U.S. Bank | FlexPerks Traveler Photo Contest

"I couldn't believe how simple it was to book our ticket online." — Camp Shurman
"Thanks to FlexPerks, [we spent] just 20000 FlexPoints per person, plus we got refund for our inflight spending." — Elahe
"For my 50th birthday I used my Flexpoints miles to purchase a ticket to St. Maarten and had the time of my life with my husband, sister and her friend." — Ellen, O
"My FlexPerks allowed me the opportunity to travel throughout Spain and to one of Europe’s most remarkable sites - the Alhambra." — Megan M
"We weren’t sure if we would be able to afford to go since money is tight. Our Flexperks allowed all of us to travel for free!" — JSS
"We booked a one way flight from NYC to Dubai using Flex Perks points." — Rene H.
"Thanks to US Bank FlexPerks we have never paid for the air portion of our yearly trip!" — Key West sunset
"With FlexPoints, I got to fly my whole family to see the great beauty [of Croatia] in business class--for free!" — Theo
"FlexPerks allowed my wife and I to escape a cold and snow filled Wisconsin winter, visiting my parents in Florida." — Happy Traveler
"Flex Perks made the trip out here easy and has since saved us a ton of money on frequent tickets back to the Midwest." — Emily
"We had a wonderful time and I love to use my flexperks card to save up for another free flight!" — Michelle W
"One kayak, One Loon, One Echo Lake...one fantastic Flexperks memory for all!" — Loon on Echo Lake
"Our family motto: send students overseas and then visit them!" — Our Dream Vacation
"Just a phone call and FlexPerks had me all set up for a non-stop flight to Seattle!!!" — Vonis S.
"Thanks to FlexPerks, half the cost of the flight was saved thanks to the free ticket...Evan got to practice drums at his Uncle's store!" — Jerome J.
"Our FlexPerks miles got us to Miami flying 1st class." — Swimming with the Sting rays
"We used FlexPerks to get a connecting flight to LA, which took us to Fiji for our Honeymoon." — Justin N.
"A great last minute vacation that we never would have done if we didn't have Flexpoints built up." — Brendan R
"I have always wanted to spend my birthday in Hawaii and thanks to Flex Points I was able to do it this year!" — Daggie
"The FlexPerks award allowed us to get there after dreaming for three years about a return to the Pacific." — Dave_in_Chevy_Chase
"I could get a great flight for 20,000 points, versus the 40,000 miles [the airline] was asking." — Winding Down a Rewarding Vacation
"I saved HUGE by using my Flex Perk miles instead of buying a plane ticket." — Shelly McCune
"Thanks Flexperks for helping us get there. =)" — Bowman
"Flex Perks enabled us to make a dream trip more affordable." — Captain
"Best free flight program available in my opinion!!" — Fun in Montana
"I traveled to Sado Island, Japan to study Taiko Drumming…Flex Perks is great because it doesn't limit you to round trips. " — Ann B
"The trip of our dreams was made effortless because our Visa FlexPerks card was accepted everywhere we traveled from Amsterdam to Budapest." — Time to Travel 10
"Booking our flight online through Travelocity was so easy and convenient." — Carina
"Thank you FlexPerks for helping make our dream come true!" — Our Dream Vacation
"I booked the flight Friday afternoon and was on a plane Saturday at 6am..on the beach by 11am" — Beach Fun
"I saved a total of $1,200.00 on the trip." — Fishing at Katmai
"I used my Flexpoints to book the travel leg from Minneapolis to LA before getting to my final destination...Australia." — Jennifer S.
"My wife and I wanted to visit San Francisco last August. FlexPerks to the rescue: we got two free tickets." — Golden Gate to Nowhere
"My husband and I were able to get our dream vacation in Jamaica by using our Flexperks. We actually climbed this waterfall." — Wendy
"Oh, the things you can do with Flex Perks!" — Broadway Mom
"The dream became real this fall because my FlexPoints helped to make it happen." — Mark R.
"Going to Europe has always been a dream of mine, and I would have never been able to do it without my FlexPerks card and the points I was able to accumulate." — Monet's Gardens
"Using FlexPerks meant I could save my money to support a cause dear to my heart." — Ape4Apes
"My Visa made booking every aspect of travel so easy and was accepted everywhere." — Dolphin alongside our fishing boat
"We saved our points and got one of our tickets for free, which really helped the budget… we had an amazing vacation!" — mariemom2
"…My family and I were able to enjoy a relaxing cruise touring the Caribbean, while earning additional FlexPoints for future travel." — Liberty of the Seas Port
"Arranging our trip with FlexPerks was a breeze that lifted our spirits." — Torrey Pines Hang Gliders
"We used our Flex Perks points for two tickets to Maui." — Hawaiian Happiness
"It makes it much easier to take a trip when the airline part is already taken care of." — Don't Feed the Tigers!
"My hubby and I love to travel, so I put all of my business purchases on my Flexperks card to get free tickets!" — J.E.T.
"We found great tickets and saved thousands of dollars. We still received our frequent flier miles and even received an upgrade!!" — Playing in the Sand
"We were able to stay 15 days this trip with the savings on airfare." — Fred J.
"My ticket was 100% covered by points. I didn't even have to pay the taxes." — Toby
"Thanks to FlexPerks, my husband and I celebrated our 50th anniversary with free air fare to Kauai." — Katherine B.
"FlexPerks Award travel was extremely easy to use…" — Beach Comber

