0% APR for 21 months on purchases and balance transfers

The U.S. Bank Shield™ Visa® Visa Card is a 0% APR card with a lengthy intro period lasting 21 months for both balance transfers and new purchases. It’s a great option for debt payoff, but you may also want to consider its long-term value before you apply.

Additional info about the U.S. Bank Shield Visa Card

• $20 annual statement credit: Earn up to $20 as an annual statement credit when you make purchases with your card over 11 consecutive calendar months.

• Cell phone protection: Worth up to $600 per claim (with a $100 deductible) in case of theft or damage to your phone. You can make one claim every 12 months and must pay your monthly cell phone bill with your card to qualify. 

How to earn rewards

This card is primarily a 0% APR card, so it doesn’t have the strongest rewards. You can earn 4% cash back on prepaid air, hotel, and rental car reservations through the U.S. Bank Travel Center. Other purchases don’t earn any rewards.

How to redeem rewards

When you earn cash back by booking travel through U.S. Bank’s portal, you can redeem it for a statement credit to your account or a deposit into a U.S. Bank savings or checking account. You can also choose to get a U.S. Bank rewards card with your cash back amount on it.

Rewards don’t expire as long as your account is active, which means you must have some purchase, balance, or rewards activity every 12 consecutive months.

Who is the U.S. Bank Shield Visa Card best for?

The U.S. Bank Shield Visa is one of our top picks for 0% APR credit cards. If you’re looking for an extended intro APR period, you won’t find many options longer than this card’s 21 months.

For those with existing debt, the 21-month balance transfer intro period offers ample time to pay down your principal balance without interest. You must transfer your balance within 60 days of account opening to take advantage of the intro period. You’ll also pay a balance transfer fee of 5% (minimum $5), but that’s ultimately a small cost compared to what you can save.

For example, say you have a $5,000 balance you want to pay using a balance transfer. After the fee, your total balance is $5,250. You can pay that balance in full during the 21-month intro period by making monthly payments of $250. 

If you were to make the same monthly payment on a card with a 21% APR and a $5,000 balance, it would take you 25 months to pay the balance, and you’d pay an additional $1,208 in interest.

This card may not be the best choice for people with lower balances who don’t need a full 21 months to pay down their debt but do want to earn rewards. There are some great rewards cards with shorter 0% APR intro periods lasting from 12 to 15 months. You’ll have a shorter period to pay down your balance before interest kicks in, but you’ll also get the benefit of added rewards.

Rewards are also worth considering if you want to use the 0% APR period on new purchases. You won’t earn rewards on your spending with this card (except when booking travel with U.S. Bank), so think about whether you may get a better value from a card with rewards, even if it has a shorter intro period.

With this card, the best long-term value comes from the $20 annual statement credit. If you want to keep your card after the intro period ends (which can have credit score benefits and help you maintain your available credit), you can do so with a recurring subscription or service. If you also want to use this card’s cell phone protection benefit, you could even use it to pay your monthly phone bill. Each year, the recurring charges will help you earn the annual statement credit and keep your card account active.

U.S. Bank Shield Visa Card pros

• Long 0% APR intro period: This card’s 21-month intro period is one of the longest you’ll find today. Whether you want to finance a new purchase or pay down debt with a balance transfer, you’ll have almost two years without interest.

• No annual fee: You won’t pay any annual fee to own this card. Even after the intro period ends, it won’t cost you to continue using the U.S. Bank Shield Visa.

• Cell phone protection: If your cell phone is stolen or damaged, you can get up to $600 in reimbursement under this benefit (after a $100 deductible). Just make sure you pay your phone bill with your card to qualify.

U.S. Bank Shield Visa Card cons

• Few added benefits: This card doesn’t offer many ongoing benefits after the intro period ends. 

• Little rewards value: Like with benefits, there’s not much long-term rewards value with this card. You can earn rewards when you make prepaid reservations through the U.S. Bank Travel Center, but there are no other rewards categories.

• Balance transfer fee: You’ll pay the greater of $5 or 5% of your transferred balance if you want to use this card’s balance transfer offer. 

Where can you use U.S. Bank Shield Visa Card?

As a Visa card, you can use the U.S. Bank Shield Visa Card nearly anywhere credit cards are accepted (online and in-store) across the globe.

However, the U.S. Bank Shield Visa does charge foreign transaction fees. For every purchase you make abroad using this card you’ll pay an additional 3% fee. If you often travel internationally, you may want to bring a card with no foreign transaction fees instead.

How to make a U.S. Bank Shield Visa Card payment

• Make a credit card payment using online banking or the U.S. Bank mobile app. You can select “Transfer & pay” then “Pay bills,” choose a payment date, and the bank account you want your payment to come from.

• Make a payment via mail: Cardmember Service PO Box 790408 St. Louis, MO 63179

U.S. Bank Shield Visa Card customer service info

• Customer service is available 24/7

• Log in to your online banking account or the U.S. Bank mobile app and navigate to the help center for customer service options.

• Phone number: 800-285-8585 or call the number on the back of your card

• Visit a U.S. Bank location during business hours

• U.S. Bank Shield Visa login page

Alternative cards to consider

The U.S. Bank Shield Visa may be a great option if you’re looking for an extra-long intro period, but there are other great 0% APR cards you may also want to consider. These are some of our favorites today:

Wells Fargo Reflect® Card

Why we like it: Like the U.S. Bank Shield Visa, the Wells Fargo Reflect Card has a very long 21-month intro period for its 0% APR offers on both new purchases and balance transfers. This card also charges no annual fee and offers cell phone protection benefits. However, it doesn’t earn any rewards on purchases.

Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express

Why we like it: The Blue Cash Everyday from Amex is a cash-back credit card with a solid 0% APR intro period. This no annual fee card offers 0% APR on both new purchases and balance transfers. Long-term, you can also use it to earn 3% cash back at U.S. supermarkets, U.S. online retailers, and U.S. gas stations, up to $6,000 spent in each category per year. All your other purchases earn 1% cash back. 

Chase Freedom Unlimited®

Why we like it: This is another no-annual-fee card with solid cash-back rewards and a 0% APR intro period for balance transfers and new purchases. Through the intro period and after, you’ll earn a baseline 1.5% cash back on every purchase, plus 3% back on dining and at drugstores, and up to 5% on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠.

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