Sears has been around for more than 130 years, getting its start as a mail order catalog in the late 19th century before opening its first brick-and-mortar locations in 1925. The chain was once the largest retailer in the US before Walmart took over the top spot in 1989.
Consumers love Sears for its selection of everything from clothes and jewelry to appliances and electronics, which can all be financed with the Sears credit card. The Sears Card can be used at both Sears and Kmart stores, offering cardholders special financing and access to exclusive events and discounts. What consumers don't love, however, seems to be the customer service associated with the Sears Card.
Better Cards to Use at Sears
The Sears Card can only be used to make purchases at Sears and Kmart (unless you opt for Sears' Mastercard offering), so you'll be limited to earning rewards and perks at these two stores. But wouldn't you rather earn the best rewards and perks everywhere?
Unless Sears is your go-to store and you pay the balance off every month to avoid the card's high interest rate, I would recommend a more versatile rewards card to earn rewards 1) more quickly, and 2) can be redeemed for more things you love.
Cash Back
The power in cash back is that it's essentially a free percentage off every qualifying purchase you make. For example, your Sears Card might offer you 5% off certain purchases each month, but the cards below will give you between 1% and 5% cash back (or percent off) every purchase everywhere! This will obviously accrue much more quickly than saving a few dollars on Sears and Kmart purchases here and there.
- One-time $200 cash bonus after you spend $500 on purchases within 3 months from account opening
- Earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase, every day
- No rotating categories or sign-ups needed to earn cash rewards; plus, cash back won't expire for the life of the account and there's no limit to how much you can earn
- 0% intro APR on purchases for 15 months; 15.49%-25.49% variable APR after that
- Pay no annual fee or foreign transaction fees
Intro (Purchases)
|
Intro (Transfers)
|
Regular APR
|
Annual Fee
|
Credit Needed
|
---|---|---|---|---|
0% for 15 months
|
N/A
|
15.49% - 25.49% (Variable)
|
$0
|
Excellent, Good
|
0% APR
Unless you have a specific Sears purchase that qualifies for 0% special financing through the Sears Card, it's a more sound financial decision to select a card with 0% APR on all of your purchases everywhere you go. Pay no interest at all for up to 18 months or longer by going with one of the options below instead.
- Earn a $200 Bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening.
- Earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on all other purchases.
- Earn 5% on travel purchased through Chase, 3% on dining at restaurants and drugstores, and 1.5% on all other purchases.
- No annual fee.
- 0% Intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases, then a variable APR of 14.99 - 23.74%.
- No minimum to redeem for cash back. Cash Back rewards do not expire as long as your account is open.
Intro (Purchases)
|
Intro (Transfers)
|
Regular APR
|
Annual Fee
|
Credit Needed
|
---|---|---|---|---|
0% Intro APR on Purchases 15 months
|
N/A
|
14.99% - 23.74% Variable
|
$0
|
Good/Excellent
|
Travel Rewards
Who doesn't love to travel? It's the cost of traveling that people don't love, but travel rewards are a great way to make vacations more affordable. I, personally, have used travel rewards to cover the full expense of rental cars, hotel rooms, and plane tickets. When you're already spending a good amount to make a trip happen, every little bit helps.
- Enjoy a one-time bonus of 60,000 miles once you spend $3,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $600 in travel
- Earn unlimited 2X 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
- 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 10+ travel loyalty programs
- No foreign transaction fees
Intro (Purchases)
|
Intro (Transfers)
|
Regular APR
|
Annual Fee
|
Credit Needed
|
---|---|---|---|---|
N/A
|
N/A
|
17.24% - 24.49% (Variable)
|
$95
|
Excellent, Good
|
Everyone likes to save money or at least feel like they got the best deal. Whether the best deal is saving the most on your Sears and Kmart purchases, earning cash back everywhere you shop, paying no interest on your credit transactions, or saving up travel rewards to pay substantially less on your next adventure, the choice is completely up to you. For most consumers, cash back is a favorite; for me, I choose travel rewards every time.
What Others Say About the Sears Credit Card
People are not pleased with Sears' customer service, it would seem, but younger cardholders appreciate its ability to build their credit. Here are some additional Sears Card reviews from a few of the web's most trusted credit card review sites.

I have [been] a Sears/Citibank customer for quite some time now. It's not been a good experience. First, Sears/Citibank offered me that fraudulent Account Care insurance and it added more money on my account. It does nothing to help you in the case you become unemployed. They also added deceitful promotional balances without explaining the terms to you. I also had specifically asked to have my email changed. I called three times to do this and they still screwed it up. Don't use this company. They're using and taking advantage of their customers. — ConsumerAffairs
”
After getting asked at every checkout if I had a Sears card or would like to sign up for one, I finally took the plunge to take advantage of the 15% discount on the item I was purchasing. So glad that I finally signed up and added the Sears card to my purchasing arsenal! The interest rate is actually quite good for a store card even though I always pay off the amount immediately to not apply any debt to my overall finances. (Being a college student building credit history, this is a great way to build up my score! Thanks for the opportunity to help my future, Sears. — WalletHub.com
”
Terrible customer service — absolutely unable to speak to anyone of authority to remedy their error. — CreditKarma.com
”Is the Sears Card Right for You?
If you frequent Sears and/or Kmart locations and pay your balance in full to avoid the hefty interest charges, the Sears Card can be a good choice for building credit. However, I wouldn't recommend it for the "rewards." The real savings, in my opinion, come in when the 0% special financing is offered, but then again, the idea of having all that interest tacked on if the balance isn't paid off in time is not ideal.
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