Destination: United States: CO
Submitted by: Jessa

Destination: United States: CO
Submitted by: Mark Wedder

Destination: Fiji
Submitted by: Cory Wallman

Destination: Thailand
Submitted by: Valerie Jill Stagg

How you can win

Submit a photo and story from your recent FlexPerks^® Visa^® award trip. Get 500 bonus FlexPoints just for entering.

Vote now

Browse the gallery and vote for your favorites.

See the winners

View the judge's choices and top vote-getters.

(1) General Rules: The FlexPerks Traveler Photo Contest (the "Contest") consists of a photograph and story contest and is sponsored by U.S. Bank National Association ("Sponsor"). The Contest begins on April 16, 2011, at 12:00:01 AM Central Time ("CT") and is ongoing until terminated by the Sponsor ("Promotion Period"). The Contest is open to legal residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia, who are 18 years of age or older and have an eligible FlexPerks-branded Visa credit card (FlexPerks ^® Travel Rewards Visa Signature® Card, FlexPerks ^® Select Rewards Visa® card, FlexPerks^® Business Travel Rewards Visa® card, FlexPerks ^® Business Select Rewards Visa® card) issued by Sponsor ("Eligible Card"). Employees of Sponsor who manage the FlexPerks program (in RPS); DirectDesign Minneapolis; any other individual, agency or company involved in the development, promotion, advertising or execution of the Contest; their immediate families (spouse, parents, children and siblings and their spouses); and individuals living in the same households of such employees and other individuals are not eligible. The credit card account that is accessed by the Eligible Card must be open, current and not over the limit at the time of entry and at the time of winning to be eligible. Contest is subject to all applicable federal, state and local laws and regulations. Void where prohibited by law.

Eligible entrants ("Entrants") have spent at least twenty thousand (20,000) FlexPoints to purchase their airline ticket for their trip ("Eligible Trip") and have complied with these rules.

Only individuals may win. If the Eligible Card accesses a small business credit card account, the winner will be the individual who holds the Eligible Card that is registered as part of the Contest Entry. If FlexPoints are pooled for the small business credit card account, the FlexPoints account from which the pooled FlexPoints were withdrawn for the Eligible Trip will receive any FlexPoints that are awarded as a prize. If FlexPoints are not pooled for the small business credit card account and are linked to the Entrant's Eligible Card, the FlexPoints will be awarded to that Eligible Card's FlexPoints account.

(2) How to Enter and Additional Eligibility: Visit flexperkstraveler.usbank.com during the Promotion Period and follow the directions to enter the Contest (each, a "Contest Entry") by submitting a Photograph ("Photograph") from your Eligible Trip award travel destination and a short Story regarding the Photograph, which must be 500 characters or less ("Story") and answer the question, "Where did FlexPerks Visa take you?" Each Contest Entry must include a Photograph and a Story. Limit one 500-FlexPoints entry bonus per Eligible Trip, and maximum of one 20,000-FlexPoints prize per Eligible Trip.

Photograph must owned by Entrant and must be an original taken by or of Entrant during the Eligible Trip. Photo must be submitted electronically; mailed entries will not be permitted. Photographs that have been altered may be disqualified. Photograph may not contain and will be deemed ineligible if it contains the following "Ineligible Items": competitive marks or names (e.g., other financial institution names, MasterCard ^®, American Express ^®); political statements or symbols; advertising or promotional messages; branded products; celebrities/musicians/public figures/athletes/cartoons; phone numbers; URL addresses; socially unacceptable groups (e.g., gangs); materials which are offensive to cultural or religious values; provocative or sexual material; profanity, violence or obscenities; reproduction of currency; any image that may potentially denigrate the Visa or Sponsor (including FlexPerks) brand; or copyrighted or trademarked material not owned by Entrant. This applies to Photographs that contain Ineligible Items on apparel, banners, signs, as well as in the foreground or background of the Photograph.

