The Ultimate Guide to Credit Cards
Sunday, September 24, 2023

J.Crew Credit Card Review

J.Crew Credit Card Review
Brittney Mayer

Written by: Brittney Mayer

Brittney Mayer
Brittney Mayer

Brittney is a Credit Strategist and Finance Expert who has spent years honing her knowledge of the credit industry both personally and professionally. Brittney applies her more than a decade of research experience to crafting in-depth consumer guides designed to help CardRates readers make better, more informed financial decisions.

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Edited by: Lillian Guevara-Castro

Lillian Guevara-Castro
Lillian Guevara-Castro

Lillian Guevara-Castro brings more than 30 years of editing and journalism experience to the CardRates team. She has written and edited for major news organizations, including The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and the New York Times, and she previously served as an adjunct journalism instructor at the University of Florida. Today, Lillian edits all CardRates content for clarity, accuracy, and reader engagement.

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Reviewed by: Ashley Fricker

Ashley Fricker
Ashley Fricker

Ashley has more than a decade of experience as a finance contributor and editor, and has specialized in the credit card industry since 2015. She has worked closely with the world’s largest banks and financial institutions, up-and-coming fintech companies, and press and news outlets to curate comprehensive content and media. Her credit card commentary is often featured on national media outlets that include CNBC, MarketWatch, Investopedia, and Reader's Digest, among many others.

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Advertiser Disclosure

Popular clothing retailer J.Crew can trace its origins back to Popular Merchandise, Inc., a women's clothing retailer that sold its products through in-home demonstrations. The first J.Crew retail store opened in 1989 in downtown Manhattan, and it expanded over the next several decades into a national chain with over 575 locations across the country.

As with many similar brands, J.Crew offers a co-branded credit card designed to reward loyal shopper with points, discounts, and exclusive services. But while the J.Crew Credit Card certainly offers a lot to frequent shoppers, casual J.Crew customers will likely find the card's high APR and closed-loop limitations too restrictive to merit the card a place in their wallets.

J.Crew Card Overall Rating: 3.1/5.0

Right off the bat, the J.Crew Credit Card stands out — for its super high APR. While the 26.49% APR isn't the highest charged by a store credit card, it's certainly much higher than most consumers will see from a prime credit card. So, if you're ever prone to carrying a balance on your credit card, this should be the first warning sign of a bad match.

For those J.Crew loyalists who pay their card off every month, however, the J.Crew Credit Card may hold some value. Cardholders can earn a $10 Rewards Card for every $200 spent with their card on J.Crew products, both in-store and online. That amounts to a 5% rebate rate, which is pretty competitive overall, though the rewards, like the card itself, can only be used at J.Crew.

J.Crew Credit Card

  • APR: 26.49% as of Sep 2023
  • Annual Fee: $0
  • Rewards: Earn a $10 Reward for every $200 spent
★★★ 3.1/5.0

Another potentially cost-saving perk for cardholders who shop J.Crew frequently is access to free standard shipping on online purchases made at jcrew.com and jcrewfactory.com. Shipping offer is only valid within the continental US, and won't apply to phone or store orders.

Additional benefits of the J.Crew Credit Card are more nebulous in nature, with things like early access to select items, invitations to private customer events, and a special birthday surprise. Cardholders can also take advantage of complimentary standard alternations of full-priced purchases and access to a priority cardholder-only customer service number. However, while these perks can be useful to devoted J.Crew shoppers, they'll likely feel a bit lackluster benefits for casual J.Crew fans.

Approval Requirements & Application

As with most store credit cards, the J.Crew Credit Card can be easier to obtain than open-loop cards with fewer restrictions, but it still isn't available to everyone. You'll likely need at least fair credit to be approved, and you'll need at least good credit to be approved for a substantial credit line.

You can head into your local retail location to apply for a J.Crew Credit Card, or you can fill out the easy online application through the link below.

Better Cards to Use at J.Crew

With an effective 5% rewards rate, the J.Crew Credit Card is certainly one of the better options for earning rewards at J.Crew (provided you pay off your purchases in full every month). But given both the card and its rewards can only be used for J.Crew purchases, it may not be worthwhile to carry around for consumers who only casually shop the brand.

Plus, if you're even a little prone to carrying a balance, the J.Crew Credit Card should probably be avoided thanks to its super-high APR. Instead of filling a card slot with restrictions and high fees, many shoppers will likely be better off with an all-purpose rewards credit card that can help them earn on every purchase, including J.Crew.

Cash Back

While few rewards credit cards will provide the same rate of return on J.Crew purchases as the store's own credit card, many rewards cards are available that will offer solid rewards without the limitation of the J.Crew Credit Card — and they'll be rewards you can use on something more useful than more J.Crew purchases.

Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card Review

at Bank Of America'ssecure website

CASH BACK RATING

★★★★★

4.9

OVERALL RATING

  • $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 - now with expanded categories, 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.
  • Newly expanded categories based on Bank of America customer feedback! 3% cash back on Gas (to now include Electric Vehicle Charging (EVC) Stations) and Online Shopping (to now include Cable, Streaming, Internet and Phone Services).
  • If you're a 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 no expiration on rewards.
  • 0% Introductory APR for 15 billing cycles for purchases, and for any balance transfers made in the first 60 days. After the intro APR offer ends, 18.24% - 28.24% Variable APR will apply. A 3% fee applies to all balance transfers.
  • 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
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

With an APR closer to that of a subprime card than a prime one, the J.Crew Credit Card is nearly the last place you'll want to carry a balance. If you need to make a J.Crew haul — or any other major purchases — bigger than you can repay in one billing cycle, then you should instead look for a card with an intro-APR offer that gives you 0% interest on your purchases.

