{"id":221077,"date":"2025-08-08T18:00:56","date_gmt":"2025-08-08T18:00:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/?p=221077\/"},"modified":"2026-04-08T14:20:03","modified_gmt":"2026-04-08T14:20:03","slug":"us-bank-altitude-reserve-card-2025-changes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/news\/credit-cards\/us-bank-altitude-reserve-card-2025-changes\/","title":{"rendered":"U.S. Bank Altitude Reserve Slashes Earnings, Limits Travel Redemptions, and Teases Transfer Partners"},"content":{"rendered":"

The changes below have taken effect, and this post is no longer being updated. Here is our archive of major updates<\/a> from card issuers and loyalty programs.<\/em><\/p>\n

The U.S. Bank Altitude\u2122 Reserve Visa Infinite\u00ae<\/sup> Card<\/a> is undergoing some big changes \u2014 both good and bad \u2014 starting December 15, 2025. On the downside, U.S. Bank is capping mobile wallet rewards, restricting how you use the card\u2019s $325 annual credit, and slashing the redemption value of points for travel.<\/p>\n

But U.S. Bank is also making some improvements: Cardholders will soon earn up to 10x points on portal bookings. And, perhaps most intriguingly, U.S. Bank is teasing the ability to transfer points to airline and hotel partners for the first time.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s a full breakdown of the updates \u2014 and our take on whether the card is still worth keeping in your wallet.<\/p>\n

U.S. Bank Altitude Reserve Card Makes Negative Changes<\/span><\/h2>\n

The U.S. Bank Altitude Reserve Card has been an “under-the-radar” premium card since it launched in 2017. While it comes with a $400 annual fee, it has been easily justified with an easy-to-use $325 credit on travel and dining purchases. Now, with the announced changes, redemption options are limited for the credit.<\/p>\n

Cardholders now must redeem their credit through the travel portal<\/span><\/h3>\n

We've seen several premium credit cards with travel credits require the use of proprietary travel portals to redeem. The $600 hotel credit<\/a> (up to $300 in statement credits semi-annually) on American Express Platinum Card\u00ae<\/sup><\/a> requires a pre-paid Fine Hotels & Resorts\u00ae<\/sup><\/a> or The Hotel Collection<\/a> booking through American Express Travel\u00ae<\/sup> to be redeemed. Similarly, the Chase Sapphire Reserve\u00ae<\/sup><\/a> has a new $500 credit, split into biannual $250 increments, that requires a 2-night stay with “The Edit<\/a>.”<\/p>\n

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$600 hotel credit offered with American Express Platinum Card\u00ae<\/sup> applies to prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts\u00ae<\/sup> or The Hotel Collection bookings made via American Express Travel\u00ae<\/sup>. The Hotel Collection requires a minimum two-night stay.<\/em><\/p>\n

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And now, the Altitude Reserve card will require cardholders to use U.S. Bank's travel portal (powered by Booking.com<\/a>) to redeem the yearly $325 credit, and has removed dining as a category for redemption.<\/p>\n

This means that cardholders will likely lose out on hotel status benefits when booking through the portal. Most hotel programs require booking directly to receive benefits. And, if using the credit on flights, cardholders will have to contact U.S. Bank to make changes. This often creates an inconvenience when travel goes sideways, like a weather or mechanical delay.<\/p>\n

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Credit: Blake Wisz\/Unsplash<\/em><\/enter><\/figure>\n

Mobile wallet earnings capped<\/span><\/h3>\n

With the Altitude Reserve card, current cardholders earn 3x points on all mobile wallet spending made with Apple Pay, Google Wallet, and Samsung Pay. After December 15, earnings are capped at 3x points on the first $5,000 in purchases each billing cycle for mobile wallet spending. Once a cardholder is over the cap, earnings revert to 1x points per dollar.<\/p>\n

While this isn't the biggest deal in the world for a “normal” cardholder, this change reduces the overall value of the card for heavy spenders. Unfortunately, a big reason for earning points with the Altitude Reserve card was its strong travel redemption, which is also affected.<\/p>\n

Devaluation to travel points redemptions<\/span><\/h3>\n

Currently, cardholders of the Altitude Reserve card enjoy a 1.5 cents per point redemption rate for travel purchases. After December 15, that redemption rate reduces to 1 cent per point on travel purchases.<\/p>\n

This affects the value of the card, as travel redemptions are a broad, attractive spending category. A 33% reduction in the redemption rate also reduces the return for bonus category spending, like the mobile wallet category discussed above. After the changes, points earned from mobile wallet spend (up to the new $5,000 cap) will drop from 4.5% return to just 3% when redeemed for travel purchases.<\/p>\n

With the new one cent per point redemption rate, cardholders may want to redeem points for a deposit into a U.S. Bank account. You'll get the same 1 cent per point value without the restriction of redeeming for a travel purchase.<\/p>\n

Improvements to the U.S. Bank Altitude Reserve Card<\/span><\/h2>\n

While the negatives certainly outweigh the positives of these changes, U.S. Bank is making a few notable improvements as of December 15, 2025.<\/p>\n

Higher earnings for travel portal purchases<\/span><\/h3>\n

Starting December 15, 2025, U.S. Bank Altitude Reserve cardholders will earn 10x points on prepaid hotel rooms and car rentals and 5x points on flights booked through the Travel Center when using their card.<\/p>\n

New transfer partners<\/span><\/h3>\n

In a potentially very exciting development, U.S. Bank is teasing new transfer partners. However, all we know so far comes from this one line of the announcement:<\/p>\n

Transfer your Altitude Reserve points to other airline and hotel loyalty programs, providing valuable flexibility to maximize your travel.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Hopefully, we will get more details ahead of the December 15 launch.<\/p>\n

Charity contribution match<\/span><\/h3>\n

Listed in the announcement doc as “coming soon,” U.S. Bank is teasing that it will make a 100% match when cardholders “redeem points for a monetary charity contribution to a variety of nonprofits.” The list of eligible nonprofits and the redemption rate are still to be announced.<\/p>\n

Our Thoughts<\/span><\/h2>\n

The changes to the U.S. Bank Altitude\u2122 Reserve Visa Infinite\u00ae<\/sup> Card<\/a>\u00a0follow a trend we\u2019ve seen across premium travel cards: adding complexity and limiting value while sprinkling in new perks to soften the blow.<\/p>\n

On balance, these updates are a downgrade \u2014 especially for those who relied on uncapped mobile wallet earnings or flexible 1.5\u00a2 redemptions for travel. Now, you'll need to book through the U.S. Bank portal to get the most value, and the $325 credit is no longer usable on dining.<\/p>\n

However, the addition of up to 10X earnings through the portal and new point transfers to travel partners could be exciting developments. Until we know who those transfer partners are (and the transfer rate), the Altitude Reserve card remains less compelling than before, but not necessarily one to toss just yet.<\/p>\n

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