In March 2014 Macy’s introduced their new Star Rewards Card with new benefits and a tiered status based on how much you spend with Macy’s. The benefits in terms of points earned and coupons is tied to how much you spend in a single calendar year (they defined their calendar year as December 1st – November 30th), and your tier status is valid from February 1st through January 31st the following year.
What Are The Basic Benefits of Having a Macy’s Card?
The primary benefit of holding a Macy’s card is to get additional discounts on items you purchase there. If you shop at Macy’s frequently you can get an additional 40% or more off items that you buy. You can earn reward discounts two ways. First, if you are a Elite or Premier Elite member you will earn 1.5 – 3% back on all purchases at Macy’s (both in store and online). These rewards will accumulate until you earn $10 for Elite members, or $25 for Premier Elite members. Macy’s will then send you a certificate in the mail, which normally expires in 6 months. In addition to that you will receive coupon in the mail which are worth anywhere from 20-40% off a purchase.
Besides the discounts and rewards, having the card makes returns very easy. Items purchased with the card can be returned easily without a receipt. Macy’s is also very lenient on returns allowing them for 6 months or more after purchase, especially if you are a cardholder.
Finally, the Macy’s credit card is issued by American Express, and they run frequent promotions to get you to use your card outside of Macy’s. For instance, the current promotion is 5% back in Macy’s Star Rewards for all grocery store purchases. These types of promotions run every quarter and can be much more valuable than other credit card offers.
The standing offer is 5% rewards on Internet, Phone, and Cable purchases and 3% back on gas.
What Are The Macy’s Star Rewards Elite Tiers?
There are three Star Rewards elite tiers based on spend. The elite levels are listed in the table below:
| Annual Spending at Macy’s | Star Rewards Card Elite Tier |
|---|---|
| $1-499 | Preferred |
| $500-999 | Elite |
| $1,000+ | Premier Elite |
What Are The Benefits of Each Star Rewards Elite Tier?
As you can see from the table below, aside from getting coupons 3 times per year, there is not much benefit for having this card. However, if you spend $500 per year, or even $1,000 there are some quite valuable benefits for being a cardholder. Getting coupons 6 or even 12 times per year will be valuable to regular shoppers. The coupons discounts vary, but usually they are $10 off $30 purchase, or $20 off a $50 purchase. The coupons are valid on regular, sale and clearance items, which can net an additional 40% off already steeply discounted items. In addition to those more valuable coupons, Macy’s will also regularly send out 20% off reusable coupons. In addition, Macy’s recently relaxed their coupon requirements and they now allow you to use a gift card with a coupon purchase (previously they required you to charge the remaining amount to your Macy’s card).
A Summary of Macy’s Star Rewards Card Benefits by Elite Tier
| Elite Tier | Coupons Per Year | Rewards Earned at Macy’s | Rewards Earned Outside Macy’s | Birthday Offer | Priority 1-800 Number |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Preferred | 3 | None | None | None | None |
| Elite | 6 | 1.5% | 1% | Yes | None |
| Premier Elite | 12 | 3% | 1% | Yes | Yes |
How Do I Apply for The Macy’s Card?
You can apply for the Macy’s Star Rewards card in store, or through this link. Right now there is a sign up offer where you receive 20% off all your purchases for the day you sign up and the following day.
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