Capital One Walmart Rewards® Mastercard® review: Great rewards for customers of one of the largest retail chains | Bankrate (2024)

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Great rewards for Walmart customers despite its thin perks portfolio.

Capital One Walmart Rewards® Mastercard® review: Great rewards for customers of one of the largest retail chains | Bankrate (1)Written by

Robert Thorpe

Robert Thorpe

Capital One Walmart Rewards® Mastercard® review: Great rewards for customers of one of the largest retail chains | Bankrate (2)Edited by

Nouri Zarrugh

Nouri Zarrugh

Capital One Walmart Rewards® Mastercard® review: Great rewards for customers of one of the largest retail chains | Bankrate (3)Reviewed by

Mariah Ackary

Mariah Ackary

/ 12 min

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Snapshot

4.0

Bankrate rating

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

Bottom line

This card is greatly beneficial for Walmart customers. Although it’s a store-branded card, Walmart is a large enough chain to make this a worthwhile option.

Capital One Walmart Rewards® Mastercard® review: Great rewards for customers of one of the largest retail chains | Bankrate (4)

Capital One Walmart Rewards® Mastercard®

*The information about the Capital One Walmart Rewards® Mastercard® has been collected independently by Bankrate.com. The card details have not been reviewed or approved by the card issuer.

*

Fair to Good(580–740)

A FICO score/credit score is used to represent the creditworthiness of a person and may be one indicator to the credit type you are eligible for. However, credit score alone does not guarantee or imply approval for any financial product.

Recommended Credit

Intro offer

Introductory offer: Earn 5% cash back on purchases in Walmart® stores for the first 12 months when you use your card with Walmart Pay

1% - 5%

Rewards rate

Earn 5% cash back on Walmart.com purchases, including pickup and delivery Earn 2% cash back on purchases in Walmart® stores, Murphy USA and Walmart® fuel stations 2% cash back on restaurants and travel purchases 1% cash back on all other purchases everywhere else Mastercard® is accepted

Annual fee

Regular APR

Capital One Walmart Rewards® Mastercard® review: Great rewards for customers of one of the largest retail chains | Bankrate (5)

Want to see similar cards you may be approved for?Get my matches

On This Page

On This Page

  • Current offer details
  • Walmart Rewards Mastercard pros and cons
  • Reasons to get this card
  • Reasons to skip this card
  • Capital One Walmart Rewards Mastercard® vs. other cash back cards
  • Best cards to pair with this card
  • Is this card worth getting?
  • Ratings methodology
  • Frequently asked questions

Capital One Walmart Rewards Mastercard Card Overview

For fans of online shopping and Walmart stores, the no-annual-fee Capital One Walmart Rewards® Mastercard®* could be one of the best credit cards for groceries, everyday products, electronics and home furnishings.

You’ll earn an impressive 5 percent cash back on Walmart.com purchases, including grocery pickup and delivery orders. The card also earns 2 percent cash back for in-store Walmart purchases, restaurants and travel, and 1 percent on all other purchases. Since this is an instant-use credit card, you can start earning rewards with the big-box retailer within minutes of approval.

As long as you take advantage of the card’s high-earning potential and pay your balances in full and on time, the Walmart Rewards Mastercard is a solid pick. But if you prefer to shop elsewhere, a flexible rewards credit card that earns bonus cash back in various categories may provide greater value.

Rewards

  • Rewards

    • 5 percent cash back at Walmart.com, including pickup & delivery
    • 2 percent cash back in Walmart stores & Walmart-branded gas stations, at restaurants and on travel
    • 1 percent cash back on all other purchases

    Expert Appraisal: Typical
    See our expert analysis

  • Welcome offer

    • Earn 5 percent cash back in Walmart stores for the first 12 months when you use your Capital One Walmart Rewards Card with Walmart Pay

    Expert Appraisal: Weak
    See our expert analysis

  • Rates and fees

    • APR: 19.48 percent to 29.99 percent variable
    • Annual fee: None
    • Balance transfer fee: $0 at the Transfer APR, 3% of the amount of each transferred balance that posts to your account at a promotional APR that Capital One may offer to you
    • Cash advance fee: 3 percent of the amount of the cash advance, but not less than $3
    • Late payment fee: Up to $39

    Expert Appraisal: Weak
    See our expert analysis

  • Other cardholder perks

    • This card does not have any additional perks that cardholders can take advantage of

    Expert Appraisal: Weak
    See our expert analysis

Capital One Walmart Rewards Mastercard pros and cons

Pros

  • There’s no annual fee to cut into your rewards earnings.

  • It earns a great rewards rate on Walmart.com purchases, grocery pickup and delivery.

  • You can use the card immediately in the Walmart app upon approval.

Cons

  • You’ll need to use the Walmart Pay app to earn this card’s welcome offer

  • The card lacks valuable perks that many other rewards cards offer.

