Card comparison
Which card is better between SKYPASS Select Visa Signature and U.S. Bank FlexPerks Reserve American Express?
SKYPASS Select Visa Signature is the better overall pick over U.S. Bank FlexPerks Reserve American Express because it leads on Madeen's weighted scorecard (54 vs 46) across categories, bonus, benefits, and fee.
Effective rate SKYPASS Select Visa Signature
Annual fee U.S. Bank FlexPerks Reserve American Express
Welcome bonus SKYPASS Select Visa Signature
Benefits value U.S. Bank FlexPerks Reserve American Express
SKYPASS Select Visa Signature is the stronger overall pick between SKYPASS Select Visa Signature and U.S. Bank FlexPerks Reserve American Express because it leads on Madeen's weighted scorecard (54 vs 46) across categories, bonus, benefits, and fee. SKYPASS Select Visa Signature (3.2% top effective rate) vs U.S. Bank FlexPerks Reserve American Express (2%): Madeen's catalog compares fees vs fees across dining, grocery, gas, and travel — not just headline categories.
Choose A if
Choose SKYPASS Select Visa Signature when its strongest categories, bonus, or perks match how you actually spend.
Choose B if
Choose U.S. Bank FlexPerks Reserve American Express when the fee, welcome bonus, or issuer ecosystem fits better than the headline winner.
Full comparison
How do SKYPASS Select Visa Signature and U.S. Bank FlexPerks Reserve American Express compare across all spend categories?
Across all five spend categories, SKYPASS Select Visa Signature and U.S. Bank FlexPerks Reserve American Express trade wins row by row. SKYPASS Select Visa Signature peaks at 3.2% effective; U.S. Bank FlexPerks Reserve American Express peaks at 2%. SKYPASS Select Visa Signature wins the headline effective-rate view in this pair.
| Category / metric | SKYPASS Select Visa Signature | U.S. Bank FlexPerks Reserve American Express | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dining | 2x miles (3.2%) | 1% back (1%) | SKYPASS Select Visa Signature · 2.2 pts |
| Grocery | 1x miles (1.6%) | 2% back (2%) | U.S. Bank FlexPerks Reserve American Express · 0.4 pts |
| Gas | 1x miles (1.6%) | 2% back (2%) | U.S. Bank FlexPerks Reserve American Express · 0.4 pts |
| Travel | 2x miles (3.2%) | 2% back (2%) | SKYPASS Select Visa Signature · 1.2 pts |
| Other | 1x miles (1.6%) | 1% back (1%) | SKYPASS Select Visa Signature · 0.6 pts |
| Welcome bonus | ~$960 estimated | — | SKYPASS Select Visa Signature |
| Est. annual benefits | $2778/yr | $13249/yr | U.S. Bank FlexPerks Reserve American Express |
| Annual fee | $450 | $299 | U.S. Bank FlexPerks Reserve American Express |
| Holistic overall | 54 pts (cat 24, bonus 20, benefits 4, fee 6) | 46 pts (cat 16, bonus 0, benefits 21, fee 9) | SKYPASS Select Visa Signature |
Madeen take
How to think about this pair
SKYPASS Select Visa Signature (3.2% top effective rate) vs U.S. Bank FlexPerks Reserve American Express (2%): Madeen's catalog compares fees vs fees across dining, grocery, gas, and travel — not just headline categories.
Strategy
Use SKYPASS Select Visa Signature when Best for spenders who put meaningful volume in dining and can earn 2x miles. The welcome bonus can help if you can meet the spend requirement. Travel perks may add value beyond the earn rate.. Use U.S. Bank FlexPerks Reserve American Express when Best for spenders who put meaningful volume in grocery and can earn 2% back. Travel perks may add value beyond the.
Hold both?
Many U.S. Bank users can hold both cards if each covers a different spend lane and the combined annual fees still clear your break-even math.
Welcome bonus playbook
If you are chasing a welcome bonus, SKYPASS Select Visa Signature leads on catalog bonus value. For long-term category earn after the bonus, U.S. Bank FlexPerks Reserve American Express is the stronger keeper in this pair — but only if its annual fee still makes sense for your spend.
