5 Things to Know About the Eddie Bauer Credit Card

The lack of meaningful perks is a glaring weakness of the Eddie Bauer credit card.

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Updated · 2 min read
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Written by Jae Bratton
Lead Writer
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Edited by Erin Hurd
Fact Checked

Store credit cards have a reputation for high interest rates, limited usefulness and inflexible reward redemption. Unfortunately, the Eddie Bauer credit card checks all of those boxes.

Issued by First Electronic Bank in partnership with financial technology company Imprint, the Eddie Bauer card offers few benefits that can’t be gotten by simply joining Eddie Bauer’s loyalty program. Fans of the outdoor apparel brand should probably become members of the loyalty program to earn rewards but pass on the Eddie Bauer credit card. It falls short of what a good store credit card should be.

🤓Nerdy Tip

A previous version of the Eddie Bauer credit card was issued by Comenity Bank. However, that card was discontinued by the end of 2024. Holders of the Comenity-issued Eddie Bauer card were not automatically transferred to the new Eddie Bauer card issued by First Electronic Bank.

1. The card’s rewards rates are best paired with the store’s loyalty program

The card earns:

  • 3x points at Eddie Bauer. 

  • 2x points on dining and gas.

  • 1x points on everything else. 

What’s notable is that the 3x rate for Eddie Bauer purchases stacks on top of the earnings you’ll accrue as a member of Eddie Bauer’s loyalty program, Adventure Rewards. The Adventure Rewards program has three levels: Adventurer, Explorer and Guide. Your status within the rewards program depends on how much you spent at Eddie Bauer within the last 12 months.

Adventurers earn 3 points for every $1 spent with the brand, Explorers earn 4 points for every $1, and Guides get 5 points per $1. So, if you have the Eddie Bauer Mastercard and have achieved Guide status, you can earn 8 points for every $1 including on sale and clearance items.

Cardholders must enroll in the Adventure Rewards program in order to earn rewards.

🤓Nerdy Tip

Get 500 points by signing up for text message marketing communications from Eddie Bauer (as of this writing).

2. The reward redemption process has many caveats 

Some credit cards earn rewards that never expire and let you redeem them at any time for any amount. If only things were as simple with the Eddie Bauer card. There are many rules and restrictions that govern reward redemption. Among them:

  • All points in your rewards account expire after 12 months if you don’t make a purchase. 

  • Rewards are automatically issued every quarter in $5 increments.

  • Issued rewards have an expiration date that’s stated on the reward. 

  • Earned rewards are capped at $80 per redemption period.

  • Rewards may only be redeemed toward future Eddie Bauer purchases. 

The good news is that 1 point earned with the Eddie Bauer card is worth 1 cent, a value on par with the best rewards credit cards.

3. There’s a modest sign-up bonus

Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card
NerdWallet rating 

Typical of other store credit cards, the Eddie Bauer Mastercard comes with a small welcome offer in the form of a store discount. As of this writing, new cardholders can get 15% off their first online purchase at Eddie Bauer plus 500 bonus Adventure Rewards points, which is equal to a $5 store credit.

If that sign-up bonus feels a little cheap, consider the Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card. It offers a $200 online cash rewards bonus after you make at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening. Plus, the Customized Cash card earns 3% back on online shopping on up to $2,500 of combined quarterly spending between that category and grocery stores and wholesale clubs. (Cardholders must select online shopping as their 3% bonus category to earn this rewards rate.)

4. The interest rate is high

As of this writing, the interest rate, or purchase APR, on the Eddie Bauer card ranged from 19.74%-33.24%. The latter is well above May 2024’s average interest rate for interest-accruing credit cards. An exorbitant interest rate will make carrying a balance very expensive. In the end, you’ll wind up paying more for those Eddie Bauer clothes than you’d originally intended.

Avoid paying credit card interest by paying off balances in full when possible.

5. The card comes with some extra perks

Eddie Bauer cardholders get free return shipping on orders purchased with the credit card; however, this perk is available to those with Guide status, too.

There are a few other benefits, though the rest are time-limited:

  • Through March 31, 2025, Eddie Bauer cardholders who pay for a new Peacock Premium plan with their card get a $3 monthly statement credit. 

  • Through March 31, 2025, new Instacart+ subscribers who add the Eddie Bauer Mastercard to their Instacart account will receive a free two-month trial and a $10 Instacart coupon on their second qualifying order each month.

  • Through Sept. 30, 2025, Lyft users who pay for three rides in a month with their Eddie Bauer Mastercard will receive a $5 Lyft credit. 

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