  • The ongoing rewards rate for in-store Walmart purchases is the same as many flat-rate cards

Why you might want the Capital One Walmart Rewards Mastercard

The Capital One Walmart Rewards Mastercard can be a great option for loyal Walmart customers who regularly shop online to take advantage of its boosted rewards rate. This card also has a solid flat rate for in-store Walmart purchases and big-budget staples like gas (at Walmart fuel stations), restaurants and travel.

Rewards: Great for Walmart.com regulars

If you make most of your purchases online at Walmart and only want one rewards card, you’re the perfect candidate for this card, which earns one of the best available rates for online Walmart purchases. Combining boosted rewards for store loyalty and a solid flat rate for regular purchases sets this card apart from other retail-branded credit cards.

The only downside is that the card’s highest rate only applies to online purchases at Walmart.com. A restriction like this won’t be a problem for savvy online shoppers, but in-store shoppers will only earn 2 percent cash back. You’ll have difficulty finding another credit card with high rates at Walmart because many rewards cards exclude Walmart purchases from categories like grocery stores.

APR: Potentially low ongoing APR without penalty rates

Depending on your creditworthiness, you can qualify for an APR a few percentage points lower than the current average credit card APR. Manycash back cards have favorable APRs, but store-branded cards like the Walmart Rewards Mastercard usually have relatively steep APRs that can inflate your credit card balance with interest.

The Walmart Mastercard also doesn’t charge a penalty APR. While you shouldn’t make late payments a habit, you’ll have peace of mind knowing your APR won’t rise substantially for missing your due date.

Why you might want a different cash back card

Although this card has its strengths for Walmart customers, it has several drawbacks that make it a poor choice for everyday cardholders who want a simple cash back card.

Welcome offer: Requires heavy spending to remain competitive

You can earn 5 percent cash back on purchases in Walmart stores for the first 12 months when using your card with Walmart Pay. If you prefer to shop online at Walmart.com, this welcome offer is nearly valueless since it matches your ongoing cash back rate for online Walmart.com purchases.

Standard welcome offers on comparable cash back cards hover around $200 in value and require you to spend anywhere from $500 to $3,000 to earn. The Walmart Rewards Mastercard has a welcome offer that doesn’t place a ceiling on your cash bonus and doesn’t have a spending requirement. You can spend as much as you want in stores to earn 5 percent back, but you’ll need to spend heavily to match the $200 value of competing offers.

To make this offer competitive, you’ll need to spend $4,000 or more in-store at Walmart during the first year. You’d earn $200 cash back at a rate of 5 percent. Without the extra 3 percent from the welcome offer, you’d only earn about $80 for spending the same amount.

No intro APR: Interest can accrue early on

Many of the best cash back cards come with introductory APR offers for either balance transfers or new purchases, letting cardholders curb interest until the offer term ends. The Walmart Rewards Mastercard doesn’t come with either meaning your balance will accrue interest at the card’s regular APR if you carry a balance.

Lacking an intro APR isn’t necessarily a glaring drawback, but it could be on this card because of how cardholders might take advantage of the welcome offer. It would be much easier to squeeze value out of that welcome offer if you had an intro APR to help you keep your balance low, especially if you plan on racking up large charges to make the most of your in-store cash back rate for the first year.

Perks: Nothing to add value

The Walmart Rewards Mastercard doesn’t have any rewarding perks or benefits. Many issuers include solid perks on their rewards cards, such as statement credits and travel protections.These benefits can provide added value to your card as well as cover emergency situations. This card lacks even the most basic travel and shopping benefits, making this a major drawback compared to other cards.

How the Capital One Walmart Rewards Mastercard compares to other cash back cards

The Capital One Walmart Rewards Card is a great cash back card if Walmart is your go-to place to shop. But if you’re looking for more versatility, here are two other cash back credit cards offering solid rewards.

Capital One Walmart Rewards® Mastercard® review: Great rewards for customers of one of the largest retail chains | Bankrate (6)

Capital One Walmart Rewards® Mastercard®

Bankrate Score

Rating: 4 stars out of 54.0

Annual fee

$0

Intro offer

5%

Introductory offer: Earn 5% cash back on purchases in Walmart® stores for the first 12 months when you use your card with Walmart Pay

Rewards rate

1% - 5%

Earn 5% cash back on Walmart.com purchases, including pickup and delivery Earn 2% cash back on purchases in Walmart® stores, Murphy USA and Walmart® fuel stations 2% cash back on restaurants and travel purchases 1% cash back on all other purchases everywhere else Mastercard® is accepted

Recommended Credit Score

Fair to Good(580–740)

A FICO score/credit score is used to represent the creditworthiness of a person and may be one indicator to the credit type you are eligible for. However, credit score alone does not guarantee or imply approval for any financial product.

Capital One Walmart Rewards® Mastercard® review: Great rewards for customers of one of the largest retail chains | Bankrate (7)

Bankrate Score

Rating: 4.4 stars out of 54.4

See Rates & Fees, Terms Apply

Apply now

on American Express's secure site

Annual fee

$0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95.

Intro offer

Earn $250

Earn a $250 statement credit after you spend $3,000 in purchases on your new Card within the first 6 months.

