The Sephora family of credit cards, issued by Comenity Bank, are store credit cards that earn extra rewards at the chain of beauty products stores. However, depending on which card you qualify for, rewards on non-Sephora purchases are limited or nonexistent. Unless you head to Sephora frequently for beauty hauls, at most you’ll occasionally get a few dollars off a purchase.
In most cases, you'll be better off with a general cash-back credit card.
Here are five things to know about the Sephora credit cards.
1. There are 2 versions of the card
Depending on your credit history and other financial information you provide in your card application, you may qualify for one of these Sephora credit cards:
- The Sephora Credit Card, which can be used to make purchases at U.S. Sephora stores or on the Sephora website.
- The Sephora Visa Credit Card, which can be used wherever Visa cards are accepted.
Both cards charge a $0 annual fee.
2. Sephora purchases earn more rewards
Both cards earn 4% back (in rewards, not cash back) on every $1 spent at U.S. Sephora stores or on the Sephora website.
The Sephora Visa Credit Card also earns 1% back per $1 on all other purchases. Plus, as of November 2024, it earns a sign-up bonus: $20 in rewards when you spend $500 outside of Sephora in the first 90 days.
While 4% back is an excellent rewards rate at Sephora, the Visa version of the card doesn't offer a lot of value for any other kind of spending. If you want to maximize value with it, pair it with another rewards credit card to snag bonus rewards on purchases outside of Sephora — or go with a different credit card that can function as an all-purpose rewards earner.
The Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express , for example, can offer 3% cash back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 spent per year; 3% cash back at U.S. online retail purchases on up to $6,000 spent per year; and 3% cash back at U.S. gas stations on up to $6,000 spent per year. All other eligible purchases earn 1% cash back. Terms apply. It also offers a welcome bonus: You may be eligible for as high as $200 cash back after spending $2,000 in purchases on your new Card in the first 6 months. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Cash back is received as Reward Dollars, redeemable for statement credit or at Amazon.com checkout. Terms Apply.
Another option to consider if you prefer a go-to card for all purchases is the Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card , which earns 2% cash back rate on all eligible purchases, not just at Sephora. It also has a sign-up offer, which can defray the cost of some Sephora purchases: Earn a $200 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 in purchases in the first 3 months.
3. Sephoras inside other retail stores don’t count
That 4% rewards rate counts only when you shop at standalone Sephora stores. Locations inside of other retailers, like Sephora stands in department stores, do not qualify.
If you don’t live near an eligible Sephora store, you can still earn this high rewards rate when you shop online with Sephora.
4. Credit card rewards work in tandem with the Beauty Insider program
As a Sephora cardholder, you can be enrolled in Beauty Insider, the store’s loyalty program.
This means you’ll earn both credit card rewards and Beauty Insider points on all eligible purchases, and you can combine these two pools of rewards for future purchases.
5. Reward redemption is limited
You can redeem rewards only in U.S. Sephora stores — not including Sephora locations inside other retailers — and on sephora.com. For every 125 reward dollars you earn, you get a $5 credit card reward, and rewards are issued in $5 increments.
Those rewards expire more quickly than a bottle of perfume left on a sunny windowsill. Earned reward dollars expire after 18 months, while you have 90 days from the date those credit card rewards are issued to spend them.
In other words, once you get that $5, you don’t have too long to spend it. That also makes it hard to stockpile points in the hopes of offsetting the cost of a large purchase — so much for a deep discount on that $500 blow dryer you’ve been eyeing.
To view rates and fees of the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express, see this page.
