A quiet portfolio shuffle with big wallet implications
If you shopped at Kroger and carried its co‑branded credit card, your plastic is about to change names. U.S. Bank says it will move Kroger co‑brand credit card clients to the U.S. Bank Smartly Visa while keeping the accounts in‑house for ownership and servicing — a transition the bank expects to finish this fall. That’s a straightforward line in a press note, but it changes how thousands of households earn at the register.
What changed and who’s affected
On the record: U.S. Bank confirmed it will transition credit card clients with The Kroger Co. co‑brand card to the U.S. Bank Smartly Visa, and that it will retain account ownership and servicing through the change. Communications are already in flight to cardholders, with completion targeted for this fall (as of October 18, 2026). In practical terms, this means Kroger‑family co‑brand cards — like the Kroger Rewards World Elite Mastercard and regional banners — are being folded into U.S. Bank’s own lineup rather than moved to a new issuer. That’s a notable strategic shift: co‑brands are typically renewed, sold, or relaunched; here, they’re being internalized.
A second‑order effect: perks tied to the Kroger co‑brand framework, including certain fuel‑center savings and category boosts that existed under that program, don’t map one‑for‑one to Smartly’s structure. Trade media tracking the rollout has already flagged changes to fuel discounts associated with the outgoing Kroger card once accounts convert. If you budgeted around those cents‑per‑gallon breaks, that’s a real difference at the pump.
The new card you’ll hold: Smartly Visa, explained
Smartly is U.S. Bank’s house flat‑rate earner. Public issuer terms show:
- Base earn: 2% cash back on purchases, unlimited.
- Relationship boosts: 2.5%, 3%, or 4% cash back on the first $10,000 in purchases each billing cycle if you also keep qualifying balances in U.S. Bank Smartly Checking/Safe Debit and have a U.S. Bank Smartly Savings account. The tiers kick in at $10,000–$49,999.99 (2.5%), $50,000–$99,999.99 (3%), and $100,000+ (4%). Purchases in some categories like education, insurance, taxes, and certain business‑to‑business merchants don’t receive the bonus and remain at 2%.
- Intro APR window: 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 12 billing cycles, per footnotes on the issuer page.
- Welcome offer: None publicly listed.
Translation: If you don’t bank with U.S. Bank, Smartly is a straightforward 2% everywhere card. If you do (and you keep sizeable combined balances), Smartly can climb to 3%–4% on the first $10,000 you put on the card each cycle — a very high cap relative to most category cards — but that depends on deposit relationships and some category exclusions.
What to do now if you carry a Kroger card
Think in two lanes: protect your pending value, then re‑optimize your future swipes.
- Lock in legacy redemptions now. If you have outstanding Kroger‑linked fuel or grocery savings, use them before conversion dates in your notice. Reports indicate the fuel‑center savings tied to the old program end upon conversion or closure; don’t assume they’ll carry over.
- Audit autopays and mobile wallets. Your card number and network may change; update subscriptions and digital wallets to avoid service hiccups and to ensure your post‑conversion spend lands on the card you actually want to use.
- Re‑map your grocery and gas strategy. The outgoing Kroger co‑brand often lived in wallets for family‑budget categories. Smartly is flat‑rate unless you have deep U.S. Bank deposits. If your top spend is groceries and you don’t plan to park $50,000–$100,000+ at U.S. Bank, consider pairing Smartly with a dedicated category card (more below).
A practical framework: replace category boosts you just lost
Here’s a clean way to rebuild the value that a grocery‑centric co‑brand provided:
- Make Smartly your floor. A guaranteed 2% everywhere is a solid baseline — particularly useful for merchants that don’t fall into a bonus category and for months when category cards cap out.
- Add a primary grocery or travel earner. Two proven plays:
2) Chase Sapphire Preferred: recent reporting highlighted a 60,000‑point bonus plus a $300 Chase Travel credit on certain offers. If you book via Chase Travel, that’s an immediate offset to the $95 annual fee and a pathway to 1:1 transfers; Sapphire also added new earn categories in mid‑2026.
- Or go all‑in on deposits to push Smartly higher. If you already keep significant balances at U.S. Bank, modeling whether 3%–4% on your first $10,000 per cycle (with category exclusions noted) beats a two‑ or three‑card setup can make sense. For households with, say, $4,000–$6,000 in monthly cardable spend and six‑figure banking balances, Smartly at 4% on that tranche is compelling.
Should you apply for something new right now?
Two timely options if this transition leaves a hole in your lineup:
- U.S. Bank Altitude Connect Visa Signature: Coverage in September noted a 50,000‑point welcome offer (worth $500) for $2,000 spend in 120 days, plus 4x on travel and 2x on grocery, a 12‑month Priority Pass Select membership, and credits for TSA PreCheck/Global Entry. If your Kroger card anchored gas and travel‑adjacent errands, this can replace upside with a bonus that posts in cash‑equivalent points.
- Chase Sapphire Preferred: Recent articles pointed to a 60,000‑point bonus and a $300 Chase Travel credit on some public offers. Sapphire’s transfer partners and mid‑2026 earn/protection refresh make it a good upgrade path if you’re ready to consolidate travel rewards. Always check eligibility rules and your 5/24 status before applying.
For many cardholders, the best near‑term plan is: keep the converted Smartly account open to preserve credit age and limit, use it as a 2% backstop, and add one new card targeted to your heaviest category. If you do bank with U.S. Bank and can hit the 3%–4% Smartly tiers, run the math against category stalwarts to confirm it wins for your spend pattern.
Let SuperPay do the heavy lifting on day one of your conversion
This kind of issuer move can scramble routines. SuperPay keeps it clean:
- Smart Card Picker tells you the best card to use the moment you’re in a Kroger, Fred Meyer, or fuel center — and after your card converts, it re‑ranks automatically. No guesswork, just the right swipe for that merchant.
- Spending reports show exactly how your earnings change pre‑ and post‑conversion. Connect your cards, and you’ll see month‑over‑month how Smartly’s 2% (or tiered 2.5%–4%) stacks up against a new Altitude Connect or Sapphire strategy — in dollars and percentages, not vibes.
If you’re rebuilding your wallet after this shift, SuperPay’s Rewards Roadmap (PRO+) can also model whether moving deposit balances to U.S. Bank to chase Smartly’s 3%–4% tier beats getting a separate grocery or travel card. You’ll get a personalized plan with projected annual earnings before you apply for anything.
Your next move
Download SuperPay on the App Store and start optimizing your rewards today. Set your Smart Card Picker, snap your first month of receipts to baseline earnings, and, if you’re considering a new card, run your Rewards Roadmap to see which option pays you most for the way you actually spend.