U.S. Bank Kroger Cards Are Moving to Smartly Visa
U.S. Bank says Kroger-family credit cards will convert to Smartly Visa between August and October 2026, ending the old 5% mobile-wallet setup for affected cardholders.
TL;DR
U.S. Bank says Kroger-family credit cards will be replaced with U.S. Bank Smartly Visa cards between August and October 2026.
- U.S. Bank says Kroger-family credit cards will be replaced with U.S. Bank Smartly Visa cards between August and October 2026.
- The old Kroger-card value proposition included 5% cash back on mobile-wallet purchases on up to $3,000 per year; the replacement Smartly Visa starts at unlimited 2% cash back.
- Affected cardholders should use remaining Kroger-card benefits before activation, save the conversion notice, and update any tracker or autopay setup.
What changed
U.S. Bank says its partnership with Kroger is coming to an end and that affected Kroger-family credit cards will be replaced with the U.S. Bank Smartly Visa Signature Card. The official conversion page says new cards will arrive sometime between August and October 2026.
That is a real rewards change for cardholders who used the Kroger Rewards World Elite Mastercard or related Kroger-family cards for mobile-wallet purchases. U.S. Bank's prior Kroger rewards announcement described 5% cash back on mobile-wallet purchases for the first $3,000 spent in a calendar year, plus Kroger fuel savings. The Smartly Visa starts at unlimited 2% cash back on all purchases, with higher rates only for cardholders who meet U.S. Bank Smartly relationship-balance requirements.
Key details to check
| Category | Kroger-family card setup | Smartly Visa conversion |
|---|---|---|
| Timing | Existing Kroger-family card until replacement arrives | New card arrives between August and October 2026 |
| Base rewards | Up to 5% on mobile-wallet purchases on the first $3,000 per calendar year, 2% in Kroger stores, 1% elsewhere under the old structure | Unlimited 2% cash back on purchases, with possible Smartly relationship bonuses |
| Annual fee | $0 annual fee | $0 annual fee remains in place |
| Credit line and rates | Existing account terms | Existing credit limit carries over; current rates and fees carry over, subject to future terms |
| Rewards balance | Existing Kroger rewards | Rewards balance carries over automatically |
| Kroger fuel savings | Extra 5 cents per gallon for some cardholders | Ends when the new card is activated |
| Boost membership | Existing Boost membership, if any | Continues through the current expiration date |
Who should care
This matters most if the Kroger card was your quiet 5% mobile-wallet card. A common setup was to use Apple Pay, Google Pay, Kroger Pay, or another mobile-wallet path for expenses that do not usually earn bonus cash back, such as insurance, medical bills, local services, or everyday retail.
The replacement Smartly Visa is not useless, but it is different. At the base 2% rate, it behaves more like a simple catch-all card. The higher Smartly rates require qualifying U.S. Bank deposit balances, so cardholders should not assume they will keep anything close to the old mobile-wallet return.
What to do next
If you use Perkmon, this is the kind of change to add to your card notes and annual-fee review workflow even though the card has no annual fee. The question is not whether the card costs money to keep. It is whether it still has a job in your setup. For broader setup cleanup, see the credit-card benefits tracker checklist, Perkmon pricing, and the U.S. Bank bonus-days tracking note.
- Check your U.S. Bank app or online account for the conversion notice and expected timing.
- Use any Kroger-card-specific fuel or mobile-wallet strategy before activating the replacement card.
- Save a screenshot or PDF of the conversion notice, especially the account-number, rewards-balance, rate, and fee language.
- Update autopay and digital wallets after the new Smartly Visa card arrives.
- In your tracker, mark the old Kroger 5% mobile-wallet benefit as ending when your replacement card is activated.
Sources
Official U.S. Bank conversion page: My Smartly Visa Card.
Old U.S. Bank Kroger rewards structure: U.S. Bank and Kroger Co. offer new credit card rewards and fuel discounts.
Current Smartly Visa product page: U.S. Bank Smartly Visa Signature Card.
Community discovery signal: r/CreditCards discussion.
Keep exploring
Frequently asked questions
When will Kroger-family U.S. Bank cards convert to Smartly Visa?
U.S. Bank's official conversion page says new Smartly Visa cards will arrive between August and October 2026. The exact timing can vary by account.
Does the Kroger card keep 5% mobile-wallet cash back after conversion?
No. The U.S. Bank conversion page says the replacement card is the Smartly Visa, which starts at unlimited 2% cash back. The old Kroger-card mobile-wallet structure should be treated as ending when the new card is activated.
What happens to existing Kroger card rewards?
U.S. Bank says the existing rewards balance will carry over automatically as part of the conversion.
Before you act
- Issuer and program terms can change.
- Verify current U.S. Bank and Kroger terms directly before acting.
- This article is for informational purposes only and is not financial advice.
Turn this into a repeatable workflow
Perkmon is built for the operational side of credit card perks: what is still available, what has already been used, and what needs attention before value disappears.