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Burlington Credit Card | 5 Reasons It’s a Bad Idea

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PFG's Rating:

Avoid. It’s hard for us to see a reason to get this card. If you do anyway, use the Burlington Credit Card very cautiously. Requires special attention to on-time payments to avoid very high APR and/or fees.

Pros and Cons: Burlington Credit Card

Pros

N

Roughly a 5% store credit rewards program (but the credits expire quickly)

N

No Annual fee

N

Easier credit approval

N

Reputable issuer (Comenity Bank – aka Bread Financial)

Cons

s

Very high APR – ~28%+ – like most store co-brand cards. Be careful to pay off your bill fully each month 

s

Only able to use this card at home/furniture stores participating in the Synchrony Home Care network 

s

Only works at Burlington stores 

s

No promotional financing

  • 5% store credit. Expires 60 days after the reward certificate is issued
  • ~28% APR – this is extremely high, but not uncommon for store co-brand cards
  • No annual fee – $0 annual fee.
    • Applications are subject to credit approval
    • While they will take into account your total application, we recommend a credit score of at least 520 to be likely for approval
    • Be 18 years old (or the age of majority in your state or territory)
    • Have a government issued photo ID and tax identification number (for example a social security number)
    • Be willing to provide a non-PO Box mailing address
    • None

    Interested in other credit cards?

    Check out our credit card hub!

    Executive summary

    We suggest you avoid this card and get yourself a general-purpose unlimited cash-back card instead.

    The 5% Burlington store credit is a very limited reward and really the only feature of this card at all. Even if this feature is not that great, the store credit is issued in the form of ‘rewards certificates’ which expire after 60 days. Surely, we suspect most people never get around to using them and they expire worthless.

    We’re not a fan of store credit cards in general and generally avoid them, but this is a weak offering in an already bad category. Unless you’re a major Burlington fan and shop there every month, it’s hard to see a reason to get the Burlington Credit Card.

    This card (which is aka Burlington Coat Factory Credit Card) offers a 5% store credit – and not much else

    Previously known as the Burlington Coat Factory, now just ‘Burlington,’ offers a wide selection of products for consumers of all ages and interests. Their popularity is the driving force for their in-house credit card, which you can use in-store or through their website for online shopping. You can also use it at their sister stores Cohoes Fashions and MJM Designer Shoes. The Burlington card is issued through Bread Financial (also known as Comenity Capital Bank).

    The notable features of the Burlington credit card are:

    • Variable APR: 28.49%
    • Annual Fee: $0
    • Limited rewards program: 5% back store credit, but points expire quickly. Note that you must be enrolled in the Burlington Loyalty program to earn points
    • 10% off your first purchase on the day of the account opening
    • No promotional financing (e.g., no ‘interest-free’ period, which many store cards offer)
    • Likely easier for credit approval

    If you are an avid Burlington shopper considering obtaining a card, our helpful guide will provide insight into the pros and cons.

    This way, you can decide if the card is appropriate for you. But we will let you know upfront that we are not going to recommend it. 

    You also get a one-time 10% discount the day you open the card

    Here are the main elements regarding Burlington’s store credit card:

    Pros: Cons:
    New cardholders 10% discount for first-time same-day purchases Exceptionally high purchase APR
    No annual fee Does not allow balance transfers
    5% store credit rewards, points earned expire in 12 months, however Does not offer a low-interest introductory rate
    Current cardholders are eligible for an Insider Loyalty Program  
    Front cover of Burlington's credit card brochure

    If you visit a Burlington store in person, they have a brochure explaining the credit card terms and benefits

    Let’s unpack a few more details

    Looking into the fine print can be confusing and cumbersome.

    Thankfully, we’ve already done it for you and this guide makes it simple to explore the details of the Burlington credit card.

    Exceptionally high-interest rate (APR)

    The variable APR on this in-store card is high and will change with the current banking Prime Rate. Consequently, their website does not disclose the APR rate, which can differ depending on your current credit score.

