The Sam’s Club Mastercard is a rewards card that offers decent rewards rates in select categories, but there are some considerations to keep in mind. To qualify for the card, you must have a Sam’s Club membership, which starts at $50 a year. The rewards can only be used at Sam’s Club, so if you don’t shop there frequently, this may not be the best card for you.
The card has no annual fee and offers a $30 credit on your statement after making purchases of $30 or more at Sam’s Club within 30 days of opening your account. The rewards structure includes earning 5% cash back on gas (up to $6,000), 3% cash back on restaurants, takeout, and at Sam’s Club for Plus members, and 1% cash back on all other eligible purchases.
Additional benefits of the card include identity theft protection, no foreign transaction fees, zero liability protection, and Mastercard Global Services. There is also a pre-approval tool available from the issuer.
It’s important to note that the rewards can only be redeemed at Sam’s Club and there are limits to how much you can redeem. This may be a cumbersome process compared to other cash-back cards.
Overall, the Sam’s Club Mastercard can be a good choice for frequent Sam’s Club shoppers who are willing to primarily redeem their rewards at Sam’s Club. However, it may not be the best option for those who don’t shop there frequently or prefer more flexibility in redeeming rewards.
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This rewards card offers decent rewards rates in select categories, including purchases with the popular wholesale club, but requires a club membership, which starts at $50 a year and rewards can only be used at Sam’s Club.
Sam’s Club® Mastercard®
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The information for the Sam’s Club® Mastercard® was independently collected by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
basics
- Annual fee: No annual fee.
- Welcome Bonus: $30 credit on your statement after you make purchases of $30 or more on Sam’s Club within 30 days of opening your account.
- Awards: Earn 5% cash on gas (up to $6,000), 3% cash on restaurants, takeout and at Sam’s Club for Plus members, and 1% cash on all other eligible purchases.
- Regular APR: Variable APR 20.40% or 28.40%.
- Other advantages and benefits: Identity theft protection, no foreign transaction fees, zero liability protection, and Mastercard Global Services.
- Does the issuer offer a pre-approval tool? YES.
- Recommended credit score: From good to excellent.
Information about the Sam’s Club Mastercard
If you shop at Sam’s Club, you can earn Sam’s Cash back on your club expenses, gas and restaurant purchases with the Sam’s Club Mastercard. You must be a member of the club to qualify for the card, and its reward structure best benefits consumers who spend a lot of money at Sam’s Club each year.
The Sam’s Club Mastercard has no annual fee but does require a Sam’s Club membership, which costs either $50 or $110 per year, depending on the membership level. Sam’s Club Plus members earn an additional 2% on qualifying purchases within the club, but also cost more than a standard membership.
Other than earning rewards and basic Mastercard benefits, the card has almost no additional benefits. Even if you are a member of Sam’s Club, you should only consider this card if its rewards structure aligns with your spending habits and you are happy to redeem rewards almost exclusively with Sam’s Club. your rewards as physical cash at a Sam’s Club register, the amount you can redeem will vary by store, and is a much more cumbersome process than an actual cash-back card.
Professionals
- No annual fee: The card has no annual fee but does require a Sam’s Club membership.
- High reward rates: Cardholders earn premium rates on gas, dining expenses, and at Sam’s Club locations.
- Dual purpose: The Sam’s Club Mastercard doubles as a credit card and membership card, although a separate application is required to join Sam’s Club before you can apply for the Mastercard.
Against
- Requires membership: A Sam’s Club membership is required, which starts at $50 a year.
- Spending limits: Annual spending limits may limit your repayment potential.
- Redemption Limits: There are no ways to redeem rewards outside of Sam’s Club. You must visit a store to get an actual refund.
Awards Sam’s Club Mastercard
The Sam’s Club Mastercard rewards cardholders for spending at the Sam’s Club, restaurant and petrol station. Here’s how rewards revenue is split for this card:
- 5% return on gas anywhere up to the first $6,000 a year, then 1%.
- 3% discount on Sam’s Club purchases for Plus members (1% for non-Plus club members).
- 3% discount on catering and takeaway food.
- 1% discount on other qualifying purchases.
Sam’s Club Plus members also earn an additional 2% on qualifying purchases within the club.
The Sam’s Club Mastercard has a welcome bonus offer, albeit a relatively small one. You can earn a $30 statement credit after you make $30 or more in Sam’s Club purchases within 30 days of opening your account.
The rewards come in the form of Sam’s Cash. You can earn up to a maximum of $5,000 in Sam’s Cash per year. Any spend after reaching the maximum will not earn rewards. Sam’s Cash doesn’t expire as long as you have an active membership.
