As with many major department stores today, Dillard's began with a single small-town store in Arkansas opened by William T. Dillard in 1938. These days, Dillard's has over 275 stores and can be found in hundreds of malls across America. The popular mall anchor offers a wide range of products, including women's, men's, and children's apparel, in addition to household goods like bedding and furniture.
For the dedicated Dillard's shoppers whose wardrobes and living rooms come right from the Dillard's showrooms, the Dillard's Credit Card can offer a way to earn rewards on every new cardigan and cast-iron skillet. But while the Dillard's Credit Card might be worthwhile for the most frequent shoppers, the rewards it offers can be beaten by other rewards cards — ones with fewer limitations and lower interest rates.
Better Cards to Use at Dillard's
Given that the Dillard's Credit Card has a fairly high APR range and lackluster rewards at best, finding a better credit card will likely be a simple affair for all but the worst credit profiles — though, even then, there are some secured credit cards out there offering decent rewards and lower rates.
With at least good credit, nearly any prime credit card on the market can provide a better interest rate, with 0% intro-APR offers common. And even the most basic rewards credit card will offer comparable earnings, with some cards offering nearly twice the rewards as a matter of course.
Cash Back
With a puny 1.3% average rewards return, the Dillard's Credit Card is barely more valuable than the typical rewards credit card's base 1% cash back rate — and many cards are available with unlimited 1.5% to 2% cash back on every purchase, everywhere, including Dillard's. You can even find credit cards with bonus categories that include department store purchases that could net you 3% cash back or more.
4.9
- $200 online cash rewards bonus after you make at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening.
- Earn 3% cash back in the category of your choice, automatic 2% at grocery stores and wholesale clubs (up to $2,500 in combined choice category/grocery store/wholesale club quarterly purchases) and unlimited 1% on all other purchases.
- Choose 3% cash back on gas and EV charging station, online shopping/cable/internet/phone plan/streaming, dining, travel, drug store/pharmacy or home improvement/furnishings purchases.
- If you're a Bank of America Preferred Rewards® member, you can earn 25%-75% more cash back on every purchase. That means you could earn 3.75%-5.25% cash back on purchases in your choice category.
- No annual fee and cash rewards don’t expire as long as your account remains open.
- 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for purchases, and for any balance transfers made in the first 60 days. After the Intro APR offer ends, a Variable APR that’s currently 18.24% - 28.24% will apply. A 3% Intro balance transfer fee will apply for the first 60 days your account is open. After the Intro balance transfer fee offer ends, the fee for future balance transfers is 4%. Balance transfers may not be used to pay any account provided by Bank of America.
- Contactless Cards - The security of a chip card, with the convenience of a tap.
- This online only offer may not be available if you leave this page or if you visit a Bank of America financial center. You can take advantage of this offer when you apply now.
|
Intro (Purchases)
|
Intro (Transfers)
|
Regular APR
|
Annual Fee
|
Credit Needed
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
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 (Balance Transfer Fee 3% for 60 days from account opening, then 4%)
|
18.24% - 28.24% Variable APR on purchases and balance transfers
|
$0
|
Excellent/Good
|
Additional Disclosure: Bank of America is a CardRates advertiser.
0% APR
Unless you're used to the high rates of subprime credit cards, the Dillard's Credit Card's APR is high enough to warrant a second glance. This is especially true when you consider the vast number of cards on the market offering 0% interest for 12 months or more.
4.8
- $200 online cash rewards bonus after you make at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening.
- Earn 3% cash back in the category of your choice, automatic 2% at grocery stores and wholesale clubs (up to $2,500 in combined choice category/grocery store/wholesale club quarterly purchases) and unlimited 1% on all other purchases.
- Choose 3% cash back on gas and EV charging station, online shopping/cable/internet/phone plan/streaming, dining, travel, drug store/pharmacy or home improvement/furnishings purchases.
- If you're a Bank of America Preferred Rewards® member, you can earn 25%-75% more cash back on every purchase. That means you could earn 3.75%-5.25% cash back on purchases in your choice category.
- No annual fee and cash rewards don’t expire as long as your account remains open.
