Short Answer

The best clothing credit cards are open-loop credit cards with a Visa, Mastercard, or American Express logo like the Brooks Brothers Mastercard, the Gap Visa, the Old Navy Visa, and the Macy’s American Express. Open-loop credit cards can be used anywhere Visa, Mastercard, or American Express are accepted and allow you to earn points and rewards with your favorite clothing store. Additionally, open-loop credit cards tend to have higher credit limits than closed-loop cards.

Other clothing credit cards that offer perks like free shipping include the J.Crew store credit card, Maurice’s VIP store credit card, and the Men’s Wearhouse Perfect Fit store credit card. And, you can get sign-up discounts and/or other discounts with the EXPRESS NEXT store credit card, Kohl’s Charge store credit card, or Victoria’s Secret Angel store credit card. For more details, see below.

The Best Clothing Credit Cards

We’ve taken the following into consideration when looking for the best clothing store credit cards:

  • Closed-loop versus open-loop credit cards: Some clothing stores offer a store credit card for use in-store and on the retailer’s website. These are considered closed-loop credit cards. Other stores offer open-loop store-branded credit cards that can be used anywhere. Many retailers offer both types of credit cards. We like open-loop credit cards because they are more versatile (meaning you can apply for fewer lines of credit) and often have higher credit limits (which can help keep your credit utilization ratio low).
  • Perks like free shipping: If you like shopping online, free shipping can save you a lot of money over time. Some store credit cards offer free standard shipping when you use your card and/or after you’ve charged a certain dollar amount on the card.
  • Discounts: The best part about store credit cards are the discounts at your favorite retailer. Some stores offer a sign-up discount. Others offer standard everyday discounts.
  • Approval process: Clothing store credit cards are often issued by Capital One, Citibank, Comenity Bank, and Synchrony Bank. We contacted these issuing banks to try to find out information on their credit approval processes.

Keep in mind, most clothing store credit card applications require a “hard” pull of your credit. Representatives for issuing banks of the cards listed below confirmed that they will pull your credit from one of the three major credit reporting bureaus: Experian, TransUnion, or Equifax.

Here you’ll find the list of the best clothing credit cards. Following this list, we’ve broken the information down by open-loop credit cards, clothing store cards with perks like free shipping, those with the best sign-up discounts, and cards with the easiest approval processes.

Brooks Brothers Store Credit Card or Brooks Brothers Platinum Mastercard

EXPRESS NEXT Store Credit Card

  • Issuing bank: Comenity Bank
  • Where it can be used: Express stores and on the Express website
  • Credit check required? Not disclosed
  • Interest and fees: For current interest rates and fees, see the EXPRESS NEXT rate and fee summary.
  • Benefits: Free standard shipping once you earn 7,500 points and get upgraded to A-List member status. Additional benefits are listed on the Express website.
  • Source: Comenity Bank customer service representatives; EXPRESS NEXT customer service representatives

Gap Store Credit Card or Gap Visa

Note: Gap’s affiliated store credit cards include the Old Navy store credit card and Visa card, the Banana Republic store credit card and Visa card, and the Athleta store credit card and Visa card.

J.Crew Store Credit Card

  • Issuing bank: Comenity Bank
  • Where it can be used: In J.Crew and J.Crew Factory stores and online
  • Credit check required? Not disclosed
  • Interest and fees: See current interest rates and fees on the J.Crew Credit Account Application online.
  • Benefits: For a complete list of benefits, see the J.Crew website
  • Source: Comenity Bank customer service representatives; J.Crew customer service representatives

JCPenney Store Credit Card or JCPenney Mastercard

  • Issuing bank: Synchrony Bank
  • Where it can be used: The JCPenney store card can be used in JCPenney stores and on the JCPenney website. The Mastercard can be used anywhere Mastercard is accepted. (The JCPenney Mastercard is currently part of a pilot program and is only available at select JCPenney locations.)
  • Credit check required? Yes
  • Interest and fees: For current interest rates and fees, see the JCPenney credit card rates and fees table.
  • Benefits: For the full list of benefits, see the JCPenney credit card website.
  • Source: Synchrony Bank customer service representatives; JCPenney customer service representatives

Kohl’s Charge Store Credit Card

  • Issuing bank: Kohl’s issues its own cards backed by Capital One
  • Where it can be used: Kohl’s stores and on the Kohl’s website
  • Credit check required? Yes
  • Interest and fees: For current interest rates and fees, click “Apply Now” on the application page of the Kohl’s website.
  • Benefits: For the list of benefits, see the Kohl’s Charge page on the Kohl’s website.
  • Source: Kohl’s Charge customer service representatives

