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Updated June 10, 2019

Walmart Credit Card Review

Editorial Note: This content is not provided by the card issuer. Opinions expressed here are author's alone, not those of the issuer, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the issuer.
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Is the Walmart Credit Card worth applying for? Read this expert review and comparison of the Walmart store card and Walmart Mastercard before you apply.

With its reputation for low prices, Walmart is the go-to store for groceries and other household staples. The retail giant offers two types of credit cards issued by Synchrony:

  1. Walmart store credit card: can be used for purchases only in Walmart Stores and Supercenters, Walmart.com, Neighborhood Markets, Sam's Clubs, and Walmart and Murphy USA gas stations.

  2. Walmart Mastercard: can be used wherever Mastercard is accepted.

We review the cards in detail below. In this review:

Also, check out some current credit card promotions you shouldn't miss.

Walmart Credit Card Review

PROS & CONS

PROS:

  • Up to 3% cashback at Walmart and affiliated stores and gas stations
  • Eligible to those with low credit scores
  • Special 6-24-month financing offers
  • No annual fee
  • Free FICO credit score each month
  • $0 fraud liability

CONS:

  • Low credit limits - as low as $150
  • High APR
  • Low rewards compared to other cashback cards

WHO THE WALMART CREDIT CARD IS BEST FOR:

  • Frequent Walmart shoppers, especially online
  • Those with limited or poor/average credit looking to improve their credit score

For anyone with better than average credit, there are a number of other rewards credit cards that offer better rewards and perks.

Now let's take a look at the Walmart credit cards in detail.

3-2-1 SAVE REWARDS PROGRAM

3-2-1 Save Rewards is Walmart's cashback rewards program. You get:

  • 3% back on purchases made at Walmart.com, including in-store pickup, grocery pickup, and grocery delivery purchases
  • 2% back on fuel at Walmart and Murphy USA gas stations (Murphy Express is excluded)
  • 1% back on everything else, including: Walmart physical stores, Sam's Club, and Neighborhood Markets

If you have the Walmart Mastercard version, you'll receive 1% cashback on all purchases wherever Mastercard is accepted.

Rewards are issued as monthly statement credit. There's no limit on the amount of rewards you can earn. And they won't expire as long as your account is in good standing.

Can you only use a Walmart Credit Card at Walmart?
For the Walmart store card, you can only use it at Walmart and affiliated stores and gas stations (such as Sam's Club, Neighborhood Markets, and Walmart and Murphy USA gas stations).

For the Walmart Mastercard, you can use it wherever Mastercard is accepted.

WELCOME BONUS

You get $25 when you get approved for a new Walmart credit card at Walmart.com or in-store, and spend $75 on qualifying purchases the same day you open your account.

If you open the account in-store, the purchase must be made in the store in which you applied. If you open the account online, the purchases must be made online at Walmart.com.

The $25 will be paid as statement credit.

Walmart credit card sign in: You can log into your Walmart credit card account at www.walmart.com/creditlogin. On your online account, you can:

  • Activate your new card
  • Pay your bill
  • View your statement and balance
  • Request credit limit increase or decrease
  • Dispute a charge
  • Report a lost or stolen card
  • Add an authorized user

SPECIAL FINANCING OFFERS

Both cards offer special promotional in-store financing on large purchases over $150. You can get a 6- to 24-month interest-free grace period to pay off your balance. The term depends on the amount of your purchase.

However, this comes with some strings attached. The interest is deferred, which means if you don't pay off the balance within the promotional period, you'll be charged ALL the interest on the full initial price from the date of purchase.

The financing offer is great, but make sure you pay off your balance before the 0% APR period ends.

Financed purchases will not earn cashback rewards.

CREDIT SCORE NEEDED FOR WALMART CREDIT CARD

One big appeal of the Walmart credit card is that those with limited or lower credit scores can be approved. Even with no credit or poor credit, you'll still likely qualify for the Walmart store card. Customers with FICO scores as low as 550 can usually be approved.

The Walmart credit card reports to all 3 credit bureaus, so it's a great way to build credit with responsible use.

The Mastercard version usually requires a credit score of 660 or higher, which is considered the low end of "good" on the credit score scale.

Keep in mind that if you have lower credit, you probably won't get a high credit limit. Your credit limit may be as low as $150 to start, but could increase with responsible use.

Free Credit Score: Walmart cardholders can access their FICO score for free each month. Just log in online to your account at www.walmart.com/creditlogin.

IS THE WALMART CREDIT CARD GOOD?

The target audience is frequent Walmart shoppers with limited or poor credit scores. It's great that Walmart offers approval to those with low scores so you have a way to build credit. With that in mind, this card isn't a bad option.

The rewards are not the best, but they're decent for an no-annual-fee card for low credit. It's just too bad that shopping at physical Walmart stores only get you 1% cash back. So it's best if you do most of your shopping online.

It's also pretty cool that grocery pick-up and delivery get 3% cashback too (as long as it's paid for online). So if you live near a Walmart with groceries, you can effectively get 3% back on groceries (which is on par with other grocery cards).

However, beware of the high APR. This is NOT a card that you'll want to carry a balance on if you can avoid it.

If you have better credit and are considering the Mastercard version, look into other cash back cards instead, as many offer better rewards.

