American Eagle Outfitters credit card snapshot
Editor’s Note: The AEO® Credit Card and AEO® Visa® Card offers mentioned in this article are expired and are no longer available
Retail credit cards can be a great tool for savings-minded shoppers who are loyal to specific brands. Many of these cards offer perks like in-store and online discounts, free shipping and bonus points you can use towards future purchases.
American Eagle Outfitters has two different credit card options for loyal customers, the AEO Connected® Credit Card which is a store card and the AEO Connected® Visa® Credit Card. We have a rundown on how each AE credit card works and some information that you may find useful if you are considering either of these cards.
American Eagle credit card highlights
| Annual fee | • AEO® Credit Card: $0 • AEO® Visa® Card: $0 |
|---|---|
| Foreign transaction fee | • AEO® Credit Card: N/A • AEO® Visa® Card: 3% of each transaction |
| Rewards program | • AEO® Credit Card: Earn 1 Extra Savings point for every $25 spent at American Eagle or Aerie • AEO® Visa® Card: Earn 1 Extra Savings point for every $25 spent at American Eagle or Aerie plus 1 Extra Savings point for every $100 spent anywhere Visa® credit cards are accepted |
| Bonus | Get 15% off your first purchase in store or online at ae.com or aerie.com when you open an AEO® Credit Card (store card) or AEO® Visa® Card account |
| We think it's great for: | • Those who frequently shop at American Eagle • Those who want a no-annual fee rewards card option |
| We think these folks should do more research: | • Those who want more flexibility in how they can redeem rewards • Those who travel outside the U.S. |
American Eagle card basics
As mentioned earlier, American Eagle shoppers have two cards to choose from—the AEO Connected® Credit Card which is a store card and the AEO Connected® Visa® Credit Card. Both cards can be used to earn points, which can be converted to rewards that can be used at American Eagle stores or AE.com. We’ll discuss some of the finer points of the rewards program in detail a little later.
The main difference between these two cards is the fact that the AEO Connected® Visa® Credit Card can be used anywhere Visa is accepted while the AEO Connected® Credit Card is only good for American Eagle purchases. Neither card has an annual fee but the AEO Connected® Visa® Credit Card does have a 3% foreign transaction fee that kicks in if you use your card for purchases outside the U.S.
American Eagle vs. cash back competitors
Store-branded credit cards are useful for racking up savings but they have a limitation in that rewards can only be used for future purchases at that store. With a straightforward cash back credit card on the other hand, you may be able to redeem your rewards for cash, statement credit, gift cards, merchandise or travel. Find a card that rewards you with cash everywhere you shop.
American Eagle rewards
At first glance, American Eagle’s rewards program can seem a little complicated so we’ve broken down the details of how it works with both cards.
AEO® store card
The first American Eagle credit card on our list is the AEO Connected® Credit Card, which is designed to be used at American Eagle Outfitters stores, Aerie stores, and American Eagle Factory stores. When you sign up for an AEO credit account, you’re automatically enrolled in American Eagle’s loyalty rewards program.
Under the AEO Rewards program, you earn you earn 1 AERewards® point for every dollar spent at American Eagle or Aerie with your AEO Connected® Credit Card. The AEO Connected® Credit Card also allows you to earn Extra Savings points. For every $25 you spend with the card at AEO or Aerie, you’ll earn 1 Extra Savings point. Every 10 points you earn is equal to a $10 Extra Savings to use at AEO or Aerie.
AEO® Visa® Card
If you want a little more flexibility when it comes to spending, the AEO® Visa® Card is a better choice. You can use the card in-store and online as well as anywhere Visa is accepted. With the AEO® Visa® Card, you’re still enrolled in the American Eagle Rewards program which means you’ll earn 1 AERewards point on every dollar spent.
You earn 1 Extra Savings point per $25 spent at American Eagle and Aerie stores or at their online stores and you also get 1 Extra Savings point per $100 on purchases made everywhere else Visa® credit cards are accepted. Every 10 points you earn is equal to a $10 Extra Savings to use at AEO or Aerie.
With either card, American Eagle will give you a 20% off birthday coupon, exclusive access to 6 cardmember savings events per year and $0 fraud liability.
Learn More: Best No Annual Fee Credit Cards
American Eagle card pros
American Eagle card prosThe rewards program is obviously the best reason to consider getting an American Eagle store card or the Visa card. If you spend a lot of money at American Eagle or Aerie, either card can help you earn some of it back. Getting 15% off your first purchase when you use your new AEO® Credit Card is also a nice incentive to sign up.
American Eagle card cons
In terms of the drawbacks, there are two. First, rewards are only good towards American Eagle purchases. With many other rewards cards, you’d be able to use the points, miles or cash back any way you want.
Second, the Annual Percentage Rate (APR) is high. Store cards tend to be much more expensive than non-store cards, which will eat up the value of your rewards if you carry a balance. The regular variable Annual Percentage Rate (APR) for purchases made with the AEO® Credit Card, the store card, is 25.49%. The rate for the AEO® Visa® Card is slightly lower, at 24.49% but both rates are still steep.
Should you get an American Eagle credit card?
If you’re comfortable earning rewards that can only be used for American Eagle purchases, opening a store card or Visa account may be the right move. Between the two, the AEO® Visa gives you more opportunities to spend and earn rewards, plus you get a slightly more favorable interest rate. The most important thing to keep in mind with either card is to avoid carrying a balance and paying interest. If you can’t pay the balance off in full each month, you’ll negate your rewards (the money you pay in interest will be far more than what you earn in rewards) and end up paying a lot more for the things you charge.
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