U.S. Bank FlexPerks Gold American Express Card Review

Who is the U.S. Bank FlexPerks Gold American Express Card for?

The U.S. Bank FlexPerks Gold American Express Card is a unique credit card meant for those willing to shell out a small annual fee in exchange for great travel benefits. The rewards program and perks that this card brings are extremely competitive and sit in the sweet spot between a travel card and a daily-use card. This card is ideal for a frequent traveler that wants to make the most of his or her travel expenditures. 

Although the $85 annual fee might seem like a lot in an age of zero-fee cards, the welcome bonus alone makes the fee worth it. The perks and benefits that come along with the card are especially worth the fee for seasoned travelers that expect to use this card a lot. The FlexPoints that customers earn from using this card can be redeemed for merchandise, gift cards, cashback or travel. In addition, this card also gives customers access to Amex Offers, which adds a universe of potential rewards.

With benefits that help customers build and maintain a strong credit score, this card also appeals to the younger traveler that might want to kill two birds with one stone. This card will not only help with credit management skills and responsible budgeting but also earn you rewards for your expenditures. 

Overall, this card is perfect for someone that is hesitant on spending hundreds of dollars on annual fees for exclusive travel cards but still wants significant benefits from his or her card usage. If you are starting to increase your frequency of travel and are looking to extract value out of it, this card presents a great opportunity. 

Welcome Offer

The FlexPerks Gold card does not come with a guaranteed welcome bonus. However, if you spend $2,000 on your card within the first four months of account opening, you will earn 30,000 bonus FlexPoints worth $450 on airfare, hotel stays, car rentals and more. This welcome bonus gives you rewards worth more than 5 times the annual fee, which is why it is crucial you meet the minimum spending limit. 

Rewards

The rewards that the FlexPerks Gold Cardmembers earn are mostly travel-focused, making this a very travel-friendly card. With this card, you can earn 5x FlexPoints for purchases made at prepaid hotels and car rentals, 3x FlexPoints at restaurants, 2x FlexPoints at gas stations and airlines and 1x FlexPoint everywhere else. You can redeem FlexPoints for travel, merchandise, gift cards, cashback, live events and more.

One unique reward is the Global Entry or TSA Precheck automatic statement credit reimbursement for whichever program you enroll in first. Both of these programs are life-savers for frequent flyers and allow you to enjoy expedited travel screening at dozens of airports. Also, you get complimentary Boingo Wi-Fi membership to stay connected worldwide at over 1 million hotspots. With the Global Dining Program, you can earn exclusive savings and complimentary benefits at leading restaurants around the world when you book reservations and pay with your FlexPerks Gold Card. This card can also be linked to your frequent flyer program to earn airline miles. If you redeem FlexPoints to buy flight tickets, you can receive up to a $25 airline allowance with each ticket toward baggage fees and other inflight purchases.

A very important benefit that comes along with this card is the lack of a foreign transaction fee when you use your card for purchases made outside the US. These fees can really add up so this perk is extremely beneficial for those making frequent transactions overseas.

The FlexPerks Gold Card also partners with National Car Rental, Enterprise Rent-A-Car and Alamo Rent-A-Car. This means that you can qualify for discounts if you rent a car via one of these rental companies.

This card can also be made a household card with multiple family members. If you have more than one FlexPerks credit card, you can combine all your FlexPoints to go to one loyalty number.

Annual Fee

Although the $85 annual fee might be a barrier for potential customers, we believe that if you expect to use this credit card regularly, it is definitely worth it. The benefits and perks that come along with this card make it a great travel companion, and more cost-effective than most other travel cards. 

Services and Protections

A very impressive service that this card provides is the free credit score check. Cardmembers enrolled in online banking can obtain their TransUnion^® Credit Score at no cost. This tool tracks your credit score over time, shows you how certain credit actions can impact your score, provides email alerts when there is a big change to your credit report and includes helpful information on how to maintain good financial health. This is especially helpful for the younger crowd that wants to improve or strengthen their credit score. 

Fraud protection is another benefit of getting this card. Your account is also protected with zero fraud liability, which means you’ll get reimbursed for 100% of fraud losses due to unauthorized use of your account. 

FlexControl by U.S. Bank is another tool that comes with this card that focuses on helping you manage your account in a responsible manner with high flexibility. This is a free credit card management tool that helps you avoid interest and late fees. It will provide automatic payment tools that give you the flexibility to pay off everyday purchases in full, accelerate payments to help pay down a balance faster, or pay off larger purchases over time. 

U.S. Bank also has dedicated specialists available 24/7 to assist you with any questions about your account, which can be important in case of emergencies while traveling. The card issuer also provides baggage insurance, roadside assistance, car rental damage insurance, and travel insurance for flights booked via FlexPoints. 

Cautions

One important aspect of this card to keep in mind is that the FlexPoints you earn expire five years from the end of the calendar quarter in which they were earned. While most people use their points within five years, this can be a problem for people trying to save up points for a large redemption. 

There is no intro APR for this card, which means that you get charged 14.49% to 24.49% APR on your balance from when you open this account. Also, there is a minimum interest charge of $2 on outstanding balances, which means that even if you owe a couple of cents in interest, you will be charged $2.  

Conclusion

The U.S. Bank FlexPerks Gold American Express Card is a great option for younger frequent travelers that are looking for an introductory travel-friendly credit card that can provide great rewards at a low cost. While the 5-year redemption cap and no intro APR might be drawbacks, overall, the welcome bonus and FlexPoint benefits make this card a solid intermediate credit card. It can also be seen as a credit-building precursor to more exclusive, more expensive credit cards.