If you are searching for the U.S. Bank Visa Platinum, it no longer exists under that name. U.S. Bank replaced it with the U.S. Bank Shield Visa Card, and that is now the bank’s balance transfer card. Many comparison sites still list the Platinum. The terms below are the Shield’s.
The offer is a long one: 0% for 21 billing cycles on both purchases and balance transfers, with no annual fee. The catch is a 5% transfer fee and a 60-day deadline to move the money.
Terms taken from U.S. Bank’s own card disclosures, verified September 2026. U.S. Bank describes the current intro offer as available “for a limited time.” Card terms change without notice. Verify current rates and fees on the issuer’s application page before making a credit decision.
U.S. Bank Shield Visa Card at a glance
| Term | Detail |
|---|---|
| 0% intro APR on balance transfers | 21 billing cycles |
| 0% intro APR on purchases | 21 billing cycles |
| Transfer request deadline | Within 60 days of account opening |
| Balance transfer fee | 5% of each transfer, $5 minimum |
| APR after the intro period | 17.24% to 28.24% variable |
| Annual fee | $0 |
| Cash advances | Intro rate does not apply |
21 billing cycles is not quite 21 months
U.S. Bank measures the promotion in billing cycles rather than months, and the distinction is small but real. Your first billing cycle is usually a partial one, running from account opening to your first statement close. If that stub is two weeks long, your 21 cycles finish roughly two weeks earlier than 21 calendar months would.
Do not plan a payoff that lands in the final month. Find your statement closing date after the account opens, count 21 closings forward, and work backward from there.
The 5% fee is the real cost
U.S. Bank charges 5% on balance transfers with a $5 minimum, and unlike Chase, Citi and American Express there is no lower introductory rate for moving quickly. The 60-day deadline governs whether you get the 0% APR, not the size of the fee.
| Amount transferred | Fee at 5% | Total owed | Monthly payment over 21 cycles |
|---|---|---|---|
| $3,000 | $150 | $3,150 | $150 |
| $6,000 | $300 | $6,300 | $300 |
| $10,000 | $500 | $10,500 | $500 |
Against a card charging 24% APR, the interest avoided over 21 months on $6,000 dwarfs a $300 fee, so the fee is usually still worth paying. But it is worth knowing that a 3% card saves you $120 on that same balance for the same interest-free window.
You have 60 days, and the clock starts at account opening
U.S. Bank states the 0% introductory APR “applies to balance transfers made within 60 days of account opening.” Miss that and the transfer carries the standard variable rate of 17.24% to 28.24% instead.
Sixty days is the same window Chase and American Express use, and half of what Wells Fargo allows. Have your existing account numbers and payoff balances ready before you apply.
The 21 billing cycles are also counted from account opening, not from when the transfer posts. Every week you delay is a week of interest-free time spent.
Ten days to cancel, and then the checks are final
This term is specific to U.S. Bank and worth reading before you send anything. You may cancel a balance transfer request within 10 days of account opening by calling 800-285-8585.
After those 10 days, U.S. Bank states that requests to stop payment on balance transfer checks it has issued “shall not be honored unless the check(s) has been stolen, lost or destroyed.” If you transfer the wrong amount to the wrong creditor with a balance transfer check, you cannot simply call and unwind it.
Check the payee and the amount twice before the check leaves your hands.
How your payments get applied
U.S. Bank spells out its payment allocation, which most issuers bury. Your minimum payment goes first to any ExtendPay Plan or Loan obligation, then to remaining balances from the lowest APR to the highest. Anything you pay above the minimum goes to balances from the highest APR to the lowest.
While both your transferred balance and your purchases sit at 0%, this does not cost you anything. It starts to matter the moment any balance on the card carries a rate, such as a cash advance, which never gets the intro rate. Overpayments will attack that balance first, which is the outcome you want.
The simpler rule still applies: do not take a cash advance on a card you are using for a balance transfer.
