A Belk Rewards Mastercard® can earn you cashback rewards, but beware of the fine print. Unfortunately, the rewards are complicated, have limited use, and expire after a year.
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Quick Review
When you apply for a Belk credit card, you’ll be approved either for a Belk Rewards Mastercard® or the store card equivalent (with the one you get depending on your credit score). The Mastercard® version is for people with higher credit scores, and it has better terms—notably that you can use it anywhere, not just at Belk.
The Belk Rewards Mastercard® gives you cashback rewards at a rate of 1%–5%. However, the rewards are complicated and not overly generous, as you have to spend a lot at Belk to enjoy higher rewards rates.
There are also limited options for redemption. You can redeem rewards only as Belk vouchers (so you’re getting voucher rewards rather than true cashback rewards), and they expire after a year. As such, many general rewards credit cards will give you simpler and easier-to-redeem cashback benefits.
However, the Belk Rewards Mastercard® credit card gives a nice introductory offer and other cardholder benefits that may be valuable for frequent Belk shoppers. As there aren’t many physical Belk stores in the US, this card will mostly be useful to people who frequently shop on the Belk website.
Belk Rewards Mastercard® Important Details
Basic Card Details
- Card issuer: Synchrony Bank
- Card type: Mastercard
- APR: 25.49% (fixed)
- Annual fee: $0
- Rewards rate: 1%–5%
- Grace period: 23 days
- Introductory offer: $10 Belk voucher when you make a purchase on the first day you open your credit card plus 20% off purchases on your card that day.
Additional Information
- Your rewards rate for Belk purchases depends on your yearly spending at Belk (with three tiers for 3%, 4%, or 5% rewards).
- Bonus points and bonus rewards events for cardholders.
- Exclusive cardholder discount events.
- Receipt-free returns for cardholders.
- Additional benefits for cardholders who spend $600–$1,500 (special birthday bonuses, VIP savings days, flexible payment options, free shipping, pick-your-own-sale days).
Belk Rewards Mastercard® Feature Breakdown
To help you better understand what the Belk Rewards Mastercard® has to offer, here’s a breakdown of the card’s key features.
Fees
- Annual fee: $0
- Late fee: Up to $40
- Foreign transaction fees: 3% of each transaction
- Cash advance fees: $10 or 5% of the amount (whichever is greater)
Interest Rates
- Regular APR: 25.49% (fixed)
- Minimum interest charge: $1
- Cash advance APR: 29.99%
If you don’t pay off your statement balance each month, you’ll be charged interest on your Belk Rewards Mastercard® credit card. The APR represents the annual rate of interest, so your monthly interest rate would be roughly 2.12% (i.e., the APR divided by 12).
This interest rate is high. If you don’t plan to pay off your balance each month, the high interest charges could counteract anything you earn in rewards.
Rewards
When you use the Belk Rewards Mastercard®, you’ll earn 3%–5% cash back on Belk purchases. What rate you’ll earn rewards at will depend on how much you spend at Belk annually.
You’ll get:
- 3% if you spend $0–$599 at Belk per year
- 4% if you spend $600–$1,499 at Belk per year
- 5% if you spend $1,500+ at Belk per year
You’ll also get cash back on non-Belk purchases when you use your Belk Rewards Mastercard®, but at fixed rates:
- 2% cash back on eligible gas and grocery purchases
- 1% cash back on all other purchases
While this is a fairly good rewards program, the major downside is that they aren’t true cashback rewards, as you can’t get actual cash refunds for your spending.
Instead, your rewards will come in the form of Belk rewards certificates. You’ll get these in the mail after you’ve earned 1,000 points (worth $10). You can spend the certificates either in physical Belk stores or on the Belk website.
Another major negative of this rewards structure is that your redeemable rewards certificates will expire after one year. If you don’t make frequent Belk purchases, the limited redemption and possible loss of rewards may make this card a bad option.
Other Benefits
Belk Rewards Mastercard® cardholders get various benefits depending on how much they spend at Belk in a year:
- All cardholders: Receipt-free returns plus exclusive events with discounts and points bonuses.
- Cardholders who spend $600+ per year: Special birthday bonus, VIP savings days, and flexible payments options.
