What You Need to Know and Alternatives – Forbes Advisor

Ultimate Rewards® credit card* It is a store card whose benefits are easy to predict. Earn rewards with any Ulta Beauty purchase and are exclusive to the Ulta Beauty store. However, the reward values ​​above are in the higher range, which is pretty amazing for this type of card.Let’s take a look at Ulta credit cards, their benefits, and whether they’re right for you.

Ulta credit card highlights

• 20% off your first Ulta Beauty purchase
• 1 point per dollar spent in the Ulta Beauty store
• Points are worth between 3 and 6.25 cents
• No annual fee
• high APR
• 3% foreign transaction fee

Ulta Credit Card Benefits

For frequent Ulta Beauty customers, we offer two credit card options: Ultimate Rewards® Credit Card* and Ultimate Rewards® Mastercard® credit cards*, both issued by Comenity Capital Bank. Both cards have no annual fees, get him 20% off his first purchase at Ulta Beauty, and earn 2 points per dollar spent on every Ulta Beauty purchase (1 point as general member, 1 point as credit cardholder). point).

However, the Ultimate Rewards® credit card* Only available in the Ulta store. The Ultimate Rewards Mastercard can be used anywhere Mastercard is accepted.

The Ultimate Rewards Mastercard offers 500 bonus points after spending $500 non-Ulta Beauty in the first 90 days of opening your account, and 1 point for every $3 spent on non-Ulta purchases.

Unfortunately, the only way to know which cards will be accepted is to fill out an application. Comenity will resolve the issue and approve your card based on your credit score.

A third option is the Ultimate Rewards Card. This is not a credit card at all, but a simple rewards card for Ultimate Rewards program members. It’s free to join, and every time you shop with Ulta, you can earn rewards by presenting your membership card at checkout.

If you apply for an Ulta credit card at a physical store, you can use it from the first purchase. If you apply online, you must wait for your card to arrive before using it.

ultimate reward

Earn Rewards

Both versions of the Ulta Credit Card offer a 20% discount on your first purchase at the Ulta Beauty Store. The reward structure after the first purchase is as follows:

• 1 point per dollar spent on Ulta (on both cards)
• 1 point for every $3 spent at other stores (Ultimate Rewards Mastercard only)

The 1 point per dollar earn rate is in addition to the 1 point per dollar you earn as a Rewards Program member. Please note that Points will expire at the end of the calendar quarter 12 months after the reward is earned. Ulta Points do not expire if you are a Platinum or Diamond Member.

redemption of benefits

The more often you shop at the Ulta Beauty store, the faster your points will accrue. And the more points you collect, the better.

Ultimate Rewards values ​​are:

• 100 points = $3
• 250 points = $8
• 500 points = $17.50
• 750 points = $30
• 1,000 points = $50
• 2,000 points = $125

So, depending on the redemption option you choose, you can earn anywhere from 3 cents per point to 6.25 cents per point. This is significantly higher than the industry standard of 1 cent per point found on many cashback credit cards.

Reward potential

Your earning potential with an Ultimate Rewards Credit Card or Ultimate Rewards Mastercard varies and depends on how often you shop with Ulta and how much you spend per visit.

Let’s say you visit the Ulta Beauty store every two months and spend $60 on each purchase. This adds $360 a year to makeup and skincare. So, you can earn 1 point per dollar for being her Ultamate Rewards member in general, and 1 more for using the Ulta credit card, earning 720 points per year. According to the redemption chart above, 500 points can be redeemed for $17.50 worth of merchandise.

Earn even more with beauty services like haircuts and makeup services from Ulta salons. This counts as his Ulta Beauty spending on an Ulta branded credit card.

Depending on how often you cut and color your hair and get your makeup done at Ulta salons, reach top Diamond status in the Ultamate Rewards program and earn and redeem more points on your Ulta purchases You can increase your value.

Other Ultimate Rewards member benefits

As an Ultimate Rewards member, you can enjoy several benefits of membership. Benefits vary by membership status.

To become an elite shopper on Ulta, you have to pay:

• $500 a year to become a platinum member
• $1,200 per year to become a Diamond member

All members enjoy the following benefits:

• 1 point per dollar spent with Ulta
• 2 points for your birthday
• bonus savings
• redeem points for discounts
• Free gift on your birthday month

Platinum members receive the following benefits:

• 1.25 points per dollar on Ulta
• Points never expire
• $10 birthday month coupon
• EXCLUSIVE SALE, GIFTS & EARLY ACCESS

Diamond members enjoy the following benefits:

• 1.5 points per dollar on Ulta
• diamond gift
• $25 service fee
• Free Shipping on orders over $25

Who Should Get an Ulta Credit Card?

