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Barnes & Noble Mastercard® Credit Card Review: No Annual Fee Card With Lackluster Perks for Barnes & Noble Shoppers

Review Updated
Natasha Etzel
By: Natasha Etzel
Natasha Etzel
Natasha Etzel
Writer

Natasha has been a freelance writer since 2015. She specializes in credit card and credit card rewards content. When not busy writing, she's either dreaming up her next credit card rewards redemption or traveling the globe. Her goal is to encourage more people to experience the world around them while making smart financial choices.

See Full Bio

Our Credit Cards Expert

Many or all of the products here are from our partners that compensate us. It’s how we make money. But our editorial integrity ensures our experts’ opinions aren’t influenced by compensation. Terms may apply to offers listed on this page.

The Barnes & Noble Mastercard® Credit Card is a credit card that rewards you for making Barnes & Noble purchases and earns rewards on other spending. There's no annual fee to use this card, and it has perks like 5% cash back on Barnes & Noble purchases and $25 gift cards every time you earn 2,500 points in rewards.

If you spend at least $7,500 each year, you can earn a free 12-month Barnes & Noble membership. Read our Barnes & Noble Mastercard® Credit Card review to learn more.

Ratings Methodology

Barnes & Noble Mastercard® Credit Card

Barnes & Noble Mastercard® Credit Card
Rating image, 3.50 out of 5 stars.
3.50/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
 = Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
Rating image, 3.50 out of 5 stars.
3.50/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
 = Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
Credit Score: Circle with letter I in it. Falling within this credit range does not guarantee approval by the issuer. An application must be submitted to the issuer for a potential approval decision. There are different types of credit scores and creditors use a variety of credit scores to make lending decisions.
Recommended Credit Score required for this offer is: Good/Excellent (670-850)
Credit Score Circle with letter I in it. Falling within this credit range does not guarantee approval by the issuer. An application must be submitted to the issuer for a potential approval decision. There are different types of credit scores and creditors use a variety of credit scores to make lending decisions.

Good/Excellent (670-850)

Intro APR

Purchases: N/A

Balance Transfers: 0%, 15 billing cycles

Regular APR

13.99% - 24.99%, variable

Rewards Circle with letter I in it. Earn 2 Points for every dollar spent on Restaurants , earn 1 Point on other purchases

1X - 2X points

Annual Fee

$0

Welcome Offer Circle with letter I in it. $25 Barnes & Noble Gift Card after your first purchase

$25

  • The small sign-up bonus means this card can be beat by other general credit cards. What's more, there are more versatile cards with better perks all around that earn rewards for more categories than just Barnes and Noble purchases.

    • No annual fee
    • Barnes & Noble cash back
    • Free yearly B&N membership for big spenders
    • $25 gift card every time you earn 2,500 points
    • 0% intro APR on balance transfers
    • Small sign-up bonus
    • Inflexible rewards redemptions
    • 5% cash back for Barnes & Noble purchases
    • 2X points per dollar at restaurants
    • $25 Barnes & Noble gift card after making your first purchase
    • 0% balance transfer APR for 15 billing cycles, then 13.99%–24.99% Variable

Credit card comparison

We recommend comparing options to ensure the card you're selecting is the best fit for you. To make your search easier, here's a short list of standout credit cards.

Offer Our Rating Welcome Offer Rewards Program APR Learn More
Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars.
4.50/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
 = Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
20,000 ThankYou® Points Circle with letter I in it. Earn $200 cash back after you spend $1,500 on purchases in the first 6 months of account opening. This bonus offer will be fulfilled as 20,000 ThankYou® Points, which can be redeemed for $200 cash back. Up to 2% cash back Circle with letter I in it. 2% cash back: 1% when you buy plus 1% as you pay

Intro: Circle with letter I in it. N/A

Purchases: N/A

Balance Transfers: 0%, 18 months

Regular: 19.24% - 29.24% (Variable)

Apply Now for Citi Double Cash® Card

On Citi's Secure Website.

Rates & Fees External Link Icon

Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars.
5.00/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
 = Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
Best for cash back on rotating categories 		Discover will match all the cash back you've earned at the end of your first year. Circle with letter I in it. N/A 1% - 5% Cashback Circle with letter I in it. Earn 5% cash back on everyday purchases at different places you shop each quarter like grocery stores, restaurants, gas stations, and more, up to the quarterly maximum when you activate. Plus, earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases—automatically.

Intro:

Purchases: 0%, 15 months

Balance Transfers: 0%, 15 months

Regular: 18.24% - 28.24% Variable APR

Apply Now for Discover it® Cash Back

On Discover's Secure Website.

Rates & Fees External Link Icon

Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars.
5.00/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
 = Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
Best for cash back 		Up to $300 cash back Circle with letter I in it. Earn an extra 1.5% on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) — worth up to $300 cash back. That's 6.5% on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 4.5% on dining and drugstores, and 3% on all other purchases. 1.5% - 5% cash back Circle with letter I in it. Enjoy 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, our premier rewards program that lets you redeem rewards for cash back, travel, gift cards and more; 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and 1.5% on all other purchases

Intro: Circle with letter I in it. 0% Intro APR on Purchases and Balance Transfers for 15 months

Purchases: 0% Intro APR on Purchases, 15 months

Balance Transfers: 0% Intro APR on Balance Transfers, 15 months

Regular: 20.49% - 29.24% Variable

Apply Now for Chase Freedom Unlimited®

On Chase's Secure Website.