Story must apply to the Photograph; must be the original work of Entrant; must be in English; may not have been published previously; must not infringe on third-party rights; and must be suitable for publication (i.e., may not be obscene, lewd, violent or indecent, include explicit or offensive words or otherwise inappropriate content). Story may not contain derogatory comments pertaining to race, color, sex, national origin, religion, marital status, age, gender, sexual orientation, disability or familial status. Story cannot contain inaccurate statements about Sponsor's products (whether those statements are positive or negative) or mention competition or items negatively reflecting Sponsor's brand(s). Story cannot contain political commentary or relate to illegal activities.

By submitting a Contest Entry, Entrant agrees to assign all rights to the Photograph and Story to Sponsor (including copyright and all right, title and interest therein) and to permit Sponsor and its designees to edit the Photograph and Story and to use and distribute Photograph and Story in any and all media now known or not currently known throughout the world in perpetuity without compensation, permission or notification to Entrant or any third party. Sponsor is not responsible for validating any statements made by Entrants. Materials submitted in connection with the Contest will not be returned.

(3) Contest Prize: Six (6) eligible Entrants - three (3) chosen by popular vote and three (3) chosen by contest judges - will win each calendar month during the Promotion Period (starting May, 2011). Each first (1 ^st) place winner will receive twenty thousand (20,000) FlexPoints, each second (2 ^nd) place winner will receive ten thousand (10,000) FlexPoints, and each third (3 ^rd) place winner will receive five thousand (5,000) FlexPoints. In addition, each eligible Entrant will receive five hundred (500) FlexPoints. FlexPoints will be credited to the winner's FlexPoints account within 6-8 weeks after the winners have been determined and verified. Five hundred (500) FlexPoints will be credited to each Entrant's FlexPoints account within 6-8 weeks after the submission has been verified and approved.

(4) Selection of Winner: All eligible Contest Entries received during the Promotion Period will be posted at flexperkstraveler.usbank.com, along with the display name, destination, city and state the Entrant provided at the time of entry. Commencing the month of May 2011, six (6) Contest Entries will be selected each calendar month during the Promotion Period, with three (3) winners selected by Contest judges and three (3) winners selected based upon votes received with first (1 ^st), second (2 ^nd) and third (3 ^rd) place in each category, as described below. Contest Entries must be submitted no later than the end of the day on the fifteenth (15th) day of each month during the Promotion Period to be eligible for that month's Contest. Contest Entries submitted after the fifteenth (15th) day of the month will be held and entered in the next month of the Promotion Period. Contest Entries received after the contest end date or the fifteenth (15 ^th) day of the last month of the Promotion Period will not be eligible. Non-winning Contest Entries are not eligible for resubmission. Sponsor reserves the right to continue and discontinue the Promotion, and the dates reflected in these rules will be revised accordingly.

Three (3) winners for each monthly Promotional Period will be selected by popular vote by the general public with first (1 ^st), second (2 ^nd) and third (3 ^rd) place in this category. In the case of a tie, the Contest Entry that submitted first will be selected first. Contest Entries will be reviewed prior to being posted. Contest Entries that do not meet the Contest rules, as determined by Sponsor in its sole discretion, will not be posted and are not eligible for the 500 FlexPoints entry bonus. The general public will be invited to vote for the Photograph and Story that they think is the best. There will be a limit of one (1) vote per entry per day per person / IP address. Only bonafide votes are eligible. Automated methods of voting are prohibited; any votes that Sponsor believes are fraudulent or otherwise not bonafide may be disqualified in Sponsor's sole discretion. Entrant may also be disqualified if Sponsor has reason to believe that voting on Contest Entries was fraudulent or the subject of other adverse activity with respect to the voting process. In the event of a tie in the popular vote, the winning entry will be selected randomly from the tied entries. Sponsor is not responsible for verifying the validity or accuracy of any Photograph or Story, but reserves the right to disqualify a Photograph based upon these rules.

Contest judges will select three (3) winners during each month of the Promotion Period with first (1 ^st), second (2 ^nd) and third (3 ^rd) place in this category. Factors used by the Contest judges to select the winner include, but are not limited to, originality, quality of the Photograph, uniqueness of the Contest Entry and perspective.

(5) Winner Notification/Prize Claims: The U.S. Bank FlexPerks Traveler Photo Contest winners will be notified via the contest site, by e-mail (if email is provided in the Contest Entry), and/or by telephone or traceable method of delivery using the winner's telephone/address information listed in Sponsor's records related to the Eligible Card. In the event of noncompliance with these rules, at Sponsor's discretion, may be awarded to an alternate winner.

