Store credit cards primarily reward you for shopping within a specific brand. You can use them to maximize your earnings beyond everyday credit cards since they often offer up to 5% rewards rates. But more often than not, their value is limited to within the brand. Still, these in-brand rewards typically go above and beyond your regular cash-back credit card rates. Many retailer credit cards also offer an option for interest-free financing on some purchases for a set amount of time instead of rewards, so you can finance a large purchase at your convenience with more flexibility than you would with a typical introductory APR credit card.
The Prime Visa fits the bill of a strong retailer credit card. Not only does it offer 5% cash back on Amazon and Whole Foods purchases, but it’s also one of the rare store credit cards that functions well as an everyday credit card because it has rewards categories beyond just purchases made on Amazon.com. You also get a $100 Amazon gift card instantly when you’re approved as a welcome bonus, and can take advantage of Amazon’s financing options for six to 18 months on purchases of more than $50 in lieu of rewards. After the promo period, a variable APR of 19.49% to 27.49% applies.
You won’t pay an annual fee or foreign transaction fees with this credit card, but you will need an Amazon Prime membership, which costs $139 annually. If you don’t have and don’t want Prime, you can apply for the Amazon Visa*, though it has lesser rewards.
For more information about the rewards and financing options, see our full review of the Prime Visa.
- Intro Balance Transfer APR
- N/A
- Intro Purchase APR
- N/A
- Regular APR
- 19.49% – 27.49% Variable
- Balance Transfer Fee
- Either $5 or 4% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.
The Prime Visa fits the bill of a strong retailer credit card. Not only does it offer 5% cash back on Amazon and Whole Foods purchases, but it’s also one of the rare store credit cards that functions well as an everyday credit card because it has rewards categories beyond just purchases made on Amazon.com. You also get a $100 Amazon gift card instantly when you’re approved as a welcome bonus, and can take advantage of Amazon’s financing options for six to 18 months on purchases of more than $50 in lieu of rewards. After the promo period, a variable APR of 19.49% to 27.49% applies.
You won’t pay an annual fee or foreign transaction fees with this credit card, but you will need an Amazon Prime membership, which costs $139 annually. If you don’t have and don’t want Prime, you can apply for the Amazon Visa*, though it has lesser rewards.
For more information about the rewards and financing options, see our full review of the Prime Visa.
- Intro Balance Transfer APR
- N/A
- Intro Purchase APR
- N/A
- Regular APR
- 19.49% – 27.49% Variable
- Balance Transfer Fee
- Either $5 or 4% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.
The Target RedCard* rewards program lets you earn your rewards as a discount at checkout, whether you’re shopping in the store or online. This is a unique feature because most store credit cards -- and general credit cards -- opt to give you rewards “back” on your purchases that you can later redeem for statement credits or direct deposits, rather than let you save money upfront.
The RedCard comes with other perks such as free two-day shipping on millions of items from Target.com, and an additional 30 days on returns (Target’s standard return policy is 90 days from the date of purchase).
For more details, see our full review of the Target RedCard credit card.
- Intro Balance Transfer APR
- N/A
- Intro Purchase APR
- N/A
- Regular APR
- 28.15% Variable
- Balance Transfer Fee
- N/A
The Target RedCard* rewards program lets you earn your rewards as a discount at checkout, whether you’re shopping in the store or online. This is a unique feature because most store credit cards -- and general credit cards -- opt to give you rewards “back” on your purchases that you can later redeem for statement credits or direct deposits, rather than let you save money upfront.
The RedCard comes with other perks such as free two-day shipping on millions of items from Target.com, and an additional 30 days on returns (Target’s standard return policy is 90 days from the date of purchase).
For more details, see our full review of the Target RedCard credit card.
- Intro Balance Transfer APR
- N/A
- Intro Purchase APR
- N/A
- Regular APR
- 28.15% Variable
- Balance Transfer Fee
- N/A
The Capital One Walmart Rewards® Mastercard®* in-brand rewards heavily incentivize shopping on Walmart.com rather than in-store. While you’ll earn the typical 5% cash back when shopping online at Walmart.com (including pickup and delivery), you’ll only earn 2% cash back on in-store purchases, which you could easily match with a credit card that isn’t brand specific. It does, however, have some rewards on everyday spending as well. The Walmart Credit Card also offers preapproval, so you can check your eligibility without dinging your credit.
