Which has the lower annual fee, Blue Cash Preferred Card or U.S. Bank Altitude Go?

U.S. Bank Altitude Go has a $0 annual fee, compared to $95 for Blue Cash Preferred Card.

Which card earns more on grocery?

Blue Cash Preferred Card earns 6x on grocery, compared to 2x for the other card.

Which card comes out ahead at typical spending, Blue Cash Preferred Card or U.S. Bank Altitude Go?

At $24,000 of annual spending on an everyday profile, Blue Cash Preferred Card nets about $493/yr after the annual fee, compared to $444/yr for U.S. Bank Altitude Go. A different spending mix can flip this result.

Blue Cash Preferred Card vs U.S. Bank Altitude Go

Side-by-side comparison of rewards, fees, and benefits

CardSavvy pick at typical spend

Blue Cash Preferred Card

Amex

35,000 pts bonus

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U.S. Bank Altitude Go

U.S. Bank

20,000 pts bonus

Direct link. CardSavvy earns no commission today.

137 cards modeled · 18 spending categories · every verdict is a published formulaHow we rank →

Blue Cash Preferred Card comes out ahead by $49/yr at a typical $24,000/yr spending profile.

See the assumptions and math

Everyday profile: $24,000/yr across groceries, gas, dining, online shopping, streaming, and everything else. Signup bonuses excluded (first-year only). Statement credits counted at typical usage rates, not face value.

Card	Rewards	Credits	Fee	Net/yr
Blue Cash Preferred Card	$588	$0	-$95	$493
U.S. Bank Altitude Go	$444	$0	-$0	$444

Redemption Strategy

How you redeem points affects their value. Cash back is simplest, transfer partners offer the best value but require more effort.

Booking through the card issuer's travel site. Point values adjust automatically.

Simple Advanced view shows effective return rates (multiplier × point value) instead of just multipliers.	Blue Cash Preferred CardAmex	U.S. Bank Altitude GoU.S. Bank
Annual Fee	$95	$0
Sign-Up Bonus	35,000 pts	20,000 pts
Point Value How much each point is worth in cents. This varies based on how you redeem (cash back, travel portal, or transfer partners).	1.0¢(Travel Portal)	1.0¢(Travel Portal)
Dining	1x	4x
Grocery	6x	2x
Flights	1x	2x
Hotels	1x	2x
Gas	3x	2x
Online Shopping	1x	1x
Everything Else	1x	1x
Fast Food Quick-service restaurants (MCC 5814). Most "dining" bonuses include fast food.	1x	4x
Streaming Subscriptions like Netflix, Spotify, Disney+, etc.	1x	1x
Internet Home internet and cable bills.	1x	1x
Cell Phone Cell phone bills (may incur processing fees).	1x	1x
Home Utilities Electricity, gas, water, sewer, trash.	1x	1x
Travel/Airline Credit	-	-
Est. Perks Value	-	-
Lounge Access	No	No

* Est. Perks Value: Requires enrollment; varies by usage. Excludes Travel/Airline Credit (shown separately).

Amex Platinum ($2,884): $600 FHR/THC hotel credit, $400 Resy dining, $300 lululemon, $300 digital entertainment, $320 Uber ($200 cash + $120 Uber One), $209 CLEAR+, $200 Oura, $155 Walmart+, $100 Saks, $300 Equinox.

CSR ($828): $420 DoorDash (DashPass + credits), $288 Apple TV+ and Apple Music, $120 Lyft credits.

Quick Verdict

U.S. Bank Altitude Go earns more on travel (2x flights vs 1x). Blue Cash Preferred Card excels at everyday spending like grocery and gas. U.S. Bank Altitude Go has a lower annual fee ($0 vs $95). Your best choice depends on where you spend the most.

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