Macy's American Express Card

Key Benefits

All Benefits

• $0 annual fee on the Macy's American Express Card (the co-branded Amex-network version of Macy's store card carries no annual membership fee, per Macy's credit card benefits and terms; the standard Macy's Credit Card is also $0 AF but only works at Macy's and Bloomingdale's)
• Issuer and network: the Macy's American Express Card is issued by Department Stores National Bank (DSNB), a subsidiary of Citibank, N.A., and runs on the American Express payment network — meaning the card is accepted at any merchant in the U.S. and abroad that accepts American Express, not just at Macy's
• Two card tiers exist under the Macy's credit umbrella: the Macy's Credit Card (store-only, works at Macy's and Bloomingdale's only) and the Macy's American Express Card (general-purpose Amex-network card with broader earn categories outside Macy's); only applicants who qualify for the higher-tier product are offered the Amex version
• Rewards mechanic: purchases earn Star Rewards points (not cashback or transferable miles) that convert into Star Money — Macy's-only reward dollars credited to your Star Rewards account and redeemable on future Macy's purchases (typically issued in increments once a points threshold is reached, per the Macy's Star Rewards program terms)
• 5% back in Star Money at Macy's and Bloomingdale's (the cardholder earns 5% of qualifying purchases at Macy's and Bloomingdale's back as Star Money, the highest in-house earn rate available on the card portfolio, per Macy's Star Rewards Credit Card benefits page)
• 3% back in Star Money at restaurants (purchases at restaurants and dining merchants — coded as restaurants on the Amex network and excluding Macy's-operated dining venues — earn 3% back in Star Money, exclusive to the Amex-network version of the card)
• 2% back in Star Money at gas stations and supermarkets (purchases coded as gas stations and grocery stores on the Amex network earn 2% back in Star Money, also exclusive to the Amex version and not earned on the store-only Macy's Credit Card)
• 1% back in Star Money on all other purchases anywhere American Express is accepted (every other purchase outside Macy's, restaurants, gas, and supermarkets earns 1% back, giving the Amex version of the card a baseline earn rate even on general spend)
• 20% off welcome discount tied to card approval: new Macy's American Express cardholders historically receive 20% off Macy's purchases during a defined enrollment window after approval — Macy's has marketed this benefit in two formats over time (20% off the first 2 days of purchases after approval as a higher-rate intro, and a longer 20% off through day 14 / first two weeks variant); current offer language on the Macy's credit application page should be consulted at apply for exact terms, with $25 cap on the discount commonly applied
• Star Rewards loyalty tiers: cardholders are enrolled in Macy's Star Rewards program and progress through tiers (Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum) based on annual qualifying card spend at Macy's — higher tiers unlock perks such as free shipping at lower thresholds, bonus point events, birthday surprises, and Star Pass coupons (per Macy's Star Rewards program terms)
• Platinum-tier benefits (top spending tier, typically reached at $1,200+ in annual Macy's card spend): includes 5% back in Star Money on Macy's purchases plus elevated rewards events; Platinum tier is achievable on either card variant but the Amex version compounds value by also earning outside Macy's
• Gold-tier benefits (typically $500+ in annual Macy's card spend): includes free shipping with no minimum on Macys.com when using the card, plus additional Star Rewards events and Star Pass savings windows
• Free standard shipping at $25 for cardholders (Macy's American Express cardholders qualify for free standard shipping on Macys.com orders of $25 or more — a lower threshold than the standard non-cardholder free-shipping threshold; Gold and Platinum tier cardholders unlock free shipping with no minimum)
• Exclusive cardholder savings and Star Pass coupons: cardholders receive recurring Star Pass discounts (typically extra 20%-30% off select departments during cardholder-only savings windows), early access to Friends & Family events, and bonus-point days where Macy's card purchases earn additional Star Money beyond the base 5%
• Birthday surprise and milestone perks: Star Rewards members enrolled with a Macy's card receive a birthday treat (varies by tier, often a coupon or bonus Star Money), and reach-milestone rewards as they progress through Star Rewards tiers
• Foreign transaction fee: the Macy's American Express Card charges a foreign transaction fee on purchases processed outside the United States or in a foreign currency (typically 3% — see the DSNB cardholder agreement for the exact rate); this makes the card a poor choice for international travel spend versus no-FTF travel cards
• APR and penalty pricing: the card carries a relatively high variable purchase APR typical of store-affiliated DSNB-issued products and may assess a penalty APR for late or returned payments; deferred-interest promotional financing offers are sometimes available on large Macy's purchases — review the DSNB cardholder agreement received at approval for exact terms
• Mobile wallet and account management: the Macy's American Express Card supports Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Samsung Pay; cardholders manage their account, view Star Money balance, and pay bills through the Macy's app or the DSNB/Citi-hosted Macy's credit card servicing portal
• $0 fraud liability and Amex network protections: cardholders are not held liable for unauthorized charges reported promptly, consistent with American Express's fraud-protection policies on the Amex network and DSNB's cardholder protections; the card does not carry the premium Amex-issued benefits (since DSNB, not American Express National Bank, is the issuer)
• Sign-up bonus (large welcome offer in points): Not offered on the Macy's American Express Card in the traditional travel-rewards sense — the welcome benefit is the 20% off intro discount described above (capped, Macy's-purchase-only) rather than a multi-thousand-point bonus comparable to Amex-issued travel cards
• Transfer partners and points-to-miles transfers: Not offered on the Macy's American Express Card — Star Rewards points and Star Money are redeemable only at Macy's (and within the Macy's/Bloomingdale's ecosystem) and cannot be transferred to any airline, hotel, or Membership Rewards program; the card runs on the Amex network but does not earn Membership Rewards points
• Airport lounge access, Priority Pass, Centurion Lounge, Delta Sky Club: Not offered on the Macy's American Express Card — this is a $0 AF store-affiliated card with no travel lounge benefits, despite running on the American Express network
• Global Entry / TSA PreCheck application fee credit: Not offered on the Macy's American Express Card — no statement credit for trusted-traveler program enrollment fees
• Annual travel and lifestyle credits (airline incidental, Uber, hotel, dining, streaming, wireless, CLEAR, Equinox): Not offered on the Macy's American Express Card — the card carries no recurring statement credits outside the Macy's discount mechanics themselves
• Travel insurance benefits (trip cancellation, trip interruption, trip delay reimbursement, baggage delay, lost luggage reimbursement, primary auto rental CDW): Not offered on the Macy's American Express Card — because the card is issued by DSNB rather than American Express National Bank, it does not bundle Amex's premium travel-insurance suite
• Purchase protection, extended warranty, return protection: Not offered on the Macy's American Express Card — the consumer-protection benefits standard on Amex-issued cards do not extend to this DSNB-issued co-brand product; the value of the card is concentrated in the Star Rewards earn structure and Macy's-specific shipping and savings perks
• Cell phone protection, concierge service, and luxury hotel/dining elite benefits: Not offered on the Macy's American Express Card — no cell phone protection when paying your wireless bill with the card, no 24/7 Amex concierge, and no Fine Hotels & Resorts / The Hotel Collection / Amex Offers access (Amex Offers require an Amex-issued card, not just an Amex-network card)
• Hotel and airline elite status, free hotel night certificates, and category-bonus travel earning: Not offered on the Macy's American Express Card — no co-branded hotel/airline elite status, no anniversary night, and no bonus travel categories beyond the flat 1% other-purchases rate; for travel rewards, cardholders should pair the Macy's Amex (for Macy's and the 3%/2% categories) with a dedicated travel card