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The Macy’s American Express Card provides discounts at Macy’s and can be used wherever Amex is accepted. You’ll get a few Amex benefits that you wouldn’t get with the standard Macy’s card, but be warned, we’ve seen quite a few reports of issues with this card.
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The information related to Kohl's Charge Card has been collected by Credit Card Insider and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer or provider of this product.
We give the Macy’s American Express® Card 3 out of 5 Stars. It provides pretty good rewards at a number of places, and the discounts could save you a fair bit of money. However, we’ve received numerous complaints about payment processing and unfair late charges.
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The American Express version of the Macy’s Credit Card lets you earn at more than just your local Macy’s store. You’ll earn at restaurants, gas stations, and supermarkets, and get 1% on every other purchase.
However, you won’t be able to reach this card’s max earning potential at Macy’s until you spend at least $1,200 in a year with the department store. Once you hit that mark, your rewards at Macy’s will be boosted to 5%.
That’s a pretty high requirement, but as you progress through the ranks (Silver to Gold to Platinum), you’ll unlock more rewards, discounts, and perks with Macy’s.
The Amex version offers a few extra travel benefits compared to the basic store card, specifically dealing with special deals for airfare, cruises, car rentals, and vacation packages.
Frequent Macy’s shoppers will likely find the card useful, but we’ve received quite a few complaints about it from cardholders. Most of the problems are about billing and payment processing, with people finding unexpected interest charges or late fees, along with customer support issues.
The basic version of this card, the Macy’s Credit Card (Review), can only be used at Macy’s. Do you prefer a different retail store? Maybe these other store credit cards will suit you better.
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Maybe you’d be more interested in a general rewards card? We’ve put together a list of our top choices.
The rewards you earn with this card will automatically be converted to Star Money certificates, as soon as you reach $10 in rewards value.
Take note that Macy’s Star rewards can only be used for eligible Macy’s purchases and expire 30 days after being issued, so you don’t have long to use them. And any rewards in your account that aren’t used for Star Money will expire after 12 months of no account activity.
Star Money rewards certificates can’t be used for the following purchase types:
The card benefits you get from the Macy’s American Express will vary depending on your member status. The more you spend at Macy’s, the higher your status will be and the better the benefits you’ll get. The higher status levels include all the benefits of the lower levels.
Status | Annual Spend Requirement | Benefits |
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Silver | $0–$499.99 |
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Gold | $500–$1,199.99 |
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Platinum | $1,200+ |
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There’s also an even lower level, Bronze, but this is only for non-cardholders. As a Macy’s cardholder you’ll automatically start at the Silver level.
The annual spend requirements above go by the calendar year. After reaching a spend requirement you should be upgraded to a higher status within seven days. Your new status will last for the rest of the current year.
Purchase APR | Balance Transfer APR | Cash Advance APR |
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25.24% Variable | None | 27.24% Variable |
Annual Fee | Foreign Transaction Fee |
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$0 | 3% |
Balance Transfer Fee | Cash Advance Fee |
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None | 4%, $5 minimum |
Penalty APR | Late Fee | Returned Payment Fee |
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None | Up to $39 | Up to $39 |
The Macy’s American Express card can’t be used for balance transfers, but it can be used for cash advances and foreign transactions.
We recommend never taking out cash advances because they have high fees, and interest will begin accruing on them immediately. And if you’re looking for a card for foreign transactions or travel abroad, check out our picks for the best no foreign transaction fee credit cards.
This card has a very high purchase APR, so you should aim to pay off your statement balance in full each month to prevent interest from accruing.
The Macy’s American Express® Card could prove handy if you often find yourself in a Macy’s.
The best benefits require a fair bit of spending, but you’ll get fairly regular discounts that could help mitigate that. Basically, the more you spend, the better the card gets. However, it’s important to keep in mind the numerous reports of poor customer service and billing issues we’ve received.
This card can be quite useful if you take advantage of all the perks every year, but as we’ve stressed there are some problems on the back end that could turn this and the basic Macy’s card into nightmares. Check out our alternative card picks below for some other options for shopping at Macy’s and similar stores.
To apply now for the Macy’s American Express Card click the link below. You’ll be taken to the card issuer’s website where you can apply securely.
