U.S. Bank Shield™ Visa® Card review: Holds solid value beyond the balance transfer

The U.S. Bank Shield Visa is naturally an excellent choice if you want breathing room to pay off your balance and any future purchases without the threat of snowballing interest. Plus, its humble rewards program, annual statement and cellphone insurance give it a little bit more value to power past rival cards.

Intro APR offer: Well-rounded intro APR opportunities

Bankrate’s 2025 Credit Card Debt Report found nearly half of Americans are saddled with credit card debt. Thankfully the U.S. Bank Shield Visa Card offers some decent breathing room, with its 0 percent intro APR offer for 18 billing cycles — and on both purchases and balance transfers no less (then a 17.24% - 28.24% Variable APR; transfers must be within the first 60 days). Having some reprieve from interest on both balance transfers and purchases for over a year can be a great opportunity to pay off any debt you may have.

Ongoing APR: Low for a balance transfer card

Balance transfer cards aren’t known for particularly low ongoing interest rates, but the U.S. Bank Shield Visa card may be able to help minimize the cost if you may need to occasionally carry a small balance for a month or two. The card’s 17.24% - 28.24% Variable ongoing APR could be well below the average interest rate (currently hovering around 20 percent), and it’s one of the lower ranges available from a card with long-lasting intro APR offers.

After the intro APR offers end, you’ll also have the option to possibly save more money with a fixed-fee U.S. Bank ExtendPay installment plan on purchases of $100 (or up to 50 percent of your credit line). Many issuers provide similar buy now, pay later options, but the U.S. Bank Shield Visa card’s program has a leg up if you qualify for its $0-fee, three-month ExtendPay Plan perk. Use it carefully, though, since this benefit is only available once per calendar year, at least two months after your intro APR offers end and while your balance isn’t overlimit or overdue.

Rewards: Earns cash back — unlike rival cards

The 4 percent cash back is a stellar reward rate, but it will only yield decent cash back if you regularly use it on prepaid flights, hotels and rental cars through the U.S. Bank Rewards Center. The Shield Visa doesn’t earn the usual 1 percent back on general purchases that most rewards cards earn, so this rewards rate only comes into play when you’re traveling — which may not be a priority if you need an extra-strength debt consolidation card like the Shield Visa.

Still, a cash back program is a notable edge over rival balance transfer cards with 21-month intro APR offers. Few balance transfer-focused cards earn rewards to begin with.

Although the U.S. Bank Shield Visa has strong intro APR offers and rewards earnings available, there are a few reasons you might opt for another card.

Rates and fees: Hefty transfer fee for big balances

Like many balance transfer cards, the U.S. Bank Shield Visa is easy to manage since there’s no annual fee and no penalty APR. However, there is a 3 percent foreign transaction fee and up to $41 fee for late and returned payments you’ll need to watch out for. Those fees are typical, though, and avoidable if you’re careful. 

On the other hand, the 5 percent balance transfer fee ($5 minimum) could be a deal-breaker depending on the size of your balance. Many balance transfer cards with 21-month intro APR offers charge a 5 percent transfer fee. It’s a bit disappointing to see the U.S. Bank Shield Visa jump to this higher fee rate.

However, if you need more than 12 months to pay off your balance, the 5 percent transfer fee may be a better deal than the extra interest you would owe. However, if you’re able to pay off your balance within 18 months, a card with a 3 percent balance transfer fee may save you more money.

Welcome offer: No bonus rewards

Balance transfer cards with long intro APR offers usually don’t provide sign-up bonus rewards, and the U.S. Bank Shield card is no exception. However, it’s worth mentioning that the few other rewards-earning balance transfer cards come with welcome offers. Still, these cards don’t keep interest at bay as long as the U.S. Bank Shield Visa can.

This probably isn’t a deal-breaker if you’re focused on paying down your balance, especially if your situation calls for long-lasting intro APRs. After all, sign-up bonuses encourage more spending at the outset. On the other hand, a welcome offer could help recoup the cost of a balance transfer fee.

Perks: Meager savings after the intro APRs

There aren’t many features beyond the exceptional intro APRs, light rewards and alternative payment plans, but that’s common among balance transfer cards. The modest annual statement credit and cellphone protection are more than the competition offer, though.

It’s not much, but the $20 statement credit after 11 consecutive calendar months of purchases can be some extra pocket change each year. The cellphone protection you can get from consistently paying your monthly phone bill with the card could be much handier.

Depending on your spending, other cards could be more cost-effective in the long run thanks to a lower balance transfer fee or stronger rewards program.

The U.S. Bank Shield Visa provides a solid solution for the growing challenge of credit card debt while still holding value after that debt has been paid off. It could be the right fit if you:

• Would like to reduce your balance into low monthly payments.

• Want more perks to help you manage your balance after the intro APRs end.

• Prefer even modest rewards to give your balance transfer card more long-term value.

Wells Fargo Reflect® Card

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Discover it® Chrome

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*The information about the U.S. Bank Visa® Platinum Card and the BankAmericard® Credit Card has been collected independently by Bankrate.com. The card details have not been reviewed or approved by the card issuer.

Our proprietary card rating system takes into account a mix of factors when scoring balance transfer and low-interest cards, including each card’s introductory APR, intro APR period length, ongoing APR, balance transfer fee, perks and more.

While balance transfer and low-interest cards share a similar ratings rubric, we weigh features differently based on how a card is categorized. We categorize cards that carry an especially long intro APR offer on balance transfers as dedicated balance transfer cards, while cards that offer an especially low ongoing APR are considered general low-interest cards. 

Based on its features, we assigned this card a primary category of balance transfer and tailored our ratings accordingly. 

We analyzed over 100 of the most popular balance transfer and low-interest cards and scored each based on how its key features stacked up against those of other cards in its category. 

Here’s a breakdown of what gave this card its score: