Verdict: Like many store credit cards and Mastercard and Visa credit cards affiliated with retail stores, the AE + aerie card was designed with one goal in mind: to get you to shop in their stores. The major benefit to store credit cards is you don’t need excellent or even well-established credit to get approved.

If you’re looking for a credit card with rewards, the dollars you spend can go further with a major credit card like the Discover More card, which offers up to 20X points for every dollar spent in the ShopDiscover online store. If you don’t have an established credit history and are a student, consider one of Discover’s student cards, like the Discover Student Card.

Overview: The AE + aerie Visa card is a full-fledged Visa card issued by GE Money Bank and accepted everywhere Visa is accepted. Consumers who cannot get approved for the AE + aerie Visa card may want to apply for the store card, good at American Eagle Outfitter, aerie and 77kids stores, and their respective websites.

Both cards earn you 4% of every store purchase in “Extra Savings” points, which can be redeemed for discounts at American Eagle and aerie stores and websites. The Visa card offers an additional 1% in extra savings for purchases outside American Eagle and affiliated stores.

Benefits & Rewards
When you sign up for an AE + aerie card or AE + aerie Visa, you’ll get 15% off your first AEO credit card purchase. This is slightly higher than the standard 10% one-time savings offered by most stores when you apply for their credit card, but still not enough to make a major dent in your purchase price or make it worthwhile to add another credit card to your wallet (and another inquiry to your credit history, which impacts your credit score).

You earn 4% in Extra Savings (AERewards), when you shop at AEO stores, and 1 % when you use your Visa elsewhere. You also earn bonus points good for additional discounts.

I admit, the marketing materials were so confusing I had to call customer service to explain it all. Essentially, if you spend $250 at American Eagle in a designated three-month period, you receive $10 in ExtraSavings cash good on an American Eagle purchase.

Both the store card and the Visa card permit you to earn points good for discounts, too.

• 100 points ($100 spent) earns a 15 % off coupon
• 200 points earns 20 % off
• 350 points earns 30 % off
• 500 points earns 40% off

You also get a 20% off coupon on your birthday when you supply your email address and additional, unspecified savings throughout the year.

Fees
The AE + aerie credit card and AE + Aerie Visa have no annual fees. The APR for the Visa card is either 19.99 % or 24.99 % depending on your credit history, with a 26.99% APR for cash advances. The AE + aerie store card carriers an APR of 24.99%.

The penalty APR, which can be enacted if you miss a minimum payment or have your payment returned due to lack of funds, is 29.99%. Both cards offer a 23-day grace period for both cards if you pay your balance in full each month.

Pros

• No annual fee
• Generous store discounts in comparison to other retail cards

Cons

• Confusing Rewards program
• Rewards are only issued 4 times a year, on the store’s schedule
• Rewards good only on purchases at American Eagle Outfitters, AE.com, and affiliated stores and websites
• High APR, even for consumers with excellent credit
• No warranty protection on purchases or other benefits common to many Visa, Mastercard, Amex and Discover cards.

(No Ratings Yet)

 Loading ...