The Macy’s credit card does come with rewards and benefits but with a lot of strings attached. You’d need to read on to figure out how and where things could go wrong.
Just like Macy’s department stores, the Macy’s credit card comes with a lot of surface charm: it pays you back and gives you savings on thousands of items to brighten your home, wardrobe, and life.
But if you look at it more closely, the glow dissipates. The card has a convoluted rewards program with limited choices for redemption.
There are two main forms of the Macy’s credit card: an American Express open-loop card that can be used everywhere American Express cards are accepted and a closed-loop card you can use only at Macy’s. Neither card charges an annual fee.
What is Macy’s Credit Card?
Macy’s credit cards offer a tiered rewards rate, where the rewards are based on how much you shop at the store:
Silver: Your first experience as a holder of a Macy’s credit card is to be given silver status, and you will earn 2% back on spending at Macy’s. The status is for those who spend $1 to $499 a year with the card.
1. Gold
Those spending $500 to $1,199 are upgraded to Gold, which gives 3% back on spending at Macy’s.
2. Platinum
The Platinum tier gives 5% back on spending at Macy’s. You must spend $1,200 or more annually at Macy’s to maintain that level.
On top of that, with the open-loop version of the Macy’s card, you also earn on non-Macy’s purchases: 3% back at restaurants, including delivery; 2% back at groceries and gas stations; and 1% back on everything else.
Is there a Freebie on the Macy’s Credit Card?
Yeah! You can enroll in the loyalty program at a “Bronze” level and receive 1% back in rewards. The loyalty program has “Star Money Bonus Days” when rewards are earned faster. Card members also occasionally receive “Star Passes” in the mail, which offer additional discounts.
If you do not want to bother with tracking loyalty levels, you might be best off with a card like the U.S. Bank Shopper Cash Rewards Visa Signature Card. It pays 6% cash back on your first $1,500 worth of combined eligible purchases in a quarter at two retailers you choose from a list of retailers that includes Macy’s.
You’ll also earn 3% back on your first $1,500 in eligible purchases each quarter in your choice of one everyday category, as well as 1.5% cash back on all other eligible purchases. It has an annual fee: $0 intro for the first year, then $95.
Also, if you’d rather have a simpler alternative that charges a $0 annual fee, consider the Wells Fargo Active Cash Card. You receive 2% cash back on all qualified purchases, so you won’t have to monitor spending limits or reward categories. You can also earn rewards in a hurry since the bonus rate applies to all qualified purchases.
Rewards from Macy’s Credit Card
When you have 1,000 points in your account, you will receive a $10 Star Money reward that you can use to shop in-store or online at Macy’s. (That’s 1 cent for every point.) The rewards cannot be used towards gift cards, Macy’s Beauty Box subscriptions, or services like alterations.
You also don’t have a long time to use the rewards: Star Money only expires 30 days after issue. That’s an extremely brief redemption period compared to nearly all other credit card reward schemes.
Points earned with Amazon’s Prime Visa, for example, never expire as long as the card stays open. If you are looking for cards that reward in more fluid ways, our top-rated credit cards can help.
As with most retail store credit cards, there is a sign-up promotion with the Macy’s card: You get 20% off, up to a total of $100, on your first and second days’ purchases after you’re approved for the card. (Some items, including Apple items and gift cards, are not eligible for the discount.)
As store-card deals go, it’s a decent discount—but it pales in comparison to the value you can earn with the sign-up bonus on a non-store-specific rewards credit card.
The above Wells Fargo Active Cash Card, for example, offers the following welcome bonus: Earn a $200 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 in purchases in the first 3 months.
The U.S. Bank Shopper Cash Rewards Visa Signature Card also comes with a significant sign-up bonus: get a $250 bonus after you make $2,000 in eligible purchases within the first 120 days of account opening.
In Conclusion
Every time you shop at Macy’s with your Macy’s credit card, you will receive free standard shipping with no minimum purchase requirement. There are some products excluded, though, such as furniture, mattresses, and rugs.
Also, on your birthday every year, you’ll receive a birthday “surprise,” as long as you’ve made a purchase with your card at Macy’s (online or in-store) during the past 12 months.
Word around town has it that online, card members have received $10 off purchases in their birthday month. That being said, you’ll probably have to go to a Macy’s store to receive your gift.