Lane Bryant Store Credit Card

  • Issuing bank: Comenity Bank
  • Where it can be used: Lane Bryant stores, on the Lane Bryant website, and at Catherines
  • Credit check required? Not disclosed
  • Interest and fees: For current interest rates and fees, click “Apply Now” on the Comenity Bank Lane Bryant credit card page.
  • Benefits: For the list of benefits, see the Lane Bryant website.
  • Source: Comenity Bank customer service representatives; Lane Bryant customer service representatives

Macy’s Store Credit Card or Macy’s American Express

  • Issuing bank: Department Stores National Bank, a subsidiary of Citibank
  • Where it can be used: The Macy’s store credit card can be used in Macy’s stores and on Macy’s website. The Macy’s American Express can be used anywhere American Express is accepted.
  • Credit check required? Yes
  • Interest and fees: For current interest rates and fees, see the Macy’s Card and Macy’s American Express card disclosures.
  • Benefits: For the list of benefits, see the Macy’s website
  • Source: Macy’s credit card customer service representatives

Note: Find out more about your approval odds in our research on the Macy’s Card credit requirements.

Maurice’s VIP Store Credit Card

  • Issuing bank: Capital One
  • Where it can be used: Maurice’s stores and on the Maurice’s website
  • Credit check required? Yes
  • Interest and fees: For current interest rates and fees, click “Apply Now” on the Maurice’s website and then choose “Rate and Fee Information” from the menu.
  • Benefits: For a full list of benefits, go to the Maurice’s website.
  • Source: Capital One customer service representatives; Maurice’s customer service representatives

Men’s Wearhouse Perfect Fit Store Credit Card

  • Issuing bank: Synchrony Bank
  • Where it can be used: Men’s Wearhouse stores and on the Men’s Wearhouse website
  • Credit check required? Yes
  • Interest and fees: For current interest rates and fees, see the Men’s Wearhouse Perfect Fit credit card rates and fees table.
  • Benefits: For a list of benefits, see the Men’s Wearhouse website.
  • Source: Synchrony Bank customer service representatives; Men’s Wearhouse customer service representatives

New York & Company RUNWAYREWARDS Store Credit Card

  • Issuing bank: Comenity Bank
  • Where it can be used: New York & Company website
  • Credit check required? Not disclosed
  • Interest and fees: For current interest rates and fees, see the RUNWAYREWARDS rate and fees summary for current interest rates and fees
  • Benefits: For the list of cardholder benefits, see the New York & Company website.
  • Source: Comenity Bank customer service representatives

Victoria’s Secret Angel Store Credit Card

  • Issuing bank: Comenity Bank
  • Where it can be used: Victoria’s Secret stores, PINK stores, the Victoria’s Secret website, Bath & Body Works stores, and the Bath & Body Works website
  • Credit check required? Not disclosed
  • Interest and fees: For current rates and fees, click “Apply Now” on the Comenity Bank Angel Card website.
  • Benefits: For a current list of tiers and rewards, see the Victoria’s Secret website.
  • Source: Comenity Bank customer service representatives; Victoria’s Secret website

Open-Loop Clothing Store Credit Cards

The best clothing store credit cards are open-loop credit cards. These are cards that come with a Visa, Mastercard, or American Express logo. Open-loop cards are not limited to one specific store but can be used anywhere Visa, Mastercard, or American Express are accepted, all while earning you points with one of your favorite retailers.

Additionally, open-loop credit cards tend to have higher limits than store credit cards. None of the banks we spoke with would give us specific minimum or maximum limits for their cards, but they did say initial approval amounts can sometimes be thousands of dollars.

Clothing stores that offer open-loop credit cards include:

  • Athleta Visa
  • Banana Republic Visa
  • Brooks Brothers Mastercard
  • Gap Visa
  • JCPenney Mastercard
  • Macy’s American Express
  • Old Navy Visa

Clothing Stores Credit Cards With Free Shipping

Some store credit cards offer cardholders free standard shipping for online orders or allow cardholders to earn free shipping after charging a certain dollar amount on the card. If you like shopping online, you might opt for one of these cards:

