The Scheels Visa card is a branded store credit card optimal for those who frequent the Midwestern-based sporting goods retailer. To apply for the card, applicants must have a Scheels account, or register for one — which is free to do.
Issued by First National Bank of Omaha (FNBO), the card is limited in ways most store cards are: It earns bonus rewards for Scheels purchases only, and those rewards can be redeemed solely toward purchases made with the brand.
Still, the card can offer savings for devoted Scheels shoppers. Here are five things to know about the Scheels Visa credit card.
1. It’s one of three Scheels cards shoppers can get
Scheels offers three credit cards in total: the Scheels Visa card, the Scheels Premier Edition Visa card and the Scheels Secured Visa card. All three cards earn rewards (not as cash back, but as Passion Points that are worth 1 cent each) which can be redeemed at the retailer. Here’s what the cards offer:
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The $0-annual-fee Scheels Visa card earns 3 points for every dollar spent on Scheels purchases and 1 point for every dollar spent everywhere else.
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The Scheels Premier Edition Visa card earns 5 points for every dollar spent on Scheels purchases and 1.5 points for every dollar spent everywhere else. It, too, charges a $0 annual fee. However, to qualify for the card, customers must spend at least $25,000 in a calendar year on their Scheels Visa card. This means that you can’t apply for the Premier card directly, rather you can only be upgraded to it by meeting the yearly spending requirement.
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Customers can also apply for the Scheels Secured Visa card, which is intended to help cardholders build credit. Because it’s a secured card, Scheels requires a security deposit (between $500 and $5,000, in $50 increments) during application, which also serves as the credit limit. The card earns the same rewards as the non-premier Scheels Visa card: 3 points per $1 spent at Scheels and 1 point per $1 spent everywhere else. You don’t need a Scheels account to apply, but the Secured Visa does charge an annual fee — $35 — which is not common for store credit cards.
2. Points redemption is straightforward, but limiting
Unlike other similar store cards, the Scheels points redemption process is not complicated and happens automatically. At the end of each billing cycle, cardholders receive a $25 Scheels gift card for every 2,500 points they earn with the card. Shoppers can select to receive a physical or digital gift card, in amounts up to $1,000 at one time, which can be used both in stores and online. Points don’t expire, but note that it may take anywhere from 30 to 60 days after the date points are posted to your account to receive a gift card.
Despite a generally uncomplicated redemption process, as with most co-branded store cards, points earned with the Scheels card are redeemable only with the brand, which can be restrictive. For more flexible rewards, consider choosing a rewards card that offers cash back that can be used for more than just Scheels purchases.
3. Special financing is available
The Scheels Card offers the following special financing offer: Cardholders can get 0% APR for 6 months when they spend $500 or more during one transaction at Scheels.
Unlike with some other store credit cards, this special financing is not a deferred interest offer. This means that there won’t be any interest silently accruing during the promotional period that you’ll owe afterward. Rather, once you spend the required $500 or more in one transaction, you’ll have 0% interest for 6 months on that transaction purchase alone. If you pay off your balance by the end of that time, you won’t owe any interest. And if you have anything left, you’ll be charged interest only on the remaining balance moving forward.
During each interest-free period, all other purchases you make that don’t qualify for special financing will continue to be charged the card’s regular interest rate.
A 0% APR period, where the interest is truly waived, is rare for a store credit card. Most offer special financing in the form of deferred interest, which can be costly in the long run.
4. Discounts and perks are meager
Sign-up bonuses can change over time, but as of this writing: New cardholders earn 1,500 bonus points, which is a $15 value, when they make their first non-Scheels purchase with their card.
Additionally, through Oct. 31, 2024, shoppers who are instantly approved for the card online will receive a $70 electronic gift card. Note that this can only be used on the first purchase made with the card through the brand’s website, scheels.com.
Even with these promotions and ongoing rewards, the card falls short in terms of perks. The best store credit cards offer added cardholder benefits like bigger rewards, extra discounts on merchandise and discounted shipping, for example.
5. Most of your purchases are protected
Scheels Visa cardholders get purchase security: Scheels says that nearly every item you purchase with the card is protected against theft or accidental damage at no extra cost. Items purchased will also get up to 12 additional months of coverage past the manufacturer’s U.S. warranty.
Many cards offer extended warranties, but fewer major credit card issuers offer purchase protection as an added benefit.