Full Barnes & Noble Mastercard® Credit Card review

This credit card is a good fit for: Bookworms who want a card without an annual fee and want to save some money when shopping at Barnes & Noble.

Top perks

The Barnes & Noble Mastercard® Credit Card offers the following benefits.

No annual fee

If you're looking for a rewards credit card with no annual fee, this one meets that requirement, making it an affordable credit card option.

See more options: Best No Annual Fee Credit Cards

Earn 5% cash back on Barnes & Noble purchases

When you make Barnes & Noble purchases in store or online at bn.com, you'll earn 5% cash back, which is delivered as a statement credit to your account. If you regularly shop at Barnes & Noble, using this card makes for an easy way to save some money.

Earn points on restaurant purchases and everyday purchases

In addition to earning a 5% cash back statement credit for Barnes & Noble purchases, you can earn rewards in a couple other ways with the Barnes & Noble Mastercard® Credit Card:

  • Earn 2 points per $1 at restaurants (excluding Barnes & Noble Cafe purchases)
  • Earn 1 point per $1 on other purchases (excluding Barnes & Noble purchases)

Read more: Best Credit Cards for Dining and Restaurants

Earn a $25 Barnes & Noble gift card after the first purchase or balance transfer

New cardmembers can earn a $25 Barnes & Noble gift card. You'll need to make a purchase or balance transfer with your card to earn this reward. Many other cards require a minimum spend to earn new cardmember incentives, but this one doesn't, and it's an easy way to earn a gift card without doing much work.

Free yearly B&N membership after spending $7,500 each year

Eligible cardmembers can earn a free 12-month Barnes & Noble membership. Cardholders will qualify after spending at least $7,500 per year on qualifying purchases, and the perk is available at every card anniversary if the previous year's spending meets the requirements.

This membership program normally costs $25 per year and offers savings and other incentives to Barnes & Noble shoppers.

Automatically earn a $25 gift card every time you earn 2,500 points

There is no need to request awards with the Barnes & Noble Mastercard® Credit Card. Every time you earn 2,500 points, you will automatically receive a $25 Barnes & Noble gift card.

0% intro APR on balance transfers for 15 billing cycles

The Barnes & Noble Mastercard® Credit Card has a 0% intro APR offer for balance transfers. This is available for the first 15 billing cycles, and balance transfers must be made within 45 days of account opening. A 3% balance transfer fee applies to all balance transfers with a minimum fee of $5.

If you have significant credit card debt that you're struggling to pay off, transferring your credit card balance to a card with a 0% intro APR can help you avoid paying additional interest while you work to pay off your debt.

Read more: Best Balance Transfer Credit Cards

What could be improved

While the Barnes & Noble Mastercard® Credit Card does come with benefits, it also has some flaws.

Bonus offer carries minimal value

While the $25 Barnes & Noble gift card is straightforward to earn, it's not a very valuable incentive to sign up for the card. Many other credit cards with bonus offers have more valuable incentives for new cardmembers.

Must spend $7,500 yearly to earn a free B&N membership

As mentioned, you can earn a free 12-month B&N membership at every cardmember anniversary. But you'll need to spend at least $7,500 on qualifying purchases the previous year to get this perk. It would be nice to include this benefit without a minimum spend requirement. You can easily spend $25 to join the membership program yourself.

Redemptions aren't flexible

If you like the idea of a rewards card that gives you flexible ways to redeem your rewards, this isn't the credit card or you. The Barnes & Noble Mastercard® Credit Card doesn't offer flexible redemption options. You'll earn 5% cash back when making Barnes & Noble purchases and a $25 Barnes & Noble gift card every time you earn 2,500 points. There are no other ways to redeem your points for awards.

Suggested credit score

The Barnes & Noble Mastercard® Credit Card is intended for consumers with good to excellent credit. Applicants will have a better chance of being approved for this card with a FICO® Score of 670 or higher. It's worth noting that other factors are considered, such as income and current debt. It's possible to get approved with a lower credit score -- or be denied with a higher score.

The Barnes & Noble Mastercard® Credit Card is right for you if:

If you like to shop at Barnes & Noble and don't need a card with many perks, this rewards card might be a good fit for you.

If the following statements apply, it may make sense to apply for the Barnes & Noble Mastercard® Credit Card:

  • You like to read and shop with Barnes & Noble
  • You want a credit card with a $0 annual fee
  • You want to earn 5% cash back on your Barnes & Noble spending
  • You plan to spend at least $7,500 per year
  • You're happy with $25 Barnes & Noble gift cards for rewards

If you want one of the best credit cards with more redemption options and more valuable rewards, this probably isn't the right card for you. Many other cash back cards and rewards cards offer bigger sign-up bonuses, better benefits, and more handsome rewards.

Our credit card methodology

At The Motley Fool Ascent, we rate credit cards on a five-star scale (1 = poor, 5 = best). Our rating criteria includes rewards rates, welcome bonuses, fees, and perks like travel credits and 0% intro APR offers to evaluate our ratings.

We combine these factors with an evaluation of brand reputation and customer satisfaction to ensure you're getting the best card recommendations. Learn more about how The Ascent rates credit cards.