If you’re a frequent shopper at the women’s clothing chain maurices, its store credit card may be a good fit for you. But there are a few things you should consider before applying for a maurices credit card.
Highlights of Maurices Credit Card
The Maurices Credit Card* can only be used at maurices stores and on its website. Every time you use your maurices card, you’ll earn double the MyMaurices reward points, plus 10% off all purchases and free domestic ground shipping for online purchases, as long as you don’t live in Alaska, Hawaii or Puerto Rico.
The Maurices Credit Card* has no annual fee, so you won’t be paying for the privilege of using it—unless you carry a balance from month to month, in which case you’ll be paying a fairly steep, variable APR on that balance. The card has a .
Maurices Credit Card Benefits
For a store credit card like maurices, the benefits really only kick in when you shop at that store. If you’re a frequent and enthusiastic maurices shopper, these recurring cardholder benefits may be of particular value to you:
- Double points on MyMaurices rewards when you use your Maurices Credit Card*, one for using the card and one for being a member (but remember, you can only use the card at maurices).
- An extra 10% off your purchases (including sale and clearance goods).
- Free shipping with no minimum purchase.
- Exclusive access to sales and special offers.
There are a few one-time benefits that sweeten the pot, including:
- Earn
- $10 off on your birthday
However, because the maurices credit card is not co-branded with a big name like Visa or Mastercard, you won’t be getting the bigger credit card benefits, such as travel and emergency assistance, supplemental car insurance and even cell phone insurance that are typically associated with these credit card brands.
And finally, if you’re looking at the maurices credit card as an option for building credit, it does report to all three major credit bureaus, which means that making on-time payments to your maurices card can help you establish a credit history. Your use of the maurices credit card is also reported to a fourth credit bureau, Innovis.
Read the Fine Print
As often happens, there are some strings attached to the rewards from a maurices credit card. For example, that offer for free shipping only includes ground shipping to a single U.S. address. It also can’t be combined with the maurices employee discount.
A little smaller in impact, but still relevant: redeeming the offer of $10 off on your birthday requires a minimum purchase amount in that transaction, and if you open the card in your birthday month or the month before, you’ll have to wait until the following year to start receiving that annual reward.
One of the convenience-oriented perks of a store-specific credit card is that you make payments on your credit card while you’re in the store—in addition to the usual online bill-pay system. However, paying your bill in the store isn’t just convenient for you. It’s also convenient for maurices, because the more often you’re in the store, the more likely you are to buy something—which of course obliges you to pay down the balance on your credit card again.
Here are a couple of higher-stakes nuances to keep in mind regarding store-specific credit cards: First, although they’re usually easier to get than the more broadly usable Visa, Mastercard, Discovery or American Express credit cards, they also tend to have lower credit limits. That, in turn, makes it easier to quickly use more than the recommended 30% of your credit limit, which can affect your credit score. Store credit cards often charge higher interest rates, too.
A History of BBB Complaints
Here’s one last detail to consider: Comenity, the bank that administers the maurices credit card, has several active Better Business Bureau alerts and more than 250 pages of consumer complaints, many, if not all, of which are related to the various store credit cards it offers. Its overall rating with the BBB is D-plus.
Who Should Get the Maurices Credit Card?
Like most department store cards, the maurices credit card is the most natural fit if you already shop at that store regularly. However, there is another reason you might want to get the maurices credit card or one like it: If you’re just building or rebuilding credit, store-specific credit cards can be an excellent tool for doing so, because they’re typically easier to get than other credit cards, letting you establish a history of on-time payments to boost your credit score.
Representatives for Comenity Bank, which administers the maurices card, couldn’t disclose exactly which factors its proprietary underwriting process takes into account when screening credit card applicants for approval. However, two of the biggest factors that go into your credit score are your history of on-time payments and how much of your credit line you’re actually using, so it isn’t a stretch to think those two factors must weigh heavily when you apply for a maurices credit card.
Alternatives to the Maurices Credit Card
If the maurices credit card doesn’t seem like the best fit for you, never fear—you have plenty of alternatives to consider.
- If you’re a frequent and loyal shopper at stores other than maurices, consider one of these high-rated store cards.
- If you’re just starting to build (or rebuild) credit for the first time, consider one of these excellent “first” credit cards.
- If you have an established credit history that ranks as “fair,” consider these credit cards.
- If you have good credit, you’re a likely candidate for these high-ranked credit cards.
- And lastly, if you’re working to improve bad credit, a secured credit card can be a good way to get started.
Bottom Line
If you’re a frequent and enthusiastic shopper at maurices, the benefits of the maurices credit card — especially the standing 10% discount, free ground shipping, and double MyMaurices reward points — could be truly useful to you.
However, if your primary goal in getting a store card like the maurices credit card is building credit, Comenity Bank’s history of frequent BBB complaints related to its store-specific credit cards could be cause for concern. There are a number of other credit cards you can consider for building credit, and even some non-credit-card credit-building options as well.
Methodology
Forbes Advisor considers a variety of criteria when assigning credit cards a rating. Cards are graded based on numerous factors including:
- Annual fees
- Welcome bonus offers
- Ongoing earning rates
- Value of individual points of miles
- Included travel or merchant credits
- Additional cardholder benefits
Card features we expect cardholders to use the most often are weighted more heavily in our ratings. Altogether, the factors came together to provide a star rating for each individual card.
To learn more about our rating and review methodology and editorial process, check out our guide on How Forbes Advisor Rates Credit Cards.
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