- Intro Balance Transfer APR
- N/A
- Intro Purchase APR
- N/A
- Regular APR
- 19.48% or 29.99% (Variable)
- Balance Transfer Fee
- $0 at the Transfer APR, 3% of the amount of each transferred balance that posts to your account at a promotional APR that Capital One may offer to you
The Capital One Walmart Rewards® Mastercard®* in-brand rewards heavily incentivize shopping on Walmart.com rather than in-store. While you’ll earn the typical 5% cash back when shopping online at Walmart.com (including pickup and delivery), you’ll only earn 2% cash back on in-store purchases, which you could easily match with a credit card that isn’t brand specific. It does, however, have some rewards on everyday spending as well. The Walmart Credit Card also offers preapproval, so you can check your eligibility without dinging your credit.
- Intro Balance Transfer APR
- N/A
- Intro Purchase APR
- N/A
- Regular APR
- 19.48% or 29.99% (Variable)
- Balance Transfer Fee
- $0 at the Transfer APR, 3% of the amount of each transferred balance that posts to your account at a promotional APR that Capital One may offer to you
The Home Depot Consumer Credit Card* doesn’t offer any cash-back rewards, but it does offer consistent interest-free financing for six months for purchases of $299 or more (17.99% to 26.99% variable APR thereafter). Home Depot will, on occasion, offer promotions in which you can finance a large purchase for up to 24 months without interest. You’ll have to make all your minimum payments on time during that time or you’ll lose the benefit, and we recommend paying off the balance in full by the end of the interest-free period to avoid interest charges.
Another notable perk is that you’ll get up to one year to make returns made with the Home Depot Credit Card. The usual return window otherwise is only three months. Note that Home Depot also offers specialty commercial credit cards for contractors, and project loans that anyone can apply for.
- Intro Balance Transfer APR
- N/A
- Intro Purchase APR
- N/A
- Regular APR
- 17.99% – 26.99% Variable
- Balance Transfer Fee
- N/A
The Home Depot Consumer Credit Card* doesn’t offer any cash-back rewards, but it does offer consistent interest-free financing for six months for purchases of $299 or more (17.99% to 26.99% variable APR thereafter). Home Depot will, on occasion, offer promotions in which you can finance a large purchase for up to 24 months without interest. You’ll have to make all your minimum payments on time during that time or you’ll lose the benefit, and we recommend paying off the balance in full by the end of the interest-free period to avoid interest charges.
Another notable perk is that you’ll get up to one year to make returns made with the Home Depot Credit Card. The usual return window otherwise is only three months. Note that Home Depot also offers specialty commercial credit cards for contractors, and project loans that anyone can apply for.
- Intro Balance Transfer APR
- N/A
- Intro Purchase APR
- N/A
- Regular APR
- 17.99% – 26.99% Variable
- Balance Transfer Fee
- N/A
With the Kohl’s Credit Card*, you get a coupon for 35% off your first purchase online or in stores when you use your card within the first 14 days as a type of welcome bonus. The coupon applies to your whole transaction -- not just a single item. Plus, you can use the discount in tandem with any Kohl’s Cash you may have on hand, which can reduce your costs even further.
Kohl’s is a little less straightforward about its other credit card benefits, most likely because it reserves the right to change rewards at its discretion. You’ll earn a special anniversary offer every year, though the specifics are not disclosed. You can also enjoy extra discounts throughout Kohl’s when using this store credit card.
- Intro Balance Transfer APR
- N/A
- Intro Purchase APR
- N/A
- Regular APR
- 30.74% variable
- Balance Transfer Fee
- N/A
With the Kohl’s Credit Card*, you get a coupon for 35% off your first purchase online or in stores when you use your card within the first 14 days as a type of welcome bonus. The coupon applies to your whole transaction -- not just a single item. Plus, you can use the discount in tandem with any Kohl’s Cash you may have on hand, which can reduce your costs even further.
Kohl’s is a little less straightforward about its other credit card benefits, most likely because it reserves the right to change rewards at its discretion. You’ll earn a special anniversary offer every year, though the specifics are not disclosed. You can also enjoy extra discounts throughout Kohl’s when using this store credit card.
- Intro Balance Transfer APR
- N/A
- Intro Purchase APR
- N/A
- Regular APR
- 30.74% variable
- Balance Transfer Fee
- N/A
The first benefit you can take advantage of with the Macy’s American Express® Card* is 20% off your Macy’s purchases on both the day you’re approved and the day after, for up to $100 in total savings over the two days. That means you can take advantage of this for up to $500 in spending at Macy’s for the first two days.
