10 Best Store Cards for Bad Credit in 2022 (With Reviews)

Overview — Amazon offers two credit cards in partnership with Chase. The standard rewards card doesn’t have some of the high-end features of its Prime sister but more than makes up for it with sheer accessibility.

In fact, experts by and large (including us) agree that this is the ultimate store credit card for bad credit applicants. That said, definitely consider upgrading to the Amazon Prime Rewards card if you can meet the credit score requirement and love shopping and earning money on Amazon.

Perks and rewards —This card has a flat 3% cashback when you purchase from Amazon. And since Amazon now owns Whole Foods, that 3% extends to Whole Foods stores as well!

Additionally, this isn’t a closed-loop card. In other words, you can use it to make purchases anywhere, and it earns 2% cashback when you use it to pay at restaurants, drugstores, and gas stations. 

In essence, those are better cashback rewards than what you’d get from some dedicated cashback cards for bad credit.

Typical to good store credit cards for bad credit, the cashback you earn comes in the form of Amazon Rewards points. That doesn’t impact the amount you earn, yet it does mean that you can only spend the cashback on Amazon purchases.

Introductory bonus — What we also liked about this card is that you’ll get a $50 Amazon Gift Card when you get approved. You can even apply for the card when you’re checking out online, and if you’re approved, be sure to apply for that gift card right away.

We would have liked to have seen an introductory APR period. Still, as a savvy and responsible shopper, you can probably work around that.

Overview — Best Buy’s store card offer takes some unpacking. In essence, when you apply for a card at Best Buy, you’ll actually apply for four different cards in this order:

1. My Best Buy Visa Platinum card
2. My Best Buy Visa Gold card
3. Two different My Best Buy closed-loop cards

And according to most store cards for bad credit reviews, you’ll be approved for the My Best Buy Visa Gold — which is not a closed-loop card but has a $59 annual fee — if your credit is at least fair. However, you can easily make back the annual fee with some clever spending habits.

Perks and rewards — The rewards are just as confusing as the application. The marketing for the card puts the rewards in terms of percent back. Actually, you’ll earn 2.5 Best Buy points for each dollar you spend at Best Buy; each point is worth two cents.

In a limited sense, that equates to 5% cashback on select purchases at Best Buy. That’s relatively high.

You’ll also earn points by using your credit card anywhere else at varying rates, and those points will be added to the Best Buy points. You can redeem the points in increments of 250 points for a $5 discount from Best Buy purchases.

Introductory bonus — If you’re approved for a Best Buy Visa card, you’ll get 5% back on home improvement purchases up to a maximum of $75 in value.

If you’re trying to equip your home with new electronics and get some home upgrades at the same time, My Best Buy Visa Card is one of the most popular retail store credit cards for bad credit.

Overview — Walmart is still the world’s largest retailer, and most of us end up shopping there sooner rather than later. And if you’re one of the many (many) Americans who shop there regularly, this card offers some pretty decent rewards to go with its low prices.

In fact, you can also use this card to shop at Sam’s Club, albeit with a 10% service fee if you’re not already a member. Moreover, you can use it to shop at Murphy USA gas stations, too. 

Mind you, though, that this is a closed-loop card, so you can’t use it for shopping at other points of sale.

And as far as easy store credit cards for bad credit go, it’s one of the most flexible for rewards redemption.

Perks and rewards — Naturally, the best bonuses come from shopping at Walmart. Namely, at Walmart and Murphy USA locations, the card earns 5 points per dollar you spend in the first 12 months. After the first year, you’ll earn 2 points per dollar.

What we liked, in particular, is that you can then redeem those points from your account page or the Capital One app to pay for purchases at Walmart.com. Alternatively, you can redeem the points to cover your card balance or even as a statement credit.

Introductory bonus — Apart from the initial point boost for the first year, there’s no introductory bonus. 

Nevertheless, it’s easily the best among Capital One store cards even with this minor shortcoming.

Overview — Target’s RedCard comes in three varieties: a charge card, a credit card, and a Mastercard branded version. In this article, we’re reviewing the non-Mastercard credit version. Given the breadth of Target’s catalog, this is one of the top store credit cards for people with bad credit purely on versatility.

If you qualify for this RedCard, you may receive an offer for the Mastercard version, which is an open-loop card with top-notch features.

Perks and rewards — The main benefit you get from using this card is a 5% discount applied automatically to all qualifying purchases at Target’s brick-and-mortar and online stores. You’ll also get free two-day shipping on online orders and access to an extended return window for purchases.

Another neat bonus is that the 5% discount applies to all Starbucks inside Target stores. However, do note that this particular store card for bad credit does not apply the 5% discount for Target pharmacy purchases.

Introductory bonus — The sign-up bonus, although modest, is relatively decent as you’ll receive a neat $40 discount on a future order from Target. Moreover, the order has to exceed $40, so it’s not quite as convenient as the instant online store credit you get from the Amazon card. 

That said, you can use the bonus as soon as you’re approved for the card, which is great.

Overview — This credit card is perfect for Macy’s regulars and will earn you substantial rewards. Better yet, it also has a loyalty system that rewards you based on your spending. 

In a nutshell, you start at the lower reward tiers. After that, each calendar year, you have the chance to increase your reward status by climbing to a higher tier. It’s a bit more involved than other, more typical department store credit cards for bad credit but well worth the effort.

Perks and rewards — If you spend up to $499 per year at Macy’s, you fall into the Silver rewards category and earn 2% cashback in Star Money on purchases at Macy’s. 

Furthermore, spending $500–$1,199 places you in the Gold category and 3% cashback, and $1,200 or more puts you in the Platinum category and allows you to earn 5% cashback in Star Money. 

