Here’s a detailed guide to earning both high-yield savings interest and 4% cashback on all purchases through U.S. Bank’s Smartly Savings Account and the U.S. Bank Smartly Visa Signature credit card.
1. Open a U.S. Bank Smartly Savings Account
Minimum Opening Deposit:
To open a Smartly Savings Account, you need to meet a minimum deposit requirement of $25.
“Easily open an account with a minimum deposit of $25.”
Source: U.S. Bank Smartly Savings Account
Monthly Maintenance Fee:
This account comes with a $5 monthly maintenance fee, which can be waived by linking an eligible U.S. Bank Smartly Checking account or maintaining a qualifying balance.
“Pay $5 or $0 monthly maintenance fees. Waive fees in multiple ways.”
Source: U.S. Bank Smartly Savings Account
Earn High-Yield APY:
You can earn just under 4% APY on your savings if your balance is $25,000 or more and you link it to an eligible account.
“Earn up to 3.80% APY with the presence of a U.S. Bank Smartly Checking account, Safe Debit account, or U.S. Bank Smartly Visa Signature Card and a combined qualifying balance of at least $25,000.”
Source: U.S. Bank Smartly Savings Account Rates
2. Open a U.S. Bank Smartly Checking Account
Minimum Opening Deposit:
Open the Smartly Checking Account with a deposit of at least $25.
“Easy to open. Easy to set up… Get started with an initial deposit of $25.”
Source: U.S. Bank Smartly Checking Account
Monthly Maintenance Fee:
This checking account has a $6.95 monthly fee that can be waived by meeting certain requirements.
“Easily get your monthly maintenance fees waived with one or more of these: Average account balance of $1,500 or greater, combined monthly direct deposits totaling $1,000+, or have an open, qualifying U.S. Bank consumer credit card.”
Source: U.S. Bank Smartly Checking Account Details
3. Fund Your Accounts to Achieve High-Yield Savings
Higher Rates with Relationship Balances:
To earn the highest APY on your savings, maintain larger balances and take advantage of relationship benefits.
“Earn up to 3.80% APY with the presence of a U.S. Bank Smartly Checking account, Safe Debit account, or U.S. Bank Smartly Visa Signature Card and a combined qualifying balance of at least $25,000.”
Source: U.S. Bank Smartly Savings APY Table
4. Apply for the U.S. Bank Smartly Visa Credit Card
Base Cashback Rate:
This card offers unlimited cashback on all purchases, with higher rates for larger combined balances.
“Unlimited 2% cash back on every purchase is just the beginning.”
Source: U.S. Bank Smartly Visa Signature Card
Enhanced Cashback with Combined Balances:
By maintaining specific combined balances, you can increase your cashback rate.
“The Smartly Earning Bonus tiers are:
- Between $5,000 to $49,999.99, to earn a total of 2.5 Points per $1 (a base of 2 Points plus the Smartly Earning Bonus of 0.5 Points),
- Between $50,000 to $99,999.99, to earn a total of 3 Points per $1 (a base of 2 Points plus the Smartly Earning Bonus of 1 Point), or
- $100,000 or more to earn a total of 4 Points per $1 (a base of 2 Points plus the Smartly Earning Bonus of 2 Points).”
Source: U.S. Bank Smartly Visa Signature Card
Eligible Balances for Higher Rates:
Eligible balances for determining your cashback tier include a variety of U.S. Bank accounts.
“Have ‘Combined Qualifying Balances’ with U.S. Bank in open consumer checking account(s), money market savings account(s), savings account(s), CDs and/or IRAs, U.S. Bancorp Investments and personal trust account(s).”
Source: U.S. Bank Smartly Visa Signature Card Details
5. Redeem Cash Back Effectively
Preferred Redemption Method:
To maximize the value of your cashback, choose to redeem it as a deposit into a U.S. Bank deposit account.
“These cash back rates can be obtained when rewards are redeemed into an eligible U.S. Bank deposit account.”
Source: U.S. Bank Smartly Visa Signature Card FAQ
6. Monitor and Manage Your Accounts
Ensure Balance Thresholds:
To maintain the maximum 4% cashback rate, keep combined balances of $100,000 or more across eligible accounts.
“Earn a total of 4%: Includes a 100% Smartly Earning Bonus with a qualifying balance of $100,000 or more.”
Source: U.S. Bank Smartly Visa Signature Card Rates
Use Online Tools:
Leverage U.S. Bank’s digital tools to manage your accounts efficiently.
“Plus, you’ll get a suite of digital tools to help you set goals, track spending and manage your money wisely.”
Source: U.S. Bank Online Tools
Example Plan
- Open both the Smartly Checking and Savings accounts.
- Deposit $100,000 into combined U.S. Bank accounts to earn:
- 4.10% APY on your Smartly Savings.
- 4% cashback on all purchases with the Smartly Visa Signature Card.
- Redeem cashback as deposits into your savings account for compound growth.
Leave a Reply