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Macy's Credit Card Review: Limited Value Unless You're a Macy's Super Fan

Review Updated
Lyle Daly
Author: Lyle Daly
Lyle Daly
Lyle Daly
Writer

Lyle Daly is a personal finance writer who specializes in credit cards, travel rewards programs, and banking. His work with Motley Fool Money and The Motley Fool has appeared syndicated in USA Today and Yahoo! Finance. He was born in California but currently lives as a digital nomad with a home base in Colombia.

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Many or all of the products here are from our partners that compensate us. It’s how we make money. But our editorial integrity ensures that our product ratings are not influenced by compensation. Terms may apply to offers listed on this page.

If you love going to Macy's and checking out the latest fashions, a Macy's Credit Card could seem like a way to get better deals. The retailer offers two card options: a Macy's Credit Card, which can only be used at Macy's, and a Macy's American Express® Card, which you may qualify for if you have good to excellent credit. Both offer up to 5% back on Macy's purchases and a 25% discount when using complimentary Star Passes. Read our in-depth Macy's Credit Card review to learn more about the pros and cons.

Ratings Methodology

Macy's Credit Card

Macy's Credit Card
Rating image, 3.00 out of 5 stars.
3.00/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
 = Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
Rating image, 3.00 out of 5 stars.
3.00/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
 = Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
Credit Score: Circle with letter I in it. Falling within this credit range does not guarantee approval by the issuer. An application must be submitted to the issuer for a potential approval decision. There are different types of credit scores and creditors use a variety of credit scores to make lending decisions.
Recommended Credit Score required for this offer is: Good/Excellent (670-850)
Credit Score Circle with letter I in it. Falling within this credit range does not guarantee approval by the issuer. An application must be submitted to the issuer for a potential approval decision. There are different types of credit scores and creditors use a variety of credit scores to make lending decisions.

Good/Excellent (670-850)

Intro APR

Purchases: N/A

Balance Transfers: N/A

Regular APR

25.24%, variable

Rewards Circle with letter I in it. 2%, 3% or 5% back in rewards on Macy’s purchases, depending on your loyalty status

up to 5% back

Annual Fee

$0

Welcome Offer

20% off Macy's purchases, up to $100

  • This card is a good fit for frequent Macy's shoppers, but there are other better options for anyone who shops at Macy's occassionally or not at all.

    • Macy's rewards
    • Introductory discount
    • 25% off with Star Passes
    • Lenient approval requirements
    • No annual fee
    • Points are hard to use
    • Low rewards rate
    • Save 20% when you open and use your card. A total savings of up to $100 on your purchases over first 2 days
    • All members get 25% off any day of choice with Star Passes. Savings events and more.
    • Gold (Annual Spend $500 or more) & Platinum members (Annual spending $1200 or more) get free standard shipping on Macy's purchases and a Birthday Offer.
    • Platinum members get 5% back (5 points/$1), Gold members get 3% back (3 points/$1) and Silver members get 2% (2 points/$1) in rewards with no exclusions on Macy’s merchandise.

Credit card comparison

We recommend comparing options to ensure the card you're selecting is the best fit for you. To make your search easier, here's a short list of standout credit cards.

Offer Our Rating Welcome Offer Rewards Program APR Learn More
Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars.
5.00/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
 = Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
Best for cash back on rotating categories 		Discover will match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year. 1% - 5% Cashback Circle with letter I in it. Earn 5% cash back on everyday purchases at different places you shop each quarter like grocery stores, restaurants, gas stations, and more, up to the quarterly maximum when you activate. Plus, earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases.

Intro:

Purchases: 0%, 15 months

Balance Transfers: 0%, 15 months

Regular: 18.49% - 27.49% Variable APR *Rates as of December 12, 2024.

Apply Now for Discover it® Cash Back

On Discover's Secure Website.

