U.S. Bank Adds Partial Payment Option Using Real-Time Rewards

Updated: July 7, 2026, 10:55am CDT

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Table of Contents

What Is Real-Time Rewards?
Partial Payments Now Possible
Final Thoughts

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U.S. Bank credit cardholders have long had the option to redeem points through Real-Time Rewards — applying points against the cash cost of purchases they just made, regardless of the purchase.

A restriction (and a key frustration) has been that cardholders needed to have enough points to cover the entire purchase. Otherwise, using Real-Time Rewards to cover that purchase wasn’t possible.

However, U.S. Bank has now added flexibility to these redemptions, letting cardholders cover part of a purchase with points and pay the remaining balance with their credit card. Here’s how it works.

What Is Real-Time Rewards?

Those with U.S. Bank credit cards can access Real-Time Rewards, a feature that lets cardholders redeem points to cover purchases made in the last 24 hours to offset the cost with points or cash-back.

The program offers a maximum value of 1.5 cents per point for travel expenses like hotels and car rentals (minimum $150), while general purchases over $10 redeem at 1 cent per point.

To use it, you must enroll online to link your mobile number, keeping in mind that it only works with U.S. merchants. Points are not refunded if you later return the product you covered with a redemption.

Partial Payments Now Possible

Previously, cardholders needed to have enough points to cover an entire purchase. Otherwise, using Real-Time Rewards wasn’t possible.

Now, U.S. Bank is emailing cardholders to say that it’s possible to cover part of the purchase with points or cash-back. You can cover the rest of the balance with your U.S. Bank credit card.

US Bank real time rewards partial payment — Image Credit: U.S. Bank

To make a redemption, follow these steps:

Receive a text message after your purchase.
Reply REDEEM to apply your rewards.
Get a credit on your next statement.
Your card automatically pays the balance.

Bottom Line:

The purchases eligible for Real-Time Rewards aren’t changing, but now you can offset part of these purchases with this feature, even if you don’t have enough points or cash-back to cover the full purchase price.

Final Thoughts

Gaining flexibility in how you use your points is always a good thing. The inability to apply partial payments through Real-Time Rewards has been a key limitation of the program, but that issue has now been resolved.

Cardholders can now cover part of a purchase with their cash-back rewards or points, and the remaining balance will be charged to a U.S. Bank credit card.