2021 Review: Macy’s Credit Card – Your Ticket to Discounts at Macy’s

Our Rating: 3 Out of 5 Stars

We give the Macy’s Credit Card 3 out of 5 Stars. While it could prove useful thanks to its discounts, we’ve received numerous complaints regarding the card, particularly with payment processing and seemingly unwarranted late fees.

The Macy’s Credit Card provides discounts and perks as you progress through the Macy’s membership tiers. You’ll start at Silver, earning 2% back in rewards at Macy’s, followed by Gold and 3% back, and finally Platinum with 5%.

To reach Platinum, you’ll need to spend at least $1,200 in a calendar year. That’s pretty high, but you’ll also unlock a few useful perks like free shipping along the way. And you’ll have Star Passes and Star Money Days to save you some cash.

However, it’s important to note we’ve received numerous reports of poor customer service, issues with submitting payments, and unfair late charges and fees.

Insider Advice: Getting the Most Out of Your Card

• The more you spend, the better it gets: Higher status levels come with better benefits, but each level requires a certain amount of annual spending to unlock.
• Earn 2%–5% back at Macy’s: If you can unlock Platinum status ($1,200 in annual spending) you’ll earn 5% back in rewards at Macy’s. Prior to that, you’ll earn 3% for Gold ($500 in spending), and 2% for Silver (no spend requirement).
• Redeem Star Money rewards quickly: Your Star Money reward certificates, which are the form your rewards will take, will expire 30 days after being issued.
• Use your Star Passes: Get 25% off at Macy’s for a day with your yearly Star Passes.
• Macy’s won’t forget your birthday: You’ll get a small surprise on your birthday, just be sure to use it before it expires.
• Mark your calendar: Each year you’ll have access to Star Money Days, during which you’ll earn larger rewards for your Macy’s purchases.
• Tying the knot?: Create your registry through Macy’s Registry Star Rewards. You’ll earn 10% back on purchases you make, and get 5% back on purchases made by other people.
• Take advantage of free shipping: Gold and Platinum members get free shipping on eligible items from Macy’s, in-store and online.
• Use Macy’s My Wallet: Add your Macy’s card to the Macy’s My Wallet app. It’ll make managing your accounts and making payments a bit easier, as well as alert you to discount offers.
• Utilize automatic payments: We’ve gotten several reports of issues with payment processing and billing, so set up automatic payments for the full statement balance each month. It would also be a good idea to make sure the payment goes through on time, and that there are no interest charges or late fees involved.

The Rewards

Earning

Redeeming

You won’t have to worry about redeeming your rewards, that part is done for you. What you have to focus on is just using your rewards in time. Your rewards are automatically converted into $10 Star Money reward certificates, but you’ll only have a month to use them.

Star Money reward certificates can only be used for eligible Macy’s purchases and expire 30 days after being issued, so you don’t have long. And any rewards in your account that aren’t used for Star Money certificates will expire after 12 months of no account activity.

Also, note that Star Money certificates can’t be used for:

• Macy’s gift cards
• Beauty Box subscription services
• Purchases made at restaurants within Macy’s
• Purchases made from any department that doesn’t use a Macy’s point of sale register
• Purchases that will be shipped outside the U.S.

The Benefits

The more you spend, the higher your status will be, and the better the benefits will be. The higher status levels include all the benefits of the lower levels, so you won’t have to worry about losing any.

As a Macy’s cardholder you’ll automatically start at the Silver level. Non-cardholders will get Bronze status, which offers 1% back at Macy’s and a few perks.

After reaching a spend requirement in a calendar year, you should be upgraded to a higher status within seven days. Your new status will last for the rest of the current year.

• Star Passes: All cardholders will get Star Passes each year, which can be used to get 25% off at Macy’s on any chosen day. Cardholders with higher status may get more Star Passes per year.
• Perks and offers: All cardholders will receive occasional special offers at checkout, event invitations, access to exclusive sales, and more.
• Birthday surprise: All cardholders will receive a special birthday surprise during their birth month. This will probably take the form of a Macy’s discount of some kind. The value of the gift may vary from member to member. You must have made a purchase at Macy’s or macys.com on your account or with your membership within the last 12 months. You must not have opted out of marketing mail from Macy’s.
• Star Money days: Limited-time events during which members can earn points on eligible Macy’s purchases when spending with their credit cards.
• Registry Star rewards: You can add items to a wedding registry with Macy’s. The cardholder will get 10% back in rewards for every eligible purchase from the registry that she makes, and 5% back in rewards for every eligible purchase from the registry made by someone else.
• Free shipping: Cardholders with Gold and Platinum status will get free standard shipping on purchases from Macy’s and macys.com. You must pay with your Macy’s card to get this benefit. This offer may be applied to premium or overnight shipping, for an upgrade fee.

