William Lipovsky
Short Answer
Macy’s offers a store credit card and the Macy’s American Express Card. The minimum credit score requirement for the store credit card is at least 620, and the Macy’s American Express Card requires a credit score of at least 700. Macy’s will run a hard credit check when you apply for either card.
Macy’s Credit Card Approval Odds and Minimum Credit Score
Your approval odds for the Macy’s store credit card will be best if you have a credit score of 620 or higher, though some customers report being approved with slightly lower scores.
Macy’s also offers the Macy’s American Express Card, which you can use to shop anywhere American Express is accepted, and it generally requires a score of 700 or higher for approval.
We spoke with representatives at Department Stores National Bank to confirm this information.
Department Stores National Bank (a subsidiary of Citibank) backs both of the Macy’s credit cards. It will run a hard credit check when you apply for either card and typically uses Experian reports.
Our previous research has found that the shopping cart trick does not work at Macy’s. While approval may take as little as a few minutes, the store doesn’t offer preapproval through shopping cart pop-ups or other means.
Other Requirements
Approval for the Macy’s Card or Macy’s American Express Card depends on not only your credit score but also your credit history and the number of open accounts on your credit report.
Too many inquiries or too many new accounts may result in denial. Individual thresholds will vary based on your credit profile.
Your application will also consider your overall financial situation, including your annual income and current rent or mortgage payment. Having low income won’t necessarily result in denial, but you may receive a lower opening limit.
How to Apply for a Macy’s Card
You can apply for a credit card at a Macy’s store, or you can complete the Macy’s online credit application.
The same form works for both the Macy’s Card and the Macy’s American Express Card; your credit score, credit history, and income will determine which card you receive if approved. Fees and rates for both credit cards appear at the bottom of the application.
The Macy’s credit card application requires the following information:
- Full name
- Date of birth
- Email address
- Current U.S. address
- Phone number
- Resident status
- Monthly mortgage or rent
- Total annual net income
- Social Security number
Whether you are approved or denied, you should receive a letter or email notification. If approved, your card should arrive in about seven to 14 working days.
If you receive the Macy’s Card, Macy’s may allow you to upgrade to the American Express card in the future, depending on the credit you establish with Macy’s and your yearly spending level.
If you are denied, Macy’s will provide a reason for the denial. You can reapply after a denial, but you should wait at least 30 days. Several hard credit inquiries can temporarily impact your credit score and make it more difficult to get approved for other credit cards or loans.
Opening Credit Limits
Your beginning credit limit for a Macy’s credit card may be as low as $100 or as high as $2,500, depending on which card you qualify for and your individual credit history. After about six months, you may receive an automatic credit line increase.
If you don’t receive an automatic increase, you can request one online at least 30 days after opening your account. Keep in mind that a credit line increase request may come with a soft or hard credit pull depending on the amount of your increase request.
More Information
Our related research lists other instant approval department store credit cards (including Macy’s) as well as credit cards with instant approval.
