What are your favorite store cards?

[nmac]

I have a variety of credit cards that I think serve me fairly well in regards to maximizing credit card rewards. The only store card I have is the Target red debit card to get 5% off at their stores. My question is what store cards do you have that provide rewards greater than 1.5-2%. I find comparing bank cards to be quite simple since all the information is fairly easily laid out. Store cards are more difficult to compare since their rewards can take the form of coupons, discounts, reward certificates, special financing or other perks.

I don’t want to add inquiries to my reports or decrease my AAoA for a one time discount so I really looking to see if I’m missing out on any cards that provide ongoing rewards / benefits. So what store cards do you have that you find especially rewarding?

[Creditaddict]

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@nmac wrote:

I have a variety of credit cards that I think serve me fairly well in regards to maximizing credit card rewards. The only store card I have is the Target red debit card to get 5% off at their stores. My question is what store cards do you have that provide rewards greater than 1.5-2%. I find comparing bank cards to be quite simple since all the information is fairly easily laid out. Store cards are more difficult to compare since their rewards can take the form of coupons, discounts, reward certificates, special financing or other perks.

I don’t want to add inquiries to my reports or decrease my AAoA for a one time discount so I really looking to see if I’m missing out on any cards that provide ongoing rewards / benefits. So what store cards do you have that you find especially rewarding?

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- Macy's - constantly has additional 10-20% off at register if you use your card and that's not even if you have the Macy's Amex and then become elite and earn 3% just on all purchases inside the store.

- Express - again you can get access to some of the coupons but they seem to be never ending if you have the credit card, I just placed order the other day and had $15 off every $30 I spend plus free shipping, plus $10 coupond from credit card rewards... top it off rep ended up actually giving me just a flat 50% offEACH item instead!

[nmac]

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@Creditaddict wrote:

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@nmac wrote:

I have a variety of credit cards that I think serve me fairly well in regards to maximizing credit card rewards. The only store card I have is the Target red debit card to get 5% off at their stores. My question is what store cards do you have that provide rewards greater than 1.5-2%. I find comparing bank cards to be quite simple since all the information is fairly easily laid out. Store cards are more difficult to compare since their rewards can take the form of coupons, discounts, reward certificates, special financing or other perks.

I don’t want to add inquiries to my reports or decrease my AAoA for a one time discount so I really looking to see if I’m missing out on any cards that provide ongoing rewards / benefits. So what store cards do you have that you find especially rewarding?

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- Macy's - constantly has additional 10-20% off at register if you use your card and that's not even if you have the Macy's Amex and then become elite and earn 3% just on all purchases inside the store.

- Express - again you can get access to some of the coupons but they seem to be never ending if you have the credit card, I just placed order the other day and had $15 off every $30 I spend plus free shipping, plus $10 coupond from credit card rewards... top it off rep ended up actually giving me just a flat 50% offEACH item instead!

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Nice! I love cashiers like that. 

[Creditaddict]

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@nmac wrote:

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@Creditaddict wrote:

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@nmac wrote:

I have a variety of credit cards that I think serve me fairly well in regards to maximizing credit card rewards. The only store card I have is the Target red debit card to get 5% off at their stores. My question is what store cards do you have that provide rewards greater than 1.5-2%. I find comparing bank cards to be quite simple since all the information is fairly easily laid out. Store cards are more difficult to compare since their rewards can take the form of coupons, discounts, reward certificates, special financing or other perks.

I don’t want to add inquiries to my reports or decrease my AAoA for a one time discount so I really looking to see if I’m missing out on any cards that provide ongoing rewards / benefits. So what store cards do you have that you find especially rewarding?

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- Macy's - constantly has additional 10-20% off at register if you use your card and that's not even if you have the Macy's Amex and then become elite and earn 3% just on all purchases inside the store.

- Express - again you can get access to some of the coupons but they seem to be never ending if you have the credit card, I just placed order the other day and had $15 off every $30 I spend plus free shipping, plus $10 coupond from credit card rewards... top it off rep ended up actually giving me just a flat 50% offEACH item instead!

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Nice! I love cashiers like that. 

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this was by phone but that reminds me... if you are in store you can split the order into as many purchases as you want to be able to use the coupons!!

[Themanwhocan]

How many 5% categories do you already have credit cards for? All I see in your Signature are two 5% rotating category cards. There are still a lot of other good cards with 5% rewards available, before needing to get store cards.

Sallie Mae Mastercard 5% Grocery, 5% Gas, 5% Bookstores(Amazon.com)

Sallie Mae Upromise.com card 5%+5% online shopping mall

US Bank Cash+ 2 selectable 5% categories

5% rotating categories: Chase Freedom, Discover IT, Citi Dividend

Bank of America Better Balance Rewards. use for 1 monthly utility bill, get $100 cash back. Example: a $46 monthly bill equates to 18.1% cash back...

American Express Blue Cash (the old version): After $6500 spend, its 5% Gas, 5% Grocery, 5% Drugstore.