  • Banana Republic Store Credit Card and Banana Republic Visa
    • Free standard shipping once you earn 5,000 points in a calendar year to become a LUXE member
  • Brooks Brothers Mastercard
    • Free standard shipping once you spend enough to reach Preferred or VIP status. Dollar amounts and requirements may be viewed on the Brooks Brothers website.
  • EXPRESS NEXT Store Credit Card
    • Free standard shipping once you earn 7,500 points and get upgraded to A-List member status
  • Gap Store Credit Card and Gap Visa
    • Free standard shipping once you earn 5,000 points in a calendar year and reach Silver status
  • J.Crew Store Credit Card
    • Free standard shipping for online orders when you use your J.Crew credit card
  • Macy’s Store Credit Card and Macy’s American Express
    • Free standard shipping for Gold and Platinum cardholders. Specific requirements can be found on the Macy’s website.
  • Maurice’s VIP Store Credit Card
    • Free standard shipping for online orders when you use your Maurice’s credit card
  • Men’s Wearhouse Perfect Fit Store Credit Card
    • Free ground shipping for online orders when you use your Men’s Wearhouse credit card
  • Old Navy Store Credit Card and Old Navy Visa
    • Free standard shipping once you earn 5,000 points in a calendar year and reach Navyist status
  • Victoria’s Secret Angel Store Credit Card
    • Free standard shipping with a minimum $50 online purchase when you use your Angel card

The Best Clothing Store Credit Card Discounts

Some stores offer a standard everyday discount to cardholders. Others offer a discount for your initial purchase using the credit card or for a promotional period after you’re approved. The following store credit cards have noteworthy discounts:

  • Athleta Store Credit Card and Athleta Visa
    • Get 20% off your first purchase with your new Athleta credit card
  • Banana Republic Store Credit Card and Banana Republic Visa
    • Get 20% off your first purchase with your new Banana Republic card; then, enjoy an everyday discount of 10% off online and in stores whenever you use your card
  • Brooks Brothers Store Credit Card and Brooks Brothers Mastercard
    • Get 15% off the day you open a store card. Get 15% off at Brooks Brothers the first 30 days after you’re approved for a Mastercard. (To find out about the Brooks Brothers military discount, see our related article.)
  • EXPRESS NEXT Store Credit Card
    • Get 20% off your first purchase with your new EXPRESS NEXT card
  • Gap Store Credit Card and Gap Visa
    • Get 20% off your first purchase with your new Gap credit card; then, enjoy 10% off in-store purchases only you use your card and/or 10% off online purchases on Tuesdays.
  • J.Crew Store Credit Card
    • Get 15% off your first purchase the day you open the card
  • JCPenney Store Credit Card
    • Save 15% on select apparel the day you open the card
  • Kohl’s Charge Store Credit Card
    • Take an extra 35% off your first purchase with your new Kohl’s Charge card
  • Lane Bryant Store Credit Card
    • Take $20 off your first purchase with your card
  • Macy’s Store Credit Card and Macy’s American Express
    • Take 20% off your Macy’s purchases over the first two days after you’re approved (up to a maximum of $100 in savings)
  • Maurice’s VIP Store Credit Card
    • Get 10% off in-store and online purchases every day when you pay with your Maurice’s credit card
  • Men’s Wearhouse Perfect Fit Store Credit Card
    • Save 5% every day when you use your Men’s Wearhouse credit card
  • New York & Company RUNWAYREWARDS Store Credit Card
    • Get 15% off your first purchase with your card
  • Old Navy Store Credit Card and Old Navy Visa
    • Get 20% off your first purchase with your new Old Navy card; hen, enjoy 10% off in-store purchases only you use your card and/or 10% off online purchases on Tuesdays.
  • Victoria’s Secret Angel Store Credit Card

Clothing Credit Cards With the Easiest Approval Processes

When reviewing store credit card applications, the issuing banks consider things like your income and your credit history. Most store cards require a “hard” pull of your credit, but some only require a “soft” pull, which won’t affect your credit score and may make getting approval easier.

While Comenity Bank representatives would not confirm whether they do a hard or soft credit check, they also did not state that a hard check is required (representatives for the other issuing banks we spoke with said a hard credit check is a requirement).

Additionally, Comenity Bank store credit cards are largely considered to be some of the easiest to get approved for, as previously reported. With that information in mind, here are a few clothing store credit cards issued by Comenity Bank that may have easier approval processes:

  • EXPRESS NEXT Store Credit Card
  • J.Crew Store Credit Card
  • Lane Bryant Store Credit Card
  • New York & Company RUNWAYREWARDS Store Credit Card
  • Victoria’s Secret Angel Store Credit Card

Another option is to try the “shopping cart” trick. For details on stores where the “shopping cart” might work, see our related article.


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