Verdict: During holiday shopping, I let an exceptionally friendly and upbeat Borders bookseller talk me into the Borders Rewards Plus Program. Normally, I steer clear of fee-based store rewards programs. My buying habits are sporadic, and last time I paid for a rewards card, we wound up moving before the year was out and not shopping in that store very often.
But if you’re a big reader and buy a lot of books (or even eBooks through Borders.com) online, this card just makes sense. I walked out of the store paying only $7 for the $20 card, plus I got an extra coupon for a free medium-size drink in the cafe. Not only does the Borders Rewards Plus card cost $5 less than its competitor’s reward cards, the sign-up incentives and discounts are much better, too.
Overview: A loyalty rewards card with an annual fee of $20, the Borders Rewards Plus card offers discounts on nearly everything in the store (except magazines and gift cards), free shipping for online orders, plus a $10 coupon just for signing up. If you sign up in-store, you’ll get a coupon book with $100 worth of coupons inside — talk about a card that’s worth the sign-up price! The discount is also good online at Borders.com, and you can even purchase your Rewards Plus card there.
If you are a Rewards Plus Gold member, meaning you spent more than $150 for the year at Borders and Borders.com, you get even more rewards. Let’s take a look at what you can get with this robust rewards programs for avid readers.
Rewards: First, let’s take a look at the basic rewards:
- 40% off all bestseller hardcovers
- 20% off select hardcovers
- 10% off most other purchases
- Free shipping on all online orders
You’ll also regularly receive coupons of 10 % to 30% off books, DVDs and more by email for online and in-store purchases, and a host of other benefits and rewards.
- Earn $5 in Borders Bucks when you become a “gold member” by spending more than $150 in a year. Earn an additional $5 for every additional $100 in purchases annually.
- Buy 5 cafe beverages and get the sixth one free
- Earn a special gift on your birthday
When you sign up, you get $10 off your first purchase, reducing the price of the card to $10. Plus, you’ll save 10% on your initial purchase (and 40% off bestselling hardcovers, with 20% off other hardcovers). If you make a purchase of $100 the day you buy the card, the card would pay for itself and all your additional savings would be added bonuses. You also get a coupon book with $100 worth of coupons inside, including one coupon for a medium-size cafe beverage. The coupons in this month’s book include:
- $5 off any “Dummies” guide book
- Buy 2, get the third free on some children’s books
- $2 off any Fodor’s Gold Travel Guide
- Coupons for romances, classics, and more
The coupons do have an expiration date, as do the Borders email coupons. However, they usually have some sort of coupon deal going. I’ve been a Borders customer for years, and this card — like a good loyalty card should — solidifies my relationship with the company. I will make an effort to buy all my future books at Borders and enjoy the savings with this card.
Pros:
- $10 off your first purchase as a Borders Rewards Plus Member
- $100 worth of coupons when you sign up
- Better hardcover book discounts than the competitor’s program
- Lower price than the competitor’s program
- Good in stores and at Borders.com
- Acquire Borders Bucks when you reach $150 in purchases annually
- Coupons do have expiration dates
- You must print out emailed coupons to take advantage of some offers
- $20 annual fee
Save Even More At Borders:
Chase Freedom® Visa you receive $200 cash back after making $500 in purchases during your first 3 months of cardmembership. This equates to receiving 40% cash back on your first purchases! This card also has a great rewards program, allowing you to earn an additional 5% cash back on popular spending categories like gas, groceries and at department stores. These categories rotate throughout the year, maximizing the amount of rewards you earn.
Dawn Allcot is a full-time writer, editor and blogger whose career spans two decades. Dawn joined the CreditShout team nearly two years ago. Since then, she's been sharing her knowledge and enthusiasm for managing credit and saving money through responsible credit card use.
January 2nd, 2011 at 4:42 pm
Dawn:
I agree that this is a hard bargain to pass up. I just upgraded my Rewards card, too. I’m also resistant to paying for a rewards card, but in this case, it was a no-brainer.
Thanks for breaking it down. Now I’m even happier I shelled out the $20!
January 2nd, 2011 at 6:43 pm
Thanks for reading! I especially like that we get 10% off sale items (like 50% off calendars!
) Oh, and the free coffee/tea. That’s awesome.
With 3 people in my family, and a free beverage after we buy five, one of us gets a free drink every *other time* we go to Borders. I estimate this card will save me hundreds this year. (Okay, but not as much as if I stopped buying books and coffee… which is not happening! LOL)
January 16th, 2011 at 10:01 am
I also signed up for the rewards + card during the holiday season and now have second thoughts. I bought an ereader which changed my buying habits. I have unsucessfully attempted to cancel the membership during the first 30 days. I have contacted Borders via telephone and email yet the membership continues. I have concerns that Border will now continue to charge me for a membership on an annual basis even though I do not want it.
January 17th, 2011 at 11:50 pm
This is really a good deal I must say.
I’m definitely stopping at borders store to upgrade and get that coupon book + $10 borders bucks! Nice break down for pros and cons by the way.
At first, $20 sound so much since most of the books that I buy are at least $170+ each purchase and happens 4-8 times a year but then again, when I calculated how much I can save with regularly sent out promo coupon + 10% off additional will save me tons of money
January 29th, 2011 at 4:47 pm
Thanks for the kind words, Jamie!
Yikes, $170+ each? Are you in the IT field? (just curious…) Make sure to ask at the store if the discount applies to text books if that’s what you buy most.
February 8th, 2011 at 5:05 pm
Hey Dawn! I’m a Borders employee and the 10% does apply to textbooks! I just loaded up on mine using the discount!
June 23rd, 2011 at 5:13 pm
the 10$ bonus is only good for one week, i missed mine, so lost it. the coupons i got are mostly useless. some are for specific dvds and cds that i’d never buy. also they set the membership to auto-renew and no easy way to disable that. i feel hoodwinked on my purchase of the rewards plus membership.
July 21st, 2011 at 10:17 pm
I think the best benefit I used from the Borders Rewards Plus was the free shipping. Used paperbacks are unbelievably cheap on the site when you have free shipping. I’ve ordered a book for $1.04 plus tax to be shipped straight to my home.