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Retail store credit cards

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CK Editors’ Tips††: Retail store credit cards offer rewards and discounts at their associated shops, and some can be easier to qualify for than other kinds of credit cards.

What to consider when choosing a retail store credit card
Retail store credit cards feature notable rewards, but they are complicated and typically come with high APRs that can wipe out your earnings if you carry a balance. If you can qualify, it might be better to apply for a cash back credit card instead. It might also be worth looking for a store card that offers a straight discount on your purchases rather than points, because store rewards programs can be tricky to navigate.

How we picked the best retail store credit cards
When choosing the best retail store credit cards, we tried to pick cards with clear value, like discounts at checkout or high rewards rates at stores where you can make many different kinds of purchases. Retail credit cards can come with tricky rules, so we wanted to recommend straightforward options. Read more about our methodology for picking the best credit cards.

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Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi

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Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi

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Intro purchase APR
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Regular purchase APR
20.49%* Variable
Annual fee
$0

Intro purchase APR

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Regular purchase APR

20.49%* Variable

Annual fee

Discover one of Citi's best cash back rewards cards designed exclusively for Costco members
4% cash back on eligible gas and EV charging purchases for the first $7,000 per year and then 1% thereafter

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These offers are no longer available on our site: Target RedCard™, Chase Freedom Flex℠

Hear from our editors: The best retail store credit cards of December 2023

Updated November 30, 2023

This date may not reflect recent changes in individual terms.

Editorial Note: Intuit Credit Karma receives compensation from third-party advertisers, but that doesn’t affect our editors’ opinions. Our third-party advertisers don’t review, approve or endorse our editorial content. Information about financial products not offered on Credit Karma is collected independently. Our content is accurate to the best of our knowledge when posted.

Written by: Gaby Lapera

Retail store credit cards can provide impressive value if you’re able to combine your regular shopping with a useful credit card from that same store. Here are our top picks for store credit cards to consider based on where you shop.

Target RedCard™: 5% discount at Target and Target.com
Capital One® Walmart Rewards® Mastercard: 5% back at Walmart.com
Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi: Bonus cash back on gas and EV charging
Lowe’s® Advantage Card: 5% off on eligible purchases
Chase Freedom Flex℠: Occasional retail bonuses
Discover it® Cash Back: Occasional 5% retail bonuses

Target RedCard™: 5% discount at Target and Target.com

Here’s why: This card can help Target enthusiasts save 5% off eligible purchases at Target stores and online, plus free shipping on certain items in online orders.

Certain purchases are excluded from the savings, so be sure to read the fine print.

Find out more in Target RedCard™ reviews.

Capital One Walmart Rewards® Card: 5% back at Walmart.com

Here’s why: Besides the 5% cash back on Walmart.com, you get 2% at Walmart stores. You’ll also get 2% cash back on travel and restaurant purchases, and 1% on all other purchases.

Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi: Bonus cash back on gas and EV charging

Here’s why: You have to be a Costco member to apply for the card, but it’s a great choice for folks who drive a lot. It has a particularly good rewards rate on gas purchases. One wrinkle? Redemptions are only dispensed once a year in the form of a Costco rewards certificate.

If you want more information about the card, Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi reviews may be helpful.

Lowe’s® Advantage Card: 5% discount on eligible purchases

Here’s why: If you’re big on DIY, then this card could help you save on your project supplies. Alternatively, you could skip the 5% discount on purchases in favor of a special financing offer. Make sure you read the terms and conditions carefully to see if the one-time financing offer is a better deal than the ongoing 5% savings.

Check out how this card stacks up against the Home Depot Consumer Credit Card in our credit card comparison, Lowe’s credit card vs. Home Depot credit card.

Chase Freedom Flex℠: Occasional retail bonuses

Here’s why: This isn’t a retail card in the traditional sense. The Chase Freedom Flex℠ offers bonus cash back rotating categories that sometimes include retail stores. In 2022, bonus cash back categories included grocery stores, Amazon.com and Walmart.

The card’s rotating categories also offer some pretty great cash back on other purchases, like travel, drugstores and restaurants. This card is one to consider if you’re not a brand loyalist and you spend money in some of the other cash back categories regularly.

Read reviews of Chase Freedom Flex℠ to help you learn more about whether this card is a good fit for you.