When submitting your application you’ll actually be applying for both this card and the standard Macy’s Credit Card (Review). If approved for both, you’ll be able to keep whichever card you wish. Some applicants with worse credit may only be approved for the basic Macy’s Credit Card.
Most applicants will get an instant decision, either approved or denied. In some cases it may take longer to provide a response. If your application is denied you’ll receive an explanation why.
It’s recommended for you to have fair credit before applying for the Macy’s American Express card.
That would mean your credit scores would be within the ranges of 580–669 for FICO and 650–699 for VantageScore.
Be aware that credit card issuers look at more than just your scores when deciding your creditworthiness. Other factors, like income and source of income, play into the decision. That means even if your credit scores are below those ranges, you may still be approved. However, that also means if your credit scores are higher, there’s a chance you might be denied.
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You can pay your bill in four different ways: online, in-store, phone, or by mail.
We recommend making payments online because it’s usually the easiest method.
To make an online payment:
You can set up autopay to help ensure that your payments arrive on time, which we recommend doing. This is especially important with the Macy’s cards, because many people report issues with payment processing that result in residual interest and late fees.
To set up autopay for these cards, after completing step 2 above click the “Enroll in AutoPay” link. Then you’ll be able to input your bank account information.
You can pay for your Macy’s card in-store at a register, using cash, check, or debit card.
Macy’s Credit Card Customer Support | Hours |
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1-800-281-0820 (TDD/TTY) |
Monday–Saturday: 9 a.m. – 9 p.m. EST Sunday: 11 a.m. – 8 p.m. EST |
To pay by mail, you can use the mailing address on this page that’s appropriate for your card.
Head over to the Macy’s site and navigate to the drop down menu; choose Macy’s Credit Card, and click sign in. Input your account information and you’ll be set.
From there, you can manage your balance, pay your bill, and check out some of the other card features.
The basic Macy’s Credit Card can only be used at Macy’s, Macy’s Backstage, and macys.com. Store cards like these, which can only be used at their co-branded stores, are known as closed-loop or private label credit cards.
The Macy’s American Express card can be used at Macy’s and also anywhere that American Express is accepted. General-use cards like these, which can be used anywhere their affiliated card networks are accepted, are known as open-loop cards.
If you already have an online profile at macys.com, you can add your card to make things easier at checkout time. And if you have both the regular Macy’s Credit Card and the Macy’s American Express Card, you can add both of them to your account.
You’ll need to know your card account number, the security code (CVV) on your card, your name as it appears on your card or credit card statement, and the last four digits of your Social Security number
Start by signing in at macys.com. Then, in the “My Macy’s Credit Card” section, select the “Add My Card” button. Enter the required information, and select the “Add Card” button at the bottom. If you want to add another card, select the “My Macy’s Credit Card” link on the left hand side. Select the drop-down box and select the “Add Another Card” button.
The minimum interest charge for both of the Macy’s cards is $2. When you carry a balance from one month to the next on your card you’ll be charged interest at a high rate; if your interest charge would be less than $2, it’s automatically increased to $2.
Some people report being charged $2 in interest for these cards, and are confused about why this charge was applied. At first glance this may seem like a minor problem for other people, but this is an important aspect of most credit cards that could have significant effects on your credit.
In some cases, people say they paid off the entire card but were still charged interest. This is usually because of something called residual interest, or trailing interest. Given the number of people who report this issue, however, it also seems possible that there’s some kind of problem or delay with the payment processing system for these cards.
Residual interest charges can occur if you carry a balance from month to month, accruing interest as you go. Say you’ve been carrying a balance, so you lost your grace period. You get your monthly statement, and see that a particular balance is due. You pay your bill a week after your statement closing date.
The key here is that the balance will continue to accrue interest during the week it takes you to make the payment. That extra interest, applied during the time between when you get your bill and when you actually pay it, is known as residual interest.
Even if your interest charge was just 5¢, it will be increased to the minimum of $2. This is why some people see $2 charges even after they think they’ve paid off the card completely.
Residual interest might seem like a small annoyance, but it can actually turn into a major problem when these charges go unnoticed. If you don’t pay off that charge, as small as it is, it will start to accrue interest itself, and then you’ll get late fees for not paying it; eventually the card issuer can report your account as late to the credit bureaus, which will have a massive negative effect on your credit scores.