Needless to say, frequent Ulta Beauty buyers are the target audience for Ulta credit cards. Especially since the rewards can only be redeemed at her Ulta store. Those who receive Ulta Salon services can benefit from charging their cards and earning enough rewards to qualify for status in the Ultamate Rewards program.

People who tend to have a balance on their credit card should avoid it. The Ulta credit card has an interest rate of 30.24%. Beauty requires sacrifice, but in this case APR has sacrificed too much.

Featured Partner Offers

Up to 5% reward rate

Sign up and get 5% cashback in categories that rotate quarterly. Up to $1,500 when you register,read more

Normal APR

19.74% – 28.49% change

credit score

Very Good, Good (700 – 749)

editorial review

This card has the power to handle almost any spending need of a credit card without the exorbitant price tag. In addition, the earnings structure has been strengthened, including rotating quarterly bonus categories in areas that many households find attractive.

pros and cons

• No annual fee
• Rotating Quarterly Categories Earn 5% Rewards Upon Activation.Up to $1,500 in quarterly totals
• Travel benefits rival some of the best premium travel cards
• Generous reward rates in several other categories

• Travel must be booked through Chase Ultimate Rewards® to earn 5% cash back.

card details

• If you spend $500 within the first 3 months of opening your account, you will get a $200 bonus.
• 5% cash back up to $1,500 in categories that rotate quarterly (activation required), 5% on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®, 3% on restaurants and drugstores, 1% on all other purchases
• 0% annual introductory rate for 15 months from account opening for purchases and balance transfers. A balance transfer fee applies. See pricing and terms for details.
• No annual fee

Alternatives to The Ulta Credit Card

The Ulta credit card offers great value as a reward, but it expires annually and is exclusive to the Ulta store. To earn more flexible rewards that can be converted into cash, consider the following general purpose credit cards.

Citi® Double Cash Card

Enter the Citi® Double Cash Card if you want to earn rewards on every purchase in the form of cashback you can spend anywhere. Get 2% cash back on all purchases with this card. 1% on purchase and another 1% on payment. Cash Back earned with Double Cash can be redeemed in the form of statement credits, direct deposits or checks and is not limited to a single merchant.

Chase Freedom Flex℠

5% cash back up to $1,500 in categories that rotate quarterly (must be activated), 5% on travel purchases with Chase Ultimate Rewards®, 3% at restaurants and drugstores, and everything else with Chase Freedom Flex℠ Earn 1% on purchases of*Rotating bonus categories typically include grocery stores, gas stations, restaurants, and Amazon. It is a convenient card that you can easily save cash with no annual fee.

American Express Blue Cash Everyday® Card

Another cashback card with no annual fee, American Express’s Blue Cash Everyday® card (terms and conditions apply; see Rates & Fees) is available at U.S. supermarkets, U.S. gas stations, and U.S. gas stations. Earn 3% cash back on domestic online retail purchases ($6,000 in each category annually on purchases, then 1% thereafter) and 1% cash back on other purchases. You receive cashback in the form of reward dollars that can be easily redeemed for statement credits. Cashback earned with this card can be issued in the form of statement credits.

Signing up also gives you $84 Disney Bundle Credits per year ($7 increments per month) and $180 Home Chef Credits ($15 per month increments), so you can make money with a $0 annual fee card. If you maximize your credits.

Additionally, you get an initial APR of 0% for 15 months for purchases and balance transfers requested within 60 days of account opening, followed by a variable APR of 18.74% – 29.74%. A balance transfer fee of $5 or 3%, whichever is greater, will apply so you can take a break if you need to.

Is the Ulta Credit Card Right for You?

While the rewards are pretty good value, both the Ultamate Rewards Credit Card and Ultamate Rewards Mastercard are designed for people who shop at Ulta Beauty, so their use is pretty limited. , redemption options are predetermined. If you’re looking for more flexible perks that can be used as statement credit for anything, consider the cashback cards above.

To view rates and fees for the American Express Blue Cash Everyday® card, visit this page.