JCPenney Credit Card
The JCPenney Credit Card is store card offered by Synchrony Bank. It earns double Member Reward Points over non-JCPenney cardholders. It comes with special financing offers, exclusive coupons and savings on the first purchase made with the JCPenney Credit Card just like any other typical store card. It provides a decent return on JCPenney purchases for anyone that shops at JCPenney and the card even works with a few other partners like Sephora and Rite Aid.
JCPenney Member Reward Points
Member Reward Points earned shopping at JCPenney are worth 5 cents each. Once you accumulate 200 points, you will earn a $10 certificate that can be used at JCPenney, or JCP.com. These certificates do have an expiration date so be sure to note that when receiving them. Reward Points earned will not expire as long as the account stays active which means that points must be earned at least once in a 12-month period.
Bonus Categories
The JCPenney Credit Card is not tied to a network, so it can only be used for purchases at JCPenney, JCP.com, Sephora stores that are within JCPenney stores, Sephora.com, Rite Aid, and Riteaid.com. No more than 2,000 points can be earned in a single transaction, so I would recommend avoiding any transactions over $2,000 made with the card. It would be better to break them up to avoid the threshold. Other than that point maximum, there's no limit to the amount of JCPenney Member Reward Points you can earn.
1x JCPenney
Using the JCPenney Credit Card at JCPenney or JCP.com will earn 1 reward point per $1 spent up to the point maximum of 2,000 points. Since 200 points are equal to a $10 certificate, you're looking at a 5% return on JCPenney purchases which is not bad at all. If you do a great deal of shopping at JCPenney and don't mind your rewards only being redeemable at JCPenney, this isn't a bad card to have. Just note that this card has a ridiculous APR of around 28% and if you don't pay your balance in full every month, the rewards you own on this card will not matter and they will bury you in interest.
0x Other
Since this card does not have network attached to it, you will not earn Reward Points outside of JCPenney stores and JCP.com. And while you have the ability to use it a few other stores, points will not be earned unless it's directly with JCPenney or the store is inside JCPenney (such as an in-store Sephora).
There is a Mastercard version of the JCPenney Credit Card but it's terms and conditions are hidden and it's given out after some mysterious criteria has been met. While I would take a guess that it would earn points outside of JCPenney, it's earning rates are not 100% clear at this time since it is not advertised.
Perks and Benefits
The JCPenney Credit Card features most of the standard perks you'll find with most retail store credit cards. Special financing, exclusive coupons, birthday gifts, and of course the first purchase discount (I count this as a sign up bonus). Below are the details of the perks & benefits of the JCPenney Credit Card.
Special Financing Offers
Using the JCPenney Credit Card for certain purchases will grant special financing. This can be for as little as 6 months and as long as 60 months (5 years). Special financing can be great for anyone looking to make a big purchase, but you should note that this card has a very high APR and you could easily be hit with fees for simpily missing a payment or not paying the full balance before the end of the promotional period (deferred financing). If you're reaching the end of your promo and know that you can't pay if off, don't let the interest consume you. Balance transfer it to another card such as the Discover IT Card, Citi Simplicity, or Citi Diamond. There are lots of choices to avoid paying high interest if you fail to meet the terms and condidtions of the promotion.
Exclusive Coupons
JCPenney Credit Card holders will receive exclusive coupons that have larger discounts than non-cardholders on 'Special Savings Days'. These coupons will be around 15%-20% off your purchase when you use your JCPenney Credit Card and will usually apply to certain categories (such as apparel, shoes, floor care, etc.) so be sure to read the fine print on the coupon.
Birthday Offer
JCPenney Credit Card members will also receive a special birthday offer if they have made at least 1 purchase in the last 12 months and the account is in good standing. The members's birthday must also be on file to receive this offer.
Sign Up Bonus
The JCPenney Credit Card sign up bonus is either 15% Off select apparel, shoes, accessories, fine jewlery, home and salon -OR- 5% off select major appliances and modern bride diamond vault items. This sign up bonus will slightly adjust time to time depending on the promotion, but this is the standard offer. It's tempting when they offer this at the time of checkout if you have a shopping-cart (in-store or online) full of items as it can easily save you a great deal of money.
Credit Card Fees
Fees | |
---|---|
Annual Fee | |
Authorized User Fee | |
Foreign Transaction Fee |
Annual Fee
There is no annual fee for the JCPenney Credit Card. This means you will always earn a 5% return on JCPenney purchases.
Authorized User Fee
There is no fee associated with adding additional users to the JCPenney Credit Card.
Foreign Transaction Fee
There is no network assigned to the JCPenney Credit Card so international purchases will not be possible. It's not clear if the JCPenney Mastercard has a foreign transaction fee, but I would guess that it would considering most store cards do.
and Card Value Calculator
You can use this rewards calculator to calculate how many points, miles, or cash back you can earn based on your spend per category. This calculator will also give you the dollar value of the card based on rewards earned and how much each benefit is worth to you minus the fees. You can click the Compare A Card button to compare this card against another card in the same calculator.
All category spend entered in the primary card's column will carry over to all credit card pages on the site so you don't have to re-enter the same information over again.
Recent News/Articles
Editorial Note: All opinions expressed on this site are my own and not those of any bank, rental car company, credit card issuer, hotel company, or any entity mentioned herein. Opinions, calculators, and other editorial content on this page have not been approved or endorsed by any entities on this site. You can read our Private Policy to learn more.
Advertiser Disclosure: Advertisements are listed throughout this site. I may be compensated if you choose to use any of the links on this page. This includes, but is not limited to, making purchases, signing up for programs, and applying for credit cards. You can view the details of that on our Advertising Policy page.
About These Calculators: These calculators are provided to help you estimate the value of points, miles, and cash back you can earn with various rewards programs and using reward earning credit cards. These calculators are meant to provide an estimate of rewards earned and are not meant to reflect the exact amount of points you may receive. Be sure to read the terms and conditions of any credit card before you apply as benefit and perk changes may not be reflected immediately on this website.
The Point Calculator is owned by RF3 LLC. This site is informational and meant to provide help in calculating points with various programs. The owner of this site is not a legal or tax professional and the statements and articles on this site are opinion of the owner and should not be relied upon for individual circumstances.
2019 The Point Calculator and its logo is copyrighted and owned by RF3 LLC. All Rights Reserved.