Madeen analysis
Which card has stronger benefits: SKYPASS Select Visa Signature or U.S. Bank FlexPerks Reserve American Express?
Madeen estimates $2778 annual benefit value on SKYPASS Select Visa Signature versus $13249 on U.S. Bank FlexPerks Reserve American Express. Credits only matter if you will use them.
SKYPASS Select Visa Signature
Total est. value: $2,778/yr
Credits and perks only help if you will actually use them in a typical year.
- Roadside Dispatch® $1,000/yr
- Trip Delay Reimbursement $500/yr
- Sofar Sounds $240/yr
- $200 travel credit $200/yr
- Visa Signature Concierge $150/yr
U.S. Bank FlexPerks Reserve American Express
Total est. value: $13,249/yr
Credits and perks only help if you will actually use them in a typical year.
- Extended Warranty $10,000/yr
- Travel Accident Insurance $3,000/yr
- Airport Lounge Allowance $99/yr
- Roadside Assistance $50/yr
- Car Rental Loss and Damage Insurance $40/yr
Welcome bonus
Which welcome bonus is stronger for SKYPASS Select Visa Signature or U.S. Bank FlexPerks Reserve American Express?
If you are chasing a welcome bonus, SKYPASS Select Visa Signature leads on catalog bonus value. For long-term category earn after the bonus, U.S. Bank FlexPerks Reserve American Express is the stronger keeper in this pair — but only if its annual fee still makes sense for your spend. SKYPASS Select Visa Signature lists 60k Korean Air SKYPASS; U.S. Bank.
SKYPASS Select Visa Signature
60k Korean Air SKYPASS
U.S. Bank FlexPerks Reserve American Express
—
Caps & conditions
Caps and earn limits
Both SKYPASS Select Visa Signature and U.S. Bank FlexPerks Reserve American Express carry structured reward caps in the catalog. Compare the category that matters most before assuming the headline multiplier lasts all year.
SKYPASS Select Visa Signature
- 2X miles on other airlines
- 2X miles on dining, including takeout and restaurant delivery
- 2X miles on hotels
U.S. Bank FlexPerks Reserve American Express
- 2X on airlines
- 2X at gas stations and EV charging stations
- 2X at grocery stores
Who should pick which
Scenario playbook
Cashback-first user
Pick U.S. Bank FlexPerks Reserve American Express
U.S. Bank FlexPerks Reserve American Express is the better cashback-style pick because it has the cleaner effective-rate and fee blend for this pair.
Travel & points user
Pick SKYPASS Select Visa Signature
SKYPASS Select Visa Signature is the stronger travel-style pick because it combines better reward value with more travel-friendly positioning.
No annual fee priority
Pick SKYPASS Select Visa Signature
SKYPASS Select Visa Signature is easier to keep for no-fee users because it has the lighter annual-fee burden in this pair.
Heavy dining spend
Pick SKYPASS Select Visa Signature
For restaurant and dining-coded spend, the winner is whoever posts the stronger dining effective rate after caps and exclusions — see the category matrix for the current snapshot.
Heavy grocery spend
Pick U.S. Bank FlexPerks Reserve American Express
Supermarket and grocery coding can differ from superstores and delivery, so compare the grocery row before you optimize a weekly shopping basket.
Welcome bonus chaser
Pick SKYPASS Select Visa Signature
If you are chasing a welcome bonus, SKYPASS Select Visa Signature leads on catalog bonus value. For long-term category earn after the bonus, U.S. Bank FlexPerks Reserve American Express is the stronger keeper in this pair — but only if its annual fee still makes sense for your spend.
Fee-sensitive keeper
Pick U.S. Bank FlexPerks Reserve American Express
When you want the card that is easiest to keep year two, annual fee often matters more than a narrow category edge.
Decision guide
Which card is better between SKYPASS Select Visa Signature and U.S. Bank FlexPerks Reserve American Express?
