topic Re: Sam's Club Master Card Changes in Credit Cards

Sam's Club Master Card Changes

JamP — Tue, 22 Dec 2020 00:22:21 GMT

If they nerf the 5% cashback, it may be time to get a different card or get rid of Synchrony completely.

I would need to replace my Amazon also, $50k cli gone, pretty sure I cannot replace that cli quickly with Chase.

1% to 3% cashback for Plus Membership at Sam's club and reduced travel cash back from 3% to 1%.

https://www.doctorofcredit.com/small-changes-to-sams-club-mastercard-earning-rates/

Re: Sam's Club Master Card Changes

Anonymous — Tue, 22 Dec 2020 01:08:49 GMT

Doesn't sound good.

And I've haven't heard of a $50k Chase Amazon limit. I'm sure it's possible and they are out there, but probably not nearly as easy to come by than the Synchrony version.

Re: Sam's Club Master Card Changes

Loquat — Tue, 22 Dec 2020 10:40:47 GMT

The Wells Fargo Propel has a broad travel category that offers 3% without the need of a membership. I think the Sam's Club card (as it relates to travel) is easily replaceable.

Re: Sam's Club Master Card Changes

UncleB — Wed, 23 Dec 2020 06:02:43 GMT

Looking at the image on DoC's site, for those (like myself) who only have a 'regular' Sam's Club Membership it looks like the card will be 5% gas and 1% everything else, assuming the memo is correct of course.

Definitely not a change in the right direction.

Re: Sam's Club Master Card Changes

UncleB — Thu, 28 Jan 2021 18:02:09 GMT

Quick update... it's official:

Since I only have a 'regular' membership my Sam's Club Mastercard is now 5% gas, 3% dining, and 1% everywhere else, so notably it still makes no sense to use it for purchases at Sam's Club.

Going forward I'll use it for gas but probably not much else. I originally got the card for the 3% travel cash back - I was rebuilding at the time and it was the best option available to me - but thankfully I now have other/better options.

Re: Sam's Club Master Card Changes

Remedios — Thu, 28 Jan 2021 18:56:28 GMT

Pretty soon they'll be nerfing plastic and sending you a paper card.

Then you will get an offer for 1% back on laminating.

Re: Sam's Club Master Card Changes

UncleB — Thu, 28 Jan 2021 19:12:37 GMT

@Remedios wrote:
Pretty soon they'll be nerfing plastic and sending you a paper card.
Then you will get an offer for 1% back on laminating.

I know, right?

A reasonable person would have thought they would have wanted to remain competitive with Costco, but in this case that person would be mistaken.

Of course for some folks this will be better, specifically those who have the "Plus" membership. They are really pushing that hard these days... trying to keep up (or rather, catch up) with Amazon (Prime) I guess. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Re: Sam's Club Master Card Changes

Anonymous — Thu, 28 Jan 2021 21:01:53 GMT

They push it big at my local Sam's Club. There's a dedicated employee at the registers who comes up as soon as I put my card in to try and goad me into upgrading to Plus. I haven't seen anything in that membership to make it worth the money to upgrade.

Re: Sam's Club Master Card Changes

UncleB — Fri, 29 Jan 2021 02:04:31 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
They push it big at my local Sam's Club. There's a dedicated employee at the registers who comes up as soon as I put my card in to try and goad me into upgrading to Plus. I haven't seen anything in that membership to make it worth the money to upgrade.

Same here... anytime you don't use the self-checkout they try their best to get you to upgrade (there must be a SPIF involved). I just don't shop there enough to justify it (the cash back wouldn't cover the extra $55) and I have no need for 'early bird' hours, either.

There is one thing that might get my attention if my circumstances were different... if I lived further from the store, the free shipping might (???) make the math work. Used to if you ordered a minimum amount (I think $35?) you could get free shipping, but now you have to have "Plus" for that regardless of the amount (with very few exceptions). If one places a few online orders per year I can see how it would easily be a 'wash', but if you live near the store like I do there's seldom a reason to order online.

Edited to add: Here's an interesting side note, even if you have a "Plus" membership, you would only get 3% cash back for using the Sam's Club Mastercard for online orders, since the other "2% for Plus Members" is only for in-store purchases (not online).

Re: Sam's Club Master Card Changes

FinStar — Fri, 29 Jan 2021 05:32:59 GMT

@UncleB wrote:
Quick update... it's official:

Since I only have a 'regular' membership my Sam's Club Mastercard is now 5% gas, 3% dining, and 1% everywhere else, so notably it still makes no sense to use it for purchases at Sam's Club.

Going forward I'll use it for gas but probably not much else. I originally got the card for the 3% travel cash back - I was rebuilding at the time and it was the best option available to me - but thankfully I now have other/better options.

Interesting update @UncleB - just got around to reading the info I received by mail as well. I've been a Plus member for a while, and the recent travel cash back nerf was...anticlimactic at best, especially for a non-AF card 🥴

Another update that I heard, although not confirmed yet, they're upgrading select Plus members that have the WMC to WEMC. Not sure how much that matters since I haven't seen any additional DPs or information on what, if anything, the WEMC may offer as far as extra benefits. Probably just one annual complimentary flight on magic broom 🧹

This would be, if confirmed, SYNCB's first [WEMC] silver balls version.

