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Nordstrom offers three credit cards to earn great rewards every time you make a purchase. Let’s take a look at the benefits of each and see how they stack up when compared to alternative cash back programs.
Do you shop at clothing retailer Nordstrom, as well as Nordstrom Rack and Nordstrom.com? If so, you may have heard about their retailer credit card programs, which offers lucrative cash back options and other customer perks. Currently, Nordstrom offers 2 types of credit cards: one branded credit card that can only be used at Nordstrom locations, and two varieties of Visa cards that can be used wherever Visa credit cards are accepted. All three cards come with the promise of decent cash-back rewards every time you spend, but they may only be worth considering if you have a low FICO score. Below, we break down how Nordstrom’s credit cards stack up against alternative cash-back programs.
Overview | Nordstrom Credit Cards
The Nordstrom Visa cards–the Nordstrom Visa Platinum and Nordstrom Visa Signature–can be used anywhere Visa is accepted, while the Nordstrom credit card is only accepted at Nordstrom stores (including off-price fashion retailer Nordstrom Rack) and online at Nordstrom.com, HauteLook, and Trunk Club.
There’s a single credit card application for all three Nordstrom credit cards – Nordstrom will automatically match you to the appropriate card based on your financial information, with the Nordstrom Visa cards having tighter restrictions based on your credit information.
| Nordstrom Retail | Nordstrom Visa Platinum | Nordstrom Visa Signature | |
| Cash Back Benefits | Earn 3X points per $1 spent on in-store purchases and online. Earn 2X points per $1 spent on qualifying purchases(1X points on all made outside of Nordstrom-based shopping) Pay attention to special events days at Nordstroms, where you can earn Triple Points during special events in which cardholders earn 6X points per $1 spent, and other events where you can earn as much as 10X points 2,000 points are redeemable for a $20 Nordstrom Note to spend on your next Nordstrom purchase. New cardholders can also earn a one-time bonus $40 Nordstrom Note if they spend $100 or more with their card on Nordstrom purchases on the same day they’re approved for the card. | Earn 2X points per $1 spent on dining, entertainment, and travel (1X points on all purchases made elsewhere) Pay attention to special events days at Nordstroms, where you can earn Triple Points during special events in which cardholders earn 6X points per $1 spent, and other events where you can earn as much as 10X points Earn 2,000 points and redeem it for a $20 Nordstrom Note to spend it on your next Nordstrom purchase. New cardholders are eligible to earn a one-time bonus $40 Nordstrom Note if they spend $100 or more with their card on Nordstrom purchases on the same day they’re approved for the card. | Earn 2X points per $1 spent on qualifying purchases such as dining entertainment, and travel (1X points on all made outside of Nordstrom stores) Pay attention to special events days at Nordstroms, where you can earn Triple Points during special events in which cardholders earn 6X points per $1 spent, and other events where you can earn as much as 10X points Accumulate 2,000 points and redeem it to receive a $20 Nordstrom Note to spend on your next Nordstrom purchase. New cardholders can qualify for a one-time bonus $40 Nordstrom Note if they spend $100 or more with their card on Nordstrom purchases on the same day they’re approved for the card. |
| Annual Fee | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Average FICO Score to Qualify | Fair – Good (580 and above) | Fair – Good (580 and above) | Fair – Good (580 and above) |
The Drawbacks of Nordstrom Credit Cards
Like many credit cards offered by retailers, these three Nordstrom credit cards come with high APR, that’s higher than most credit cards but is par-for-the-course when it comes to store cards. These credit cards are designed as “closed-loop” credit cards–meaning that their use is meant to emphasize on Nordstrom-based purchases–you may feel that there are better options (see alternative programs below).
Therefore, this card is the best choice for those that make Nordstrom a part of their regular shopping experience (and want to fill out their wardrobe with the latest fashions).
How Nordstrom’s Credit Card Compare to Alternative Programs
Before applying for Nordstrom’s credit cards, you should explore all-purpose cards that will offer more spending flexibility and favorable rewards programs. Three we recommend are:
Chase Freedom Unlimited
Chase Freedom Unlimited comes with 1.5% cash back on all purchases. You can earn $200 intro bonus when you make early purchases of $500 within the first three months of opening your account.
This card has no expiry on points and there is no minimum redemption limit. Multiple points redemption options are available such as statement credits, deposits to your savings or checking account, gift cards or to pay for your order at Amazon.com by linking your Freedom Unlimited card to an Amazon.com account.
Chase Freedom Unlimited offers 15 months of introductory APR period with 0% interest on purchases and balance transfer beyond which variable APR rates of 14.99%–23.74% would be applicable. To protect your purchases the card presents 120 days of purchase protection and one year extended warranty. Besides this, you get fraud and zero liability protection. Excellent credit is required to be able to qualify for this card.
Capital One® Savor® Cash Rewards Credit Card
Capital One® Savor® Cash Rewards Credit Card in comparison to a Nordstrom card gives more value to its users. It comes with 4% cash back on dining and entertainment, 2% on grocery shopping and 1% on all other purchases. You get a welcome bonus of $300 when you spend $3000 on purchases within three months of account opening.
Capital One® Savor® Cash Rewards Credit Card in comparison to a Nordstrom card gives more value to its users. It comes with 4% cash back on dining and entertainment, 2% on grocery shopping and 1% on all other purchases. You get a welcome bonus of $300 when you spend $3000 on purchases within three months of account opening.
You can earn 8% cash back when you book tickets for events, concerts or theatres through Vivid seats, offer available until May 31, 2020.
You can also get coverage for Postmates food delivery membership fee, until December 2019.
The annual fee for the first year is waived off as part of the introductory offer but from the second year, there will be a fee of $95.
Additional benefits that come along with this card are no expiry of reward points and no foreign transaction fee applied on purchases. Capital One Savor is an Elite Mastercard that has 120 days of price protection, two years of extended warranty support, and zero liability protection.
To qualify for Capital One Savor card you must have a good credit score.
Capital One® QuicksilverOne® Cash Rewards Credit Card
Each purchase using this card gives you 1.5% cash back on every purchase at Nordstrom stores and other outlets. This card can be used at all locations where MasterCard is accepted.
The rewards points on this card have no expiry nor are there any category restrictions on cash back. The additional benefits that Capital One® QuicksilverOne® Cash Rewards Credit Card offers is a one year extended warranty, along with 60 days of purchase protection. You can apply for this card if you have an average to good credit score.
All these three cards come with travel benefits like Travel and accident insurance, Auto Rental Insurance, Trip Cancellation/Trip Interruption Insurance, Travel and emergency assistance services.
By choosing Freedom Unlimited card you can get additional Lost luggage reimbursement benefit on your card whereas Capital One Savor Rewards offers Baggage Delay Insurance and Concierge service benefits.
The Bottom Line
In conclusion, you can see that Nordstrom’s lines of credit cards are a great choice if you spend a lot of money on Nordstrom’s various retailers and online outlets, which grants you access to several levels of promotions for your customer loyalty. Instead, you may want to investigate stronger alternatives available if you like to shop and earn outside of Nordstrom’s.
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