Discover it® Cash Back: Occasional 5% retail bonuses

Here’s why: Like the Chase card on our list, this isn’t a traditional retail card. But the Discover it® Cash Back card comes with 5% back on up to $1,500 in purchases in bonus cash back categories that rotate each quarter (you’ll get 1% cash back after you hit the spending cap). All other purchases earn 1% cash back.

In 2022, some of the bonus categories included grocery stores, Target and Amazon.com. You’ll have to remember to activate the bonus cash back each quarter. This could be another good option for folks who are not devoted to a brand.

Our Discover it® Cash Back card review details the other key features of this card.

How we picked these cards

We picked the best retail store credit cards by considering the best combination of card value and card offers from stores that feature a wide variety of available goods. While devotees of a particular department store or chain might find more value from other retail store picks not mentioned in this article, we wanted to focus on credit cards that were likely to appeal to a wide variety of shoppers.

Additionally, we picked two cards that aren’t standard retail credit cards but do occasionally offer discounts at specific retail stores. While these cards don’t offer the consistent savings of other retail cards, they do offer enough value to include them on this list.

FAQs about retail store credit cards

What is a retail store credit card?

Retail store credit cards are most simply cards offered by retailers. If you’ve ever been offered a credit card application at checkout when shopping, it was likely for a retail card. There are two kinds of retail cards: open-loop cards (which can be used in other stores) and closed-loop cards (which can only be used at the retail store or chain that issued the card). Many retailers, department stores and brands offer retail cards these days. It’s worth understanding the pros and cons of retail store cards before applying.

Do retail store credit cards build credit?

Like any other credit card, a retail store credit card can help you build credit — so long as the card issuer reports to the three major consumer credit bureaus and you’re practicing good credit habits. Many of these store cards are easier to get approved for, so they can provide you with an opportunity to build credit that you may not able to get from other types of cards.

Do retail store credit cards hurt your credit scores?

Retail credit cards can decrease your credit scores temporarily because of the initial hard credit inquiry that the card issuer runs when you apply. But that impact should fade over time. Otherwise, retail store and department store credit cards can impact your credit scores just like any other credit card. If missed or late payments are reported to the credit bureaus, your scores can suffer. On the other hand, if you follow good credit habits with the card, the card issuer can report that to the bureaus — helping to boost your scores over time.

Are retail store credit cards worth it?

Retail store credit cards can be worth it if you’re loyal to the store and are able to get more value from the card than you would from another type of credit card — like if a 5% discount on store purchases is more valuable to you than a general cash back card. And associated perks like free shipping or early access to sales can come in handy if they fit your shopping habits. But retail store and department store credit cards can come with high purchase APRs, deferred interest charges on tricky promotional financing offers, and other risks. If you want to start building credit and are struggling to find another card, easier-approval retail cards might be useful despite their risks.

What credit scores do you need to get a store card? Can you get a store card with poor credit?

There are no hard-and-fast guidelines for the credit scores you need to get a retail credit card. But retail cards generally have lower credit-eligibility requirements than other types of credit cards, which can make them easier to qualify for. If you’ve had trouble qualifying for credit, a retail card may be a good place to start.

What stores give instant credit cards?

Some retailers let you begin using a card as soon as you’re approved (two examples are the Apple Card and the Venmo Credit Card). And some cards will issue an instant card number upon approval, meaning you’ll be able to use it online or via a digital wallet while the physical card is in the mail. Examples of issuers who offer instant card numbers include American Express, Chase and Discover.

What are the easiest Comenity cards to get?

Comenity Bank issues a variety of co-branded retail credit cards. While there aren’t any obvious Comenity credit score guidelines online, retail credit cards are typically easier to qualify for than other types of credit cards. If you’re a frequent shopper at a store that offers a Comenity retail card and you’re looking to build credit, it may be worth applying for. Just remember that building credit requires positive credit usage, like paying on time every time and keeping your credit utilization ratio low.

About the author: Lance Cothern is a freelance writer specializing in personal finance. His work has appeared on Business Insider, USA Today.com and his website, MoneyManifesto.com. Lance holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in … Read more.

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†† The opinions you read here come from our editorial team. Intuit Credit Karma receives compensation from third-party advertisers, but that doesn’t affect our editors' opinions. Our marketing partners don’t review, approve or endorse our editorial content. It’s accurate to the best of our knowledge when it’s posted.