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MINNEAPOLIS--([ BUSINESS WIRE ])--Business owners now have a convenient way to pay for business expenses while avoiding interest charges with a monthly pay-in-full feature using the new [ U.S. Bank Business Visa Charge Card ]. The new charge card is designed to give small businesses a way to build their business credit, manage their cash flow and earn cash rewards on all their purchases - without a monthly or annual fee.

"The new U.S. Bank Business Visa Charge Card is a great addition to our suite of small business products"

aThe new U.S. Bank Business Visa Charge Card is a great addition to our suite of small business products,a said Cliff Cook, chief marketing officer for U.S. Bank Retail Payment Solutions. aWe undertook extensive research to understand what small business cardholders need in a payments product, and what we heard, is that they want more flexibility and control over managing their expenses. We developed a payment solution that offers many of the benefits of both debit and credit a" all in one card, while also rewarding owners for their purchases.a

Benefits of the U.S. Bank Business Visa Charge Card include:

• no interest charges or revolving balances because customers pay in full every month;
• no monthly or annual fees;
• ability to build a business credit profile;
• minimum 25-day monthly grace period for owners to pay their bill, which helps with cash flow;
• up to one percent cash back on purchases;
• ScoreBoard a" U.S. Bankas award-winning online tool to monitor expenses, track spending patterns and review sales data;
• 24/7 domestic call centers with dedicated U.S. Bank small business specialists and
• zero liability fraud protection.

The U.S. Bank Business Visa Charge Card is now available at all U.S. Bank branches and online at usbank.com/chargecard.

U.S. Bank is a leader in providing financing and expertise to small businesses nationwide. Small business lending at U.S. Bank is up 3.8 percent as of the second quarter of 2012 compared with the same period last year across the bankas 25-state footprint. In 2011, U.S. Bank set a new company record for Small Business Administration (SBA) loan approvals with a total of $630 million. The previous U.S. Bank record, set in 2008, was $504 million.

U.S. Bank conducts an annual survey of small business owners, and in 2012 most small business owners said that they still thought the economy was in a recession, but many said their business was doing well. Overall, 69 percent of respondents said the financial health of their business was agood,a avery gooda or aexcellent,a up from 64 percent in 2011.

U.S. Bank offers a website for small business owners called aConnecta [ www.usbankconnect.com ] with tools and insights for small business owners who are at any stage of the business life cycle, from start up to retirement.

U.S. Bank Retail Payment Solutions (RPS) is one of the nation's leading payment processing and full-service issuing providers. RPS offers credit, debit and prepaid payment solutions to consumers and small businesses through U.S. Bank and in partnership with financial institutions, businesses, governments and employers.

About U.S. Bank
U.S. Bancorp (NYSE: USB), with $353 billion in assets as of June 30, 2012, is the parent company of U.S. Bank National Association, the fifth-largest commercial bank in the United States. The company operates 3,080 banking offices in 25 states and 5,085 ATMs and provides a comprehensive line of banking, brokerage, insurance, investment, mortgage, trust and payment services products to consumers, businesses and institutions. U.S. Bancorp and its employees are dedicated to improving the communities they serve, for which the company earned the 2011 Spirit of America Award, the highest honor bestowed on a company by United Way. Visit U.S. Bancorp on the web at [ www.usbank.com ].