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Sears Credit Card review: Shop your way in 2023

If Sears and Kmart are the stores you shop frequently at, you may have considered getting a Sears credit card. And you probably heard that even die-hard Sears fans prefer a general-purpose rewards credit card to the Shop Your Way Mastercard with all its generous rewards and benefits. Below, we are trying to understand why you may want to skip the Sears credit card.

Why we like the Shop Your Way Mastercard

While the Shop Your Way Sears Mastercard credit card is a store card, it can be used anywhere Mastercard cards are accepted as a method of payment. The card earns 5% in points on eligible purchases at gas stations, 3% in points on eligible purchases at grocery stores and restaurants, 2% in points on eligible purchases at Shop Your Way merchants (such as Sears, Kmart, and Sears Home Services), 1% back in points in all other eligible purchases.

Sears credit card cardmembers can also see additional savings opportunities in the form of discounts or special 0% financing for 12 months on select purchases.

Earned Shop Your Way points can be redeemed for purchases at Sears and Kmart (online or in-store) and gift cards. The value of points is 1,000 points = $1 in value.

Why we don't like the Shop Your Way Mastercard

At first sight, the Shop Your Way Sears Mastercard shows a good rewards earning potential. But if you carefully read the terms, you can see that there are limits and exceptions. Thus, you will earn 5% and 3% on the first $10,000 of combined gas, grocery, and restaurant purchases per calendar year, then 1% thereafter.

At the time of this writing, the Sears Shop Your Way card does not offer a traditional sign-up bonus. New members indeed can take advantage of discounts or special rates, but they are limited and not always come in the form of point rewards.

We also noticed that the card has a high purchase APR (annual percentage rate). And if there is a special financing offer, the no interest period is not exactly 0%, but deferred interest. That means you will have to pay off your purchase in full within the promotional period if you do not want the interest to be imposed on the starting balance at the APR for regular purchases retroactively from the date of purchase. Plus, not all purchases qualify for special financing.

IS SEARS SHOP YOUR WAY WORTH IT?

  • Sign-up bonus: Earn a $75 statement credit for every $500 spent, up to $225, on eligible purchases made wherever Mastercard® is accepted in the first 90 days after you are approved for a new Shop Your Way Mastercard®.
  • Annual fee: No annual fee.
  • Key feature: Cardmembers can choose 5% off or 12 months financing on select sitewide purchases.

COMPARE CREDIT CARDS FOR SEARS PURCHASES AND MORE

  • Best Cards
  • Cash Back
  • No Annual Fee
  • Limited/No Credit
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our choice

on Discover's secure website

Rating 5.0

Excellent/Good Credit

REWARDS BONUS

  • INTRO OFFER: Unlimited Cashback Match – only from Discover. Discover will automatically match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year! There’s no minimum spending or maximum rewards. You could turn $150 cash back into $300.

REWARDS

  • 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—automatically.

INTRO APR ON PURCHASES

  • 0% Intro APR (15 months)

REGULAR APR

  • 17.24% - 28.24% Variable APR

ANNUAL FEE

See other offers

Rating 3.0

Excellent Credit

REWARDS BONUS

  • Earn a $75 statement credit for every $500 spent, up to $225, on eligible purchases made wherever Mastercard® is accepted in the first 90 days after you are approved for a new Shop Your Way Mastercard®. Valid on new accounts opened 8/1/23 - 2/29/24.8

REWARDS

  • 5% in points on eligible purchases at gas stations8
  • 3% in points on eligible purchases at grocery stores and restaurants8
  • 2% in points on eligible purchases at Sears and Kmart8
  • 1% in points on all other eligible purchases8

INTRO APR ON PURCHASES

  • No intro APR8

REGULAR APR

  • 30.49%8

ANNUAL FEE

  • $08

Rating 4.7

Excellent/Good Credit

REWARDS BONUS

  • Limited time offer: Earn 30,000 bonus points when you spend $1,500 in purchases in the first 3 months - that's a $300 cash redemption value.