You cannot move a U.S. Bank balance to a U.S. Bank card
“Balance Transfer transactions from other U.S. Bank National Association accounts are not permitted.” Chase, Citi, American Express and Wells Fargo all apply the same restriction to their own accounts. Confirm who issues your current card before applying anywhere.
How Shield compares to the other 21-month cards
Four cards we have verified run 21 months or billing cycles at 0%. On a $6,000 transfer:
| Card | Fee | Monthly payment | Request deadline | 0% on purchases too? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Citi Diamond Preferred | $180 (3%) | $295 | 4 months | No |
| U.S. Bank Shield | $300 (5%) | $300 | 60 days | Yes, 21 billing cycles |
| Wells Fargo Reflect | $300 (5%) | $300 | 120 days | Yes, 21 months |
| Chase Slate | $300 (5%) | $300 | No stated deadline | No |
Shield, Reflect and Slate are level on cost. Citi Diamond Preferred is $120 cheaper for the same window if you qualify for it.
What Shield adds is 0% on purchases across the same 21 billing cycles, which Diamond Preferred and Slate do not offer. If you are carrying debt and also facing a genuine one-off expense, that combination is worth more than the $120 fee difference. If you are purely consolidating debt, it is not.
Other U.S. Bank cards with intro APR periods
U.S. Bank also lists the Altitude Go Visa Signature, Cash+ Visa Signature and Smartly Visa Signature as cards carrying introductory APR periods alongside rewards. Shield is the one U.S. Bank positions for balance transfers, and it is the only one whose balance transfer terms we have verified directly, so we are not publishing figures for the others here.
How to do a balance transfer with U.S. Bank
- Confirm the debt is not on another U.S. Bank account.
- Gather payoff balances and account numbers before applying, because of the 60-day window.
- Apply for the U.S. Bank Shield Visa Card.
- Request the transfer at application or immediately after approval.
- If you are issued balance transfer checks, verify the payee and amount carefully. After 10 days from account opening you cannot stop payment on them.
- Keep paying the old card until the balance is credited there.
- Find your statement closing date, count 21 closings, and divide the total including the fee by the months you actually have.
Common questions
What happened to the U.S. Bank Visa Platinum card?
U.S. Bank replaced it with the U.S. Bank Shield Visa Card, which is now the bank’s balance transfer offering. The old Visa Platinum product page redirects to the Shield card. Many comparison sites have not updated, so terms published under the Platinum name may be out of date.
What is the U.S. Bank balance transfer fee?
5% of each transfer amount with a $5 minimum on the Shield Visa Card. There is no lower introductory fee for transferring early, unlike Chase, Citi and American Express.
How long do I have to make the transfer?
60 days from account opening. Transfers requested after that do not receive the 0% introductory APR and instead carry the standard variable rate of 17.24% to 28.24%.
Is 21 billing cycles the same as 21 months?
Not exactly. A billing cycle runs statement to statement, and the first one after account opening is usually partial, so 21 billing cycles typically ends slightly sooner than 21 calendar months. Count statement closing dates rather than months when you plan the payoff.
Can I cancel a U.S. Bank balance transfer?
Within 10 days of account opening, by calling 800-285-8585. After that, U.S. Bank states that stop payment requests on balance transfer checks it has issued will not be honored unless the check has been stolen, lost or destroyed.
Does the 0% rate cover cash advances?
No. U.S. Bank states the introductory rate does not apply to cash advances. Avoid taking one on a card you are using for a balance transfer.
Sources
- U.S. Bank Shield Visa Card product page and offer disclosures, usbank.com, verified September 2026
- U.S. Bank low intro APR credit card comparison page, usbank.com
Compare with Chase, Citi and American Express, or work out your own numbers with our guide to calculating a balance transfer fee.
Every U.S. Bank term on this page is recorded with the date we verified it in our Balance Transfer Terms Tracker, alongside the other issuers we track.