U.S. Bank FlexPerks® Business Travel Rewards Card Review

If you are looking for a card with a high redemption value for travel purchases, the U.S. Bank FlexPerks Business Travel Rewards Card is a decent option. Frequent travelers can stretch their points a long way with a higher value on qualifying transactions. Plus, heavy spenders are rewarded with a statement credit equal to the card’s annual fee.

However, racking up points may take you a while due to the card’s sub-par earning rate. The card also doesn’t include many additional perks to make up for its unremarkable rewards structure.

Decent sign-up bonus

One benefit to the FlexPerks card is its sign-up bonus – 25,000 points if you spend $2,000 in the first fourth months. This is an easy spend threshold to reach, and you can redeem your bonus for $375 worth of airfare, hotel stays or car rentals. While it is not the best introductory offer currently available among business cards, it is enough to cover a round trip flight.

Flexible earning scheme

The FlexPerks card’s earning rate is not spectacular, but it is relatively flexible. Cardholders earn 2 points per dollar on the category they spend the most in each month – either gas stations, office supply stores or airlines. If your business spends a lot on business trips, by car or plane, this can add up quickly. Plus, the category is designed to shift as your spending does. If you spend more on office supplies in one month and gas the next, you’ll earn the double points in the respective categories. In addition, FlexPerks cardholders earn 2 points per dollar with cell phone service providers and on charitable donations and 1 point per dollar on general purchases.

Altogether, this is not the most generous rewards rate you can find among business cards. Many alternatives – like the Capital One Spark Miles for Business – offer 2 miles per dollar on all purchases.

High redemption value for travel

The biggest perk to the FlexPerks card is its higher redemption value on travel purchases. If you use your card to purchase airfare, hotels or car rentals, you can use points to cover those purchases at a value of 1.5 cents per point. For rewards flights booked through the U.S. Bank portal, you’ll also get a $25 allowance for airline incidentals.

On the downside, redeeming points for cash back or merchandise is not as lucrative. You’ll only get around 1 cent per point with these options.

No transfer partners

While the FlexPerks card has several benefits for frequent travelers – such as a higher point value on travel purchases and a $25 airline allowance on reward flights – there is one big drawback for travel enthusiasts. You can’t transfer your points to any frequent flyer or hotel loyalty programs. This can be a big downside for travelers hoping to top off a miles balance with their favorite airline or stretch their points by taking advantage of a great deal.

Potential to waive annual fee

The FlexPerks card comes with a $55 annual fee and charges $10 for each employee card. While this is not a super high annual fee, the additional cost for employee cards can add up quickly for larger businesses. Plus, the card’s so-so earning rate makes it hard to make up for any additional costs.

However, cardholders who spend $24,000 in any account year can get the full fee credited back to your account – including the additional charge for each employee card. This is a relatively low spend for such a great perk, and it is below our estimated average for small businesses. By putting plenty of spend on this card, you can essentially turn it into a no-annual-fee card and boost its value.

Sub-par benefits

While the FlexPerks card comes with a few additional perks, its business benefits fail to impress. Cardholders have access to a few business management resources, but the card doesn’t come with a comprehensive suite of budgeting or employee spend-tracking tools like many business cards. However, the card does come with a few valuable perks, such as car rental insurance and travel accident insurance.

How does the U.S. Bank FlexPerks^® Business Travel Rewards Card compare to other business cards?

Despite a high point value for travel purchases and a potentially waived annual fee, the FlexPerks card might not be the best option for many users. Here are a few popular business card alternatives:

Capital One Spark Miles for Business	The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express	Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
Rewards rate 5 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel 2 miles per dollar on all purchases	Rewards rate 2 points per dollar on all purchases (up to $50,000 per year, then 1 point per dollar)	Rewards rate 3 points per dollar on travel, shipping, internet, cable, phone services and advertising purchases ($150,000 combined purchases yearly) 1 point per dollar on general purchases
Intro Bonus 50,000 miles if you spend $4,500 in the first three months	Intro Bonus Earn 15,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases in your first three months	Intro Bonus 100,000 points if you spend $8,000 in the first three months
Annual fee $95, $0 first year	Annual fee $0	Annual fee $95
Other things to know Transfer miles to airline partners Free employee cards Downloadable purchase records and year-end summaries Miles are less valuable when redeemed for non-travel purchases	Other things to know Free employee cards App to manage receipts Transfer to wide variety of airline and hotel partners	Other things to know Free employee cards Instant alerts on employee purchases 25% higher point value when redeemed for travel through Ultimate Rewards

Capital One Spark Miles for Business

While the FlexPerks card only offers 2 points per dollar on specified bonus categories, the Capital One Spark Miles for Business card includes 2 miles per dollar on every purchase – with no limit to how much you can earn. The annual fee on the Spark card is a bit higher, but you won’t be charged for additional employee cards. Plus, the card comes with all sorts of business management perks, such as purchase records and year-end summaries.

On the downside, Capital One miles are worth a bit less than FlexPoints. You can get a 1 cent per mile value when you redeem them for travel purchases, but other redemption options are worth less.

Blue Business Plus Credit Card from American Express

With the Blue Business Plus Credit Card from American Express, cardholders can earn 2 points per dollar on all purchases. However, that is capped at $50,000 in purchases per year, when your rewards drop to 1 point per dollar. Despite the cap, the Blue Business Plus card can be a lucrative option for smaller businesses. They won’t have to pay an annual fee, and they can earn double points on all eligible purchases – rather than just in particular bonus categories.

American Express is also a fan-favorite issuer of frequent travelers, due to its extensive list of transfer partners. Many major airlines are included in the list, such as Delta Air Lines.

Ink Business Preferred Credit Card

The Ink Business Preferred Credit Card has a slightly higher annual fee than the FlexPerks card, but savvy spenders can easily make up the difference. For starters, the card comes with a generous sign-up bonus of 100,000 points for cardholders who spend $8,000 in the first three months. Since points are worth 25 percent more when redeemed for travel through Ultimate Rewards, this bonus is worth up to $1,250 in travel purchases.

Why get the U.S. Bank FlexPerks^® Business Travel Rewards Card?

• You spend more than $24,000 each year and can qualify for the annual fee credit.
• You are looking for a flexible rewards rate that shifts with your spending.
• You want to redeem points for airfare, hotel stays or rentals cars.

How to use the U.S. Bank FlexPerks^® Business Travel Rewards Card?

• Redeem points for travel purchases to get the most value.
• Avoid carrying a balance on this card, as the APR can be high.
• Spend at least $2,000 in the first 4 months to earn the sign-up bonus.
• Take advantage of benefits like car rental insurance and travel accident insurance to save money while traveling.

Is the U.S. Bank FlexPerks^® Business Travel Rewards Card worth it?

If you spend at least $24,000 a year and qualify for the annual fee credit, the FlexPerks card is a decent option for small business owners seeking a flexible rewards program without much extra work. The bonus category automatically shifts each month to the category you spend the most on (gas stations, office supply stores or airlines), making it easy to rack up rewards without thinking about it. Plus, you can get a decent value out of your points when you redeem them for travel. However, if you do end up paying the annual fee each year, the rewards rate and redemption value on the FlexPerks card are less than remarkable.

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