Rates & Fees External Link Icon

Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars.
5.00/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
 = Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
Best for cash rewards on everyday spending 		$200 cash rewards Circle with letter I in it. Earn a $200 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 in purchases in the first 3 months. 2% cash rewards Circle with letter I in it. Earn unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases.

Intro: Circle with letter I in it. 0% intro APR for 12 months from account opening on purchases and qualifying balance transfers

Purchases: 0% intro APR, 12 months from account opening

Balance Transfers: 0% intro APR, 12 months from account opening on qualifying balance transfers

Regular: 19.24%, 24.24%, or 29.24% Variable APR

Apply Now for Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card

On Wells Fargo's Secure Website.

Rates & Fees External Link Icon

Rating image, 4.00 out of 5 stars.
4.00/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
 = Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
Best for unlimited rewards on purchases 		25,000 points Circle with letter I in it. 25,000 online bonus points after you make at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening - that can be a $250 statement credit toward travel purchases 1.5 points per dollar Circle with letter I in it. Earn unlimited 1.5 points per $1 spent on all purchases, with no annual fee and no foreign transaction fees, and your points don't expire as long as your account remains open.

Intro: Circle with letter I in it. 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for purchases. 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for any balance transfers made in the first 60 days. After the intro APR offer ends, 18.49% - 28.49% Variable APR on purchases and balance transfers will apply. A 3% fee for 60 days from account opening, then 4% fee applies to all balance transfers.

Purchases: 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for purchases

Balance Transfers: 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for any balance transfers made in the first 60 days

Regular: 18.49% - 28.49% (Variable)

Apply Now for Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card

On Bank of America's Secure Website.

Full Macy's Credit Card review

This credit card is a good fit for: Macy's devotees who shop at the department store on a monthly basis.

How Macy's Star Rewards works

The Macy's Star Rewards program has Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum statuses, and benefits vary for each one. When you have a Macy's Credit Card, you get to jump past Bronze and start with Silver. Here are the rewards rates and spending requirements for each status:

  • Bronze: 1% on Macy's purchases
  • Silver: 2% on Macy's purchases, requires $1 to $499 of yearly spending with your Macy's Credit Card
  • Gold: 3% on Macy's purchases, requires $500 to $1,199 of yearly spending with your Macy's Credit Card
  • Platinum: 5% on Macy's purchases, requires $1,200 or more of yearly spending with your Macy's Credit Card

Once you reach the spending requirement for a new status, you have that status for the rest of the calendar year and the next calendar year.

Top perks

While some store credit cards can be light on benefits, the Macy's Credit Card offers a few good ones.

Up to 5% back on Macy's purchases

The Macy's Credit Card and the Macy's American Express® Card earn points on Macy's purchases. The number of points you earn depends on your Macy's Star Rewards status:

  • Silver cardholders earn 2 points per $1
  • Gold cardholders earn 3 points per $1
  • Platinum cardholders earn 5 points per $1

If you have the Macy's American Express® Card, it earns the following rates on purchases outside of Macy's:

  • 3 points per $1 at restaurants and on food delivery
  • 2 points per $1 at gas stations and supermarkets
  • 1 point per $1 everywhere else

For every 1,000 points you earn, Macy's issues you a $10 Star Money reward. That means rewards have a value of $0.01 per point. You can use your Star Money reward for Macy's purchases, including in stores or online, but it's only valid for 30 days after it's issued.

Up to $100 introductory discount

When you open a Macy's Credit Card, you receive a new account discount of 20% up to a maximum of $100. The discount applies to all Macy's merchandise purchases made that day and the next day, in stores and online.

There are more valuable credit card sign-up bonus offers out there, but this Macy's offer isn't bad, especially if you have a big purchase to make.

25% off with Star Passes

Macy's sends cardholders Star Passes in the mail. Star Passes are cardholder-exclusive savings of 25% off. To receive these coupons, make sure that Macy's has your current address on file and that you haven't opted out of receiving marketing mail.