- Cardholders who spend $1,500+ per year: Free shipping and pick-your-own-sale days.
Introductory Offers
You can get 20% off purchases you make with your Belk Rewards Mastercard® on the first day you open the credit card. Plus, you’ll get $10 in Belk vouchers if you use your card for a purchase on the day you open your account.
Credit Reporting
Synchrony Bank reports credit activity to major credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion).
Credit card issuers aren’t legally required to report your borrowing history (which can boost your credit score), and having your credit activity regularly reported to all of the bureaus allows you to build credit, so this is a significant plus. Just make sure you don’t miss payments, as that will also hurt your credit score with every bureau.
Application and Approval
You can apply for a Belk Rewards Mastercard® credit card online. When you apply, you’ll first be considered for a Belk Rewards Mastercard®; if you’re not eligible for the Mastercard®, you’ll then be considered for the Belk Rewards credit card (which you can use only at Belk).
Managing Your Account
You can manage your Belk Rewards Mastercard® credit card account online. It’s also very quick and easy to pay your bill online. Alternatively, there’s an app you can download (Android or iPhone).
If you prefer, you can pay your bill by mail, at a Belk store, or over the phone. Your billing statement will include instructions for the various payment methods.
Customer service
If your Belk Rewards Mastercard® is lost or stolen, call (855) 752-8046. If you need other help from customer service, call (800) 669-6550.
Customer service reputation
Unfortunately, Synchrony Bank, the issuer of the Belk Rewards Mastercard®, doesn’t have a great reputation for customer service. In a 2021 study, Synchrony received a below-average score for customer service among major credit card issuers.
Should You Get the Belk Rewards Mastercard®?
FinanceJar verdict
We don’t recommend getting a Belk Rewards Mastercard® unless you’re an avid Belk shopper. As this card has a limited range of use, a complicated system for redeeming rewards, and points that expire, we prefer broader-use rewards credit cards or more lucrative store cards.
Who is this card for?
The Belk Rewards Mastercard® is best for:
- Regular Belk shoppers: As the vouchers you’ll earn with a Belk Rewards Mastercard® will work only at Belk, and as these vouchers expire fast, there’s no point in getting this card unless you regularly shop at Belk. However, if you are someone who can benefit from the Belk rewards vouchers, the cashback rate is fairly generous.
- Anyone with good credit planning a big Belk purchase: If you don’t mind getting a hard inquiry on your credit report, you might as well apply for a Belk credit card if you have a big purchase planned (jewelry or furniture items, say). That way, you can enjoy a 20% discount on your purchase plus a free $10 voucher.
FAQs About the Belk Rewards Mastercard®
1. What credit limit do you get with the Belk Rewards Mastercard®?
Belk doesn’t say what credit limit you’ll get with the Belk Rewards Mastercard®. Your credit limit will likely depend on your creditworthiness, as determined by your credit score and borrowing history.
2. What credit score do you need for the Belk Rewards Mastercard®?
Unfortunately, Belk doesn’t specify what credit score you’ll need for a Belk Rewards Mastercard®. They also don’t offer pre-approval to help you understand whether you’re likely to be eligible.
If you aren’t able to qualify for the Belk Rewards Mastercard®, there’s a good chance you’ll be offered the store card. Experian says “Many retail cards are available if you have limited or bad credit”, which indicates even borrowers with low credit scores may qualify for a Belk store card.
3. What’s the difference between the Belk Rewards Mastercard® and the Belk Rewards Card?
Unlike the Belk Rewards Card, which you can use only to make purchases from Belk, you can use the Belk Rewards Mastercard® anywhere Mastercard is accepted. The Belk Rewards Mastercard® also gives you 1%–2% cash back on non-Belk purchases. However, you’ll need a higher credit score to qualify for a Belk Rewards Mastercard®.
When you apply for a Belk Rewards Card, you can’t choose whether you get the Mastercard® version or the store card version; which one you’re offered will depend on your creditworthiness.
4. What are the Premier Belk Rewards Mastercard® and the Elite Belk Rewards Mastercard®?
The Premier and Elite Belk Rewards Mastercard® credit cards are the upgraded versions of the Belk Rewards Mastercard®. They give you additional benefits (e.g., birthday bonuses, flexible payment plans, free shipping) and better cashback rates on Belk purchases.
