Sephora launches its first-ever credit card rewards program. Here’s what to know.

Published on March 19, 2019

In just a few weeks, dedicated beauty aficionados will have the opportunity to consummate their undying allegiance to the prestige beauty retailer in a very rewarding way — pun-intended.

Sephora has partnered with Alliance Data and Visa to launch its first-ever store credit cards.

The beauty industry trailblazer will offer not one, but three different cards to choose from: the Sephora Credit Card, Sephora Visa Credit Card and, Sephora Visa Signature Credit Card.

“The launch of the Sephora Credit Card exemplifies Sephora’s loyalty philosophy in every sense; it considers all the most-loved aspects of Sephora — the amazing product, services, experiences and personalization — taking our client experience to the next level.” Andrea Zaretsky, Sephora’s Senior Vice President of CRM and Loyalty, wrote in a press release.

Cardholders will earn rewards as they swipe. With Sephora’s current Beauty Insider Program customers earn points for every dollar spent, which can be redeemed for products and one-of-a-kind experiences based on your level in the program. Applicants who apply for the credit card and who are not existing loyalty members will be automatically enrolled in it.

The Sephora Store Credit Card will most likely be issued through a bank independent of card issuers such as Visa or MasterCard, thus making it available for purchases strictly at Sephora (both in-store and online).  

The Sephora Visa Credit Card will allow Sephora shoppers to earn points outside of Sephora wherever they use their card. This may or may not have an annual fee. And, just like the standard Visa card, can be used at other retailers outside of Sephora.

Lastly, those who elect the Sephora Visa Signature Credit Card will have access to further Visa Signature benefits in addition to those already offered through Sephora’s current rewards program.

Set to release this spring, the cards will first launch in select markets before being made available in U.S. stores and on Sephora.com soon after.

In an interview with WWD, Andrea Zaretsky says the credit card program is expected to increase loyalty and help “unlock the power” of customer data.

“We want to use that data to anticipate our clients needs and understand them better so we can deliver against their needs and over deliver against their expectations,” Zaretsky goes on to explain.

And, while Sephora has yet to release information regarding interest rates or card limits just yet, it’s important to keep in mind the fact that store cards tend to have higher interest rates than general-use cards do.

Plus, in order to earn big, you’ve got to spend big in order for the reward benefits to work in your favor. Be mindful and spend an amount that won’t end up in you maxing out your card, only to then struggle to pay it all back each month.

And lastly, do not forget about the importance of maintaining an excellent credit score -default on those payments and Credit Karma will haunt you with emails about a decrease in your credit score. So, instead of freely swiping away your credit card to purchase that haul of beauty products you’ve been eyeing, muster a financially sound approach.

Now if you could only neuter those pesky bank fees.

“Danielle Spoleti is a staff writer at Grit Daily. Based in New York, she covers fashion, luxury, business, tech news and events. She covers each feature with a keen eye toward what trends say about culture and where each industry is headed.”

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