July 24, 2019 By Brian Biros
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INSIDER SECRET: Purchase Security protects items for 90 days after purchase in case of theft or damage, even if the damage is your fault!
The US Bank FlexPerks Travel Rewards Credit Card is definitely one of the most underrated travel credit cards. Currently, you can earn 25,000 FlexPoints after spending $2,000 on purchases in the first four months of opening. These points are worth $375 in travel when redeemed for travel expenses such as airfare, hotel stays, car rentals and cruises.
The US Bank FlexPerks Travel Rewards Credit Card also features several bonus categories on spend, a valuable redemption rate of 1.5 cents per point when booking through the US Bank travel portal and $25 airline reimbursem*nt for baggage fees, infllight food and other incidentals redeemed flights – all for a low annual fee of $49 (waived for the first year).
However, theUS Bank FlexPerks Travel Rewards Credit Card benefits that are less publicized can get you even more value out of this already valuable card. It is a Visa Signature card, which comes with a range of valuable travel and purchase protections. I’ll break down these benefits so you don’t miss any coverage opportunities.
US Bank FlexPerks Travel Rewards Credit Card Benefits
Apply Here: US Bank FlexPerks Travel Rewards Credit Card
Read our review of the US Bank FlexPerks Travel Rewards Credit Card
Travel Benefits
TheUS Bank FlexPerks Travel Rewards Credit Card is geared to the frequent traveler, so it should be no surprise it also comes with an arsenal of travel benefits.
$25 Airline Allowance on FlexPerks Award Flights
Perhaps the most unique and valuable benefit of theUS Bank FlexPerks Travel Rewards Credit Card is the $25 airline allowance for each round-trip award travel ticket. These are the steps to utilize this perk:
- Book a round-trip award through the FlexPerks Rewards Center online or by phone redeeming a minimum of 10,000 points (worth $150)
- Use yourUS Bank FlexPerks Travel Rewards Credit Cardto pay for an airline charge on the days of or between your flights. US Bank specifies that any charge that appears under the airline carrier providing your award flight qualifies for the reimbursem*nt. This could include baggage fees, inflight food or alcoholic drinks and upgrades to priority boarding and better seats.
- Call the number on the back of your card within 90 days of the qualified purchase and request a statement credit for the purchase, up to $25.
The best part about this perk is there is no limit to how many times you can use it. If you have several passengers on FlexPerks award flights, everyone gets the $25 allowance. And you get it again and again on every FlexPerks round-trip award flight worth at least $150.
No Foreign Transaction Fees
Don’t worry about foreign transaction fees with theUS Bank FlexPerks Travel Rewards Credit Card. Use it anywhere in the world. This is a nice perk for a card with no annual fee the first year and only $49 after that.
Car Rental Insurance
Nobody likes extra charges on car rentals, and you don’t have to worry about them when you pay the full amount of your rental with yourUS Bank FlexPerks Travel Rewards Credit Card. If you decline the Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) offered by the rental agency, your card has you covered up to the value of the car if any of these should happen:
- Physical damage and/or theft of the rental vehicle
- Towing charges associated with physical damage or theft
- Valid loss-of-use charges imposed and substantiated by the rental car agency
However, there are some important conditions to this coverage you should be sure to understand:
- This is secondary car rental coverage, meaning it applies to charges not covered by personal insurance you carry, but it reimburses you for your personal insurance deductible
- Coverage is only valid for rentals of 15 days or less domestically and 31 days or less internationally
- Exotic and antique vehicles, trucks, motorbikes, RVs and vans designed for more than eight passengers are not covered
- The benefit applies in all countries except Israel, Jamaica, Ireland and Northern Ireland
Also, credit card car rental insurance benefits do not include liability coverage, but if you have personal rental car insurance it’s often included. In this case, you can decline all coverage offered by rental car agency, even if the sales agent gets pushy. That can save you hundreds on your rental, and potentially thousands if you have an accident.
However, there are somecredit cards that offer primary car rental coverage, so if you carry one of those cards, that’s likely a better option for car rentals.
Roadside Dispatch
Another benefit of theUS Bank FlexPerks Travel Rewards Credit Cardis the pay-per-use roadside assistance program. For a fee of $69.95, Roadside Dispatch will send a reliable tow truck operator or locksmith to assist you. The rate is pre-negotiated and usually far less than you’d have to pay on the spot. The following services are covered:
- Standard towing (up to five miles)
- Tire changing (must have a spare)
- Jump starting
- Lockout service
- Fuel delivery (up to five gallons and must pay for fuel)
- Standard winching
To use this benefit, call 800-847-2869 (24 hours a day, seven days a week), from anywhere in the country. No membership or enrollment is needed.
