US Bank Radisson Rewards Premier Credit Card [2022.4 Update: Discontinued, Will Be Product Changed]

【2022.4 Update】Current cardholders have already received letters saying this card will be forcibly converted to the US Bank Altitude Go credit card in May 2022. My guess is that the contract between US Bank and Radisson has expired and will not be renewed.

In addition, the US Bank Radisson Business card will be converted to Triple Cash Business.

US Bank Radisson Rewards Premier Credit Card Review

Benefits

• Spend $10,000 to earn a free night certificate: For every $10,000 in spending, you earn 1 free night, up to three times total. In other words, you can spend up to $30,000 and receive 3 Free Nights. This spending requirement is relatively low among cards that offer free night certificates. One thing to note is that although this certificate does not have a category restriction, it can actually only be used at Radisson hotels in the U.S. The redemption value is usually higher in major cities near downtown areas. However, most Radisson properties in the U.S. are still roadside hotels.
• Complimentary Gold status: Simply holding this card upgrades you to Club Carlson Gold, which is the lowest elite tier in Club Carlson. The main benefits include complimentary room upgrades, early check-in, late checkout, and 15% bonus points. In addition, each hotel stay comes with a welcome gift, usually small snacks, fruit, and drinks. If you are already Gold or above, you receive 15 Qualifying Nights instead, helping you reach a higher status level faster.

Drawbacks

• There is a foreign transaction fee, so be careful when using this card to book hotels outside the U.S. It is better to use another card.

About Radisson Rewards Points

Radisson points are worth about 0.4 cents/point. In general, most Radisson hotels in the U.S. are roadside properties, and there are not many upscale ones. A better use of points is often at Radisson hotels in Europe, where the value can be quite good. See the award chart for the number of points required at each hotel tier:

• Radisson award chart

My Take

This card gives 40,000 points every year, so if you can use them well, they can still justify the $75 annual fee.

The application process is a bit tricky, though. You may be downgraded to the $50 annual fee Radisson Platinum version (which apparently cannot be directly applied for), with the welcome bonus reduced to 60,000 and weaker benefits. Still, 25,000 points can be worth the $50 annual fee.

Application

• Application difficulty: US Bank is quite sensitive to HPs and new accounts. If you have a checking or savings account with them, approval is usually easier.
• Application status: Official application status check link
• Things to keep in mind:
  • If you are approved for this card with a credit limit below $5,000, you will be downgraded to the $50 annual fee Radisson version, whose benefits and welcome bonus are both much worse.
  • It is recommended to freeze your reports with the two relatively uncommon credit bureaus, ID Analytics (IDA) and Advanced Resolution Services (ARS). See this article. This may help improve your approval odds for US Bank credit cards and does not seem to have any obvious downside.

Application Link