Sears MC replacement card

[coldfusion]

---

@Anonymous wrote:
So when the card was enrolled in syw they just give you 10% cash back as a statement credit? I suppose now it'll be 10x TYP - but I recall reading somewhere it's 10x bonus TYP on top of 1x so it should be 11x TYP?? Still waiting for my 10x offers ;_;

---

If you're targeted, sign up, and meet the mininum spend requirement you get the standard 1x TYP plus 10 bonus TYP per $, so yes 11 TYP/$.

There are other smaller offers sometimes extended as well on scale of 10 bonus TYP for $500 spend over 1-2 months, for things like gas/groceries/restaurants or online spending. 

[Anonymous]

The wife got a letter in the mail informing us that her sears store card is being converted to a MC. If we want, or else we can decline and they'll close it. Would this be a citi issued card as well? Can't find the letter at the moment. should probably research the PC options on it because otherwise it'll just be another card never getting used (like that citi dividend we keep forgetting to pc to double cash) and honestly at this point I'd just like to close it.

[AverageJoesCredit]

Well it is of course Citi backed so theres a chance it could stay with Citi if Sears goes bye bye but if you are inclined to just close it probably for the best so as not to hang on to a card you dont even want.

[issac2x]

So I just checked my mail and got the replacement card for Sears. It's indeed different from the previous images I've seen of it; log in to the website has changed as well. Now the wait for the offers hope it isn't a year long like DPs suggest it is.

[AverageJoesCredit]

I started getting offers almost immediately. From bt offers to the 10% back . Ymmv though.

[Anonymous]

I right now have the Shop Your Way 5-3-2-1/Sears MasterCard.

Basically Sears/Kmart shut down all the local stores near me within 100 miles or more.

They also made it where it's not cost effective anymore to shop online with them.

I am in the process of having Citi switch me to ThankYou Points.

I cannot seem to find the exact details of how the TY Points work on the Sears MC.

Google Results are giving me conflicting info, where some sites say using the TY Points for Statement Credits are only half a cent to 0.83 of a cent while other sites claim the points are still 1 cent when redeeming TY Points for a Statement Credit.

Basically I spend monthly like $250-$450 on mostly Grocery with some small restraunt & gas thrown in and am trying to figure out if it makes sense to just use my Paypal Cashback MasterCard now for 2% back on everything or continue to mainly use the SYW MasterCard converted to TYP.

[AverageJoesCredit]

Im clueless on the TYP system but 2% CB is always nice. For now i still have a mega store here where i live but who knows.

[Anonymous]

That's what I am thinking, that the Paypal Card makes more sense for my spending.

It seems like Citi has way more restrictions like "Spend $750+" or "Spend on this category only" type of stuff. Also it seems like they require you to build up the points before redeeming. To me it seems Citi's Rewards are much better for high monthly spenders.

The Paypal Card seems more like "We really don't care what you spend on, we'll just give you 2% back on every single purchase and redeem whenever you want even if you have just a penny in rewards".

[coldfusion]

The value of a TYP depends on how you redeem it and which Citi card is mapped as the primary to the account.  For the Sears card, redeeming a TYP for a statement credit is worth .5 cents, if redeeming it against the travel portal it's worth 1 cent, if redeeming it for a gift card it varies depending on the card but it can range between .5 and 1 cent.

The Sears MC isn't a premium card and doesn't come with the ability to transfer TYP out to partner programs like the Premier or Prestige card does.

[Anonymous]

Thanks so much for the info!

Reading coldfusion's response really makes me think the Paypal Card is my better option.

I took a look at the TY website and it seems for GCs, they seem to really only have Best Buy, Staples, & Starbucks for cards in my area. I was hoping they'd have Wal-Mart GCs as that's the main store I have to shop at as it's my region of PA's really only mega-store. We lost our Kmarts and only have a Target here and there but only Walmart in my particular county.

It looks like even if I spend the max of around $450 and even add in the $146 in utility bills, it seems I'd only make 595 TY Points and get only a $2.97 Statement Credit. (I know they won't let you redeem that low but just an example).

Yet Paypal would give me $11.92 CB for the same amount.