    Therefore, if you have a lower credit rating, you can expect to pay Prime plus ~23% (approximately ~28% on all your Burlington purchases!!).

    This is an extremely high-interest rate, even for a credit card. Most credit card rates are closer to 20% or so, which is still a very expensive way to borrow money. Unfortunately, it’s not uncommon for store cards like this one to have interest rates of around 30%. You’ll definitely not want to carry a balance on this card!

    New cardholders get a one-time 10% discount

    Burlington extends a one-time 10% discount to new cardholders who complete a purchase the same day their card is issued. This is similar to other store credit cards like this one, such as the Marshalls Credit Card or TJ Maxx Credit Card. However, they do place restrictions on this promotion.

    This is an ok perk, but remember that opening a new card means you’ll have to keep track of it, remember to pay its balance, and manage it. All of that probably isn’t worth it for just a one-time 10% discount at a store where people don’t make major purchases. 

    The discount is not eligible for gift cards, prior purchases, or layaway items. In addition, current employees do not qualify for this 10% discount.

    Inside panel of the Burlington credit card brochure

    Inside of Burlington’s credit card brochure

    You need to be part of Burlington’s loyalty program to use the credit card rewards

    Frequent customers benefit from the rewards program with their in-store credit card.

    It works like this:

    Customers who use their Burlington credit card at Burlington stores or online will receive 1 point for every $1 spent on eligible purchases.

    Points can be exchanged for “reward certificates” at a rate of 5% of purchases. So if you spend $100 at Burlington you earn $5 worth of store credit reward certificates. This is pretty unexciting and is a fairly obvious play to try to get you back shopping with Burlington again. We would rather just use a 2% cash-back credit card, instead of earning a fairly boring 5% store credit, which can only be used at Burlington. 

    It’s not even completely obvious to us why this is done through a credit card at all when it could just be part of their loyalty program. Perhaps they are hoping customers will forget to make full-on-time monthly payments and have to pay this card’s ~28% interest rate!

    Of course, if you shop at Burlington frequently and consistently enough, then the 5% store credit will technically save you more money than a general-purpose 2% cash-back card. But that difference probably isn’t worth the hassle of having another card for most people.

    Burlington brochure showing benefits of loyalty program vs. credit card

    Their brochure illustrates that the loyalty program doesn’t have many benefits. Unfortunately, the credit card is not great either, unless you shop their ALOT

    Building Your Credit Score With a Burlington Credit Card

    If you are trying to build up your credit score, in-store cards like the one from Burlington can help. They regularly report all payments and financial activity to three major credit bureau entities, including:

    You can work toward a better credit rating with on-time payments and keeping a low total relative to your available limit. These positive actions can help to increase your current credit rating.

    However, when trying to improve your credit score, you must remember to:

    • Never miss a payment
    • Pay the balance off in full each month
    • Make more than the minimum monthly payment
    • Refrain from using the maximum amount

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Do you still have questions about the Burlington credit card?

    Here are some common questions to help provide more information.

    How Do You Apply for a Burlington Store Credit Card?

    If after reading the above you still feel that getting the card is worth the 5% store credit to you then it’s easy to apply. If you are close to a Burlington store, you can go in person and apply right there. This way, you can take advantage of the one-time 10% promotional discount for purchases immediately after approval.

    If visiting a store is inconvenient, clients can apply online through the Burlington website. Typically, since like many store cards this has relatively easier credit approval, it only takes only a few minutes to complete an application and wait for the approval. Then, if accepted, you can use it immediately for website purchases.

    Are the Loyalty Rewards Automatic?

    No. Burlington makes it significantly harder to use its loyalty points than most credit card rewards programs. 

    Cardholders are automatically enrolled in the Loyalty Rewards program with their credit card application. Reward certificates of $5 will be sent automatically with your monthly billing statement when you reach 100 points. Each certificate is valid for in-store and online purchases and expires after just 60 days.