0% INTRO APR RATING

★★★★★

4.9

OVERALL RATING

  • Start off strong with 0% Intro APR for 18 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers. A variable APR of 20.49% - 29.24% on balance transfers and purchases after the introductory period ends.
  • Lower your interest rate by 2% each year. Automatically be considered for an APR reduction when you pay on time, and spend at least $1000 on your card by your next account anniversary.
  • Raise your credit limit. Get an automatic, one-time review for a higher credit limit when you pay on time, and spend $500 in your first six months.
  • All for no annual fee - You won't have to pay an annual fee for all the great features that come with your Slate Edge℠ card
  • Keep tabs on your credit health - Chase Credit Journey helps you monitor your credit with free access to your latest score, real-time alerts, and more
  • Member FDIC
Intro (Purchases)
Intro (Transfers)
Regular APR
Annual Fee
Credit Needed
0% Intro APR on Purchases 18 months
0% Intro APR on Balance Transfers 18 months
20.49% - 29.24% Variable
$0
Good/Excellent

Travel Rewards

One reason for getting a J.Crew Credit Card might be to try and maximize your rewards, as its earnings rate on J.Crew products is certainly competitive. But if you really want to maximize every purchase, J.Crew and not J.Crew, then a good travel rewards credit card is hard to beat as they often offer the ability to redeem and transfer points for the very best per-point value.

Discover it® Miles Review

at Discover Card'ssecure website

AIR MILES RATING

★★★★★

4.9

OVERALL RATING

  • 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.
  • Automatically earn unlimited 1.5x Miles on every dollar of every purchase - with no annual fee.
  • Redeem Miles to pay any part of your monthly bill, including your minimum payment.
  • Turn Miles into cash in any amount, any time. Or redeem as a statement credit for travel purchases like airfare, hotels, rideshares, gas stations, restaurants and more with no blackout dates. However you redeem, Miles keep the same value. And Miles never expire.
  • 0% intro APR for 15 months on purchases. Then 17.24% - 28.24% Standard Variable Purchase APR will apply.
  • Discover could help you reduce exposure of your personal information online by helping you remove it from select people-search sites that could sell your data. It’s free, activate with the mobile app.
Intro (Purchases)
Intro (Transfers)
Regular APR
Annual Fee
Credit Needed
0% Intro APR for 15 months
0% Intro APR for 15 months
17.24% - 28.24% Variable APR
$0
Excellent/Good

If you dream of the J.Crew spring line and know your local J.Crew cashiers by name, then the J.Crew Credit Card could be useful, as it is definitely a top contender for earning rewards on J.Crew purchases. If you only head into the store when you happen to be walking by, however, the card will likely just take up wallet space better used on a more versatile credit card.

What Others Say About the J.Crew Credit Card

Most reviewers appreciate the J.Crew Credit Card's purchase rewards and free alterations. At the same time, some reviewers report issues with the card's customer service and dislike the fact that the card has no autopay feature.

WalletHub.com
A review from WalletHub.com says:

The J.Crew store card is a good card to have if you frequently shop at J.Crew. You get 1 point per dollar spent which is ok but nothing special. However, you also get free alterations and earn bonuses on large purchases. Right now you get $10 for $200 in purchases. This card is really only useful for frequent J.Crew shoppers and especially those who take advantage of alterations. — WalletHub.com

★★★ 3.0/5.0
CreditKarma.com
A review from CreditKarma.com says:

I applied for this card in May 2017 and was instantly approved for $300. CK TU at the time was around 632-645. Despite the low limit, I used it once or twice and paid it off right away. Fast forward six months from application date, I get an auto CLI of $1450. A month later, I decided to test my luck and pressed the LUV button and was approved for an additional $990. Perks: Free tailoring, birthday gift card, early access to products & discounts — CreditKarma.com

★★★★ 4.0/5.0
CompareCards.com
A review from CompareCards.com says:

The J. Crew Credit Card is geared toward those who frequently shop at J. Crew. This card has no annual fee and you'll enjoy perks such as complimentary personal shopping and alterations. For those who carry a balance, the interest fees from the APR of 26.49% could be significant and diminish the perks that come with this card. Since there's no rewards points program and only perks such as a $10 rewards card when you spend $200. If you're not looking to take advantage of these perks this card will be of little value to you. Overall, this is just another store credit card that will certainly be beneficial for J. Crew purchases but will not earn rewards anywhere else. — CompareCards.com

★★ 2.0/5.0

Is the J.Crew Card Right for You?

With casual tops averaging over $70, J.Crew definitely isn't a store for shoppers with tight budgets — and neither is its credit card, with a sky-high APR that can easily turn a good deal into a major expense. Pair that with rewards that can only be used to make J.Crew purchases, and you have a card that is only truly valuable to those shoppers who spend significant time and money at J.Crew stores.

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.