- 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for purchases, and for any balance transfers made in the first 60 days. After the Intro APR offer ends, a Variable APR that’s currently 18.24% - 28.24% will apply. A 3% Intro balance transfer fee will apply for the first 60 days your account is open. After the Intro balance transfer fee offer ends, the fee for future balance transfers is 4%. Balance transfers may not be used to pay any account provided by Bank of America.
- Contactless Cards - The security of a chip card, with the convenience of a tap.
- This online only offer may not be available if you leave this page or if you visit a Bank of America financial center. You can take advantage of this offer when you apply now.
|
Intro (Purchases)
|
Intro (Transfers)
|
Regular APR
|
Annual Fee
|
Credit Needed
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
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 (Balance Transfer Fee 3% for 60 days from account opening, then 4%)
|
18.24% - 28.24% Variable APR on purchases and balance transfers
|
$0
|
Excellent/Good
|
Additional Disclosure: Bank of America is a CardRates advertiser.
Travel Rewards
Although cash back rewards are the most straightforward of credit card rewards, travel rewards can often provide even more value when redeemed wisely. With the right travel rewards credit card, you can turn your new wardrobe or living room set into free flights and hotel stays — because nothing makes coming home sweeter than getting away every once in a while.
4.9
- $0 annual fee and no foreign transaction fees
- Earn a bonus of 20,000 miles once you spend $500 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $200 in travel
- Earn unlimited 1.25X miles on every purchase, every day
- Miles won't expire for the life of the account and there's no limit to how many you can earn
- Earn 5X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options
- Use your miles to get reimbursed for any travel purchase—or redeem by booking a trip through Capital One Travel
|
Intro (Purchases)
|
Intro (Transfers)
|
Regular APR
|
Annual Fee
|
Credit Needed
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
0% for 15 months
|
0% for 15 months
|
19.24% - 29.24% (Variable)
|
$0
|
Excellent, Good
|
In today's credit card market, the options for earning rewards and finding killer interest rate deals are so abundant that it's a shock when a card offers such paltry perks as those provided by the Dillard's Credit Card. For most shoppers, it's a better idea to choose an all-purpose rewards card than waste wallet space on a card that not only has weak rewards but is also limited to being used only on Dillard's purchases.
Dillard's Card Overall Rating: 2.7/5.0
The Dillard's Classic Credit Card charges a high purchase APR, making it a poor choice for anyone who is likely to carry a balance. And that's not the only aspect of the card that is barely competitive in the greater market.
Although the Dillard's Credit Card's rewards rate of 2X points per dollar seems good at first, you'll need to earn 1,500 points — $750 in purchases — to actually redeem your rewards. Cardholders have two redemption options for those 1,500 points: a $10 Rewards Certificate or a 10% off Rewards Shipping Pass. Choosing the former, you'll get $10 back on $750 of spend, just a 1.3% return.
Dillard's Credit Card
- APR: 30.24% as of Feb 2024
- Annual Fee: $0
- Rewards: Earn 2X points per dollar spent
Even if you choose the latter option of a 10% off coupon, you'll need to spend at least $100 to get at least $10 in savings and the same 1.3% return. Given that you can obtain rewards credit cards that offer 2% cash back on all purchases — at any store, not just Dillard's — that 1.3% isn't terribly impressive. And to reach that 2% return rate with your Dillard's Credit Card, you'd need to use the 10% off coupon on a purchase of at least $150.
In addition to its meager rewards rate, the Dillard's Credit Card gives cardholders exclusive events and offers, as well as special financing on qualifying purchases. Be wary of the financing deals, however, as it's typical for these deals to use deferred financing, which means you'll need to pay off your entire purchase amount before the promotional period expires or you'll be charged interest fees on the full amount.
Cardholders who spend $2,000 or more on their Dillard's Credit Card in a calendar year can qualify for Elite status, which unlocks additional benefits like free standard shipping for online orders and invitations to private shopping events. Elite customers also gain access to a dedicated customer service number, which, based on the reviews, may be the most valuable benefit of all.