HOW TO APPLY

To apply for the Walmart credit card, you have a few options:

  • At any register your local Walmart store
  • At a jewelry kiosk
  • Online through Walmart.com or Synchrony

Usually, you can get approval right away. You may be able to apply for both the store card and Mastercard at the same time to see which one you'll be approved for.

If not, you may have to wait 7-10 days for a decision. You can check your application status by calling Walmart Credit Services at 1-877-969-3668.

Applying will result in a hard pull on your credit.

Walmart Shopping Cart Trick
There's a lot of talk about a Walmart "shopping cart trick". It's believed that if you are invited to apply for the Walmart store card when checking out online, you can be approved with only a soft pull on your credit. So if you have lower credit, it won't be dinged more by a hard pull.

However, this is NOT TRUE. Walmart cards issued by Synchrony always perform a hard pull. So don't just apply for pop-up Walmart card offers unless you are serious about getting one.

HOW TO MAKE PAYMENTS

You can pay your Walmart credit card in a few ways:

  • Online: Sign into your online account to pay your card. Online payments will be posted within 2-3 business days.

  • E-Payment: Set up e-payment directly with your bank account.

  • In store: Pop into your local Walmart or Sam's Club to make a payment. In store payments will be posted within 1-2 days.

  • By phone: Free for automated payment service, or $10 for representative-assisted payment.

  • By mail: Mail in your payment.

  • CheckFree: This is an online payment center. You must have a CheckFree account to pay through it.

Walmart Credit Card Customer Service Numbers:

  • Walmart Credit Card: 1-877-294-7880
  • Walmart Mastercard: 1-866-611-1148

Alternatives

If Walmart's card terms aren't enticing you to sign up, you may want to consider a standard credit card that you could use there as well as other retailers.

Consider the following alternatives:

  • If you like cash back rewards:
    Discover It will match all the cash back you've earned at the end of your first year. This offer is only for new customers. This card earns 5% cash back in bonus categories that change each quarter (up to the quarterly maximum; requires free activation each quarter). All other purchases earn 1% cash back.

  • If you have varied spending:
    Chase Freedom Unlimited
    Apply for Chase Freedom Unlimited
    Chase Freedom Unlimited lets you earn an extra 1.5% on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) — worth up to $300 cash back. That's 6.5% on travel purchased through Chase Travel, 4.5% on dining and drugstores, and 3% on all other purchases.

    After your first year or $20,000 spent, enjoy 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel, 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and unlimited 1.5% cash back on all other purchases. The cash back rewards will not expire as long as your card account remains open. There is also a 0% intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers, then a variable APR of 20.49% - 29.24%. There is no annual fee.

  • If you like to shop at Costco:
    Citi Costco earns 4% cash back on eligible gas and EV charging purchases for the first $7,000 per year and then 1% thereafter. This card earns 3% cash back on restaurants and eligible travel purchases; 2% cash back on all other purchases from Costco and Costco.com; and 1% cash back on all other purchases. There is no annual fee with your paid Costco membership.

  • If your credit isn't great:
    If you're considering the Walmart card because your credit isn't great, look into a secured credit card instead. These cards help you build credit responsibly and report to the 3 major credit bureaus.

    Discover it Secured Card reports to the 3 major credit bureaus to help you build or rebuild credit with responsible use. The minimum refundable security deposit is $200 (up to the amount Discover approves) and your credit line equals your deposit. Starting at 8 months, Discover will perform automatic monthly reviews based on your responsible credit management across all your credit cards and loans to see if you could qualify to transition to an unsecured line of credit. You will see your FICO credit score for free on your monthly statement and in your online account. There is no annual fee.

    But here's where it gets interesting. Discover it® Secured credit card offers rewards: 2% cash back at gas stations and restaurants (on up to $1,000 in combined purchases each quarter); 1% cash back on other purchases. As a promotion for new cardmembers, Discover will match all the cash back you've earned at the end of your first year.

Bottom Line: Are the Walmart Cards Worth It?

Walmart cards are not a bad option for those with lower credit and are looking for a way to improve, while getting some rewards at the same time. Those with higher credit have better options with more rewards and better terms.

If you're just looking for a credit card that's easy to get, we advise going with a secured credit card instead. The interest rate on the Walmart cards is high enough that carrying a balance can REALLY hurt your finances.

If you are determined to have a Walmart store card or Mastercard, be careful and make sure you understand the terms.

Leah Norris is a research analyst at CreditDonkey, a credit card comparison and reviews website. Write to Leah Norris at leah@creditdonkey.com. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook for our latest posts.

Note: This website is made possible through financial relationships with some of the products and services mentioned on this site. We may receive compensation if you shop through links in our content. You do not have to use our links, but you help support CreditDonkey if you do.

Editorial Note: Any opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the author's alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any card issuer. This site may be compensated through the Advertiser's affiliate programs.

Editorial Note: This content is not provided by Chase. Any opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the author's alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by Chase. This site may be compensated through the Advertiser's affiliate programs.

Editorial Note: This content is not provided by Discover. Any opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the author's alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by Discover.

Editorial Note: This content is not provided by Citi. Any opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the author's alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by Citi.

Disclaimer: The information for the Discover it® Cash Back, Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi, and Discover it® Secured has been collected independently by CreditDonkey. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

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