There are some cards that don’t charge a fee for roadside assistance (with limits), like the Chase Sapphire Reserve, so if you have this card, that’s likely a better option.
Lost Luggage Reimbursem*nt
If your checked or carry-on luggage is lost by an airline or transportation provider, you are eligible for reimbursem*nt.
Travel Accident Insurance
If you purchase your travel with yourUS Bank FlexPerks Travel Rewards Credit Cardyou will be covered with Accidental Death and Dismemberment Insurance. It’s not something we want to think about while traveling, but that why insurance exists — so we don’t have to stress about it.
Travel and Emergency Assistance Services
If you need emergency assistance when traveling, yourUS Bank FlexPerks Travel Rewards Credit Cardcan help coordinate medical, legal and travel services. You are responsible for the cost of these services, but this is good peace of mind if you are traveling to a country where you have no contacts. Call 1-800-992-6029 to use this service.
Visa Signature Luxury Hotel Collection Benefits
As aUS Bank FlexPerks Travel Rewards Credit Card holder, you can book your hotel stays through the Visa Signature Luxury Hotel Collection site and receive perks such as:
- Room upgrade
- Free Wi-Fi
- Free breakfast for two
- $25 food or beverage credit
- Late check-out
Be sure to check hotels and prices on the Visa Signature Luxury Hotel Collection website to get access to these VIP benefits.
Car Rental Discounts
US Bank has partnerships with National Car Rental, Enterprise and Alamo to offer discounts toUS Bank FlexPerks Travel Rewards Credit Cardmembers, along with perks such as a free car class upgrade. Check theFlexPerks Card Benefit Sitefor a current list of promotions.
However, there are many travel and membership partnerships that offer car rental discounts, so be sure to compare prices against all discounts available to you. Promotions change all the time, so there is no consistency in the best deals.
Shopping Benefits
While it is a great travel rewards credit card, the US Bank FlexPerks Travel Rewards Credit Cardhas valuable benefits for shopping as well.
Extended Warranty Protection
For any purchases made with your US Bank FlexPerks Travel Rewards Credit Card, the extended warranty is doubled for warranties of less than one year and extended by one year for warranties that last between one and three years.
Youhave to pay with your US Bank FlexPerks Travel Rewards Credit Cardin full at the time of purchase for extended warranty protection to apply. Leased items or installment plans do not qualify. Also, the benefit is excluded from purchases of the following items:
- Boats, automobiles, aircraft and any motorized vehicles along with their equipment and accessories
- Items that are meant to become part of real estate, such as hard-wiring, plumbing, garage doors and ceiling fans
- Items purchased for resale, professional or commercial use
- Computer software
- Medical equipment
- Used or pre-owned items
No registration is required. The extended warranty happens automatically.
Purchase Security
For items you’ve purchased fully with your US Bank FlexPerks Travel Rewards Credit Card, Purchase Security will replace, repair or reimburse in case of theft or accidental damage within 90 days of purchase. This can be really valuable for incidents that aren’t covered by warranty.
Other Benefits
On top of the travel and shopping benefits already mentioned, theUS Bank FlexPerks Travel Rewards Credit Cardcomes with a range of other benefits included in your card membership. These benefits include the following:
- Free TransUnion credit score
- Fraud Protection
- FlexControl budgeting tool
- Spend analysis online Reporting
- Combine and transfer FlexPoints from different accounts with no fee, even from another person
- Earn frequent flyer miles on FlexPerks award flights
Bottom Line
TheUS Bank FlexPerks Travel Rewards Credit Cardcomes with a25,000 FlexPointsbonus after spending $2,000 on purchases within the first four months of account opening, worth $375 in travel. Aside from the more publicized benefits, this credit card also comes with valuable travel and shopping protections and perks, including:
- $25 airline allowance for airline charges (like bag fees and inflight food) on round-trip award flights worth $150 or more, booked through the FlexPerks Travel Center
- No foreign transaction fees
- Secondary car rental insurance
- Roadside dispatch
- Lost luggage reimbursem*nt
- Travel accident insurance
- Travel assistance services
- Visa Signature Luxury Hotel Collection benefits
- Car rental discounts
- Extended warranty
- Purchase security
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Brian Biros is a contributor to Million Mile Secrets, he covers topics on points and miles, credit cards, airlines, hotels, and general travel.
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US Bank
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