Sephora Visa® Credit Card

Our review of the Sephora Visa® Credit Card

The Sephora Visa is a co-branded retail credit card issued by Comenity Bank, one of the leading store credit card issuers. It rewards beauty shoppers with cash vouchers and operates separately from Sephora’s Beauty Insider program. As is expected of retail credit cards, it offers cardholders a decent return on purchases at their stores but has few perks beyond that.

How to Get the Card

Applying for the Sephora Visa® Credit Card is a straightforward process. Start by visiting the Sephora website or heading to your nearest Sephora store. You can apply in-store or online, depending on your preference. Make sure to have your personal information, such as your Social Security Number and income details, ready for the application.

The application process typically involves filling out a form with your personal information and consenting to a credit check. Approval is usually quick, and if you’re approved, you will receive your Sephora Visa® Credit Card in the mail within a few weeks. Once you have your card, you can start enjoying all the benefits and rewards it has to offer.

Store Card Vs. Visa

What’s the difference? When you apply for the Sephora Visa, you are actually applying for both the Visa and a store card version that is only usable at Sephora locations or at Sephora online. This type of credit card is known as a “store card” and offers better approval odds than a credit card using the Mastercard or Visa network.

The upside? You might get the store card if you don’t qualify for the Sephora Insider Rewards Visa. The downside? You won’t get access to the statement credit welcome bonus or rewards outside Sephora stores.

Here’s a quick breakdown of how the two Sephora credit cards differ:

Sephora Visa®

• Annual fee: $0
• Welcome offer: $20 Sephora Reward after your first $500 spent outside Sephora within the first 90 days
• Credit Card Rewards: 4% back in stores or online at Sephora, 1% elsewhere
• Beauty Insider Points: 2X at Sephora

Sephora Credit Card

• Annual fee: $0
• Welcome offer: 25% off first purchase at Sephora the day you open your account
• Credit Card Rewards: 4% back in stores or online at Sephora
• Beauty Insider Points: 2X at Sephora

Welcome Bonuses

There are two distinct welcome bonuses with the Sephora Visa® – and one which is exclusive to the open loop retail card. The first is 25% off your first purchase at Sephora on the same day you apply for and open your account. The second offer is $20 in Sephora Credit Card Rewards after spending $500 outside of Sephora within the first 90 days of opening an account. While this requirement isn’t hard to reach – this also isn’t a compelling enough bonus to justify owning the card.

It’s also worth noting that the latter sign-up bonus – the $20 credit – is unavailable for those with the closed-loop Sephora Credit Card.

Earning Rewards with Purchases

In terms of everyday earnings, beauty shoppers will earn a decent return of 4% in rewards when using their card at Sephora (both in-store or online), which is extra valuable considering that beauty supplies MCC code (5977) as “Beauty Shops & Supplies” rarely allows it to qualify for bonuses with other more general rewards cards. Unfortunately, the 4% return does not apply to purchases made at brand branches in JCPenney or outside of the United States.

For all non-Sephora purchases, the card will generate a standard 1% back, which means that this card should only be considered for use outside of the store to meet the signup bonus or if this is the only rewards card that you own. Interestingly, cardholders also earn 2X in Beauty Insiders Points for every $1 they spend at Sephora, with no cap on the total number of points they can earn.

How to Redeem Rewards with Sephora

Even better, Beauty Insider Points and cash back as Rewards are combinable and can then be redeemed for credit Card Rewards (a reward dollar) once enough “points” have been earned. Beauty Insider Points expire after 12 months.

Sephora Credit Card Rewards are essentially coupon vouchers for in-store and online purchases. They are the currency of the card’s reward program and function as store credit. These reward dollars are applied at checkout to lower your total purchase price. Earning one dollar’s worth of a Credit Card Reward requires 25 Reward Dollars (points) – the equivalent of spending $625 at Sephora

Sephora Reward Redemption Limitations

Besides having a ton to earn a single reward, there are limitations when it comes to using Sephora Credit Card Reward Dollars. If you’ve somehow gained multiple $5 vouchers, there is a cap of three vouchers per in-store transaction. Online purchases are limited to one voucher, so most cardholders will want to use their Sephora credit card rewards in person.