Being a Macy’s cardholder means you’re automatically enrolled into Star Rewards -- Macy’s loyalty program -- as a Silver member. This means you’ll earn 2% in rewards on your purchases, versus the 1% you’d earn if you joined the Star Rewards as a Bronze member (the base level). As you spend more at Macy’s, you’ll progress through the rewards program and earn more rewards.
Once you spend $500 on the card in a year, you’ll get bumped up to 3% rewards as a Gold Member, and once you hit $1,200 or higher for the year, you start earning 5% back on your Macy’s purchases as a Platinum member. You’ll get other perks as you spend more such as Star Passes, which give you 25% off any day and free standard shipping with no minimums.
- Intro Balance Transfer APR
- N/A
- Intro Purchase APR
- N/A
- Regular APR
- 31.74% Variable
- Balance Transfer Fee
- N/A
The first benefit you can take advantage of with the Macy’s American Express® Card* is 20% off your Macy’s purchases on both the day you’re approved and the day after, for up to $100 in total savings over the two days. That means you can take advantage of this for up to $500 in spending at Macy’s for the first two days.
Being a Macy’s cardholder means you’re automatically enrolled into Star Rewards -- Macy’s loyalty program -- as a Silver member. This means you’ll earn 2% in rewards on your purchases, versus the 1% you’d earn if you joined the Star Rewards as a Bronze member (the base level). As you spend more at Macy’s, you’ll progress through the rewards program and earn more rewards.
Once you spend $500 on the card in a year, you’ll get bumped up to 3% rewards as a Gold Member, and once you hit $1,200 or higher for the year, you start earning 5% back on your Macy’s purchases as a Platinum member. You’ll get other perks as you spend more such as Star Passes, which give you 25% off any day and free standard shipping with no minimums.
- Intro Balance Transfer APR
- N/A
- Intro Purchase APR
- N/A
- Regular APR
- 31.74% Variable
- Balance Transfer Fee
- N/A
How to get the most out of your store credit card
You’ll get the most benefits from a store credit card by applying for one from a retailer where you regularly shop.
Make sure you understand the rewards redemption rules for the card. Some offer cash back that you can redeem as rewards later, while others, like the Target RedCard, let you earn your rewards as a discount at checkout.
Consider pairing a store credit card with another rewards credit card that provides higher rewards for different purchases. Then use the store credit card for in-brand purchases and the other card for your other regular spending.
The most important thing is to pay your bill on time and in full every month -- or even better, pay off purchases each time you shop. That way you won’t have to worry about the high interest that store cards often charge. Try not to get enticed into spending on something you normally wouldn’t, and don’t be tempted to apply for a card each time you’re offered one at checkout.
How to apply for a store credit card
Follow these steps to apply for a credit card:
- Choose a store credit card that matches your needs and individual budget.
- Follow one of the links above to be directed to a secure application with the credit card issuer or apply for a card in person at the store.
- Fill out the application with all of the necessary financial and personal information.
- Use the credit card responsibly and pay your bill on time each month.
FAQs
A store credit card, or retailer credit card, is a credit card offered by a credit card issuer in conjunction with a specific brand. You can typically make purchases within the respective brand’s brick-and-mortar stores or on their website with extra savings or rewards.
Most store credit cards will require you to have at least good credit. A good credit score is typically considered to be 670 or higher.
As with most credit cards, there is both risk and opportunity with regards to your credit score. Responsible credit card use will help you grow your credit score after you open a store credit card, but if you rack up debt and don’t make payments on time, your credit score will suffer.
Our methodology
CNET reviews credit cards by exhaustively comparing them across set criteria developed for each major category, including cash back, credit card sign up bonus, travel rewards and balance transfer. We take into consideration the typical spending behavior of a range of consumer profiles -- with the understanding that everyone’s financial situation is different -- and the designated function of a card.
*All information about the Target RedCard, Macy’s American Express Card, Kohl’s Credit Card, Amazon Visa, Home Depot Consumer Credit Card and the Capital One Walmart Rewards Card has been collected independently by CNET and has not been reviewed by the issuer.
The editorial content on this page is based solely on objective, independent assessments by our writers and is not influenced by advertising or partnerships. It has not been provided or commissioned by any third party. However, we may receive compensation when you click on links to products or services offered by our partners.
