Banana Republic Rewards Mastercard®

Banana Republic Rewards Mastercard® Card Review

Banana Republic’s logo on its Visa card may lead you to think that this is an exclusive store card. However, you are actually signing up for the Gap Inc. card, which lets you earn and redeem points at all of this company’s brands. These include some of the nation’s most popular retailers, like Gap and Old Navy. While this card is ideal for someone who loves shopping at this clothier, access to all Gap Inc. brands makes this one of the most dynamic retail cards around.

It’s Like Having 5 Cards in One

One of the biggest draws to the Banana Republic Mastercard® Card is the fact that it is more than just a single-store card. When you sign up for this credit card, you are essentially getting access to the benefits of five different retail cards. It’s almost like getting five credit cards in one.

On top of shopping at Banana Republic, cardholders can earn 5x rewards points for shopping at the following brands:

• Gap
• Old Navy
• Athleta
• Hill City

You can also redeem your rewards points at any of the stores listed above. This detail gives you the freedom of quickly racking up lots of points at a variety of retailers. What’s more, the same rules apply to each of these brands. You earn 5 points for every dollar at any of these brands, and your points have the same value at each retailer.

This means that you can earn and redeem points more strategically. For instance, Banana Republic’s merchandise is typically more expensive than that of the other Gap Inc. brands. You can use your Mastercard credit card at the Banana Republic to earn a lot of points for your bigger-ticket purchases. You can then redeem your points for discounted merchandise at Old Navy, where merchandise is priced at a fraction of the cost.

The other great thing about this feature is that many of these brands are located within the same shopping centers. That being said, you can earn a lot of points on a single trip to the mall. This especially rings true around the busy holiday shopping season.

Earning Rewards Points

The Banana Republic Rewards Mastercard® has a simple two-tier points system. All purchases made at Gap Inc. brands earn cardholders 5 points for every dollar spent. All other purchases earn cardholders one point for every dollar spent.

With that in mind, you should really consider how much you’ll plan to shop at Gap Inc. brands after signing up for this credit card. The one-to-one point ratio for outside purchases is the most basic rewards system that a credit card can offer consumers, and it’s really nothing to write home about.

Again, the biggest draw to this card in terms of earning rewards points is the fact that you can earn 5x points at five different (and very popular) brands with numerous locations all over the United States. You can essentially outfit an entire family with this card for almost any occasion and rack up quite a lot of points at the same time.

Using this card for non-Gap Inc. purchases can help you earn more points, especially if you want to upgrade to Luxe status (see below for details). However, this card’s high APR may make you think twice before reaching for this card for all your purchases.

Rewards Points Value

What’s great about the Banana Republic Mastercard® card is that your points have the same value across all Gap Inc. brands. You receive a $5 credit for every 500 points you earn. If you spend $100 at any of these brands’ stores (or online), you will receive a $5 reward certificate.

Spending $100 at Banana Republic is a breeze, as a basic pair of trousers ranges in price from $90 to over $100 dollars. If you add a top and a jacket to your purchase, you can end up spending close to $500 on a single purchase.

That comes out to $15 in rewards credits, which can add up to a lot at Old Navy, especially if you are shopping for small children.

Redeeming Rewards Points

This credit card starts to lose its luster when you start looking into how you can redeem your rewards points. The Banana Republic Mastercard® card converts your points into rewards certificates every month, provided that you earned enough points.

These certificates are valued in increments of $5 and max out at $50. 

Don’t worry if you’ve racked up more than 25,000 points, though (as Gap Rewards sometimes caps rewards at this level). You won’t lose them; they will just carry over to your next billing cycle.

Now, you may think you can use these rewards just like cash or a gift card. However, don’t expect to go into a Banana Republic store and walk out with free merchandise. The total price of your purchase must be greater than your rewards certificate amount in order to use it.

In effect, rewards certificates function almost like discount coupons, and you must pay any difference with your Banana Republic Mastercard. On the plus side, you can combine your rewards certificate with no more than one additional offer or promotion, although employee discounts are excluded from this.

Before signing up for this card, you should also be aware that rewards certificates do expire, and every certificate has an expiration date printed on it. Furthermore, if you haven’t used your Banana Republic card in 24 months, any points you have accumulated before then will become void.

A frustrating part about this card is that cardholders really don’t have any say about when they can convert their points to rewards certificates. This happens automatically every month, and if you don’t use your certificates by their expiration date, you forfeit those rewards.

In short, if you’re thinking of using this card’s rewards to go on a several thousand-dollar shopping spree, think again. Synchrony limits how much of your rewards you can use at a time.

Added Perks

This credit card offers a few additional benefits. Perhaps the most obvious one is the 20% discount off your first Banana Republic purchase with your new Mastercard. This offer only applies to an online purchase, and you cannot redeem it at other Gap Inc. brands. This offer also expires 90 days from the date that you’re approved for your Banana Republic Rewards Mastercard.

This perk isn’t really a selling point for this card but more of a value-added feature. 20% can add up to quite a lot of money at Banana Republic. At the very least, it can save you the cost of shipping.

The other great perk about this card also applies to online shopping. When adding items to your digital shopping cart, you can include items from all five Gap Inc. brands. It’s like a one-stop online shop for all your fashion needs.

This not only makes it easy to rack up rewards points, but you also get free shipping on orders of $50 or more (and $7 on any orders under $50). This is great when you find only one thing you want at Banana Republic, but find out about a blow-out sale at Gap, Old Navy, and Athleta. You can purchase everything all at once, get free shipping, and earn points.

Should You Apply for the Banana Republic Rewards Mastercard® Card?

The first question you should ask yourself before applying is, “How much do I love wearing Banana Republic?” If you’re not too crazy about this brand, ask yourself how much you like the other Gap Inc. brands.

If you rarely shop at any of these brands, this credit card may not change your shopping habits. However, if your closet is full of garments from these brands having this card is a great way to earn reduced-price merchandise while you make your regular purchases.

Other than that, the Banana Express Mastercard offers many of the same benefits as the other Gap Inc. credit cards. It just comes down to how much you love Banana Republic over the other Gap Inc. brands.