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
Rating image, 3.00 out of 5 stars.
3.00/5Our 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.
3.00/5Our 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: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)
Poor
Fair
Good
Excellent
300-579
580-669
670-739
740-850
Credit ScoreFalling 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
Rewards2%, 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.
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
Alternatives to consider
If you want bonus rewards on big expenses: The Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express offers the highest rate we've seen for U.S. supermarkets: 6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 in purchases per year. It also offers 6% back on select streaming services and 3% back at U.S. gas stations. Terms apply.
If you want a high cash back rate on all your spending: The Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card earns an unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases. It also includes a generous sign-up bonus and a 0% intro APR, all for no annual fee.
Learn more: Best American Express Credit Cards
As of Nov. 27, 2023
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Macy's Credit Card | Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express | Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card |
Rating image, 3.00 out of 5 stars. 3.00/5Our 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. | Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars. 5.00/5Our 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. | Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars. 5.00/5Our 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. |
Apply Now for Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express OnAmerican Express'Secure Website. Terms apply | ||
Read Full Review | Read Full Review | |
Credit Rating Requirement: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) Poor Fair Good Excellent 300-579 580-669 670-739 740-850 Good/Excellent (670-850) | Credit Rating Requirement: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) Poor Fair Good Excellent 300-579 580-669 670-739 740-850 Good/Excellent (670-850) | Credit Rating Requirement: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) Poor Fair Good Excellent 300-579 580-669 670-739 740-850 Good/Excellent (670-850) |
Welcome Offer: 20% off Macy's purchases, up to $100 | Welcome Offer:Earn a $250 statement credit after you spend $3,000 in purchases on your new Card within the first 6 months. $250 | Welcome Offer:Earn a $200 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 in purchases in the first 3 months. $200 cash rewards |
Rewards Program:2%, 3% or 5% back in rewards on Macy’s purchases, depending on your loyalty status up to 5% back | Rewards Program:6% Cash Back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year in purchases (then 1%). 6% Cash Back on select U.S. streaming subscriptions. 3% Cash Back at U.S. gas stations and on transit (including taxis/rideshare, parking, tolls, trains, buses and more). 1% Cash Back on other purchases. 1% - 6% cash back | Rewards Program:Earn unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases. 2% cash rewards |
Intro APR: Purchases: N/A Balance Transfers: N/A | Intro APR: Purchases: 0%, 12 months Balance Transfers: 0%, 12 months | Intro APR:0% intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and qualifying balance transfers Purchases: 0% intro APR, 15 months from account opening Balance Transfers: 0% intro APR, 15 months from account opening on qualifying balance transfers |
Regular APR: 25.24%, variable | Regular APR: 19.24%-29.99% Variable | Regular APR: 20.24%, 25.24%, or 29.99% Variable APR |
Annual Fee: $0 | Annual Fee: $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95. | Annual Fee: $0 |
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Apply Now for Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express OnAmerican Express'Secure Website. Terms apply | ||
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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 Cards Expert
By:Lyle Daly
Writer
Lyle Daly is a personal finance writer who specializes in credit cards, travel rewards programs, and banking. He writes for The Ascent and The Motley Fool, and his work has appeared in USA Today and Yahoo! Finance. He was born in California but currently lives as a digital nomad with a home base in Colombia.
