Store Credit Card
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 Jul 2019
- Annual Fee: $0
- Rewards: Earn a $10 Reward for every $200 spent
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.
- New Offer! Double Cash Back: Earn 3% cash back on all purchases in your first year up to $20,000 spent. After that earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on all purchases.
- 0% Intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers, then a variable APR of 16.99-25.74%. Balance transfer fee is 3% of the amount transferred, $5 minimum
- No minimum to redeem for cash back
- Cash Back rewards do not expire as long as your account is open
- Free credit score, updated weekly with Credit Journey℠
- No annual fee
Intro (Purchases) | Intro (Transfers) | Regular APR | Annual Fee | Credit Needed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
0% Intro APR on Purchases 15 months | 0% Intro APR on Balance Transfers 15 months | 16.99% - 25.74% Variable | $0 | Good/Excellent |
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.
- New Offer! Double Cash Back: Earn 3% cash back on all purchases in your first year up to $20,000 spent. After that earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on all purchases.
- 0% Intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers, then a variable APR of 16.99-25.74%. Balance transfer fee is 3% of the amount transferred, $5 minimum
- No minimum to redeem for cash back
- Cash Back rewards do not expire as long as your account is open
- Free credit score, updated weekly with Credit Journey℠
- No annual fee
Intro (Purchases) | Intro (Transfers) | Regular APR | Annual Fee | Credit Needed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
0% Intro APR on Purchases 15 months | 0% Intro APR on Balance Transfers 15 months | 16.99% - 25.74% 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.
- Enjoy a one-time bonus of 50,000 miles once you spend $3,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $500 in travel
- Earn 2X miles on every purchase, every day. Plus earn 10X miles on thousands of hotels, through January 2020; learn more at hotels.com/venture
- Named ‘The Best Travel Card' by CNBC, 2018
- Receive up to $100 application fee credit for Global Entry or TSA Pre✔®
- Fly any airline, stay at any hotel, anytime; no blackout dates. Plus transfer your miles to over 12 leading travel loyalty programs
- Miles won't expire for the life of the account and there's no limit to how many you can earn
Intro (Purchases) | Intro (Transfers) | Regular APR | Annual Fee | Credit Needed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
N/A | N/A | 17.99% - 25.24% (Variable) | $0 intro for first year; $95 after that | 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.
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
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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
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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
”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.
Editorial Note: Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.
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