Credit Cards » Credit Card Reviews » Banana Republic Credit Card Review (2024)
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Banana Republic Credit Card Review (2024)

The Banana Republic credit card offers high rewards rate on its brand network and many other rewards, make it a very good clothing store card
Author: Lorraine Smithills
Lorraine Smithills

Writer, Contributor

Experience

Lorraine is a freelance finance writer with years of experience in the banking sector and after a successful career in one of the largest retail and commercial financial services providers. She has a passion for helping people with less financial confidence to get control of their money through budgeting, saving, and responsible credit practices.
Interest Rates Last Update: April 15, 2024
The banking product interest rates, including savings, CDs, and money market, are accurate as of this date.
Author: Lorraine Smithills
Lorraine Smithills

Writer, Contributor

Experience

Lorraine is a freelance finance writer with years of experience in the banking sector and after a successful career in one of the largest retail and commercial financial services providers. She has a passion for helping people with less financial confidence to get control of their money through budgeting, saving, and responsible credit practices.
Interest Rates Last Update: April 15, 2024

The banking product interest rates, including savings, CDs, and money market, are accurate as of this date.

We earn a commission from our partner links on this page. It doesn't affect the integrity of our unbiased, independent editorial staff. Transparency is a core value for us, read our advertiser disclosure and how we make money.

Banana Republic Credit Card

Banana Republic Credit Card

Rewards Plan

1X – 5X 5 points for every dollar spent at Banana Republic, Gap, Athleta and Old Navy. 1 point per dollar on all other purchases

Welcome Bonus

20% off your first order 20% off your first order at Banana Republic

Credit Rating

Fair – Good

0% Intro

N/A

Annual Fee

$0

APR

29.99%
Banana Republic Credit Card

Banana Republic Credit Card

Rewards Plan

1X – 5X 5 points for every dollar spent at Banana Republic, Gap, Athleta and Old Navy. 1 point per dollar on all other purchases

Welcome Bonus

20% off your first order 20% off your first order at Banana Republic

0% Intro

N/A

PROS

CONS

APR

29.99%

Annual Fee

$0

Balance Transfer Fee

5% or $5, whichever is greater

Credit Requirements

Fair - Good

The Banana Republic credit card does offer some nice perks for brand loyal customers, but it is a little on the limited side. Although the rewards for purchases within the retail group are decent, they are rather paltry for all other purchases. Additionally, the APR for any balance remaining is exceptionally high.

If rewards and flexibility are a bigger priority for you, there are a number of no annual fee credit cards that offer more generous rewards on all purchases. There are many cards that have spending categories with fashion as a category option, or you could opt for a more general rewards card that offers a percentage on all your purchases.

So, unless you are especially brand loyal to Banana Republic and will be able to leverage the full benefits of the card, you may want to consider alternative card options.

  • Free Shipping
  • Early Access to Sales
  • Bonus Within the Family of Brands
  • Quarterly Bonus
  • Upgrade Option
  • Birthday Gift
  • High APR
  • Limited Redemption Options
  • Low Out of Brand Rewards

What are card income requirements?

There are no official income requirements for the Banana Republic credit card, but you do need to have good to excellent credit. So, while your income will be assessed, it is not the only factor for consideration when an approval decision is being made.

Can I get pre-approved?

There is no pre approval option on the Barclay’s official web page for the Banana Republic credit card, but Barclays does occasionally send out mailers and other marketing materials offering pre approval for select customers.

How do I redeem rewards?

You can redeem your rewards in $5 increments with any of the Gap Inc brands including Banana Republic. You can redeem your points at the time of purchase online or in store. However, you can log into your account to check your points balance at any time.

In this Review

Simulation: How Much Rewards You Can Earn?

Check out the table below to see how many points you could earn by using the Banana Republic card. The table estimates how many points you could earn based on your typical spending in different categories.

Please keep in mind that the table is just an estimate, and your actual earnings may vary depending on your spending habits and other factors. However, it can give you a good idea of the potential benefits of this card.

Banana Republic Credit Card

Spend Per Category
Banana Republic Credit Card
$10,000 – U.S Supermarkets
10,000 points
$3,000 – Banana Republic/Gap/Old Navy
15,000 points
$4,000 – Airline
4,000 points
$3,000 – Hotels
3,000 points
$4,000 – Gas
4,000 miles
Estimated Annual Points
36,000 Points

Pros and Cons

Just like any other credit card, the Banana Republic credit card has some advantages and disadvantages:

Pros
Cons
Free Shipping
High APR
Early Access to Sales
Limited Redemption Options
Bonus Within the Family of Brands
Low Out of Brand Rewards
Quarterly Bonus
Upgrade Option
Birthday Gift

You can enjoy fast shipping free of charge on all of your online orders, providing you spend $50 or more in your transaction.

As a card holder, you can enjoy early access to sales within the Banana Republic group. There are also members only exclusive deals and offers.

You can unlock bonus points each year when you shop with the family of brands within Gap Inc. 

You can earn up to 2,000 bonus points, with 500 points for two brands, 1000 points for three brands and the maximum for four brands.

You’ll get a points bonus each quarter provided that you have made a purchase at Banana Republic, Gap, Athleta or Old Navy during the quarter.

If you earn 5,000 points or more during the calendar year, you can have the option to upgrade to the Banana Republic Luxe Card with no charge. This card provides even more benefits for those who enjoy clothes shopping within the Gap Inc group.