Approval Requirements & Application
While you'll have a better chance of being approved for a Dillard's Credit Card with at least fair credit, some reviewers report being approved with scores in the upper 500s.
Unlike nearly every credit card on the market today — including the vast majority of store credit cards — you can't apply for the Dillard's Credit Card online. Instead, you'll need to either head into a Dillard's store to fill out an application or request an application be mailed to you by calling customer service at 1-800-643-8276.
What Others Say About the Dillard's Credit Card
Based on consumer reviews, it seems the customer service for the Dillard's Credit Card is pretty hit or miss, with many consumers complaining about rude or unhelpful customer service representatives and managers. And while many reviewers are in favor of the sales and discounts available, some reviewers reporting being unhappy about the devaluation of the card's rewards over the years.
I have had a credit card with Dillard's for a very long time. I spend thousands every year. I have never been late on a payment, EVER! They sent me a late charge in January of 2015. I have a confirmation number from THEM that it was paid EARLY! I thought it was all cleared up when they REVERSED THE LATE CHARGE. But No! Hours and Hours on the phone with them. They have sent me to Equifax and TransUnion! I am trying to buy another home and this cost me points! This has been weeks! I disputed it with the credit bureaus but Dillard's says it may take them another 30 days to take care of this! There is no one to take care of this? It would take them seconds to make it go away! Another hour on the phone today! I cannot believe this! — ConsumerAffairs.com
”
One of the first credit cards I ever got was a Dillard's credit card. I was excited because I had just gotten an office job and needed to buy an entire wardrobe because I’d never had a job like that before. I was able to go in and get everything I needed. Then I got my first bill and realized, that I probably should have waited and bought a few things at a time because my new job would take a while to pay off what I’d already spent. Their interest rate was pretty high and I felt like I was always trying to dig myself out of a hole. I did have to call their customer service a couple of times and they were friendly and took care of my issue quickly. — WalletHub.com
”
I have had my Dillard's card now for 2 months. About a month ago I called to ask if I had any type of payment due on my account (I never received a statement and still to this day never have). At that time the lady I spoke with told me that there had been a statement mailed to me and that my payment was 2 days late. After explaining to her that I never received anything in the mail she walked me through setting up an online account so I would have the information at all times. I made the payment and she told me that she was noting my account so that if my next statement had a late fee from this I could call back and have it taken care of. Well, sure enough, my next statement had more than one fee charged to it and put me over my credit limit so now I had over-the-limit fees also. I called today to discuss the charges and the supervisor I spoke with was very rude and said that she would not remove any charges and there was no evidence that what I was saying was true. — MyThreeCents.com
”Is the Dillard's Card Right for You?
Since the Dillard's Credit Card offers two different redemption options, it's possible that shoppers who frequently make large Dillard's purchases can get significant value out of the card's rewards. Unless you're going to spend hundreds at a time, however, the rewards will likely leave a lot to be desired.
Overall, most rewards cards on the market will provide nearly the same returns as the Dillard's Credit Card, and they'll do it without limiting your purchases to a single retailer. Unless your sole purpose of obtaining a Dillard's Credit Card is to build credit (in which case, never, never, never carry a balance!) then you'll likely be better off using another card for your purchases — including your Dillard's purchases.
Advertiser Disclosure
CardRates.com is a free online resource that offers valuable content and comparison services to users. To keep this resource 100% free, we receive compensation for referrals for many of the offers listed on the site. Along with key review factors, this compensation may impact how and where products appear across CardRates.com (including, for example, the order in which they appear). CardRates.com does not include the entire universe of available offers. Editorial opinions expressed on the site are strictly our own and are not provided, endorsed, or approved by advertisers.
Editorial Note: Our site content is not provided or commissioned by any credit card issuer(s). Opinions expressed on CardRates.com are the author's alone, not those of any credit card issuer, and have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by credit card issuers. Every reasonable effort has been made to maintain accurate information; however, all credit card offer details, including information about rewards, signup bonuses, introductory offers, and other terms and conditions, is presented without warranty. Clicking on any offer on CardRates.com will direct you to the issuer's website, where you can review the current terms and conditions of the offer.
About the Author