- The Premier Belk Rewards Mastercard®: Your Belk Rewards Mastercard® will get upgraded to a Premier Belk Rewards Mastercard® credit card if you spend more than $600 in a year. Your cashback rate for all Belk purchases will then go from 3% to 4%.
- The Elite Belk Rewards Mastercard®: If you spend more than $1,500 at Belk, you’ll then get another upgrade to an Elite Belk Rewards Mastercard®, and your cashback rate will go from 4% to 5%.
Your card can be either upgraded or downgraded according to the amount you spend at Belk in a particular year (plus your account must be in good standing to qualify for upgrades).
Comparable Cards
To help you decide whether the Belk Rewards Mastercard® is the right choice for you, take a look at how it measures up against similar store-branded credit cards.
Belk Rewards Mastercard® vs. Banana Republic Rewards Visa® Credit Card
Like the Belk Rewards Mastercard®, the Banana Republic Rewards Visa® gives you a top rewards rate of 5%. However, you don’t need to get the Banana Republic credit card to enjoy a 5% cashback rate; you can simply join the regular rewards program and spend $500+. While you can currently join the rewards program, you can’t apply for the actual credit card until June, 2022.
For Belk rewards, on the other hand, you can’t get them without getting a Belk credit card, so it’s more worthwhile to sign up for a Belk credit card. The Belk Rewards Mastercard® also gives you a 2% rewards rate on groceries and gas, whereas the Banana Republic Rewards Visa® card only gives you 1% for all purchases outside the Gap family of stores (i.e., Banana Republic, Gap, Old Navy, and Athleta).
Furthermore, Belk sells a broader range of products than the Gap family of stores (which mostly focus on clothing and accessories). However, the Banana Republic Rewards Visa® does offer rewards you can use at four different stores (whereas your Belk vouchers are redeemable only at Belk).
As such, the Banana Republic Rewards Visa® credit card is good if you’re going to spend your rewards mainly on clothing and want more choices regarding where you can do this, whereas the Belk Rewards Mastercard® will give you more rewards overall. However, neither of these credit cards is great. Both have similarly high APRs and fees, and both are only really suitable for die-hard devotees of the respective stores.
Belk Rewards Mastercard® vs. Nordstrom Visa®
The benefits of the Nordstrom Visa® credit card are more or less the same as you’d get by joining the Nordstrom rewards program and spending $500 a year there. Once again, this credit card can be redundant for avid shoppers with rewards program membership.
If you’re still considering a Nordstrom Visa® credit card (e.g., for credit-building purposes), the major advantages it boasts compared to its Belk counterpart are:
- No foreign transaction fees
- A potentially lower APR (depending on your credit)
- Rewards you can redeem at a number of different clothing stores in the Nordstrom family (Nordstrom, Nordstrom Rack, HauteLook, or Trunk Club)
That said, the standard cashback rate is pretty low at only 1%–3% (compared with 1%–5% for the Belk Rewards Mastercard). Both cards are similarly limited, but for long-term rewards, the Belk Rewards Mastercard® is a slightly better bet.
Belk Rewards Mastercard® vs. TJX Rewards® Platinum Mastercard®
The TJX Rewards® Platinum Mastercard® credit card is another credit card with rewards you can use at a family of stores—TJ Maxx, Marshalls, HomeGoods, and Sierra Trading Post. The rewards you get with the Belk Rewards Mastercard® work only at Belk, so they’re less versatile. Also, TJX Rewards® Platinum Mastercard® rewards don’t expire, whereas Belk’s do.
Like the Belk Rewards Mastercard®, the TJX Rewards® Platinum Mastercard® is a Synchrony Bank credit card with a similarly high APR, so neither card is really suitable for carrying a balance. Notably, however, the TJX Rewards® Platinum Mastercard® has no foreign transaction fees.
The introductory offer with the TJX Rewards® Platinum Mastercard® only gives you 10% off your first purchase, so it’s not as good as the intro offer you get with the Belk Rewards Mastercard®. Nonetheless, unless you’re signing up just for the introductory offers, the TJX Rewards® Platinum Mastercard® wins out overall.
