U.S. Bank has made a great enhancement to its FlexPerks program making its points more versatile. The maximum redemption value is still 1.5 cents a piece when redeemed for travel, but with US Bank Real-Time Rewards you can now book travel anywhere. Booking through the US Bank’s travel portal is no longer a requirement.
US Bank Real-Time Rewards
U.S. Bank has introduced Real-Time Rewards. You can now redeem FlexPoints for travel booked anywhere. You need to log into your online account and enroll in the new feature. Here’s how it works:
- Use your mobile device to immediately redeem points for a statement credit that offsets your credit card purchase.
- Choose which credit card purchases you want to redeem points for by responding to a text message that you will receive immediately after making a purchase.
Plus, if you activate now, you can earn 500 bonus FlexPoints. That’s worth $7.50.
How It Works
The US Bank travel portal has its limitations, as is the case with similar programs that require you to book through their portal. Not all hotels are included and you do not always get the best rate. With the new Real-Time Rewards feature that’s no longer the case. You need to enroll into the new feature first. Real-Time Rewards are available for the US Bank Altitude Reserve and other FlexPerks earning credit cards. Go to ‘Rewards’ and you should see an option for the new feature.
Here’s some of the positives that come with the new way of redeeming FlexPerks points.
- You can compare prices and book wherever you find the cheapest price
- You can book any property, even those not listed on US Bank travel portal
- You can earn cash back from shopping portals
- You can earn credit card rewards since you’re paying with a credit card
Points can be redeemed for all purchases. When you redeem for non-travel purchases you only get 1 cent value per point. So use them for travel expenses.
Guru’s Wrap-Up
This is a nice enhancement of the FlexPerks program that gives you more flexibility in the way you use your FlexPoints. While the value is still capped at 1.5 cent per point, you can get a bot more value by stacking credit card rewards and possible cashback portals.
HT: Frequent Miler
