Wayfair Shopping Cart Trick: How to Use It & What to Know Beforehand

With a store credit card from Wayfair, you can take advantage of a number of perks such as $40 dollars off your first purchase at the store or 3% back in rewards. If you’re set on getting a Wayfair credit card and you don’t have a stellar credit history, you can use the Wayfair shopping cart trick to apply for the card through the online pop-up advertisement and get approved without a hard pull on your credit history. This means that the lender won’t fully review your credit history in the application process, which can maximize your chances of approval. Below, we explain how the Wayfair shopping cart trick works and what you need to know before trying it.

Things to Know Before Trying the Wayfair Shopping Cart Trick

Before you try the shopping cart trick, keep the following in mind:

  • If you have one, you will need to turn off your pop-up blocker before you attempt the Wayfair shopping cart trick. An ad for the store’s credit card will need to pop up for the trick to work. You can also avoid glitches by cleaning your browser cache and history before attempting the trick.
  • If at any point in the process you are asked to fill in your entire Social Security number, you should exit out immediately. Usually, when the application requests the full number, it will result in a hard credit pull. For approval with a soft credit pull, you should only be asked for the last four digits of the number.
  • The Wayfair shopping cart trick won’t work if you previously opted out of receiving credit card offers from the store. Call (888) 567-8688 or visit www.optoutprescreen.com to opt back in.

How to Do the Wayfair Shopping Cart Trick

Register

You will first need to register for a store account on the Wayfair website. Simply hold your mouse over “Account” in the top right corner and then select “Create an Account” from the resulting pop-up. Then, follow the instructions for the registration.

Add Items to Your Cart

Select an item and add it to your cart. You won’t need to purchase the item, but you do need an item in your cart for the Wayfair shopping cart trick to work. The system needs to think you’re planning to make a purchase in order to trigger an offer to sign up for the credit card.

Enter Your Purchase Information

Proceed through the checkout process by filling out your name and address just as you would do if you were actually trying to purchase the item, but stop before entering any payment information. Be very careful when entering all the information and do not use autofill — all the contact information must match the information on your credit report exactly.

Follow the Instructions in the Pop-Up

As you go through the steps detailed above, you should see a pop-ad asking you to sign up for a Wayfair credit card. As long as you’re asked to enter only the last four digits of your social security number, you can follow the steps in the ad to apply.

Double-Check Errors

If this process does not work, make sure you entered all your information correctly and exactly as it appears on your credit report, including small details like your middle initial and any address abbreviations. Then, try again later. Once you’re done with the application, you can clear out your shopping cart.

Is the Wayfair Shopping Cart Trick Right for You?

If you’re unsure whether or not you want to apply for the Wayfair credit card using the shopping cart trick, we list a few things to consider before making your decision.

Credit Card Terms

Before opening another credit account, be sure that the Wayfair credit card offers terms that work for you. While there’s no annual fee when you sign up for the Wayfair credit card, there is a variable APR of around 28%. In general, store credit card APRs tend to be high and spending limits tend to be low. However, with the Wayfair credit card you will get $40 off your first order after sign up and 3% back in rewards. You can find out more about the credit card’s terms on Wayfair’s website.

Credit Impact

Before you decide to try the shopping cart trick with Wayfair, remember that you’ll need to make your payments on time if you get approved. If you miss payments, you will incur late fees and your credit score will go down. While making on-time payments is a way to boost your credit score, if you already have poor credit history, consider if it is worth it to open a new credit account and if there is a risk that you may become delinquent on your payments. Also, keep in mind that opening a new card, even without a hard pull on your credit, can initially lower your overall credit score. The average age of your credit accounts is a factor used to calculate your credit score, and opening a new credit card will lower this number.

In Summary

Before attempting the shopping cart trick at Wayfair, be sure that the store’s credit card is right for your situation and that you will be able to keep up with payments on your purchases. If the card is right for you, you can typically get approved for it without a hard credit check using the shopping cart trick. Simply disable any pop-up blockers and start shopping, then fill out the credit card application that pops up during the checkout process. Be sure that you don’t enter your full Social Security number, as this will likely result in a hard credit check. If the trick doesn’t work on your first try, double-check the information you entered and try again. For more information on Wayfair credit card approval odds, see our article.

You can also try the trick at other stores if you can’t get it to work at Wayfair. For the list of stores where the shopping cart trick typically works, see our list of shopping cart trick stores (plus where it won’t work).


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