You can use Sam’s Cash to cover club membership renewal fees or for Sam’s Club purchases made in-store, online and via the mobile app. You can also redeem prizes for cash in person at Sam’s Club locations, although each club sets its own maximum redemption guidelines.
Sam’s Club Mastercard rewards potential
Using government data and other publicly available information, we estimate that a household in the United States who would be in the market for this card has an annual income of $84,352 and $25,087 in expenses they will likely be able to charge to a credit card. Here’s how many rewards they could earn:
This family would earn between $410.51 and $420.39 of Sam’s Cash to use for future expenses, depending on their membership tier. If they had a Sam’s Club Plus membership, they’d also earn an additional 2% on qualifying in-store purchases.
Sam’s Club Mastercard APR
The Sam’s Club Mastercard has a variable APR of 20.40% or 28.40% depending on your creditworthiness. The card carries a minimum interest of $2.00. The card does not include a 0% APR introductory offer.
How Sam’s Club Mastercard compares to credit cards from other stores
Sam’s Club Mastercard vs. BJ’s One+™ Mastercard®
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The information for BJ’s One+™ Mastercard® was independently collected by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
If you’re not already committed to a warehouse club, BJ’s One Plus Mastercard may be a more rewarding choice. This no-annual-fee card is for BJ’s One Plus members, who require a $110 annual membership fee. The card earns 5% cashback on most in-club and BJs.com purchases, and 2% cashback everywhere. Cardholders also get 15 cents per gallon off when they buy gas at BJ’s gas stations. You must accumulate at least $10 in rewards to redeem, and like the Sam’s Club card, rewards can only be used at BJ’s for merchandise or your annual membership fee.
Sam’s Club Mastercard vs. Costco Anywhere Visa® card from Citi
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Information for Citi’s Costco Anywhere Visa® card was independently collected by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Costco fans will get more value with the Costco Anywhere Visa Card from Citi. This store credit card earns 4% cashback on gas and EV refills for the first $7,000 a year, then 1%, 3% cashback on dining and travel purchases, 2% cashback at Costco and Costco.com and 1% cashback on all other purchases. A Costco membership is required to apply. The Costco Anywhere card doesn’t have an annual fee, but like other warehouse club cards, it requires a Costco membership, which starts at $60 a year. One quirk of the Costco card, however, is that you can only redeem your earnings once a year in February.
Sam’s Club Mastercard vs. Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card
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Information for the Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card was independently collected by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
If you like earning rewards for bulk club spending but want more flexibility, consider the Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card. Card with no annual fee earns 3% cash in the category of your choice, 2% cash at grocery stores and wholesale clubs (up to $2,500 in the combined choice category / grocery store / quarterly purchases of the club wholesale) and 1% cash back on other purchases. Unlike the Sam’s Club card, the Customized Cash Rewards card comes with an introductory APR of 0% for 18 billing cycles for purchases and balance transfers, then a variable APR of 17.99% to 27.99% applies. The introductory fee applies to all balance transfers made in the first 60 days and a 3% balance transfer fee applies to each transfer. Those who qualify for Preferred Bank Rewards can earn 25% to 75% more rewards on their card purchases.
Should you get the Sam’s Club Mastercard?
The Sam’s Club Mastercard can benefit existing club members, especially those who opt for a Plus membership. You’ll earn higher rewards, but remember that there is an additional cost to becoming a Plus member. One big potential downside is that the rewards are tied to Sam’s Club, requiring you to redeem for future purchases or wait in a ledger to collect your earnings. The card offers almost no benefits beyond Mastercard’s basic benefits, so it has little value outside of its rewards program.
Sam’s Club membership is required to get the card, so it doesn’t make sense for people who don’t plan to shop at the store on a regular basis. A general cash back credit card it’s best if your spending habits don’t fit into the warehouse club purchases.
Summary of the Sam’s Club Mastercard
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Neither Sam’s Club nor the issuing bank Synchrony publicly state the minimum credit score requirements for this card. Generally, this type of rewards credit card requires a good to excellent credit score, which FICO generally defines as a score of 670 or higher.
Cardholders can redeem rewards for cash in person at the cashier at participating club locations or apply to Sam’s Club purchases in-store, online, or via the Sam’s Club mobile app. You can also use available rewards to renew your club membership.
The Sam’s Club Mastercard is ideal for existing club members who want to earn rewards for Sam’s Club purchases and other expenses. Since membership is required to get the card, there are better choices for reward seekers or those who don’t intend to shop at Sam’s Club on a regular basis.
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