(6) Prize Restrictions: No substitutions or cash equivalents permitted except at Sponsor's option for a prize of comparable or greater value. Prize is nontransferable. Federal, state and local taxes or fees, if any, and any expenses not specified here which are related to acceptance and taking delivery of the prize and to the use of prize are the responsibility of winner.

(7) Additional Terms: By accepting a prize, each winner consents to the use of his/her name, likeness, voice and/or biographical information for advertising and promotional purposes without additional compensation, except where prohibited by law. By acceptance of a prize, each winner acknowledges compliance with these rules and agrees to release and hold Sponsor, its affiliates, subsidiaries, fulfillment agencies, DirectDesign Minneapolis and each respective company's officers, directors, employees, independent contractors, representatives and agents ("Releasees") harmless from and against any claim or cause of action arising out of participation in the Contest or the receipt, redemption or use of a prize, including any injuries or damages of any kind sustained in connection with the use, acceptance, possession or awarding of any prize. By participating in this Contest, Entrants agree to be bound by the rules and by the decisions of the judges and Sponsor, which are final and binding on all matters. Sponsor reserves the right to modify the prize award procedures at its sole discretion.

(8) Limitation of Liability: Releasees are not responsible for printing, typographical, human or other errors of any kind in any Contest-related materials; for stolen, lost, late, misdirected, damaged, incomplete, illegible or postage-due mail Contest Entries; or for Contest Entries that are lost for any reason, including, without limitation, computer, telephonic, paper-transfer or human error, or electronic, computer or telephonic malfunction, damage, error, omission, interruption, defect, delay in operation or transmission, or any combination thereof. If, for any reason, this Contest is not capable of running as planned, Sponsor reserves the right at its sole discretion to cancel, terminate, modify or suspend the Contest. Sponsor reserves the right at its sole discretion to disqualify any Contest Entry or Entrant engaged in any conduct that compromises the Contest. By entering, all Entrants agree that this Contest is governed by laws of the state of Minnesota, without giving effect to any choice of law or conflict of law rules, for the resolution of all claims and disputes (excluding any claims against or disputes involving parties other than Sponsor relating to any prize awarded in the Contest) and consent to the jurisdiction and venue of the federal, state and local courts located in Hennepin County, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Entrants agree that any and all disputes, claims and causes of action arising out of or in connection with the Contest, or any prizes awarded shall be resolved individually, without resort to any form of class action. Entrant agrees that any and all claims, judgments and awards shall be limited to actual out-of-pocket costs incurred, including costs associated with entering this Contest. In no event will an award of attorneys' fees be permitted, and Entrant hereby waives all rights to claim punitive, incidental and consequential damages and any other damages, other than actual out-of-pocket expenses, and any and all rights to have damages multiplied or otherwise increased. SOME JURISDICTIONS DO NOT ALLOW THE LIMITATIONS OR EXCLUSION OF LIABILITY FOR INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, SO THE ABOVE MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU.

(9) Winners List: Winning Entries will be listed online at flexperkstraveler.usbank.com.

(10) Taxability of this Promotion: Should U.S. Bank determine that the FlexPoints you receive constitute reportable income, their value will be reported to you and the IRS on Form 1099. You are responsible for any federal or state taxes owed on the FlexPoints. Consult your tax adviser should you have questions about the taxability of this promotion.

Sponsor: U.S. Bank National Association, 800 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis, MN 55402

Who can enter?
All FlexPerks^® Visa^® Travel and Select credit cardmembers who have redeemed 20,000+ FlexPoints for award travel and have a digital photo and story from their award travel are eligible. The contest is open to FlexPerks Visa credit cardmembers only; FlexPerks Visa Debit and Cash Rewards cardmembers are not eligible at this time. You must be at least 18 years of age.

What can I enter?
Whether it's a gorgeous landscape, a famous monument or you and a friend having fun in a distinctive place, we're looking for photos that capture the spirit of the destination. In your story, let us know what's special about the destination for you, and if you like, how FlexPerks Visa helped make your travel possible.

Here are a few basic guidelines to help you make sure your submission is eligible:

You must own the rights to the photo, and it must have been taken by you or of you during your FlexPerks Visa award travel.
Photos should be less than 5 MB in size, and should be in JPG, JPEG, PJPEG, PNG or GIF formats. Photos larger than 5 MB may result in delayed load time and submission time-out.
Make sure you have permission from all identifiable people in your photo.
The photo should not include any legible brand names, logos, trademarks, political or advertising materials, phone numbers or Web addresses.
The photo and story should be appropriate for a family site.
Stories must apply to the submitted photo and should be in your own words. Stories must be in English and should not quote or paraphrase other published or copyrighted works.