REWARDS

  • Earn unlimited 3X points on the things that really add up - like restaurants, travel, gas stations, transit, popular streaming services, and phone plans. Plus, earn 1X points on other purchases.

INTRO APR ON PURCHASES

  • 0% intro APR for 12 months from account opening

REGULAR APR

  • 20.24%, 25.24%, or 29.99% Variable APR

ANNUAL FEE

Viewing 1 - 2 of 3

our choice

Rating 5.0

Excellent/Good Credit

REWARDS BONUS

  • Earn a $200 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 in purchases in the first 3 months.

REWARDS

  • Earn unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases.

ANNUAL FEE

on Discover's secure website

Rating 5.0

Excellent/Good Credit

REWARDS BONUS

  • INTRO OFFER: Unlimited Cashback Match – only from Discover. Discover will automatically match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year! There’s no minimum spending or maximum rewards. You could turn $150 cash back into $300.

REWARDS

  • 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—automatically.

ANNUAL FEE

on Citi's secure website

Rating 5.0

Excellent, Good, Fair Credit

REWARDS BONUS

  • Earn $200 in cash back after you spend $1500 on purchases in the first 6 months of account opening. This bonus offer will be fulfilled as 20,000 ThankYou® points, which can be redeemed for $200 cash back.

REWARDS

  • Earn 5% cash back on purchases in your top eligible spend category each billing cycle, up to the first $500 spent, 1% cash back thereafter. Also, earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases.

ANNUAL FEE

Viewing 1 - 2 of 3

our choice

on Discover's secure website

Rating 5.0

Excellent/Good Credit

INTRO APR ON PURCHASES

  • 0% Intro APR (15 months)

REGULAR APR

  • 17.24% - 28.24% Variable APR

KEY FEATURE

  • UNLIMITED BONUS: Only Discover gives you an unlimited match of all the Miles you’ve earned at the end of your first year. For example, if you earn 35,000 Miles, you get 70,000 Miles. There’s no signing up, no minimum spending or maximum rewards. Just a Miles-for-Miles match.

ANNUAL FEE

on Citi's secure website

Rating 5.0

Excellent, Good Credit

INTRO APR ON PURCHASES

  • 0% (15 months)

REGULAR APR

  • 18.74% - 28.74% (Variable)

KEY FEATURE

  • Earn 20,000 bonus points after you spend $1,500 in purchases with your card within 3 months of account opening; redeemable for $200 in gift cards at thankyou.com

ANNUAL FEE

on Citi's secure website

Rating 5.0

Excellent, Good, Fair Credit

INTRO APR ON PURCHASES

  • 0% (15 months)

REGULAR APR

  • 19.24% - 29.24% (Variable)

KEY FEATURE

  • Earn $200 in cash back after you spend $1500 on purchases in the first 6 months of account opening. This bonus offer will be fulfilled as 20,000 ThankYou® points, which can be redeemed for $200 cash back.

ANNUAL FEE

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our choice

REGULAR APR

  • See terms

KEY FEATURE

  • Get Personalized Credit Card Offers Based on Your Credit File from Experian®. 100% Free!

ANNUAL FEE

  • See terms

BUILD CREDIT

  • Yes

ACTIVATION FEE

  • $0

KEY FEATURE

  • 1% Cash back on Debit Card purchases with qualifying activity. See website for details

MAINTENANCE FEE

  • $0

MEMBER FDIC

  • Yes

REGULAR APR

  • 0%

KEY FEATURE

  • Chime® Checking Account and $200 qualifying direct deposit required to apply. Eligibility requirements apply for Credit Builder metal card

ANNUAL FEE

  • $0

BUILD CREDIT

  • Yes
Viewing 1 - 2 of 3

our choice

on Discover's secure website

Rating 5.0

Excellent/Good Credit
See other offers

Rating 3.0

Excellent Credit

Our Conclusion:

