The Wayfair credit card is designed for frequent shoppers at Wayfair and related stores: Joss & Main, Perigold, Birch Lane, and AllModern. The card allows a choice between rewards and a zero-interest financing plan. Be careful: the APR is sky high and the financing plan comes with a serious risk.
Wayfair Credit Card
The Wayfair credit card might be useful to you if you consistently spend on furniture, lighting, decor, appliances, and other home needs. The APR is extremely high, so you won’t want to carry a balance. Be sure you fully understand the risks of the financing plan before you use it. Most people will be better off with a conventional credit card.
Pros
No Annual Fee
Rewards Program
Reports To Major Credit Bureaus
Cons
Rewards are Restricted
High APR
Limited to Wayfair Stores
Risky Financing program
Card Overview
Wayfair is an online retailer focused on the home. It’s one of the largest specialist home retailers in the country.
Wayfair and its affiliates – Joss & Main, Perigold, Birch Lane, and AllModern – sell furniture, appliances, pet supplies, bedding and bath items, and many more.
There are two versions of the Wayfair credit card. Both are issued by Citi. Wayfair cards switched from Comenity Bank to Citi in 2020. Both versions carry a very high APR of 30.74%, regardless of your credit record.
- The Basic Wayfair Credit Card can only be used at Wayfair and associated stores.
- The Wayfair Mastercard can be used anywhere Mastercard is accepted.
There are some differences in the rewards offered by the two cards.
- Both cards offer 5% back on purchases at Wayfair or affiliate stores.
- The Wayfair Mastercard also offers 3% back at grocery stores, 2% back on qualifying online purchases, and 1% back on all other purchases.
- Both cards offer an introductory promo: $40 off on your first qualifying purchase over $250.
Rewards can only be spent on other Wayfair purchases. You cannot draw the rewards in cash or apply them to your balance. Rewards do not expire.
A 2019 Credit Card Insider survey found that 40% of retail store credit card holders regretted applying for their store card. Most shoppers will be better off with a conventional credit card selected to meet their spending needs.
Special Financing Options
Both Wayfair cards offer a deferred-interest financing option. The financing period depends on the size of your purchase.
- Purchases over $199 are eligible for 6-month financing.
- Purchases over $499 are eligible for 12-month financing.
- Purchases over $1499 are eligible for 18-month financing.
- Purchases over $2,999 are eligible for 24-month financing.
You will not receive rewards if you select the financing option.
Important note: Deferred interest is not the same as zero interest. If you do not pay off the purchase in full within the specified period, you will be charged the full amount of interest from the purchase date… at 30.74%. If you select that option you should be absolutely sure that you can pay off the account within the specified period.
Wayfair Card Features
Below are some of the basic features of the Comenity Bank/Wayfair CC:
- Card type: Unsecured
- Interest rate: 31.49% Variable
- Annual fee: $0
- Rewards: Choose between 5% rewards (only usable for Wayfair purchases) or flexible financing options
- Security deposit: None
- Foreign transaction fee: N/A
- Credit reporting: Reports payment history to all three credit bureaus.
- Cash advance fee: N/A
- Cash advance APR: N/A
- Late payment fee: Up to $39.00
- Returned payment fee: Up to $39.00
- Over The Credit Limit: None
Remember that if you fail to pay financed items off within the specified period you will be charged retroactive interest from the purchase date.
Managing Your Card
No matter what credit card you get, using credit cards wisely is an essential part of making credit cards work for you instead of against you. If you’re using the Wayfair credit card there are two things you must be very careful about.
- Do not carry a balance. The APR on this card is a very high 31.49%. If you pay every balance in full on or before the due date this won’t matter because you won’t pay interest. Carry a balance past the due date and your interest costs will skyrocket.
- Pay financed items on time. Deferred interest financing can save you money but if you slip up the interest cost could be astronomical.
Aside from those issues, the card is adequate, though not spectacular. Those issues are very serious liabilities, though, and they make it difficult to really recommend this card.
The Bottom Line
If you are a very heavy purchaser of home items, you like Wayfair stores, and have the resources to pay every bill in full on or before the due date, this card’s rewards could serve you well. Most ordinary shoppers would be much better off with a good conventional credit card.