Residual interest can easily be avoided by paying the card’s statement balance in full each month from the start of card membership. Doing so will let you completely avoid accruing interest on purchases because of your card’s grace period, which is an interest-free period between the statement closing date and the billing due date.
You’ll lose that grace period by carrying a balance on your card from one billing cycle to the next, which is how residual interest can happen; you can get your grace period back by paying off the entire outstanding card balance, including any residual interest, rather than just the statement balance.
Although the following cards don’t provide any of the Macy’s-specific benefits that come with the Macy’s card, anyone can become a Bronze-level Macy’s member to get some perks.
The Citi® Double Cash Card – 18 month BT offer (Review) is the best flat-rate cash back card on the market, meaning it’s fairly good for any and all types of purchases: including department stores.
If you’re looking for an easy-to-use card you can pull out for anything, this is it. The rewards program is very simple: 2% cash back no matter what you buy, or where (1% for purchases, 1% for payments; must pay at least the minimum due on time to earn rewards).
So this card is pretty good for Macy’s shopping — it’s not as rewarding as the 5% back you can get for being a Macy’s Platinum member, but there’s no spending requirement and it’s more flexible. You won’t get the other benefits that come with a Macy’s card, but you also don’t have to deal with poor customer support and sloppy billing systems, giving you more peace of mind. And, of course, you can become a Macy’s Bronze member to get a few perks along with your 2% cash back.
So if you’re looking for a bit more flexibility and simplicity, the Double Cash provides that one-two punch.
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You could potentially get even more from this card if you convert the Double Cash’s rewards into ThankYou points. As points, they could be worth more than one cent each if you transfer them to airline partners. That’ll bump up the return you earn on every purchase, and who wouldn’t want that?
Citi is a Credit Card Insider advertiser.
The Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card (Review) is great for loyal Amazon customers, although it requires an Amazon Prime membership to use. It’s also made of metal, which many people enjoy. Those without Prime memberships can get the similar but slightly less rewarding Amazon Rewards Visa Signature Card.
Amazon is great for one-stop shopping, and if you can find it at Macy’s you can likely find it at Amazon as well. You’ll earn just as much cash back as a Macy’s Platinum member, but without the spending requirement.
Whereas the benefits were the main focus of the Macy’s card, the rewards are really what make the Amazon Prime card shine. But that’s not to say the benefits of this card aren’t enticing as well.
So if you’re looking to have access to a seemingly endless array of goods and to earn cash back on them without having to spend a certain amount, this might be the card for you.
These Amazon cards are store cards, but they’re issued by Chase so you can expect a better level of customer support and a better billing system than the Macy’s card.
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Kohl’s is one of America’s favorite department stores, rivaling Macy’s for the frequent discounts and attractive sales. The Kohl’s Charge Card (Review) provides cardholders with additional discounts and offers that normal Kohl’s shoppers won’t get, giving you a chance to save quite a bit of money.
The real draw to the Kohl’s card, like the Macy’s card, are the perks. You’ll get an initial discount on a purchase, 12 annual discount mailings (with an additional 6 if you spend $600 in a year), and early notice of special sales and offers.
However, like many store cards, the Kohl’s credit card unfortunately gets quite a few complaints from cardholders. This card may not have quite as many problems as the Macy’s card, but many people have reported issues with payment processing and customer support.
The Kohl’s Charge Card does not earn any rewards. However, anyone, including cardholders, can sign up for Kohl’s Yes2You Rewards program, and that program can be used when spending with the card.
The Yes2You Rewards program provides 1X point per dollar for Kohl’s purchases. Each point is worth 5 cents, so you’re getting a cash back equivalent of 5%.
The information related to Kohl's Charge Card has been collected by Credit Card Insider and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer or provider of this product.
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Do you use the Macy’s American Express Card? Has it saved you money on your Macy’s shopping trips? Let us know how you like it in the comments below!
If Macy's isn't your favorite, maybe one of these will suit you better. Best Retail Store Credit Cards of January 2021Evan graduated from SUNY Oswego with a degree in journalism and creative writing. In his professional writing career, he strives for precision and comprehension in his work. He’s written news articles, blog posts, and copy, working across a slew of different mediums. With in-depth research and great care for accuracy and detail, he now works to bring you the most up-to-date credit information.
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