No annual fee

Whether you get the Macy's Credit Card or the Macy's American Express® Card, they're both no annual fee credit cards. You don't need to pay any extra fee just to keep the card open.

Free shipping for Gold and Platinum cardholders

You can unlock free shipping by reaching Gold or Platinum status. This benefit is for free standard shipping in the contiguous United States. You can also apply it to premium or overnight shipping for an upgrade fee.

Birthday surprise

As the primary cardholder of a Macy's Credit Card, you'll receive a birthday surprise every year during your birthday month. The value of the birthday surprise can vary. It's worth noting that this benefit isn't exclusive to Macy's cardholders. You can also qualify just by joining Macy's Star Rewards.

To be eligible for a birthday surprise, you must have made a purchase with Macy's in the previous 12 months. Macy's also needs to have your current mailing address, and you must not have opted out of marketing emails from Macy's.

See more: Best Store Credit Cards

What could be improved

Before you decide to apply for a Macy's Credit Card, there are some issues you should know about.

Points are hard to use

A big drawback to the Macy's Credit Card is how rewards work. Points are only redeemable for a Star Money reward (a Macy's gift card). Most store credit cards are like this, but it's still a disadvantage compared to top credit cards that earn more versatile rewards, such as cash back. Macy's rewards only save you money with the retailer, whereas cash back is actual money you could put into your bank account.

Learn more: How Do Cash Back Credit Cards Work?

Even worse is how little time you have to use your rewards. Macy's automatically sends you a $10 Star Money reward every time you earn 1,000 points, and the reward expires after 30 days. That's problematic, because it basically forces you to spend money at Macy's regularly if you don't want to lose your rewards.

Let's say you earn 1,000 points and get your $10 gift card. You'll need to buy something from Macy's again in the next 30 days. Considering most of Macy's products cost more than $10, your gift card probably won't cover the full purchase. Your rewards may save you money, but they'll also be motivation to spend more money. And you'll repeat this cycle every time you earn another 1,000 points.

Low rewards rate

For a store credit card, the Macy's Credit Card doesn't earn that many points at the store that issues it. Until you spend $500 at Macy's, you'll have Silver status and earn a pedestrian 2 points per $1 at Macy's.

Here's the worst part -- you could probably earn more, even at Macy's, by just becoming a Star Rewards member and paying with a different rewards credit card.

You can sign up for Macy's Star Rewards and earn 1 point per $1 as a Bronze member. With that status, you can pay using any credit card you want. There are plenty of cash back credit cards offering 1.5% to 2% back on purchases. That means on all your Macy's purchases, you could earn:

  • 1.5% to 2% cash back with your cash back card
  • 1 point per $1 as a Macy's Bronze member

Read more: Best Rewards Credit Cards

Suggested credit score

Most applicants who are approved for a Macy's Credit Card have a FICO® Score of 600 or higher. If you're aiming for the Macy's American Express® Card, you'll likely need a score of at least 670; ideally, your score should be 700 or higher.

When you apply for a Macy's Credit Card, the card issuer will consider you for both versions of the card. If you qualify for both, you'll be able to choose which one you want.

The Macy's Credit Card is right for you if:

You shop at Macy's every month and you spend at least $500 per year there. It may also be a good fit if you're working on increasing your credit score.

Considering there are much more useful credit cards available, the Macy's Credit Card is primarily for the store's most loyal customers. If you spend enough for Gold or Platinum status, then the rewards you earn at Macy's could make its credit card worth it. But most consumers with good credit should check out other credit card reviews to find a better option.

Our credit card methodology

At Motley Fool Money, we rate credit cards on a five-star scale (1 = poor, 5 = best). Our rating criteria includes rewards rates, welcome bonuses, fees, and perks like travel credits and 0% intro APR offers to evaluate our ratings.

We combine these factors with an evaluation of brand reputation and customer satisfaction to ensure you're getting the best card recommendations. Learn more about how Motley Fool Money rates credit cards.