Many retail stores offer credit cards for their numerous loyal customers. One of them is Old Navy, which gives you two cards to choose from: the Old Navy Credit Card and the Old Navy Visa. The two credit cards work almost the same and feature a straightforward reward structure. They are intended to benefit Old Navy fans but are they really worth having, or would they just limit your options in purchasing your apparel?
Old Navy Credit Card and Old Navy Visa
Intro Bonus: 20% off discount
Regular APR: 25.99% (Variable)
Credit Score: 670+ (Fair)
Annual Fee: $0
Highlights:
- The credit card is available in the retail store version and Visa version.
- New card owners will receive a 20% discount on their first purchases.
- You can also get another 20% by submitting your email.
- Cards can earn 5 points per $1 on purchases at Gap Inc. brands.
- The cards will receive the same points to all Gap Inc. brand stores.
- The Old Navy Visa will get 1 point for each $1 spent on purchases from other stores that accept Visa.
- The card can move to a higher tier (Navyist) by collecting 5,000 points in a single calendar year.
- There is $5 in every 500 points earned.
- The cards have an APR of 25.99% (variable).
- The Visa card has a 3% foreign transaction fee.
- Points expire after 12 months of not being used.
Full Review:
Retail store credit cards are really heaven-sent financial tools if you are a devoted customer of a specific brand. They are the best way to get your hands on the exclusive benefits and perks the store offers. However, they have an apparent downside: you can only receive their maximum rewards by shopping in their shops. That is the same thing as these Old Navy CCs, but it has something to offer that some store credit cards can’t: it is owned by a parent company that covers a considerable number of stores. That being said, besides Old Navy, you can also gain by shopping at Gap, Banana Republic, Athleta, Hill City, Gap Factory, and Banana Republic Factory. This expands your shopping options and ways to earn points.
Old Navy Credit Card is a basic retail store card for Gap Inc. brand stores, while the Old Navy Visa can be used for all stores accepting Visa.
As said, Old Navy has two cards. First is the basic retail store card Old Navy Credit Card, which can only be used at Gap Inc. brand stores. Then, there’s the Old Navy Visa that allows you to use it to other stores that accept Visa. Upon approval, new card owners will receive an introductory bonus in the form 20% discount that is only applicable on their first purchases. It can be used in-stores to automatically apply the discount, or you can use it online. For the latter, you will receive a one-time discount code that you can use when you check out the items. It is not the most charming sign-up bonus since some CCs offer a $200 bonus that you can get by spending at least $500 on purchases. One example is the Chase Freedom Flex. This means if you want to exceed this bonus, you need to pay more than $1000 on Gap Inc. purchases. The charm of this welcome bonus to attract prospective users is also decreased by the fact that you can get another 20% discount just by subscribing to its email.
On the other hand, the reward system of the cards is nothing complicated compared to other cards. The two Old Navy credit cards earn 5 points per $1 on purchases at Gap Inc. brands mentioned above (in-store or online), while the Old Navy Visa can receive 1 point for every $1 spent at other merchants accepting Visa.
By reaching 5,000 points, the Old Navy Credit Card or Old Navy Visa will be upgraded to a higher tier called “Navyist.”
The cards also offer a higher tier called the “Navyist” that you can achieve by earning a total of 5,000 points just in a single calendar year. Once you have reached the said status, the cards will receive 6 points per $1 spent. Also, the higher-tier Navyist Credit Card or the Navyist Visa credit cards will get 20% additional rewards points each quarter and free shipping on online purchases from Old Navy, Banana Republic, Athleta, and Gap using the code “NAVYIST.” To keep this status and continue receiving the said perks, card users must produce 5,000 points every calendar year.
Each point you will receive is worth 1 cent, and to redeem your rewards, you need a total of 500 points. Old Navy credit card owners can use the points by presenting the rewards in Gap Inc. stores or through a code online to receive your $5 reward, which will be applied to their purchases.
Another thing anyone would love about Old Navy credit cards is the $0 annual fee charge that complements the straightforward reward system of this plastic. Still, there are some drawbacks that you need to consider before fully committing with Old Navy credit cards. It starts with the point redemption minimum, points expiration after 12 months, and a 3% foreign transaction fee on the Visa card. Also, do not forget that you can only use the points towards Gap Inc. brand products, making your reward options limited. Moreover, the regular APR of 25.99% (variable) is a bit high compared to other cards out there. With this, you need to be cautious in paying off the card balance in full each month before the due date.
That being said, is the Old Navy credit card for you? Well, as we’ve said before, it is a card meant to serve loyal and frequent Gap Inc. customers. If most of your clothes come from this apparel brand, there is no doubt you will enjoy shopping with this card. Imagine getting points in each dollar spent and using them for your future purchases. You will get exclusive offers for the entire year and early access to sales. That seems nice. Yet, be aware that both the Old Navy Credit Card and Old Navy Visa can be tricky when not handled the right way: high APR and interest. So, if you are looking for an alternative $0 annual fee credit card, we can tell you that there are more versatile choices available. Not only do they have lower APR (some even have 0% intro APR for 15 months), but they can also offer generous cashback on various categories.
