone providers
- Fast food
- Department stores
- Electronics stores
- Sporting goods stores
- Furniture stores
- Movie theaters
- Ground transportation
- Gyms and fitness centers
- Select clothing stores
The 2% choice is one of three: gas stations and EV charging, grocery stores, or restaurants. Grocery and gas purchases at discount stores, supercenters and wholesale clubs earn 1%, so if you buy most groceries at a warehouse club, that 2% won’t reach them.
There’s one more bonus: 5% on prepaid air, hotel and car reservations booked directly in U.S. Bank’s Travel Center.
Why the menu is unusual
Most rotating-category cards decide your bonus categories for you. The Cash+ lets you aim 5% at bills that rarely earn bonus rewards anywhere: electricity, gas and water, your phone plan, internet. Those are fixed costs you’ll pay no matter what, which makes the 5% predictable.
A hypothetical example: a household pays $220 a month in utilities and $180 for phone and internet combined. Over a quarter that’s $1,200, all at 5%, or $60. Add groceries at 2% on $1,800 per quarter ($36). The household earns about $96 per quarter, or roughly $384 a year, from those categories alone, before counting the 1% on everything else. A flat 2% card on the same $3,000 per quarter would pay $60, so the Cash+ adds about $144 a year here.
The quarterly $2,000 cap on the 5% categories leaves room in this example. A household that also picks department stores and shops heavily at year-end could hit it.
Pros and cons
Pros
- 5% on bills like utilities and cell phone service, which few cards reward at all.
- You choose your categories, instead of the issuer choosing for you.
- No annual fee.
- Long intro APR: 0% on purchases and balance transfers for the first 15 billing cycles as of 2026. Balance transfers must be made within 60 days of opening the account.
- Welcome bonus: $200 after $1,000 in eligible purchases within the first 90 days, per U.S. Bank’s page as of 2026. Offers can change.
Cons
- You must choose every quarter. Miss the window and everything earns 1%.
- The $2,000 quarterly cap on 5% purchases limits high spenders.
- 1% base rate on anything outside your picks, which is weak for a card you’d use often.
- 5% balance transfer fee ($5 minimum), higher than some competitors charge.
- Foreign transaction fee: U.S. Bank charges one on purchases made abroad, so this isn’t a travel card.
- Merchant coding decides what counts. A utility you pay through a third-party processor might not code as a utility.
JustMobs rating: 4.2/5.
How to use it well
- Set a calendar reminder for the start of each quarter to choose categories. It takes a minute in the app, and forgetting costs you the 5%.
- Put fixed bills on autopay with the card, so utilities, phone and internet always land in your 5% categories.
- Pair it with a flat-rate card for the rest of your spending. The Cash+ earns 1% outside its categories; a 2% card such as the Citi Double Cash handles the leftovers better.
- Use the intro APR carefully. If you take advantage of 0% on purchases, divide the balance by the number of remaining months and pay at least that much. The CFPB’s credit card guides explain what happens to a balance when a promotional rate ends.
Three sample category setups
These are hypothetical households, meant to show how the choices change with your budget:
| Household | 5% picks | 2% pick | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homeowner with high summer power bills | Home utilities; TV, internet and streaming | Grocery stores | Fixed bills fill most of the $2,000 quarterly cap without extra effort |
| Commuter who rarely cooks | Fast food; ground transportation | Restaurants | Daily meals and rides land in bonus categories |
| Family before the holidays | Department stores; electronics stores | Gas and EV charging | Seasonal shopping concentrated in one quarter |
The flexibility is the point. Nothing stops you from switching picks from one quarter to the next as your spending shifts, for example moving from utilities in summer to department stores in the fourth quarter. Just confirm your choices before the quarter starts, since purchases made before you select categories may not earn the bonus.
How it compares
The Amex Blue Cash Everyday pays 3% at US supermarkets, gas stations and online retailers, each on up to $6,000 a year, with no quarterly selection. It’s lower-maintenance and has higher caps, but it doesn’t touch utilities or phone bills. The Cash+ wins for households with large monthly bills in its menu; the Blue Cash Everyday wins for grocery-heavy budgets.
The Wells Fargo Autograph is another no-fee option, with fixed 3x categories that include phone plans and streaming. It needs no quarterly choices, but its top rate is lower than 5%.
Also worth knowing: the Citi Custom Cash, which automatically paid 5% on your top eligible category, stopped accepting new applications in May 2026, which leaves the Cash+ as one of the few customizable 5% cards still open to new applicants.
Final verdict
The U.S. Bank Cash+ rewards people who are organized. If you’ll log in four times a year, steer your utilities and phone bill onto it and use another card for everyday spending, it can earn noticeably more than a flat-rate card on money you’d spend anyway. If you want a card that works without attention, it will quietly earn 1% and disappoint you.
The regular variable APR is set by your creditworthiness; check it, along with the current welcome offer and category list, on U.S. Bank’s Cash+ Visa Signature page before you apply. Categories and offers can change.
