Hello! It’s now very obvious that most shopping malls do have their own credit cards which makes it super easy for customers who come to shop, it provides so many benefits that are eye-catching, it also provides some discounts in the purchase of some items which majorly attracts more users of the Walmart card, we would walk you through on what makes this credit card stand out.
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Walmart® offers two credit card options to its customers: a store-only card and a MasterCard. Both give very little in terms of rewards and have high APRs. If you can qualify for better credit card offers, we recommend looking elsewhere.
The Walmart® credit cards don’t have any perks that make them unique or especially rewarding for frequent shoppers at Walmart. These cards are, however, fairly easy to qualify for meaning you do not need to have a good credit history to get approved. Therefore, if you do not have a FICO score above 630, and want to get savings on gas, these cards are worth considering.
Is Walmart Credit Cards A Good Value?
The Walmart® credit card options are best for people with low credit scores who can’t get better rewards credit cards elsewhere. They provide decent 0% financing options and some savings on gas purchases.
The Walmart® MasterCard® will also get you a 1% savings on all purchases, regardless of where they are made. If your FICO score is below 630, there are probably a few options that can provide you with discounts that are as good as this, and with no annual fee.
Here is a list of the advantages and disadvantages of this Walmart credit card, in order to be sure of the value of any credit card it’s best that you weigh both sides of the coin before you make a final conclusion.
Advantage
- Someone who buys gas from Walmart
- Individuals with poor credit scores (below 630)
Disadvantage
- Consumers with a credit score above 630
- Anyone who carries a balance month-to-month
The best discount offered to Walmart credit card users is the 2.86% rewards rate on gas purchases with the store (based on gas prices as of publication). While this is a highly restricting benefit, it is among the best someone with bad credit can get. If you want better gas savings, see if you are eligible for cards that offer between 3% and 5% back on these purchases, such as the Sallie Mae Rewards Credit Card.
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The 0% APR financing options are a nice perk, though we urge users to only use it on purchases that are absolutely necessary. Financing purchases can be a slippery slope that leads to buying things we don’t really need – by breaking up the purchase into smaller increments we tend to forget about the total price. Ideally, you should be putting purchases onto your Walmart credit card that you can pay off completely at the end of each billing cycle.
Both Walmart credit cards come with 22.90% APR – which is higher than average and means greater potential expenses. If you carry a credit card balance month-to-month, you should avoid getting a credit card with interest as high as this.
Note: If you already buy your gas at Walmart, and don’t have the required credit history to get a top-of-the-line gas credit card, we recommend the Walmart MasterCard®. You will also get 1% back on all other shopping, which at no annual fee is a fair deal.
Walmart® MasterCard and Walmart® Credit Card Benefits
Here are the benefits that the two Walmart credit cards provide
- When you use the Walmart® MasterCard® or the Walmart® Credit Card at the pump in Walmart gas stations, you will get a 5¢ discount on every gallon you buy. As of writing this article, the average national price per gallon is $2.66. At this price point, the gas rewards rate when using these cards comes out to 1.9% ($0.05 / $2.66).
- The Walmart® Credit Card is a store card that can only be used to shop at Walmart stores. The other variant by MasterCard® can be used and accepted in different stores.
- The Walmart® MasterCard® will also reward all your other spending – you get 1% cashback on all purchases you make. Therefore, when shopping for gas we estimate that your effective rewards at today’s rates will be 2.86% (thanks to the previously mentioned discount).
- You may only redeem the 1% cashback statement credit in $5 increments – that means you must spend $500 before you get any rewards. Furthermore, any rewards you accumulate will expire 1 year after being issued, if they are not used. That means if you aren’t spending a minimum of $500 on the card every year, your rewards on this card will go to waste.
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Now through December 31, 2015, if you sign-up for either Walmart credit card online, and use it to make $75 in purchases on a single receipt that same day, you will receive $25 in statement credit that as a welcome bonus – that’s a 33.3% savings.
- In-Store Financing: One of the other benefits available to Walmart credit card users are 6/12/18/24 month financing options. To qualify for this financing, you must download and print an online coupon, and pay for the purchase using your Walmart credit card.
When you take advantage of this financing option, you will pay 0% APR on the purchase for the duration of the financing period. If you do not pay the purchase in full at the end of the financing period, you will have to pay 16.9%, 19.9%, or 22.9% APR (depending on your creditworthiness).
How Does the Walmart® MasterCard® Compare to Other Credit Cards?
Unless you are an individual with poor credit, most other credit card options can provide you with far better savings than Walmart credit cards.
Some of the best gas credit cards provide rewards rates of 3%+ (compared to the current 2.86% estimate with the Walmart credit cards). As noted above, the FICO score requirement on the Walmart cards is low. Therefore, if your credit score is 630 or below, and you want to get some extra savings on gas, these cards might be a good option.
In all other spending categories, the 1% cashback you get with the Walmart® MasterCard® is subpar, when compared to the rates you can get with most decent cash back rewards credit cards.
For example, the Citi® Double Cash Card 18 month BT offer lets its users Earn 2% on every purchase with unlimited 1% cashback when you buy, plus an additional 1% as you pay for those purchases. That is saving twice as good as what you’d get with the Walmart® MasterCard®.
Walmart® MasterCard® vs Sam’s Club® Mastercard®
Sam’s Club® Mastercard® is, in all ways, a much better credit card than the Walmart® MasterCard®. As long as your budget contains any amount of gas, dining, or travel spending. The Sam’s Club credit card awards users 5% cashback on gas, 3% on dining and travel, and 1% back on everything else. Compare that to the Walmart® MasterCard®, which only does 2.86% back on gas (limiting you to purchases in Walmart gas stations), and just 1% back on everything else.
Sam’s Club® Mastercard® will pay out a maximum of $5,000 in cash back annually. To reach that threshold you would have to spend at least $100,000 on your card. If your annual budget comes nowhere close to that, you can rest assured you won’t reach the rewards cap.
Walmart® Credit Card vs Walmart® MasterCard®
If you’re set on getting a credit card from Walmart, the Walmart® MasterCard® will usually be a far better choice than the plain Walmart® Credit Card. The reason is flexibility – you can use the MasterCard® in places other than Walmart®, while the other version of the card can only be used with the superstore.
The regular Walmart® Credit Card does not come with the 1% cashback savings, which is another important consideration to make. Outside of the gas discount, the regular card offers nothing outside of credit and financing options. If your credit score is good enough, we urge users to sign up for the Walmart® MasterCard® especially considering the two are identical in all other regards (APR, annual fees, etc.)
Walmart MasterCard login
To login
- Visit the online homepage
- Enter your Login detail “Username and Password
- Click the Login button to gain access to your account online.
Conclusion
Walmart’s credit cards are useful enough particularly for gas and food purchases in its store, plus its discounts help you to save some money, so if you ask me it seems like a good value.
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