However, these vouchers are not accepted at JCPenney-based branches and cannot be used to purchase gift cards. Should the item you purchase be worth less than the voucher amount, any remaining value is forfeited (i.e., if you purchase a $3 item with your $5 Sephora Credit Card Reward, the leftover $2 will be lost).

Other Card Benefits

There are plenty of decent card member features with the Sephora credit card lineup from Comenity. There are members-only exclusive events and offers, for example. Members also enjoy easy in-store account lookups and all the great perks of the Beauty Insiders loyalty program, including a yearly birthday gift, free shipping, access to exclusive rewards, and so much more.

Visa Platinum Benefits

Cardholders also enjoy essential fraud and purchase protections from the Visa Platinum payment network. This network provides the following:

• Zero Fraud Liability
• Cardholder Inquiry Services
• Emergency Card Replacement
• Roadside Dispatch and Auto Collision Damage Waiver
• Lost/Stolen Card Reporting
• ID Navigator from Norton

Comparisons

Tips for Maximizing Your Sephora Card Rewards

• Use your Sephora Visa® Credit Card for all your beauty purchases, both at Sephora and elsewhere, to maximize your points.
• Take advantage of double or triple points events at Sephora to earn rewards faster.
• Keep an eye out for special promotions and limited-time offers exclusive to Sephora Visa® Credit Cardholders.
• Pay your credit card balance in full each month to avoid paying interest and maximize the value of your rewards.
• Stay active in the Sephora Beauty Insider program to unlock higher tiers and access more exclusive rewards and benefits.

What is Sephora VIB Rouge?

Sephora VIB is the Sephora Rewards loyalty program. The free, introductory tier of the program is Sephora Beauty Insider and offers 10% off seasonal savings events, free shipping on orders over $50, and more.

VIB tier requires spending at least $350 with Sephora, and offers 15% season savings event savings, free shipping on orders of $35 or more, and $20 off Dollar Savings Offer. VIB Rouge is the premier tier of the VIB loyalty program. This tier requires $1,000 in spending to join and offers 20% off season savings event savings, free shipping on all orders, and $25 off Dollar Savings Offer.

Can you use the Sephora credit card at JCPenny?

Yes. Since the Sephora Visa Card is accepted anywhere Visa is accepted worldwide, the card works for purchases at JCPenny.

How can I contact Sephora credit card customer service?

The Sephora Visa is issued by Comenity Bank. As such, Sephora cardholders can contact Comenity and Sephora customer service representatives at 1-866-702-9946 for issues relating to their card, their login or account details, transactions, rewards, and more.

Do credit card rewards expire?

Sephora credit card rewards expire after 90 days. Beauty Insider rewards expire every 12 months.

What credit score do you need to get the Sephora Visa credit card?

The Sephora card is an open-loop retail card, meaning applicants will need fair or good credit to qualify.

Are there other Sephora credit cards?

There are three Sephora cards:

• Sephora Credit Card
• Sephora Visa Credit Card
• Sephora Visa Signature Credit Card (cards with a $5,000+ credit limit)

The Sephora Credit Card is the closed-loop store card. This card can only be used at Sephora and will feature a higher interest rate than the Visa credit cards. Applicants for the Sephora Visa credit card that are approved for a credit limit over $5,000 will receive the Visa Signature version.

Should You Apply for the Sephora Visa Credit Card?

The Sephora Visa offers a decent bonus for brand-related purchases, but the rewards redemption system is so restrictive – and the minimum spend needed to generate a reward so high – that cardholders will rarely see any results for their loyalty.

In order to earn a $5 voucher, cardholders would have to spend $3,125 which is a dismal return rate even for a retail card. Compared to a generic cash back card, spending that same amount would yield overall, the Sephora Visa card fails to deliver a compelling reason to own it, even for the most loyal of customers. The Sephora Visa would not be a good fit for the average shopper or even a makeup artist, as both would do better with a flexible cash-back card that would generate significantly larger returns and have the additional benefit to use those earnings as they please.