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The U.S. Bank Smartly™ Visa Signature® Card makes it easy to maximize every purchase with 2% cash back. But if you have an existing U.S. Bank account with a qualifying balance, you can get even more: up to double the cash back on your spending.

Earning rewards with this card is easy. You'll get a flat 2% cash back on every purchase. There's no cap, and you don't need to track spending categories or purchases. 

The best way to earn rewards with this card, though, is by qualifying for the Smartly Earning Bonus. You can get up to 4% cash back on spending if you already have or open a U.S. Bank Smartly Savings account and you have a qualifying balance in a U.S. Bank Smartly Checking account or Safe Debit account.

Here's how much you'll earn with varying qualifying balances:

2.5% cash back with a qualifying balance between $10,000 and $49,999

3% cash back with a qualifying balance between $50,000 and $99,999

4% cash back with a qualifying balance of $100,000 or more

You'll earn the bonus rewards you qualify for on up to $10,000 in purchases each billing cycle. If you spend more than that per month, everything else still earns 2% cash back.

Some purchases are also excluded from the Smartly Earning Bonus, though they will still earn the standard 2% cash back. Exclusions include education/school, gift cards, insurance, taxes, business-to-business transactions, such as advertising services (even if the purchase isn't for a business purpose), and transactions that use a third-party bill payment service.

You can redeem your cash back for full value as a deposit into a U.S. Bank account or as a statement credit to your card account. 

Your rewards won't expire as long as your account is active. That means you must have at least one purchase, reward, or balance activity on your account every 12 billing cycles.

The U.S. Bank Smartly Visa Signature is an easy pick for U.S. Bank customers with high enough balances to qualify for the Smartly Earning Bonus. 

Most flat cash-back cards cap rewards at 2%. If you can earn even the lowest bonus rate (2.5% cash back with a qualifying balance between $10,000 and $49,999) your cash back earnings will multiply by a lot over time.

For example, say you spend about $20,000 each year on various purchases made with your card. Here's how your rewards would grow as you qualify for different Smartly Earning Bonus tiers:

Standard 2% cash back: $400 annually

2.5% cash back: $500 annually

3% cash back: $600 annually

4% cash back: $800 annually 

However, the exclusions for the Smartly Earning Bonus are worth considering, depending on your spending. For example, taxes are excluded from the extra earnings. Paying your taxes with a credit card usually comes with a fee higher than 2% — so without the bonus, you likely won't earn enough to make up the payment fee. 

Even if you don't have an eligible U.S. Bank account, this card's regular 2% cash back rate is still a great option for most everyday spending. That's among the highest rewards rates available from flat cash-back cards today. 

Whether you want a standalone card to help you maximize every purchase or a card to use alongside higher-earning travel or rewards cards, the U.S. Bank Smartly Visa Signature could make a solid addition to your wallet without any added cost.

No annual fee: You won't have to pay any annual fee to own this card.

Introductory APR: The U.S. Bank Smartly Visa Signature offers an introductory APR on both new purchases and balance transfers. This can be a great option for earning cash back on an upcoming purchase or for paying down existing debt. After the intro period ends, you can use the card to earn cash back on your regular spending.

2% cash-back rewards: Flat 2% rewards on every purchase can help you rack up solid savings on your most frequent purchases. Since you won't have to worry about tracking categories or multipliers, this is a great option for simple rewards on spending.

No added benefits: You won't get many added benefits with this card over the long term. If you're looking for annual credits or travel perks, you may want to consider other rewards cards.

Need high balance to qualify for bonus rewards: This card offers an outstanding bonus rewards program worth up to 4% cash back on up to $10,000 each billing cycle. But to earn that max bonus, you'll need at least $100,000 in an eligible U.S. Bank account. If you don't bank with U.S. Bank or you don't have enough savings to score the Smartly Earnings Bonus, it'll be difficult to maximize this benefit.

No welcome bonus: While the U.S. Bank Smartly Visa Signature has great rewards, you won't have the opportunity to earn a welcome bonus with this card. Many other cash-back credit cards offer cash welcome bonuses worth $150 to $250 or even more after meeting a minimum spending requirement.

The U.S. Bank Smartly Visa Signature is a Visa card, so you can use it at most places that accept credit cards. Visa is one of the most widely accepted card networks worldwide.

However, this card does have a 3% foreign transaction fee. When you use your card internationally, the fee you pay will exceed your rewards (unless you're in the highest Smartly Earning Bonus tier). While you can still use this card abroad, you may want to look for one with no foreign transaction fees instead if you travel often.

Make a payment through your online account or U.S. Bank's mobile app. In the app, select "Transfer & pay," select your credit card bill, and then choose the checking or savings account you want to use to pay.

Send your payment by mail: Cardmember Service PO Box 790408 St. Louis, MO 63179

Customer service is available 24/7

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

Navigate to the "Help center" through your online account or choose "Help & services" then "Contact us" within the U.S. Bank mobile app

Visit a U.S. Bank location during business hours

U.S. Bank Smartly Visa Signature login page

The U.S. Bank Smartly Visa Signature offers great rewards and a 0% APR for no annual fee, but there are other valuable cash-back cards to consider before you apply. These are a few of our top picks:

Why we like it: The Blue Cash Everyday from Amex can help you make the most of everyday spending with 3% back (up to limits) across multiple categories, including U.S. supermarkets and U.S. gas stations, as well as U.S. online retailers, which isn't a common cash-back category. It also has no annual fee, a long intro APR offer for purchases and balance transfers, and a cash welcome bonus that you can earn as a new cardholder. 

Why we like it: The no-annual-fee Chase Freedom Unlimited is a flat cash-back card with 1.5% back on everything. But you'll earn even more across select bonus categories, including travel booked through Chase Travel (5% cash back), and drugstores and restaurants (3% cash back). You can also earn a welcome bonus with this card and take advantage of an introductory APR on new purchases and balance transfers.

Why we like it: Simple cash-back rewards are the main benefit of the Wells Fargo Active Cash Card. Like the U.S. Bank Smartly Visa Signature, this card offers a flat 2% cash back on every purchase. It has no annual fee, offers an introductory APR for new purchases and balance transfers, and even comes with a solid cash welcome bonus.

Editorial Disclosure: The information in this article has not been reviewed or approved by any advertiser. All opinions belong solely to Yahoo Finance and are not those of any other entity. The details on financial products, including card rates and fees, are accurate as of the publish date. All products or services are presented without warranty. Check the bank's website for the most current information. This site doesn't include all currently available offers. Credit score alone does not guarantee or imply approval for any financial product.

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