E-Malt.com News article: USA: U.S. Bank and Anheuser-Busch Introduce Budweiser Rewards Visa Platinum Card

U.S. Bank and Anheuser-Busch have partnered to offer the BudweiserŽ Rewards VisaŽ Platinum Card, providing card members with the opportunity to earn points toward gift cards good for Anheuser-Busch merchandise, Business Wire reported April 1.

Card members earn three Specialty Rewards points for every $1 spent in net purchases at Budshop.com, Budweiser Genuine Collection consumer catalogs, Anheuser-Busch Brewery Tours & Gift Shops, Anheuser-Busch Adventure Parks (SeaWorld, Discovery Cove, Busch Gardens, Adventure Island, Water Country USA, Sesame Place and Aquatica), Grant’s Farm, Kingsmill Resort & Spa, and licensed Bud Shop retail stores. Cardmembers will also earn one point for every $1 spent in net purchases made with the Budweiser Rewards Visa Platinum Card everywhere else Visa credit cards are accepted. Plus, new customers will receive a 1,000-point bonus when they make their first purchase.

For every 2,500 points earned, card members are automatically sent a $25 Anheuser-Busch Merchandise Rewards Gift Card. Rewards Gift Cards are good toward apparel, gifts, home bar, sports items and more from Budshop.com and Budweiser Genuine Collection consumer catalogs. Rewards can also be used toward Budweiser-branded merchandise when ordering from emails or by phone, mail or fax.

The Budweiser branded card designs and rewards program associated with the Budweiser Rewards Visa Platinum Card are intended for applicants 21 years of age or older. Applicants under the age of 21 who are approved will receive the Affinity Select Rewards Visa Platinum Card.

"Anheuser-Busch is one of the most recognized and respected companies in the world, and it is our pleasure to partner with them to offer the Budweiser Rewards Visa and Affinity Select Rewards Visa Platinum cards," said John Owens, senior vice president of co-branded cards at U.S. Bank.

“It’s thrilling to see our two companies coming together once again in a business partnership – U.S. Bank, the largest bank in St. Louis, and Anheuser-Busch, a St. Louis-based corporation with great history and respect in this city,” said Joseph Imbs, president of U.S. Bank in St. Louis. U.S. Bank has ATMs at Anheuser Busch theme parks, including SeaWorld and Busch Gardens.

Based in St. Louis, Anheuser-Busch is the leading American brewer, holding a 48.5 percent share of U.S. beer sales. The company brews the world’s largest-selling beers, Budweiser and Bud Light. Anheuser-Busch also owns a 50 percent share in Grupo Modelo, Mexico’s leading brewer, and a 27 percent share in China brewer Tsingtao, whose namesake beer brand is the country’s best-selling premium beer. Anheuser-Busch ranked No. 1 among beverage companies in FORTUNE Magazine’s Most Admired U.S. and Global Companies lists in 2008. Anheuser-Busch is one of the largest theme park operators in the United States, is a major manufacturer of aluminum cans and one of the world’s largest recyclers of aluminum cans. For more information, visit www.anheuser-busch.com.

U.S. Bancorp (NYSE:USB), with $238 billion in assets, is the parent company of U.S. Bank, the 6th largest commercial bank in the United States. The company operates 2,518 banking offices and 4,867 ATMs, and provides a comprehensive line of banking, brokerage, insurance, investment, mortgage, trust and payment services products to consumers, businesses and institutions. Visit U.S. Bancorp on the web at


02 April, 2008