U.S. Bank Altitude Go Secured Credit Card Review 2023

The U.S. Bank Altitude Go® Secured Visa® Card * The information for the U.S. Bank Altitude Go® Secured Visa® Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. offers the chance to build your credit score up while earning generous rewards on dining, as well as decent rewards on groceries, streaming and gas, for no annual fee. But its minimum deposit requirement is higher than some competing secured cards.

U.S. Bank Altitude Go Secured Credit Card basics

Annual fee: $0.
Welcome bonus: None.
Rewards: 4 points per $1 on dining, takeout and restaurant delivery, 2 points per $1 at grocery stores, grocery delivery, streaming services, gas stations and EV charging stations and 1 point per $1 on all other eligible purchases.
Other perks and benefits: $15 annual credit toward eligible streaming services.
Does it report to all three credit bureaus? Yes.
Does the issuer offer a preapproval tool? No.
Recommended credit score: New or rebuilding.

About the U.S. Bank Altitude Go Secured Credit Card

Whether you’ve never had credit before or you’re working to rebuild from bad credit, a secured card might be your best option. Secured credit cards require a deposit in the amount of your desired credit limit, but otherwise function the same as any other credit card. The U.S. Bank Altitude Go Secured Credit Card is a good option for those whose credit standing makes them a match for a secured card.

For one thing, the Altitude Go Secured charges no annual fee. It also offers an exceptionally generous rewards program for a secured card. With any credit-building card, your focus should be paying on time and building positive credit history, not earning rewards. But it certainly doesn’t hurt if purchases you’d already be making happen to earn rewards.

The card’s main downfall is that it requires a $300 minimum security deposit, while some competing secured cards accept minimum deposits of $200 or less. That means if finances are tight, putting together the deposit upfront to get this card could be a barrier for some.

It’s also worth noting the APR is extremely high: 29.99% variable APR on purchases and balance transfers. A balance transfer fee of either 3% of the amount of each transfer or $5 minimum, whichever is greater, applies. However, that’s not unusual for cards accessible to people with poor credit. We recommend always paying your card off in full rather than carrying a balance, as this should typically let you avoid interest charges thanks to something known as your credit card’s grace period.

Wondering how bad a credit score can get? Here’s what the lowest credit score is.

Pros

Earn rewards: Not all secured cards offer rewards, but this one does and at rates competitive with the best dining and restaurant cards. If you’re a foodie who is seeking to establish or repair your credit, the Altitude Go Secured offers a lot to love. Cardholders earn 4 points per $1 on dining, takeout and restaurant delivery, 2 points per $1 at grocery stores, grocery delivery, streaming services, gas stations and EV charging stations and 1 point per $1 on all other eligible purchases.
Automatic upgrade consideration: U.S. Bank will automatically consider you for an upgrade to the unsecured version of this credit card (the U.S. Bank Altitude® Go Visa Signature® Card * The information for the U.S. Bank Altitude® Go Visa Signature® Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. ) after you’ve demonstrated good card management over time. If you “graduate” you’ll also get your deposit back.
$15 annual credit for streaming services: After you’ve made at least 11 monthly payments for an eligible streaming service such as Spotify or Netflix, you can qualify for a $15 statement credit. That’s almost enough to cover the cost of one month with a standard-level Netflix membership.
No annual fee or foreign transaction fees: Some credit cards aimed at people with bad credit charge annual fees, but this one does not. Plus, there are no foreign transaction fees, so the Altitude Go Secured is a good choice to take with you if you’re traveling outside the U.S.

Cons

High APR: Carrying a balance on this card could be expensive, with an APR of 29.99% variable. To avoid incurring interest charges, pay your account off in full every month by the due date. Plus, this practice can help you with keeping your utilization ratio low, which is good for your credit score.
Security deposit is on the high side: You’ll need to part with at least $300 in order to open this card, and more if you want a higher credit limit. This barrier may be tough for some.

Rewards

4 points per $1 on dining, takeout and restaurant delivery.
2 points per $1 at grocery stores, grocery delivery, streaming services, gas stations and EV charging stations.
1 point per $1 on all other eligible purchases.

Using government data and other publicly available information, we estimate that a household in the U.S. that would be in the market for this card has about $12,544 in expenses they are likely to be able to charge to a credit card. Here’s how that could break down on the Altitude Secured:

Spending category	Spending amount	Points per dollar	Points earned
Dining, takeout and restaurant delivery	$1,763	4 points	7,052 points
Groceries	$2,471	2 points	4,942 points
Gas and EV charging	$1,505	2 points	3,010 points
Streaming	$282	2 points	564 points
Other spending	$6,523	1 points	6,523 points
TOTAL	$12,544		22,091 points

The cardholder in this example would earn a total of 22,091 points annually. However, note that what you can realistically spend on a secured card will depend on what your credit limit is — in other words, how much you can afford to deposit — and a low credit limit will limit how much you can spend on your card at one time. This card’s limit can range from $300 to $5,000.

Points are typically worth 1 cent each and do not expire. Redemption options include:

Travel
Cash back
Gift cards
Merchandise

U.S. Bank also offers a Real-Time Rewards program, which allows you to redeem points toward almost any purchase instantly.

Perks

The U.S. Bank Altitude Go Secured Credit Card offers one perk you won’t find with other secured credit cards: a $15 annual statement credit toward eligible streaming services. To earn it, you’ll need to have made at least 11 monthly payments for a streaming service such as Amazon Prime Video, Disney+ or Peacock. After that, you’ll receive a credit for $15 toward that streaming service.

