US Bank business card employee spend does not count towards spend requirements

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Consider this a public service announcement…

A reader reports that she did not earn the full signup bonus from the US Bank Club Carlson Business Rewards Visa card because she attempted to meet part of the minimum spend requirement through spend on an employee card.  Specifically, the signup offer for the card she applied for was (and still is at the time of this writing): 50,000 points after first purchase plus an additional 35,000 points after $2,500 spend in three months.  She reports spending more than $2,500 in three months, but had split the spending across two cards: her own and her son’s (which is an employee card on her account).  The reader reports that she received the 50,000 points after first purchase, but not the additional 35,000 points.  When she called to inquire, a supervisor told her that the requirement for the 35,000 point bonus was to spend all $2,500 on her own card.

Apparently, a brochure that comes with this card states the following (bolding is mine):

…For clarification, the First Purchase Bonus and Spend Bonus (collectively referred to as the “New Account Bonus”) are awarded solely based on transaction activity made with the business owner’s Account.

Of course, a reasonable person would consider spend on an employee card to be activity in the business owner’s account since all charges go to the one account.  Apparently, though, that is not how US Bank interprets that sentence. 

In my experience with other credit card issuers, spend put on employee cards and authorized user cards usually do count towards minimum spend requirements.  I know, for example, that I’ve met spend requirements that way with Chase and Amex personal and business cards and have always received the bonus, as expected.  Be careful when signing up for US Bank business cards, though.  It appears that you must meet the spend requirements on the primary card only.

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