Does the NASCAR Credit Card have Customer Rewards?

The Credit One NASCAR Credit Card is obviously targeted at one specific audience with one specific passion: the die-hard NASCAR fan. Credit One aims to bring the card to a wide audience, from customers with average credit on up, though credit score affects not only APR rates but also the nature of rewards. If a good portion of your budget is spent on NASCAR merchandise, tickets or collectibles, then these rewards can certainly be beneficial for your credit balance, but you should be sure to understand exactly what these could look like for you before you accept them.

What are the Rewards?

All NASCAR cardholders can expect 2% cash back rewards on any purchase made at NASCAR.com. Cardholders will also get “exclusive NASCAR offers” like pop-up deals from NASCAR-participating merchants, or discounted membership to the NASCAR membership club. Depending on your creditworthiness, you can get either 1.0% cash back on Gas or Automotive purchases OR 1.0% cash back on “eligible purchases”. This cash back, however, is very inflexible, and can be redeemed exclusively as a credit statement to your card’s balance, and not directly for cash or to use at checkout. Furthermore, particularly for cardholders with low credit, there are fewer opportunities to earn this cash back. Annual fees can run up to $99, and the card’s credit limit can get as low as $300, which is a drastic hit to any cardholder’s spending power and thus can cut the legs off of your cash back rewards.

The NASCAR card, quite frankly, suffers from a lack of transparency. Like many cards, it has a variable range of APR rates, but it also carries with it variable annual fees, variable interest rates on cash advances, and variable fees for late payments. Without solid figures on all of these added-on fees, it is difficult to quantify the positive effects of cash back rewards, and it is possible that cardholders could suffer more than they appear to. Furthermore, Credit One Bank offers no precise definition for “eligible purchases”, nor any clear distinction between “eligible” and “ineligible” purchases, nor a strong list of past and future deals from “NASCAR-participating merchants”. Thus, potential cardholders should consult with a representative of Credit One, and review their options when it comes to rates and fees prior to signing a contract.

For those with good credit, there are other options for cards that can guarantee rewards from your fandom, whilst also supporting you by other means. For example, if a customer is willing to go beyond Credit One, the US Bank Cash+ Card could give NASCAR fans the ability to receive 5% cash back on merchandise for a 3 month period, on top of 1% cash back on all other purchases. Again, this option requires a stellar financial history, but it should be known that the NASCAR card’s competitors tend to offer better terms and conditions.

The Bottom Line

From the outside, the NASCAR credit card seems like the perfect way for a diehard fan to reward themselves. However, the fine print of the card’s cash rewards reveal something of a darker picture, particularly if you are a NASCAR fan looking for flexibility or the freedom to build up credit. Furthermore, the objectively stronger options on the marketplace diminish this card’s profile, even with 2% cash back on NASCAR purchases. So for anyone interested in expressing their passion for NASCAR as much as possible, then be cautious when proceeding with this card option.