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$30
Welcome offer
Up to 5%
Cash back
$0
Annual fee
14.9% to 22.9%
Purchase APR (variable)
Annual fee | $0 |
---|---|
Welcome Offer | Get a $30 statement credit when you open a new account and make $30 in Sam's Club purchases within 30 days. |
Rewards | Up to 5% at Sam's Club with Plus membership, 5% cash back on gas (on up to $6,000 annually, then 1%), 3% on dining and 1% on all other purchases |
Purchase APR | 14.9% to 22.9% variable |
Balance transfer APR | 14.9% to 22.9% variable |
Recommended minimum credit score | 670 |
Issuer | Mastercard |
Review by
Steven Dashiell is a credit cards writer at Finder. He's worked on 250 Finder articles and counting, helping readers embrace and maximize credit cards. Backed by nearly a decade of research and reporting experience, Steve's work can be seen on Debt.com, CreditCards.com and Lifehacker.
The Sam’s Club® Mastercard® recently received a refresh. Now, it earns up to 5% back on Sam’s Club purchases, 3% with the card and up to 2% with your Sam’s Club membership up to $500 annually. It earns 5% back on gas on up to $6,000 annually (then 1%), 3% back on dining and 1% back on everything else. The card has a $0 annual fee, a 14.9% to 22.9% variable APR, and works as your membership card, though it lacks a signup bonus.
The biggest change to the card is the tweaks to the earning categories. The travel category is gone and the card finally earns an accelerated rate of 3% back on eligible Sam’s Club purchase. Given the wide range of products stocked at Sam’s Club, this is a great rate. You can also earn big on items that don’t normally appear in cashback categories for other everyday rewards cards, such as home appliances, electronics and home exercise equipment. The card thankfully maintained it’s awesome gas rewards category, a whopping 5% back at any gas station on up to $6,000 in purchases annually.
As a warehouse card, you’ll need a Sam’s Club membership to apply. Either membership level will do, though you stand to get the most benefit out of the Plus membership level at $100 – Plus members earn 2% back up to $500 even without a credit card.
Before the refresh, the Sam’s Club® Mastercard® was a great gas and travel card, though bizarrely outclassed when it came to warehouse shopping purchases. But now the card has gained considerable oomph, making it a great choice for Sam’s Club members and well worth a look for everyday purchase needs.
Applying for the Sam’s Club® Mastercard® is straightforward:
To qualify for the Sam’s Club® Mastercard® you’ll need a good credit score of 670 or higher.
Sam’s Club offers two types of credit cards: the Sam’s Club® Mastercard® and the Sam’s Club Card. The latter is a store card, meaning you can only use it at Sam’s Club, and it possesses a different rewards structure than the MasterCard version.
Unfortunately, there is just one application for these cards. If your credit score isn’t sufficient, you may be directed to the Sam’s Club Card instead of the Sam’s Club® Mastercard®.
The Costco Anywhere Visa used to be the better choice between these two warehouse card offerings. However, the Sam’s Club® Mastercard® now pulls slightly ahead thanks to its recent tweaks. Here’s a full breakdown of how these two cards compare.
Synchrony, the bank behind the Sam’s Club® Mastercard®, is currently being reviewed by the Better Business Bureau as of January 2021. We’ll update the bank’s rating when information is available.
Between the in store and gas cash back opportunities, the Sam’s Club® Mastercard® is easily worth the effort for warehouse shoppers and even overtakes the Costco Anywhere Visa when it comes to warehouse shopping.
But If you’re not a regular warehouse shopper or you’re on the hunt for a different spread of reward categories, check out other cashback card options to find one that suits your spending needs.