How the U.S. Bank Altitude Go Secured Credit Card compares to other secured cards

U.S. Bank Altitude Go Secured Credit Card vs. Discover it® Secured Credit Card * The information for the Discover it® Secured Credit Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

If your main desire is transparency in when you might get your security deposit back, consider the Discover it® Secured Credit Card * The information for the Discover it® Secured Credit Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. . After you’ve had the card for seven months, Discover will begin conducting monthly account reviews to see if you qualify to get your deposit refunded and graduate to an unsecured credit card. While secured cards from other issuers may also offer a chance to graduate, this card stands out in offering a clear explanation of the possible timeline.

This card’s minimum deposit is $200. Like the Altitude Go Secured, the Discover it® Secured Credit Card * The information for the Discover it® Secured Credit Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. charges no annual fee and earns rewards, though its rewards program isn’t quite as generous: 2% cash back at gas stations and restaurants on up to $1,000 in combined purchases each quarter and 1% cash back on all other purchases.

That said, there’s a nice feature in your first year with the Discover it® Secured Credit Card * The information for the Discover it® Secured Credit Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. : Discover will automatically match all the cash back earned at the end of the first cardmember year. The Discover it® Secured Credit Card * The information for the Discover it® Secured Credit Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. also offers access to your FICO Score, which is useful for making sure you’re moving in the right direction in your credit repair journey. Finally, you can check if you’re preapproved before actually applying.

U.S. Bank Altitude Go Secured Credit Card vs. Capital One Quicksilver Secured Cash Rewards Credit Card * The information for the Capital One Quicksilver Secured Cash Rewards Credit Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

If you’re looking for a simpler secured rewards credit card than the U.S. Bank Altitude Go Secured card, the Capital One Quicksilver Secured Cash Rewards Credit Card * The information for the Capital One Quicksilver Secured Cash Rewards Credit Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. might be a better option. Rather than dealing with a tiered rewards program, you’ll earn a straight 1.5% cash back on purchases and 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, no calculations needed.

It’s also a better choice if you want a smaller deposit, since you can open the card with a $200 refundable deposit, instead of $300 like with the Altitude Go Secured. Capital One is also more upfront about how often it reviews your account, stating that you may qualify for an automatic credit line increase — no additional deposit required — around six months after you open the card in some cases. The card charges no annual fee, and you can check for preapproval.

U.S. Bank Altitude Go Secured Credit Card vs. U.S. Bank Altitude Go® Secured Visa® Card * The information for the U.S. Bank Altitude Go® Secured Visa® Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

U.S. Bank offers an absolute no-frills credit-building card in the U.S. Bank Altitude Go® Secured Visa® Card * The information for the U.S. Bank Altitude Go® Secured Visa® Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. . It charges no annual fee and requires a $300 minimum security deposit, which is the same minimum deposit as the Altitude Go Secured offers.

The Altitude Go Secured is clearly the better card if you’re hoping to earn rewards while you build credit since the U.S. Bank Secured Visa offers no rewards at all. But if you’ve been tempted in the past to overspend by the promise of credit card rewards, you may appreciate the fact that the U.S. Bank Secured Visa lacks that feature.

This card reports your activity to the three major consumer credit bureaus and provides access to a free credit score as well.

Should you get the U.S. Bank Altitude Go Secured Credit Card?

If you’re an avid foodie, need to build or repair your credit and are looking for a card that charges no annual fee, the U.S. Bank Altitude Go Secured is worth a look. It offers a generous rewards program to the tune of 4 points per $1 on dining, takeout and restaurant delivery, 2 points per $1 at grocery stores, grocery delivery, streaming services, gas stations and EV charging stations and 1 point per $1 on all other eligible purchases.

This card is also a good choice for those who enjoy streaming television or music, thanks to its $15 annual streaming credit for popular services including Netflix, Disney+ and Max.

That said, at $300, the minimum deposit is steeper than some competing cards. For example, the Capital One Platinum Secured Credit Card * The information for the Capital One Platinum Secured Credit Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. requires a minimum deposit of $49, $99 or $200 depending on the issuer’s review of your application, all of which result in a $200 starting credit limit.

U.S. Bank Altitude Go Secured Credit Card summary

U.S. Bank Altitude Go Secured Credit Card details
Annual fee	$0
Rewards	4 points per $1 on dining, takeout and restaurant delivery, 2 points per $1 at grocery stores, grocery delivery, streaming services, gas stations and EV charging stations and 1 point per $1 on all other eligible purchases
Welcome bonus	None
APR	29.99% variable APR on purchases and balance transfers. A balance transfer fee of either 3% of the amount of each transfer or $5 minimum, whichever is greater, applies
Foreign transaction fees	None
Reports to all three credit bureaus?	Yes
Other perks and benefits	$15 credit for eligible streaming services each year; access to your VantageScore credit score

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

U.S. Bank doesn’t disclose an exact credit score needed to qualify for the U.S. Bank Altitude Go Secured Card. However, secured cards are typically aimed at people with poor or fair credit, which is generally considered a FICO Score ranging from 300 to 669.

Yes, if you use this card responsibly by always paying on time and not maxing out your credit limit, it can help you build positive credit history and work toward a good credit score. The U.S. Bank Altitude Go Secured Card reports your payments and balance information to each of the three major credit bureaus, so your hard work will show up in the places where most lenders will be looking when you apply for credit in the future.

Yes, you can use this card to get a cash advance, even from an ATM if you prefer. However, it’ll be expensive since you’ll pay a cash advance fee and you’ll owe interest on it too. Unlike when you use your card for purchases, you can’t avoid the interest charges by paying off your balance in full each month. You’ll owe that interest whether you pay it back right away or not. We recommend avoiding credit card cash advances in almost all scenarios.

Yes, U.S. Bank will do a hard credit pull when you apply for the U.S. Bank Altitude Go Secured Card. And, unlike some other secured credit cards such as the Capital One Platinum Secured, you can’t check to see if you’re preapproved before submitting your application.