SKYPASS Select Visa Signature is the better overall pick because it leads on Madeen's weighted scorecard (54 vs 46) across categories, bonus, benefits, and fee. SKYPASS Select Visa Signature (3.2% top effective rate) vs U.S. Bank FlexPerks Reserve American Express (2%): Madeen's catalog compares fees vs fees across dining, grocery, gas, and travel — not just headline categories.
When should you pick SKYPASS Select Visa Signature over U.S. Bank FlexPerks Reserve American Express?
Choose SKYPASS Select Visa Signature if Best for spenders who put meaningful volume in dining and can earn 2x miles. The welcome bonus can help if you can meet the spend requirement. Travel perks may add value beyond the earn rate.. Best for dining-heavy spend when the $450 fee fits your usage; confirm issuer terms before applying.
Strengths
- Strongest Madeen category is dining at about 3.2% effective (2x miles).
- That dining rate ranks higher than about 92% of cards we track in the category.
- No foreign transaction fee listed.
Tradeoffs
- $450 annual fee requires enough spend in bonus categories to offset.
- Multiple caps, activations, or exclusions may limit headline earn rates.
When should you pick U.S. Bank FlexPerks Reserve American Express over SKYPASS Select Visa Signature?
Choose U.S. Bank FlexPerks Reserve American Express if Best for spenders who put meaningful volume in grocery and can earn 2% back. Travel perks may add value beyond the earn rate.. Best for grocery-heavy spend when the $299 fee fits your usage; confirm issuer terms before applying.
Strengths
- Strongest Madeen category is grocery at about 2% effective (2% back).
- No foreign transaction fee listed.
- Includes travel or statement credits in our benefits snapshot.
Tradeoffs
- $299 annual fee requires enough spend in bonus categories to offset.
- Multiple caps, activations, or exclusions may limit headline earn rates.
Common questions about SKYPASS Select Visa Signature vs U.S. Bank FlexPerks Reserve American Express
Which card is better between SKYPASS Select Visa Signature and U.S. Bank FlexPerks Reserve American Express?
SKYPASS Select Visa Signature is the stronger overall fit because it leads on Madeen's weighted scorecard (54 vs 46) across categories, bonus, benefits, and fee. The overall winner depends on your spend mix — use the scorecard rows and scenario playbook to see where each card actually wins.
Which card wins on dining: SKYPASS Select Visa Signature or U.S. Bank FlexPerks Reserve American Express?
SKYPASS Select Visa Signature leads dining at 3.2% effective versus 1%.
Which card is better for cashback users: SKYPASS Select Visa Signature or U.S. Bank FlexPerks Reserve American Express?
U.S. Bank FlexPerks Reserve American Express is the better cashback-style pick between SKYPASS Select Visa Signature and U.S. Bank FlexPerks Reserve American Express.
Which welcome bonus is stronger between SKYPASS Select Visa Signature and U.S. Bank FlexPerks Reserve American Express?
If you are chasing a welcome bonus, SKYPASS Select Visa Signature leads on catalog bonus value. For long-term category earn after the bonus, U.S. Bank FlexPerks Reserve American Express is the stronger keeper in this pair — but only if its annual fee still makes sense for your spend.
Which card has stronger benefits: SKYPASS Select Visa Signature or U.S. Bank FlexPerks Reserve American Express?
U.S. Bank FlexPerks Reserve American Express leads on estimated annual benefit value in the Madeen snapshot.
Which card has the lower annual fee: SKYPASS Select Visa Signature or U.S. Bank FlexPerks Reserve American Express?
U.S. Bank FlexPerks Reserve American Express has the simpler fee story in this pair ($450 vs $299). Annual fee only wins if you use the rewards and credits that justify it.
Is SKYPASS Select Visa Signature or U.S. Bank FlexPerks Reserve American Express better for travel spend?
SKYPASS Select Visa Signature is the stronger travel-style pick between SKYPASS Select Visa Signature and U.S. Bank FlexPerks Reserve American Express in this snapshot.
Can you hold both U.S. Bank cards?
Yes, many people can hold both U.S. Bank cards when each covers a different spend lane and the combined fees still make sense.
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Reviewed by Madeen editorial review
Catalog snapshot 2026-05-01
Updated 2026-06-25
Content tier Standard
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