What’s more, you can use Star Money on Macy’s purchases (excluding gift cards and service fees) for up to 30 days after you earn your bonus. 

Best of all, you can apply with any credit level. Hence, if you want a card that’s easy, store cards for bad credit don’t get much better than this. 

Introductory bonus — When you’re approved for a Macy’s card, you get the opportunity to receive 20% off over the next two days up to a maximum of $100 off. 

Any downsides? We would have liked to see an introductory APR period in addition to these amazing rewards.

Overview — Old Navy is part of the Gap Inc. family of brands, encompassing GAP, Old Navy, and Athleta stores. As such, it’s a great clothing store credit card for bad credit applicants, seeing how you can use this card at any one of those stores.

Plus, it has no annual fee, making it an excellent choice even if you only use it once or twice a year for seasonal clothes shopping.

Perks and rewards — The main benefit of this card is earning rewards points. In other words, you’ll earn five points for every dollar you spend at Gap Inc. brands. For every 500 points you earn, you’ll get $5 to use towards future purchases at Gap Inc. brands.

Essentially, you’ll earn five cents for every dollar you spend to pay for future purchases, which is quite decent. 

Additionally, you’ll get access to certain sales earlier than shoppers who don’t have an Old Navy card, as well as special offers reserved only for cardholders. And a few more other perks available to Visa holders, such as zero fraud liability.

Overall, a generous rewards package compared to other store credit cards for people with bad credit.

Introductory bonus — When you sign up for the card, you’ll receive 20% off the first purchase you make with the card. You can also claim a few more welcome bonuses when you sign up for email notifications and enroll in paperless statements.

Overview — The TJX rewards credit card mainly stands out for giving you access to many stores and product categories. T.J. Maxx is the flagship store of TJX, but you can also use this card to shop at Marshalls, Home Goods, and Sierra Trading Post. 

In that sense, this is an excellent copycat of a retail store credit card for bad credit, except you’ll have to make sure all the stores are within shopping distance. Plus, there’s a much wider variety of price points that each store works around.

Perks and rewards — Although excellent, the rewards system is somewhat complicated. In short, you’ll earn five reward points for every dollar you spend at TJX stores. Every 1,000 points entitle you to a $10 reward certificate, which you can use to pay for future purchases.

Some quick math tells us that there’s a 5% discount for future purchases if you use the certificates. Note that it’s a closed-loop card, so you can’t use it outside of the TJX family of brands to earn reward points.

One minor perk: the price protection on qualifying purchases. Meaning, if the price drops after you buy something, you can ask to be reimbursed for the difference.

Introductory bonus — Compared to other closed-loop store credit cards, this one has a fairly modest sign-up bonus: 10% off your first in-store purchase.

Overview — The first thing to note about this card is that it’s not a charge card. Yet, don’t be thrown off by the staggeringly strange decision to name it a charge card when it is a typical credit card — it’s well worth it. 

There are two versions, but  in these store cards for bad credit reviews, we’ll focus primarily on the closed-loop version. 

Moreover, Kohl’s has recently made inroads to serve several different demographics better, and millennials are particularly likely to find excellent product selections at reasonable prices.

Perks and rewards — This card strays from the traditional reward model of most options on this list. For instance, owning a Kohl’s card doesn’t earn you points, nor does it provide a flat discount on shopping. Instead, you’ll be eligible to participate in special promotions and exclusive discounts every month. You’ll also be able to make returns without a receipt and become a Most Valued Customer (MVC) when you spend over $600 in a year. 

MVCs receive free shipping on qualifying items and a surprise birthday gift.

Introductory bonus — The first purchase you make with this card will receive a 35% discount. All in all, a pretty significant bonus for department store cards for bad credit.

Last but not least, you’ll get an additional 15% discount when the physical card arrives in the mail.

Overview — You can use Wayfair’s standard store card at Wayfair.com as well as any brick-and-mortar stores under the Wayfair umbrella. Those include Joss & Main, AllModern, Birch Lane, and Perigold. 

On the whole, judging by the wide selection of these stores, Wayfair furniture credit cards for bad credit are nearly perfect. That said, it has a slightly higher APR, so you should aim to pay off the entire balance as soon as possible.

Perks and rewards — You can choose between two reward programs. One is a simple 5% back offer. It earns you Rewards Dollars you can spend on future purchases at Wayfair sites. 

The other offers no-interest financing for up to 24 months on qualifying orders. If you’re anticipating significant furniture expenses soon, this card can help you spread out the cost fairly effectively.

Introductory bonus — What we also liked about this card is that you’ll receive a discount of $40 off your first order as long as that order is over $250.

All things considered, this card is a terrific alternative when you need to refurnish your home or furnish a new living space.

Overview — If you’re planning any kind of home improvements or you need to purchase new appliances, you’re going to love this card. Just note that despite being one of the good store credit cards for bad credit, you’ll need a credit score of at least 600.

Perks and rewards — The Lowe’s Advantage Card has two major perks. The first is a flat 5% discount when you shop at Lowe’s stores. Most items in stores qualify for the discount, and it’s calculated automatically during checkout. 

The other perk kicks in if you make a purchase of $2,000 or more because you can finance it over 84 months at a fairly low 7.99% APR. That’s an incredibly long time, and you won’t find that kind of deal with any other store card for bad credit at big-box home improvement retailers.

You can also receive deferred interest for six months on qualifying purchases of $299 or more.

Introductory bonus — As soon as you’re approved, you’ll get a coupon for 20% off your next order, up to a $100 discount.

Overall, this is an excellent option if you need to finance a large appliance purchase or you like to get your hands dirty with DIY home improvement projects.