If you stopped 100 people on the street and asked them about the best credit card, you’d likely get 100 different answers. Whether it’s a travel card or a cash-back card, the debate over the best credit card is similar to the debate between Mac and PC, or Android and iPhone. The good news is that there are numerous credit cards available with benefits that cater to everyone.
One Redditor posting in r/CreditCards claims to have found the secret credit card sauce. With 4.5x benefits on every purchase, they hope that they have found the one and only card they will ever need. As the card can also be used with Apple Pay, which is available everywhere they live, it’s good news all around.
US Bank Altitude Reserve
This isn’t the first time this particular subreddit has come out in favor of the US Bank Altitude Reserve card. There is no question this card is wildly popular with Redditors and US Bank customers in general. With 5x points on prepaid hotel and car rentals, 3x on eligible travel, and 1x on eligible purchases, there are definite benefits to using this card. In fact, the Redditor specifically calls out the 3x bonus points for mobile wallet payments, which is a definite bonus.
As a Chicago resident, the Redditor notes that Apple Pay is available everywhere, allowing them to rack up 3x points every day. Of course, it wasn’t just Apple Pay that gave this card a little extra limelight. It was also the $325 annual statement credit for travel and dining purchases.
The same applies to Priority Pass at airport lounges worldwide. The same goes for the $120 statement credit for either TSA PreCheck or Global Entry. Add in a concierge service, car rental discounts, and premium benefits at luxury hotel brands, and the benefits keep on coming.
Unfortunately, there is one problem, as the US Bank Altitude Reserve card is no longer available to new customers. As of November 2024, the bank stopped taking new customers, while existing customers can continue to use their cards.
Of course, the Reddit comment section is filled with individuals who want this card to return. They’ve seen posts like this one before in r/CreditCards, and they want in on the Reserve card fun.
Best Alternative Still Available
The difficult reality is that this card was so good that the prevailing thought was it was a loss leader, hence why it was shut down. The next big challenge is that there is near-universal agreement that no other card offers the same mix of benefits. This makes it pretty challenging to find a great alternative you can still sign up for right now.
All of this said, the card that comes the closest, according to a large percentage of Redditors, is the Capital One Venture X card. Rest assured that these two cards are definitely not the same, but it’s about the closest comparison most people are comfortable with.
Where the Venture X card does stand out is with the $300 annual travel card and $120 Global Entry or TSA PreCheck credit. Not to mention, you’ll receive 10,000 bonus miles, equivalent to $100 in travel, on your card’s first anniversary. As for purchases, you earn 10 times the points on all hotel and rental car purchases made through the Capital One Travel portal.
Unfortunately, flights and vacation rentals only qualify for 5x points, while all other purchases only provide 2x points. On the bright side, you do get easy access to both Capital One lounges and 1,300 Priority Passes lounges worldwide.
Make Sure to Maximize Your Rewards
At the end of the day, what’s most important is to ensure you’re maximizing your rewards. Regardless of which card you have, consider setting up automatic payments to help keep your balance low. You should also regularly review your credit report to make sure there are no inaccuracies that could affect your credit limit down the line.
Most importantly, ensure that you strategically use your travel points and cash-back cards to maximize value. In the same way you want to look for travel bonuses, the same goes for 5% rotating category cash-back credit cards, where you enjoy extra bonuses every quarter.
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