Rewards Rating: | 2.1 / 5 |
Rewards Value: | 2.5 |
Annual Percentage Rate: | 0.5 |
Rewards Flexibility: | 2.4 |
Features: | 0.0 |
In a Nutshell:
The Meijer Platinum MasterCard offers considerable savings on supermarket and gas purchases, but anyone who lives outside of the chain’s six-state territory is better served with a general rewards or cash back card.
Rewards Rate
| |
Sign-up Offer | |
Annual Bonus | |
Annual Fee | |
Annual Bonus | |
Average Yearly Rewards ($1,325 monthly spend) | |
APR 22.24-26.24% (variable) | |
Rewards Redemption Pros
Cons
|
Other Notable Features: Exclusive savings events
Find card offers for you: This card is not currently available on CreditCards.com, but you can still find a great card offer for you! Our CardMatch tool can help match you with prequalified offers and cards that align with your credit history – with no harm to your credit score. Get personalized offers from our partners in seconds. |
Regional supermarket chain Meijer offers two credit card options: a store-only card and a Platinum MasterCard, which can be swiped anywhere MasterCard is accepted and will help you earn rewards faster when used to pay for purchases outside of Meijer supermarkets and gas stations.
With no annual fee and an average annual savings of $332 for cardholders, the card’s a no-brainer if you already frequent a Meijer grocery store or are willing to switch for the rewards. However, even those who live near one of Meijer’s limited locations should be wary of the card’s high APR and restricted redemption options.
Extra-large savings on gas
One of the Meijer Platinum MasterCard’s best features is its 10-cent savings on every gallon of gas purchased at Meijer gas stations. With American drivers consuming an average of 656 gallons per person annually, this automatic discount is no chump change – and those who tend to put a lot of mileage on their vehicles stand to save even more. There’s no minimum purchase required, and signing up for Meijer Gas Alerts means you’ll be notified about price increases by text message so you can gas up before they take effect, keeping a few more pennies in your pocket.
Elsewhere, Meijer Platinum MasterCard holders earn $10 in rewards for every $750 spent, giving each point a value of 1.3 cents. Once in a while, Meijer may grant the ability to earn additional bonus points on specific purchases, the details of which are disclosed at the time of offer. Keep an eye on your email, snail mail and in-store signage so you don’t miss out.
Automatic (but limited) redemption
If you’re looking for a hands-off redemption program, you’ve hit the jackpot. Gas savings are instant when you pay with your Meijer Platinum MasterCard, and the $10 rewards certificates are automatically delivered once you’ve hit the $750 spending threshold. There’s more than one way to receive your certificates, too: Choose between paper rewards, which are limited to 42 reward certificates per billing period, or digital rewards tickets, of which you can earn a maximum two per day.
You can opt in to receive digital rewards via mPerks, Meijer’s free rewards program. Keep in mind, however, that while mPerks offers its own benefits – such as $10 off when you fill five prescriptions – mPerks discounts cannot be used in concert with your credit card rewards. (Rewards certificates can be combined.)
Unfortunately, rewards certificates also come with a major downside: They expire after only 45 days. Also, they can only be applied at the register to Meijer purchases, which means – if you don’t make frequent visits to Meijer stores and remember to use your certificates – you can quickly lose out on your rewards. If you don’t want the hassle of keeping track of and remembering to use rewards certificates, you may be better off using the card strictly for gas purchases and putting the rest of your spending on a general cash back card.
Occasional promotional financing
Meijer Platinum MasterCard holders may, at times, have access to what are called promotional credit plans, which could include no interest, deferred interest or a reduced APR. If you decide to take advantage of promotional financing, be sure to read the fine print: With deferred-interest financing, interest accrues during the promotional period and is imposed retroactively (i.e., from the date of purchase) if the full balance isn’t paid off by the end of the term. Depending on the total amount financed, the difference could mean hundreds of dollars in interest charges.
Why get the Meijer Platinum MasterCard?
- You already purchase gas at Meijer gas stations.
- You put a lot of miles on your car and stand to save considerable money at the pump with 10 cents off per gallon.
- You have kids or otherwise require a large budget for grocery shopping.
- You can easily spend $1,000 within the first 90 days to qualify for the $100 statement credit.
- You don’t plan to carry a balance from month to month.
- You want hassle-free redemption options.
How to use the Meijer Platinum MasterCard:
- Redeem all points and rewards certificates prior to their expiration.
- Spend at least $1,000 outside of Meijer within the first 90 days to earn a $100 statement credit.
- Use the card to pay for all gas purchases at Meijer gas stations (go here to find the location closest to you).
- Pay your balance in full every month to avoid higher-than-average interest charges.
- Leave the card at home when traveling overseas to avoid a 3 percent foreign transaction fee.
Our reviews and best card recommendations are based on an objective rating process and are not driven by advertising dollars. However, we do receive compensation when you click on links to products from our partners. Learn more about our advertising policy
All reviews are prepared by CreditCards.com staff. Opinions expressed therein are solely those of the reviewer and have not been reviewed or approved by any advertiser. The information, including card rates and fees, presented in the review is accurate as of the date of the review. Check the data at the top of this page and the bank’s website for the most current information.
Responses to comments in the discussion section below are not provided, reviewed, approved, endorsed or commissioned by our financial partners. It is not our partner’s responsibility to ensure all posts or questions are answered.