| Last updated on September 12th, 2023
Barnes & Noble Mastercard®
Barnes & Noble Mastercard®
Barnes & Noble Mastercard®
- 19.24% or 30.24% variable based on creditworthiness and the Prime Rate Regular Purchase APR
- 19.24% or 30.24% variable based on creditworthiness and the Prime Rate Balance Transfer APR
- 30.49% variable based on the Prime Rate Cash Advance APR
At a Glance
Ideal for the avid Barnes & Noble shopper, now you can fund your ever-growing library with the co-branded Barnes & Noble Mastercard®. Earn 5% cash back on all B&N purchases, a $25 gift card every time you earn 2500 points and a free year of Barnes & Noble Membership for free shipping and additional discounts.
- Best Benefits
- Rates & Fees
- Why Should You Apply?
- Earn a $25 Barnes & Noble Gift Card after your first purchase
- Earn 5X points on all Barnes & Noble purchases
- 2X points for restaurants
- 1X points on all other purchases
- Complimentary year of Barnes & Noble Membership after spending $7,500 per year
- Regular Purchase APR: 19.24% or 30.24% variable based on creditworthiness and the Prime Rate
- Intro Balance Transfer APR: 0% for 15 months on transfers made within 45 days from account opening date
- Balance Transfer APR: 19.24% or 30.24% variable based on creditworthiness and the Prime Rate
- Balance Transfer Transaction Fee: Either $5 or 3% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater
- Cash Advance APR: 30.49% variable based on the Prime Rate
- Cash Advance Transaction Fee: Either $10 or 5% of the amount of each cash advance, whichever is greater
- Foreign Transaction Fee: 3% of the transaction amount in U.S. dollars
- Late Payment Penalty Fee: Up to $37
- Return Payment Penalty Fee: Up to $37
- You annually spend $7500 or more at Barnes & Nobles
- You enjoy rewards in the form of automatically dispensed $25 gift cards
- You would like to earn 5% cash back on all Barnes & Noble purchases
- You want a card without an annual fee
Barnes & Noble Mastercard® Review
Cardholders can immediately feed their love of the written word as they’ll receive a $25 Barnes & Noble gift card bonus earned after making their first purchase – and continue receiving $25 gift cards for every 2,500 points accumulated. Earn 2X points per dollar spent at restaurants and 1X points for everything else.
Both online and in-store purchases at Barnes & Noble will earn 5% cash back that’s applied directly to the statement balance. While there is 0% introductory APR for 15 months on balance transfers it will, unfortunately, will not count as a qualified purchase for earning points.
Double Points On Dining
It’s not very common to see a retail card offer double points for non-brand related purchases, so the 2X points for restaurants is a welcome surprise that significantly amps up the card’s point-earning capabilities. A cardholder would have to spend $1,250 at restaurants to earn a $25 gift card. Divided over the span of a year, it would require spending $105 per month in dining.
Extra Rewards for Book Lovers
While not an unreasonable amount, there are many other cards options with far more lucrative (and flexible) dining rewards. Even the book lover who only shops at Barnes & Noble would find a better value with a high-return dining card. Take, for example, the CapitalOne Savor Card, which earns 4% cash back on restaurants which could then be used on books and without having to wait to meet a minimum redemption amount.
As such, the best use of the Barnes & Noble Mastercard® is solely to take advantage of the 5% cash back from Barnes & Noble purchases. Since the card has no annual fee, there’s no downside to owning this card for the (minimal) book-buying savings. However, the card does offer one incentive for the frequent Barnes & Noble shopper to use this card elsewhere.
Automatic Membership
Once the card spend reaches $7,500 cardholders will automatically be enrolled in a Barnes & Noble Membership (a $25 value). This includes free shipping, 40% off hardcover bestsellers, 10% off everything else, and other exclusive coupons and sales. While a nice gesture, these are the sorts of perks that should automatically come with a retailer’s credit card and it’s hard to justify spending $7,500 just to save $25.
Should You Apply for the Barnes & Noble Mastercard®?
Overall, the Barnes & Noble Mastercard® is only worthwhile for the avid book-reader who would normally spend close to $7,500 on books and could take advantage of the free Barnes & Noble membership. The reward earning potential of the card isn’t substantial, but the 5% savings might make the card worth holding onto.
Although the Barnes & Noble Mastercard® does offer dining rewards, the only redemption option is for a $25 Barnes & Noble gift card – and requires a hefty bit of spending on dining to earn. The casual book-buyer is better off keeping this card tucked away in their wallet until making a B&N purchase and finding a more flexible rewards c
Browse Other Barclays Credit Card Offers:
Editorial Disclosure – The opinions expressed on BestCards.com's reviews, articles, and all other content on or relating to the website are solely those of the content’s author(s). These opinions do not reflect those of any card issuer or financial institution, and editorial content on our site has not been reviewed or approved by these entities unless noted otherwise. Further, BestCards.com lists credit card offers that are frequently updated with information believed to be accurate to the best of our team's knowledge. However, please review the information provided directly by the credit card issuer or related financial institution for full details.