See more eligibility criteria in our terms and conditions.

What are the prizes?
There are six monthly prizes — three judges’ picks and three popular vote winners. Winners in each category receive 20,000 FlexPoints for first place, 10,000 FlexPoints for second place and 5,000 FlexPoints for third place. Each entry is limited to one prize.

Cardmembers whose submissions are approved receive an entry bonus of 500 FlexPoints. Cardmembers are eligible for one entry bonus per FlexPerks Visa award travel trip redeemed.

How are the winners chosen?
Each month, three winners are chosen by the contest judges and three winners are chosen by popular vote. Submissions are eligible to win one prize in the month for which they were submitted and approved.

Popular Winner
The popular winners are the entries that receive the most votes during a single month of the contest (i.e., May 1–31, June 1-30, etc.). First, second and third-place entries will be awarded FlexPoints. Friends and fans can vote for photos on the site once per day. Each photo will be eligible for voting for up to 31 days of a calendar month, based on when it is submitted — see the next FAQ for more details.

Judges' Pick
The contest judges will evaluate entries based on the merit of each photo and story and how well they represent the travel destination and the FlexPerks Visa travel experience. The judges' picks will be different than the popular vote winners.

How soon will my photo be available for voting?
It will typically take a few days for your submission to be approved by the judges and appear on the voting site. If your photo and story are submitted after the 15th of the month, they will be held for the next contest and will appear on the first day of the following month.

How will I know when my photo has been approved?
Register your email address during the submission process to receive contest email updates, news about contest winners and more.

Can I enter more than one story?
Yes, but you are eligible for only one 500-FlexPoints entry bonus and one 20,000, 10,000 or 5,000 bonus FlexPoints prize per eligible award trip. Approved entries are not eligible for resubmission in subsequent months.

Can I send you my photo and story in the mail?
No. Only digital photos are eligible, and the submission form at flexperkstraveler.usbank.com is the only way to enter the contest.

Can I edit my photos before submitting?
Minor edits like cropping or color correction are acceptable. Photos that have been heavily edited or manipulated are not eligible. Eligibility decisions are at the discretion of the judges and are final.

Why can't I find my entry on the site?
Your photo may not be approved yet, or it may have been submitted after the 15th of the month and held for next month's contest. In some cases, entries may have been judged ineligible based on the submission requirements in our terms and conditions. To see your submission status, use your FlexPoints # to log in to the FlexPerks Promotion site and click on the Photo Contest link.

How can U.S. Bank use my submission?
By submitting your photo and story to the FlexPerks Traveler Photo Contest, you are assigning the rights to your photo and story to U.S. Bank. U.S. Bank may use the photo and story (or portions thereof) in future communications, advertising materials or other media.

How do I get my FlexPoints?
For all entrants, the 500 bonus FlexPoints will be credited to your FlexPerks Visa account 6–8 weeks after the photo is approved. For monthly winners, the 20,000, 10,000 or 5,000 FlexPoints will be credited to the winners' accounts 6–8 weeks after winners are announced and eligibility documents from U.S. Bank are completed.

What if I haven't redeemed for FlexPerks Visa award travel?
Sorry, you're not eligible yet. It may be time for you to start planning your next award travel vacation.

Photo Details

Posted by Daywalker1
Destination: Sydney, Australia

I saved Time with FlexPerks^® Visa^®.

Share this photo:

Total Votes:
0

My Story:
It's been a lifelong dream of mine to travel to Australia, and this year my FlexPoints helped me make it happen. My first stop was Sydney, and no visit to the city is complete without a trip to the famous Opera House. It's even more spectacular in person than I imagined, and I was excited to get my very own photo of the landmark.

My FlexPerks Visa card got me there

Where did your FlexPerks card take you? Submit Your Photo

Photo Details

Posted by Daywalker1
Destination: Sydney, Australia
I saved Time with FlexPerks^® Visa^®.

My Story:
This is sunset on day one of our February vacation. It was 12 degrees when we got on the plane, but just a few hours later the kids were playing in the sand and had forgotten all about the snow back home.

Even Mom and Dad (that's us) had started to forget about work and were instead enjoying the sound of the surf.

First Place:	20,000 FlexPoints (enough for a free flight up to $400 in value)
Second Place:	10,000 FlexPoints
Third Place:	5,000 FlexPoints

	I have redeemed 20,000 or more FlexPoints for an award ticket. (Travel will be verified before approval.)
	The photo I am submitting complies with all contest terms and conditions.