Re: Sam's Club Master Card Changes

staticvoidmain — Fri, 29 Jan 2021 22:20:40 GMT

@UncleB wrote:

Of course for some folks this will be better, specifically those who have the "Plus" membership. They are really pushing that hard these days... trying to keep up (or rather, catch up) with Amazon (Prime) I guess. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Warehouse clubs get a huge portion of their profit from paid membership. (Amazon has a similar model for Prime, which I reckon they stole from Costco). This is why they, are able to afford to get their prices ridiculously low. Their main business is not getting you to spend on their merchandise but on membership. Renewal is very critical to them.

This card is still competitive with Costco. I had more usage with Sam's because of their higher gasoline reward. Normally, I would renew even if I don't shop there, just to use the credit card reward. They never gave reward for shopping on their warehouse because, as stated, they care more about membership.

There is a loophole, however. You can terminate your membership at Sam's and still use the card (wheras in Costo, you HAVE to keep an active membership). The caveat is you won't be able to cash out, so then, you are enticed to pay for another year of membership to use the card's benefits. For me, I stopped paying for membesrhip because Sam's club left our state entirely. I can still use the card.

Re: Sam's Club Master Card Changes

Anonymous — Sun, 31 Jan 2021 14:28:10 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
They push it big at my local Sam's Club. There's a dedicated employee at the registers who comes up as soon as I put my card in to try and goad me into upgrading to Plus. I haven't seen anything in that membership to make it worth the money to upgrade.

This is why I use Scan and Go. Just scan my items with my phone and pay for them using the app and walk right past all the registers and show my app barcode when leaving the store...you don't get much better shopping experience than being able to automatically skip the lines.

As far as the travel category nerf goes I honestly don't care. I'd rather have the 3% back for instore purchases as a plus member than have a 3% travel category which is already covered by a lot of other credit cards out there like the wells fargo propel which I have. Overall the change is a benefit to me.

Re: Sam's Club Master Card Changes

UncleB — Mon, 01 Feb 2021 07:02:07 GMT

@FinStar wrote:
@UncleB wrote:
Quick update... it's official:

Since I only have a 'regular' membership my Sam's Club Mastercard is now 5% gas, 3% dining, and 1% everywhere else, so notably it still makes no sense to use it for purchases at Sam's Club.

Going forward I'll use it for gas but probably not much else. I originally got the card for the 3% travel cash back - I was rebuilding at the time and it was the best option available to me - but thankfully I now have other/better options.
Interesting update @UncleB - just got around to reading the info I received by mail as well. I've been a Plus member for a while, and the recent travel cash back nerf was...anticlimactic at best, especially for a non-AF card 🥴

Another update that I heard, although not confirmed yet, they're upgrading select Plus members that have the WMC to WEMC. Not sure how much that matters since I haven't seen any additional DPs or information on what, if anything, the WEMC may offer as far as extra benefits. Probably just one annual complimentary flight on magic broom 🧹

This would be, if confirmed, SYNCB's first [WEMC] silver balls version.

A Synchrony/Sam's Club WEMC? Very interesting, @FinStar!

It's ironic, at one time the Sam's Club card was a great fit for me and the Walmart card was 'meh', but now that's reversed. Now that Walmart credit is with Capital One, though, I can't see myself applying for that one anytime soon.

At this point I would actually be completely OK with closing my Sam's Club Mastercard... there's literally no reason for me to use it other than gas, and even that is only marginally better than my AR w/ Samsung Pay which is 4.5% (the pumps I use now have NFC enabled).

Re: Sam's Club Master Card Changes

FinStar — Mon, 01 Feb 2021 07:19:45 GMT

@UncleB wrote:
@FinStar wrote:
@UncleB wrote:
Quick update... it's official:

Since I only have a 'regular' membership my Sam's Club Mastercard is now 5% gas, 3% dining, and 1% everywhere else, so notably it still makes no sense to use it for purchases at Sam's Club.

Going forward I'll use it for gas but probably not much else. I originally got the card for the 3% travel cash back - I was rebuilding at the time and it was the best option available to me - but thankfully I now have other/better options.
Interesting update @UncleB - just got around to reading the info I received by mail as well. I've been a Plus member for a while, and the recent travel cash back nerf was...anticlimactic at best, especially for a non-AF card 🥴

Another update that I heard, although not confirmed yet, they're upgrading select Plus members that have the WMC to WEMC. Not sure how much that matters since I haven't seen any additional DPs or information on what, if anything, the WEMC may offer as far as extra benefits. Probably just one annual complimentary flight on magic broom 🧹

This would be, if confirmed, SYNCB's first [WEMC] silver balls version.
A Synchrony/Sam's Club WEMC? Very interesting, @FinStar!

It's ironic, at one time the Sam's Club card was a great fit for me and the Walmart card was 'meh', but now that's reversed. Now that Walmart credit is with Capital One, though, I can't see myself applying for that one anytime soon.

At this point I would actually be completely OK with closing my Sam's Club Mastercard... there's literally no reason for me to use it other than gas, and even that is only marginally better than my AR w/ Samsung Pay which is 4.5% (the pumps I use now have NFC enabled).

That's what I heard, but nothing definitive. I'm sure there's bound to be someone who reports it if it ever comes to fruition! I mean, move over Barclays Black Card, there's some new silver balls in town! 😄.

Dunno what SYNCB's budget is for card re-design and marketing campaigns, but think about plopping that sleek, black, Sam's Club Premier metal card at some swanky soiree 😂😂😂 (ok dream is over).

I think I might keep mine just for s&g's, unless SYNCB/Sam's decide not to renew their contract and lands with Capital One.