We are an independent publisher. Our reporters create honest, accurate, and objective content to help you make decisions. To support our work, we are paid for providing advertising services. Many, but not all, of the offers and clickable hyperlinks (such as a “Next” button) that appear on this site are from companies that compensate us. The compensation we receive and other factors, such as your location, may impact what ads and links appear on our site, and how, where, and in what order ads and links appear. While we strive to provide a wide range of offers, our site does not include information about every product or service that may be available to you. We strive to keep our information accurate and up-to-date, but some information may not be current. So, your actual offer terms from an advertiser may be different than the offer terms on this site. And the advertised offers may be subject to additional terms and conditions of the advertiser. All information is presented without any warranty or guarantee to you.

This page may include: credit card ads that we may be paid for (“advertiser listing”); and general information about credit card products (“editorial content”). Many, but not all, of the offers and clickable hyperlinks (such as a “Apply Now” button or “Learn More” button) that appear on this site are from companies that compensate us. When you click on that hyperlink or button, you may be directed to the credit card issuer’s website where you can review the terms and conditions for your selected offer. Each advertiser is responsible for the accuracy and availability of its ad offer details, but we attempt to verify those offer details. We have partnerships with advertisers such as Brex, Capital One, Chase, Citi, Wells Fargo and Discover. We also include editorial content to educate consumers about financial products and services. Some of that content may also contain ads, including links to advertisers’ sites, and we may be paid on those ads or links.

For more information, please see How we make money.

How to Establish a US Bank Relationship to Get Their New Travel Card

  • Million Mile Secrets

    • Signing up for credit cards through partner links earns us a commission. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. Here’s our full advertising policy: How we make money.

    Million Mile Secrets reader, Mike, tweeted:

    If I don’t currently have a relationship with US Bank, should I get the Club Carlson Premier Rewards Visa Signature® Card before applying for the U.S. Bank Altitude™ Reserve Visa Infinite® Card?

    Excellent question, Mike!

    Lots of folks are excited about the new US Bank Altitude Reserve card.  Because the card’s sign-up bonus is worth $750 in travel.  And you get $325 in travel credit per cardmember year.

    As reader Mike implied, you must have an existing US Bank relationship prior to submitting an application for the card.

    But I would NOT recommend applying for any other new US Bank cards if your goal is to get the US Bank Altitude Reserve.  Because the bank is known to have strict application rules.

    Stop! Instead of Applying for New Credit Cards, I’ll Share a Better Strategy for Establishing a US Bank Relationship

    I’ll remind y’all about the new US Bank card offer.  And share tips to establish a US Bank relationship.

    US Bank Altitude Reserve 50,000 Point Offer

    Link:   US Bank Altitude Reserve Visa Infinite Card

    Link:   My Review of the US Bank Altitude Reserve

    With the US Bank Altitude Reserve card, you can earn 50,000 points (worth $750 in travel) after spending $4,500 on qualifying purchases within 90 days of account opening.

    You’ll also get:

    Use Points From the US Bank Altitude Reserve Sign-Up Bonus and the Travel Credit for a Trip to Miami!

    The card comes with a $400 annual fee.  And only US Bank account holders are eligible to apply.

    Establish a US Bank Relationship

    To apply for the US Bank Altitude Reserve card, you must have an existing account open with the bank.  This includes:

    The terms & conditions on the card application page say you must have a relationship with the bank for at least 5 days.  But folks on Reddit have been approved for the card by going in-branch to open a new checking account and applying for the card on the same day.

    The Quickest and Easiest Way to Get the US Bank Altitude Reserve Is to Stop In-Branch to Open a Bank Account and Apply for the Card

    Technically, you can establish a relationship by applying for a US Bank card like Club Carlson Premier Rewards Visa Signature® Card.

    But the bank is known to have strict approval rules.  This means submitting multiple credit card applications in a short timeframe can make it difficult to get approved for the US Bank Altitude Reserve.

    Instead, the easiest way to establish a relationship is by opening a new checking or savings account.  You can do this online or in-branch.  Plus, according to Doctor of Credit, opening a bank account does not require a hard pull.

    You Will NOT Pay ANY Monthly Fees for a Gold Checking Account Once You Get a US Bank Credit Card

    Depending on the account, you might pay potential fees for the first month to establish a relationship.  But after you get the US Bank Altitude Reserve, you can switch to a Gold checking account, which has no fees for US Bank credit cardholders.

    Bottom Line

    The new US Bank Altitude Reserve card is attractive to folks looking to get Big Travel with Small Money.  Because the card’s sign-up bonus is worth $750 in travel.  And you get $325 in travel credit per cardmember year.

    But in order to apply of the card, you must have an existing US Bank relationship.  Instead of opening a new US Bank card to establish a relationship, I’d recommend opening a new checking or savings account.  And there are no monthly fees for US Bank Gold checking accounts after you get one of their credit cards.

    Have you applied for the US Bank Altitude Reserve card?  I’d love to hear your experience!

    Editorial Note: We're the Million Mile Secrets team. And we're proud of our content, opinions and analysis, and of our reader's comments. These haven’t been reviewed, approved or endorsed by any of the airlines, hotels, or credit card issuers which we often write about. And that’s just how we like it! :)