The Terms & Fees

This card can’t be used for balance transfers, cash advances, or foreign transactions. And while it can’t be used for balance transfers, the Macy’s American Express® Card (Review) can be used for both cash advances and foreign transactions, though cash advances are a risk we don’t recommend taking.

The Bottom Line

The Macy’s Credit Card will save you some money, especially if you’re a regular Macy’s shopper.

The more you spend, the better the card will be. You won’t reach the highest earning potential unless you spend $1,200 or more with Macy’s, but you’ll still get the discounts. Bear in mind there are quite a few reports of poor customer service, issues with payments not going through in time, and unfair late charges because of that.

But if you understand the risks and frequently shop at Macy’s, maybe the annual Star Passes and Star Money Days would prove beneficial to you.

How Do I Apply for the Macy’s Credit Card?

Just follow the link below and you’ll be taken to the credit card issuer’s site. You’ll need to fill out an application, but that likely won’t take long, and you should hear back pretty quickly if you’ve been either approved or denied.

What Credit Scores Do I Need to Qualify for the Macy’s Credit Card?

It’s recommended for you to have fair credit before applying for the Macy’s Credit Card.

That would mean your credit scores would be within the ranges of 580–669 for FICO and 650–699 for VantageScore.

Take note that credit card issuers look at more than just your scores when deciding your creditworthiness. Other factors, like income and source of income, also have a role in 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.

Qualifications and Requirements

• Must be 18 to apply
• Personal identifying information: Name, birth date, Social Security number
• Address and contact information: Phone number, address
• Financial information: Total household income, source of income, monthly mortgage/rent payment

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I upgrade to the Macy’s American Express Card?

Yes. If you already have the regular Macy’s card and want to upgrade to the Macy’s American Express® Card (Review), you can call customer service to apply for an upgrade. This may result in a hard inquiry on your credit reports.

Some Macy’s Credit Cardholders may also receive an offer to upgrade. Macy’s terms give the impression that if you don’t manually decline this offer, you’ll automatically be upgraded to the Macy’s American Express.

Macy’s states that your account history should transfer over on your credit reports, keeping the same account age and payment history but taking on a new name. And it also states that any login details and payment allocations previously made will transfer over to the new card as well.

However, some card users report that their automatic payments did not transfer over to their new accounts, causing them to be late. If you upgrade to the Amex version be sure that your payment information transfers correctly. It’s also possible that Macy’s will open up a new account that does show up as new on your credit reports, rather than continuing the old account.

How can I decline an upgrade to the Macy’s American Express Card?

We’ve heard from a number of readers who said Macy’s contacted them about their accounts being upgraded from the store-only version of the card.

We’re not sure if Macy’s will allow you to decline an upgrade, but we recommend you call the phone number on the back of your card to ask. If you decide you don’t want the American Express card after your account has been upgraded you can always close the account, but keep in mind the impact that will have on your credit scores.

How do I pay my Macy’s Credit Card Bill?

When it comes time to pay your bill, you have a few different options to choose from. You can either pay online, in-store, by phone, or by mail.

The easiest route to take is paying online. To do that, simply log in to your account, navigate to the My Account page, select your card, and then choose to make a payment. You’ll need your bank’s routing number and your account number. Plug in that info and then choose to make the payment.

You can pay for your Macy’s card in-store at a register, using cash, check, or debit card. You can pay by phone by calling 1-888-257-6757 or 1-800-281-0820 (TDD/TTY). To pay by mail, you can use the mailing address on this page that’s appropriate for your particular card.

How do I log in to my Macy’s Credit Card account?

Just head over to Macy’s website and navigate to the Macy’s Credit Card tab. Enter your account information, and you’re good to go.

From there, you can pay your bill and manage your other credit card features.

Where can I use the Macy’s Credit Cards?

This card can only be used at Macy’s, Macy’s Backstage, and macys.com. That’s pretty typical of co-branded or closed-loop cards like retail store credit cards tend to be.

The Macy’s American Express Card, on the other hand, can be used at Macy’s plus anywhere American Express is accepted. General-use cards, which can be used anywhere their affiliated card networks are accepted, are known as open-loop cards.

How can I add cards to my account, or combine them?

As long as you have an online profile at macys.com, you can expedite things when it comes time to check out. And don’t worry if you have both the regular Macy’s Credit Card and the Macy’s American Express® Card (Review), you can add them both to your account.

You’ll need to know your card account number, the security code 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. Enter the required information, and you’ll be good to go.

Why was I charged $2 in interest?

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 it seems like 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, 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.