Apply for Discover it® Cash Back - Credit-Land.com

our choice

PROS
  • 5% cash back on everyday purchases at different places each quarter like Amazon.com, grocery stores, restaurants, and gas stations, up to the quarterly maximum when you activate.
  • Unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases - automatically.
  • Unlimited Cashback Match - only from Discover.
  • 0% intro APR for 15 months on purchases (then the standard purchase APR applies).
  • No annual fee.
CONS
  • Bonus category activation is required.
  • Quarterly limits on how much 5% cashback bonus you can earn.
Sears Shop Your Way Mastercard®

For Sears fans who use the Shop Your Way Rewards program

PROS
  • A good bonus points earning structure.
  • The opportunity for special financing or exclusive savings offers.
  • Can be used outside of Sears locations.
  • No annual fee.
CONS
  • A complicated rewards program.
  • Annual limits on how much bonus points you can earn.
  • Just a few ways to redeem points.
  • Don't really need a Sears credit card to earn points.

What are Shop Your Way rewards?

As mentioned above, the Sears Shop Your Way Mastercard credit card allows you to earn Shop Your Way points. However, you don't actually have to have a Sears-branded credit card to earn Shop Your Way points at Sears and Kmart.

You can simply register at Shop Your Way Rewards portal, link any credit card, and then provide your account number or phone number at Sears and Kmart checkout to earn points. Plus, Shop Your Way Rewards members can earn points at other participating merchants.

Shop Your Way Rewards members usually earn 10 points per $1 spent. But if there are special promotions, earnings can be higher. When it comes to redeeming points, 1,000 points are worth $1 in value within the program.

Earned points cannot be redeemed as certificates or cash. They can be used at the checkout process through the online platform or in-store. And if you do not redeem your points often enough, they can expire.

Yes, Shop Your Way point expire. However, there are different validation periods for points based on how you received them. Expiration dates will appear in terms and conditions on each program you are earning from, but a usual expiration period is 12 months from the date they are awarded.

Points earned with the Sears Shop Your Way Mastercard credit card are valid for 12 months from the date they post to your account.

Should you get the Sears credit card?

It takes the most sense to get the Shop Your Way Mastercard when you shop at Sears often. However, if you spend a lot at Sears and Kmart, you may what to consider alternatives that will get you better bang for your buck when it comes to savings.

The Sears Shop Your Way Mastercard does not offer 0% interest on all purchases, but deferred interest on select purchases only and if the purchase amount qualifies for the special financing. The rewards earning is limited to the annual maximum, and when you hit it, earnings will drop to 1%.

Plus, the Shop Your Way program is complicated: you have many ways to earn points, but just a few to redeem them.

Probably the most disappointing thing about the Sears credit card, is that you don't really need it to earn Shop Your Way rewards. You can link any regular credit card to a Shop Your Way account to start earning rewards at Sears and other partners.

Thus, if you are not a loyal Sears and Kmart customer who knows all ins and outs of the Shop Your Way Rewards program, you are likely to find better cards for you.

Alternatives to the Sears credit card

It's easy to find alternatives to the Shop Your Way Sears credit card among store credit cards. If you do not want a store-branded credit card, but a general-purpose credit card, there's no shortage of alternatives too. Here are a few to consider:

  • Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card: This card earns unlimited 3X points on the things like restaurants, travel, gas stations, transit, popular streaming services, and phone plans. Other purchases earn 1X points. Plus, there is a welcome bonus offer: Earn 30,000 bonus points when you spend $1,500 in purchases in the first 3 months - that's a $300 cash redemption value.
  • Discover it® Cash Back: This card earns 5% cash back on everyday purchases at different places each quarter like Amazon.com, grocery stores, restaurants, and gas stations, up to the quarterly maximum when you activate. Plus, it earns unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases - automatically. The card's bonus is offered in the form of Unlimited Cashback Match - only from Discover. Discover will automatically match all the cash back you've earned at the end of your first year! There's no minimum spending or maximum rewards. You could turn $150 cash back into $300.

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