Rewards rate

1% - 6%

6% Cash Back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year in purchases (then 1%). 6% Cash Back on select U.S. streaming subscriptions. 3% Cash Back on transit including taxis/rideshare, parking, tolls, trains, buses and more. 3% Cash Back at U.S. gas stations 1% Cash Back on other purchases

Recommended Credit Score

Good to Excellent(670–850)

A FICO score/credit score is used to represent the creditworthiness of a person and may be one indicator to the credit type you are eligible for. However, credit score alone does not guarantee or imply approval for any financial product.

Capital One Walmart Rewards® Mastercard® review: Great rewards for customers of one of the largest retail chains | Bankrate (8)

Bankrate Score

Rating: 4.4 stars out of 54.4

See Rates & Fees, Terms Apply

Apply now

on Citi's secure site

Annual fee

$0

Intro offer

$200

Earn $200 in cash back after you spend $1500 on purchases in the first 6 months of account opening. This bonus offer will be fulfilled as 20,000 ThankYou® points, which can be redeemed for $200 cash back.

Rewards rate

1% - 5%

Earn 5% cash back on purchases in your top eligible spend category each billing cycle, up to the first $500 spent, 1% cash back thereafter. Earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases.

Recommended Credit Score

Good to Excellent(670–850)

A FICO score/credit score is used to represent the creditworthiness of a person and may be one indicator to the credit type you are eligible for. However, credit score alone does not guarantee or imply approval for any financial product.

Best cards to pair with this card

If you value cash back above other rewards, it makes sense to pair the Capital One Walmart Rewards Card with a flat-rate cash back card or another cash back card that offers boosted rewards in different categories.

Who is the Capital One Walmart Rewards Mastercard right for?

Walmart customers are most likely to want this card. Although it has some utility for a handful of everyday categories, it isn’t ideal for earning maximum cash back or rewards unless you’re a dedicated Walmart.com shopper.

Bankrate’s Take—Is the Capital One Walmart Rewards Card worth it?

For many, Walmart is more than a retailer—it’s the primary hub for groceries, home goods, auto care and more. With unlimited 5 percent cash back on purchases at Walmart.com, which includes grocery pickup and delivery, there’s a lot to love for those who can shop online at the superstore.

However, if you prefer shopping at different stores or do not live close to a Walmart, getting the card may not be worthwhile. Instead, consider adding a rewards card to your wallet that offers rewards in broader categories that match your spending habits.

*The information about the Chase Freedom Flex℠ and the Capital One Walmart Rewards Mastercard have been collected independently by Bankrate.com. The card details have not been reviewed or approved by the card issuer.

For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the above benefits are provided by Visa® or Mastercard® and may vary by product. See the respective Guide to Benefits for details, as terms and exclusions apply.

How we rated this card

150+

cards rated

50+

rewards programs valued

1800

data points analyzed

40+

perks evaluated

We rate credit cards using a proprietary card scoring system that ranks each card’s estimated average rewards rate, estimated annual earnings, welcome bonus value, APR, fees, perks and more against those of other cards in its primary category.

Each card feature is assigned a weighting based on how important it is to people looking for a card in a given category. These features are then scored based on how they rank relative to the features on other cards in the category. Based on these calculations, each card receives an overall rating of 1-5 stars (with 5 being the highest possible score and 1 being the lowest).

We analyzed over 150 of the most popular rewards and cash back cards to determine where each stacked up based on their value, cost, benefits and more. Here are some of the key factors that influenced this card’s overall score and how the score influenced our review:

Frequently asked questions

Compare the best cash back credit cards

Capital One Walmart Rewards® Mastercard® review: Great rewards for customers of one of the largest retail chains | Bankrate (9)

Written by

Robert Thorpe

Editor, Personal Finance

Read more from Robert

Most recently before joining Bankrate, Robert worked as an editor and writer at The Ascent by The Motley Fool, covering a number of personal finance topics, including credit cards, mortgages and loans.

Capital One Walmart Rewards® Mastercard® review: Great rewards for customers of one of the largest retail chains | Bankrate (10)

Edited by

Nouri Zarrugh

Nouri Zarrugh

Senior Editor, Credit Cards

Capital One Walmart Rewards® Mastercard® review: Great rewards for customers of one of the largest retail chains | Bankrate (11)

Reviewed by

Mariah Ackary

Mariah Ackary

Former Editor, credit cards

* See the online application for details about terms and conditions for these offers. Every reasonable effort has been made to maintain accurate information. However all credit card information is presented without warranty. After you click on the offer you desire you will be directed to the credit card issuer's web site where you can review the terms and conditions for your selected offer.

Editorial Disclosure: Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, and have not been reviewed or approved by any advertiser. The information, including card rates and fees, is accurate as of the publish date. All products or services are presented without warranty. Check the bank’s website for the most current information.

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Capital One Walmart Rewards® Mastercard® review: Great rewards for customers of one of the largest retail chains | Bankrate (2024)
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