5,000 points will also provide you with Icon status, which offers free basic alterations on your qualifying Banana Republic purchases and the ability to “Choose your own sale day.”

Considering that you need good to excellent credit, the Banana Republic credit card has a very high APR, which increased even more due to the recent changes in interest rates.

This means that you should avoid carrying a balance at all costs or you’ll end up paying hefty interest charges.

You will get a $5 reward for every 500 points, but you can only redeem them with the Gap Inc brands. 

You can use your reward online or in store at Banana Republic, Banana Republic Factory, Gap, Gap Factory, Hill City, Athleta and Old Navy.

If you’re not shopping within the Gap Inc group, you’ll earn a low rate of rewards at just one point per dollar.

For more general spending, there are many other cards that offer far greater rewards.

This is a surprise gift each year on your birthday. You only need to have made one purchase on your card or more during the year to receive your gift.

Who is the Banana Republic Card Best For?

Since this is a co branded credit card, it is obviously best suited to those brand loyal to Banana Republic. However, if you are brand loyal to any of the stores in the Gap Inc group, this card could be beneficial for you. If you frequently shop at any of the Gap Inc brands, this card could offer some nice perks and rewards.

The card is also a good option if you aspire for the Banana Republic Luxe Card, but may struggle to qualify for it independently. Once you accumulate 5,000 points, you will qualify for an upgrade from the basic Banana Republic credit card.

If you are looking for an alternative co-branded, clothing store card – here are some options:

Card
Rewards
Bonus
Annual Fee

American Eagle Credit Card review

30X – 40X 15 points Instant for cardmembers. 30 points per dollar spent at American Eagle, 20 points if you spend more than $350 annually
30% off your first order
$0

macy amex card

2X – 5X spend $1,200 or more annually to get 5X points per dollar on purchases made at Macy's, 3X points if you spend $500 to $1199 and 2X points if you spend up to $500. Also, get 3X points at restaurants including delivery, 2X at gas stations & supermarkets and 1 point per $1 spent everywhere else
25% discount 25% discount on Macy's on the day you are approved and the following day, up to $100
$0

sears credit card

1% – 5% 5% back on Sears + 5% eligible gasoline purchases, 3% back on grocery stores and restaurants (limited to the first $10,000 of qualifying payments, then 1% thereafter), plus 2% back when used at eligible merchants such as Sears or Kmart, and 1% on all other purchases
None
$0

Kohl's Capital One Credit Card

7.5% 7.5% cash back on Kohl’s purchases
%35 off on first purchase 35% off on the first Kohl’s Card purchase you make within 14 days of opening your Kohl’s Card
$0

jcpenney credit card

5% 1 point for every dollar at JCPenney, 200 points worth $10 -> $10 per $200 spend on JCPenney = 5% back
Extra 5% – 35% off Extra 5% – 35% off on selected merchants in the first purchase on the same day the card has been opened
$0

Victoria's Secret Credit Card

1% – 5% 5% (10 points) back in rewards at Victoria Secret or PINK, 2% (4 points) on dining, travel and streaming services and 1% (2 points) on all other purchases
$25 $25 off in first purchase
$0

Nordstrom Rewards Visa

1x – 2x 2X points per dollar spent at Nordstrom and its brands, including Nordstrom Rack, and 1X points on all other purchases
$10 – $20 $10 Nordstrom Note for Members and Influencers. $20 Nordstrom Notefor Ambassadors and Icons.
$0

Tips for Using the Banana Republic Card

While this card is quite straightforward, there are some tips that can help you to maximize its value. These include:

Although this is a Banana Republic co branded card, it actually works in your favor to shop with other stores in the Gap Inc group. You can qualify for up to a 2,000 point annual bonus if you shop with multiple sister brands.

If you tend to prefer to shop once per season, make sure that you time your shopping trips carefully to have at least one purchase per quarter. This will ensure that your quarterly bonus activates.

While this is sensible advice with any credit card, it is especially important with the Banana Republic credit card.

This card has an exceptionally high APR, particularly since you need good to excellent credit to qualify. So, make sure that you clear your card balance every month.

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FAQs

You do need to have good to excellent credit to qualify for the Banana Republic credit card, but there are no other specific barriers to entry. So, if you have decent credit, it should not be overly difficult to get this card.

This card is not a good idea for those who are only casual visitors to Banana Republic. Only frequent Banana Republic customers will be able to leverage the full benefits of the card. If this does not apply to you, you are likely to be better suited with a more general rewards credit card.

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Both credit cards offer similar cash-back rewards ratios, but the extra perks of the Banana Republic card are better than T.J.Maxx.

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The American Eagle credit card offers a higher cash-back rewards ratio than Banana Republic but doesn't offer rewards on other categories.

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Lorraine Smithills

Lorraine Smithills

Lorraine is a freelance finance writer with years of experience in the banking sector and after a successful career in one of the largest retail and commercial financial services providers. She has a passion for helping people with less financial confidence to get control of their money through budgeting, saving, and responsible credit practices.
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Editorial Note: Opinions expressed here are author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.

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In order to determine the best possible credit cards, we look at things like fees, interest rates and rewards. We do this with companies that are associated with us as partners as well as other offerings. From there, we make a decision about what the best card is related to different categories and needs. We focus on interest rate cost & fees, especially the cost of carrying a balance, rewards – cards accumulate rewards in different currencies—points, miles, cash back—and their values vary widely usability – cards that accept a wide range of credit profiles and offer simple solutions for things like checking your credit score or contacting. We also consider customer reviews.

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