Best Store Credit Cards – Save While You Spend

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July 10, 2024

Best Store Credit Cards – Save While You Spend

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Credit cards allow people to tap into a line of credit when they need to buy goods and services. These cards are more convenient and secure than paper cash, and you can also get rewards for every purchase. Credit cards also allow you to build your FICO score by demonstrating good payment history.

However, not everyone can qualify for traditional credit cards. Store credit cards are the type of credit cards that tend to be more accessible for people who don’t have the best credit, and some of these cards have enticing rewards. This guide will unveil some of the best store credit cards on the market.

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Overview of the best store credit cards

Store Credit Card	Best For
Amazon Prime Visa	Amazon Purchases
Amazon Secured Card	Building Credit
Costco Anywhere Visa Card	Costco Purchases
Shell Gas Card	Fueling Your Car
TJX Rewards Platinum Mastercard	Buying Clothing at Select Retailers
Target Circle Card	Target Purchases
Doordash Rewards Mastercard	Doordash Customers

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Amazon Prime Visa

The Amazon Prime Visa card allows you to save money when buying products or services on Amazon and its brands. You will receive a $50 Amazon Gift Card upon approval, but other credit cards have better welcome bonuses if you fulfill minimum spending requirements for them.

Amazon offers unlimited 3% back on all purchases on Amazon, Amazon Fresh, Whole Foods Market, and Chase Travel. You will also receive unlimited 2% back for gas, restaurants, and local transit & commuting. All other purchases qualify for unlimited 1% back. Notably, the Amazon Prime Visa allows you to convert one point into $0.01 for Amazon purchases. Many credit cards have low conversion rates when you use points to buy products on Amazon.

Amazon Prime members get additional back from their spending. If you have a Prime account, you will receive 5% back on Amazon and Whole Foods Market purchases. Prime members also enjoy 10% or more back for rotating categories on Amazon. The Amazon Prime Visa card does not have an annual fee or foreign transaction fees.

Amazon Secured Card

Some store credit cards cater to people who have bad credit. These cards offer the opportunity to rebuild credit while accessing respectable rewards programs. The Amazon Secured Card fits that category, especially if you use Amazon Prime.

This secured credit card requires a security deposit, but you can eventually convert it into a traditional credit card at no extra cost after 12 months. The security deposit can range from $100 to $1,000 depending on how much you want to put into your card.

The card does not have annual fees and offers a generous 10% APR on any debt. It’s normal to find credit cards with rates ranging from 19.99% to 29.99% APR. It’s typically on the high-end of that range for secured cards. This card also has a fixed interest charges instead of the usual variable APR.

The Amazon Secured Card also offers 2% back on purchases made on Amazon’s website, Amazon Fresh, and other places. You must be an Amazon Prime member to receive these rewards.

Costco Anywhere Visa Card

The Costco Anywhere Visa Card offers 4% cashback on eligible gas and EV charging for the first $7,000 per year before turning into unlimited 1% cashback. You can also receive 3% cashback on restaurants and eligible travel as well as 2% cashback on all other purchases from Costco.

You must have a Costco membership to use this credit card. Luckily, there is no additional annual fee for the credit card on top of your Costco membership. You also won’t have to worry about any foreign transaction fees , and the Costco Anywhere Visa Card also counts as your Costco membership ID.

Shell Fuel Rewards Card

The Shell Fuel Rewards credit card offers several opportunities for rebates. You can earn 10% Shell rebates on your first $1,200 in Shell non-fuel purchases each year. Dining and and grocery stores offer 2% rebates for the first $10,000 in purchases each year. You will also receive 1% Shell rebates for every other purchase.

Cardholders get to save $0.30 per gallon on the first five Shell fuel purchases. This offer is limited to 35 gallons. After that, you save $0.10 per gallon every time you fuel up. The Shell card does not have any annual fees or foreign transaction fees.

TJX Rewards Platinum Mastercard

The TJX Rewards Platinum Mastercard is great for clothing shoppers who are looking for great deals. Cardholders receive 5% cashback when they shop at the company’s family of stores, which includes TJ Max, Marshalls, HomeGoods, Sierra, and HomeSense. You’ll also receive unlimited 1% cashback for all other purchases.

Cardholders get access to exclusive shopping events where they get a head start over consumers who do not have rewards cards. You’ll also be entered into a sweepstakes to win a $100 gift card each time you shop at the company’s family of stores. TJX gives out 25 gift cards every month through this sweepstakes program. New cardholders get 10% off their first purchase. You should wait until you are ready to make a big order before using the TJX Rewards Platinum Mastercard to maximize your savings.

Target Circle Card

If you regularly shop at Target or use the company’s website to make qualifying purchases, you will enjoy this card. The Target Circle Card offers elevated cashback for Target and Starbucks purchases. The credit card offers unlimited 5% cashback for eligible purchases at these businesses. You will also earn 2% on dining and gas station spends as well as 1% cashback everywhere else outside of Target.

Target.com has additional perks for its cardholders, such as free 2-day shipping, an additional 30 days for returns and exchanges, and exclusive financing offers. The card does not come with any monthly or annual fees. Target also has debit cards and reloadable cards for consumers who want additional choices.

Doordash Rewards Mastercard

Don’t want to cook after a long day of work? Many people are turning to Doordash for their food, and you can get 4% cashback on your Doordash orders with this credit card. The Doordash Rewards Mastercard also comes with a free DashPass subscription for 12 months.