    How Much Is the Late Payment Fee for the Burlington Credit Card?

    Here are the fees associated with Burlington’s store credit card:

    Fees Amount
    Annual Fee $0
    One-Time Sign-Up Fee $4
    Returned Payment Fee $41
    Late Payment Fee $41

    How to Contact Burlington’s Credit Card Customer Support?

    Contacting the support team about your credit card is simple.

    Cardholders can use the Burlington credit card login through the website to check account details and connect with a support rep.

    For address changes, you can phone the Burlington Credit Care Center for assistance at 1-877-213-6741. To help answer other inquiries, you can contact the Burlington Credit Care Center experts by calling 1-877-213-6741 (TDD/TTY: 1-888-819-1918).

    My Burlington in-store experience

    I recently visited a Burlington store to see what the Burlington credit card experience would be like in-person.

    I was curious to find out if the sales associates would be pushy trying to convince customers to sign up and if the in-store offer would match what was online.

    I was pleasantly surprised that the sales clerk was not pushy at all. In fact, she seemed surprised that someone was asking about their card. Perhaps they are not getting too many sign-ups lately. But it was nice to see that, unlike some other store cards, it didn’t appear that employees were being coached to push the credit card on customers aggressively. Frankly, she didn’t seem to care whether or not I signed up.

    I also noted that all of the in-store advertising for the card and materials appeared to match the online offer.

    I was surprised that the only way to sign-up in person appears to be to notify the cashier and to give them all of your personal information for them to enter into their computer. Surprisingly, they didn’t seem to have something you could just mail in, or any other way to sign-up. Although, it’s possible that was only true at the location I visited.

    While none of this changes the answer that we, unfortunately, cannot recommend this card, the in-store experience was pleasant enough.

    The in-store experience at my local Burlington store was fine. The store was clean and the staff was professional and friendly. They seem to target extreme ‘value’ shoppers, meaning the price for most items is very low, but so is the quality. Here’s a few pictures from my trip:

    A typical Burlington location
    A usual Burlington interior
    Another angle of the inside of a typical Burlington
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    Burlington Credit Card Conclusion

    We can’t endorse this card or imagine any scenario where someone should add it to their wallet. You should probably skip it.

    If you are an avid Burlington shopper, their in-store credit card provides a 5% store credit. However, the store credit is automatically issued in the form of rewards certificates, which expire after 60 days. This creates a terrible cycle where you’re given a very small incentive to potentially shop for things you don’t need.  

    We think this is probably purposeful, where Burlington knows that they can advertise the high 5% rate, but most people will never redeem that store credit in time. We don’t love that and prefer the ease of flat rate cash back cards with rewards that don’t expire.

    The interest rate is quite high, making it critical that you pay off the balance within the month to avoid high charges for purchases. This in-store credit card can help you improve your credit rating, but only if you are careful with your purchases and payments.

    Editor's Note:

    At Personal Finance Guru, we want to help you maximize your lifestyle through personal finance. You can trust the integrity of our independent financial advice. Our opinions are our own and have not been provided, reviewed, approved, or endorsed by any advertiser or financial product provider. To support and grow the site, however, we may receive compensation from the issuers of some products.

    Meet the author:

    Cathy Gresham

    Cathy Gresham

    Editor & Author

    Cathy Gresham is a finance whiz. 

    After earning her MBA from The Wharton School, she has worked in strategy at some of the world’s largest and most influential financial companies for 20+ years. Notably, she has worked for the biggest credit card issuers and networks and brings an insider’s perspective to how credit card products work behind the scenes.  

    Cathy is passionate about personal finance and investing, and loves helping people learn about these complex topics. Her wit and humor make learning about money fun, and she’s always happy to share her knowledge with others.

    Cathy enjoys spending time with her family and friends when she’s not crunching numbers or developing investment strategies. She’s also an avid runner, and can often be found pounding the pavement on her morning jog.