American Express Blue Cash Preferred. If your Grocery spend is more than $75 a week, then this card is useful for grocery category, else use the Sallie Mae.

If you are in their area:

Huntington Bank Voice card. Selectable 3% category

Citizens Bank Green$ense card. For lots of small daily purchases. 25 cents cash back per purchase. If average purchase is $4, then its a 6.25% CB card. 

JCB Marukai card. 3% on everything, but $25 in yearly fees.

Sorry, I don't know the answer to your actual question   I'm sure others will chip in.

[nmac]

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@Themanwhocan wrote:

How many 5% categories do you already have credit cards for? All I see in your Signature are two 5% rotating category cards. There are still a lot of other good cards with 5% rewards available, before needing to get store cards.

Sallie Mae Mastercard 5% Grocery, 5% Gas, 5% Bookstores(Amazon.com)

Sallie Mae Upromise.com card 5%+5% online shopping mall

US Bank Cash+ 2 selectable 5% categories

5% rotating categories: Chase Freedom, Discover IT, Citi Dividend

Bank of America Better Balance Rewards. use for 1 monthly utility bill, get $100 cash back. Example: a $46 monthly bill equates to 18.1% cash back...

American Express Blue Cash (the old version): After $6500 spend, its 5% Gas, 5% Grocery, 5% Drugstore.

American Express Blue Cash Preferred. If your Grocery spend is more than $75 a week, then this card is useful for grocery category, else use the Sallie Mae.

If you are in their area:

Huntington Bank Voice card. Selectable 3% category

Citizens Bank Green$ense card. For lots of small daily purchases. 25 cents cash back per purchase. If average purchase is $4, then its a 6.25% CB card. 

JCB Marukai card. 3% on everything, but $25 in yearly fees.

Sorry, I don't know the answer to your actual question   I'm sure others will chip in.

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This is a good point, I do love my rotating 5% card and wouldn't mind another. 

[clocktick]

Lowes - because I shop there every other week basically.  I was there yesterday and spent over $400 and they offered 5% off immediately or 18-months 0%.  Even with smaller puchases, the 5% comes off automatically.

Macy's - for the reasons stated in posts above - severe discounts, etc.

I have 2 others but they're not that great unless I'm making a very large purchase at Best Buy or I'm using my Kohl's card, which is only maybe twice per year (and they gave a low starting CL).

[AndySoCal]

Lowes and Target 5% discount at the register.  For all other department stores US Bank cash +  5% catagory. JC penney is not bad with discounts either.

[nmac]

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@clocktick wrote:

Lowes - because I shop there every other week basically.  I was there yesterday and spent over $400 and they offered 5% off immediately or 18-months 0%.  Even with smaller puchases, the 5% comes off automatically.

Macy's - for the reasons stated in posts above - severe discounts, etc.

I have 2 others but they're not that great unless I'm making a very large purchase at Best Buy or I'm using my Kohl's card, which is only maybe twice per year (and they gave a low starting CL).

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Thanks, I forgot about the 5% at lowes. 

[dilettante]

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@nmac wrote:

I have a variety of credit cards that I think serve me fairly well in regards to maximizing credit card rewards. The only store card I have is the Target red debit card to get 5% off at their stores. My question is what store cards do you have that provide rewards greater than 1.5-2%. I find comparing bank cards to be quite simple since all the information is fairly easily laid out. Store cards are more difficult to compare since their rewards can take the form of coupons, discounts, reward certificates, special financing or other perks.

I don’t want to add inquiries to my reports or decrease my AAoA for a one time discount so I really looking to see if I’m missing out on any cards that provide ongoing rewards / benefits. So what store cards do you have that you find especially rewarding?

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Though I wouldn't call it my favorite, the store card I use quite a bit and get 5% from is the Banana Republic Luxe Visa. Amazing how many t-shirts and hoodies you have to buy every year when you have kids. The BR card is pretty good because redemption is fast - $10 GC for every $200 spent, you can use across 5 brands(BR, Gap, Old Navy, Piperlime, & Athleta), and you get free shipping and alterations at BR if you're at Luxe level ($800 spend minimum).

I like Nordstroms for their customer service - great return policy, free alterations. But like my Neiman's and Saks cards, they still only provide 2%. You can get higher return but with Neiman's, you have to spend more than $75K/year to get 5% and Saks is 4% bonus after $10k spend, 6% after $25k.

I think the downside of store credit reward programs is that it "forces" you to shop more than you really need or want (of course that is the full intent of the companies). When I get those reward coupons in the mail, I feel compelled to use them before the expiration date and of course end up buying much more than I need or planned (I mean really, what can you buy at Saks with a $25 gift card?).

Since I'm an equal opportunity shopper (I shop everywhere from Target, Zara to Saks and Net-a-Porter), and since I've started collecting travel points for "experience" rewards more than more stuff for my closet, I have been using store cards less and less.