This plan normally costs $96/yr, and you will be automatically enrolled into it after the initial 12 months unless you cancel your membership in advance. Doordash will cover the annual plan each year if you spend at least $10,000 on your card. Cardholders also receive a $5 discount for their first order every month.

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Pros & Cons

Pros

Companies offer generous cashback rewards when people shop at their locations and websites.
Build credit with every on-time payment.
Most of these cards do not have any annual fees or foreign transaction fees.

Cons

These cards have high interest rates than the average credit card.
The welcome bonuses are lackluster.
Some of these cards don’t offer good rewards outside of the company’s stores and websites.

Summary of the best store credit cards

Store Card	Annual Fee	Highest Rewards Category	Signup Bonus
Amazon Prime Visa Card	$0	3% back on all purchases on Amazon, Amazon Fresh, Whole Foods Market, and Chase Travel	$50 Amazon Gift Card
Amazon Secured Card	$0	2% cashback on Amazon, Amazon Fresh, and other places if you use Amazon Prime	None
Costco Anywhere Visa Card	$0	4% cashback on eligible gas and EV charging for the first $7,000	None
Shell Fuel Rewards Card	$0	10% Shell rebate on your first $1,200 in Shell non-fuel purchases each year	Save $0.30/gallon for the first five Shell fuel purchases (limited to 35 gallons)
TJX Rewards Platinum Mastercard	$0	5% cashback at TJX’s family of stores	10% off your first purchase
Target Circle Card	$0	5% cashback on Target and Starbucks purchases	$50 coupon
Doordash Rewards Mastercard	$0	4% cashback on Doordash and Caviar orders	Free DashPass subscription for 12 months

FAQs

Are store credit cards easy to get?

Some store credit cards cater to consumers who do not have the best credit scores. However, other cards have stringent standards. The credit score requirement depends on which store credit card you are considering. The Amazon Secured Credit Card is a top choice for people who want rewards but don’t have the best FICO scores.

What happens if you get a store credit card and never use it?

An inactive credit card can eventually get closed. The credit card issuer may also reduce your credit score. Both of these scenarios will increase your credit utilization ratio which can have a negative impact on your credit score. If you do not use a credit card often, you can put one monthly subscription on it so the card remains active.

Will opening a store credit card hurt your credit?

Most credit cards temporarily hurt your credit since most issuers run hard credit checks before giving out cards. A hard credit inquiry allows issuers to assess your ability to make on-time payments and stay on top of debt. Your score will go down by a few points, but it is relatively easy to recover from a hard credit check. It only impacts your score for one year and remains on your credit report for two years.

Should you get a store credit card?

A store credit card can be a good addition or a starting point if you want to build credit. The issuer will report your payment history to the major credit bureaus, and these cards let you save money on your purchases. However, it’s not a good idea to get a store credit card right before applying for a significant loan like a mortgage or an auto loan. Store credit cards show up as hard credit checks on your credit report. It can make sense to get a card if you don’t see yourself applying for a loan for a while.

Is a store card a good way to build credit?

A store card is a good way to build credit if you pay off your balance at the end of each month. Store credit cards also provide additional credit lines which will reduce your credit utilization ratio. This ratio makes up 30% of your credit score, and a lower credit utilization ratio will add more points to your FICO score.

Why you should (or shouldn’t) use a store credit card

Store credit cards can help you save money at the places that you regularly visit. A Target Circle Card will give you plenty of cashback on your Target and Starbucks store purchases over the course of a year. Similarly, Amazon customers will receive plenty of rewards if they use Amazon Prime Visa cards for their Amazon purchases.

If you do most of your shopping at one place, you may want to see if that company offers a store credit card. However, it doesn’t make sense to use this card for other transactions. Other credit cards offer higher cash or points back across all purchase categories. Many cardholders can do better than unlimited 1% cashback on all other categories. You can find cards that offer 1.5% to 3% unlimited cashback across the board.

While you can collect credit cards and have a card for every particular store you use, it’s important to assess if it’s worth the effort. You’ll have to manage multiple credit cards if you continue to open new accounts, and each credit card application will likely result in a hard credit check. Most people don’t open these cards for the bonuses. Store card welcome bonuses aren’t impressive relative to other cards that offer $200-$300 welcome bonuses. That’s also assuming the store card you want even has different bonus categories. Many also come with lower credit limits and do not have intro APR, so do your homework before you proceed.

Raise Your Credit 80 Points

Raise Your Credit 80 points*

5 star service trusted by over 450,000 members
Have processed over $11,000,000 in bill payments for members
No deposit, no credit check, no interest
New member promotions available

Raise Your Credit 80 Points with StellarFi

The bottom line

Credit cards give people the opportunity to build good credit, save money, and make more secure transactions. These cards have plenty of incentives for loyal customers when they shop from their favorite store, but they don’t offer much range if you use them outside of the company’s locations and websites.

While Amazon is a notable exception to the rule, it’s common for store credit cards to have high APRs. While most traditional credit cards have APRs ranging from 19.99%-29.99% APR based on your creditworthiness, some store cards have APRs closer to 35%. Most people cannot afford to let debt accumulate on a store credit card. If you have difficulty paying off your balance in full each month, you may want to consider another card.

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Marc Guberti is a business freelance writer who specializes in personal finance, digital marketing, and entrepreneurship. His award-winning book "Content Marketing Secrets" teaches readers how to create, promote and optimize content for growth and revenue. Marc also hosts the "Breakthrough Success Podcast," where listeners learn how to master content marketing and get more clients.

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