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Review: Kohl's Charge Card by Capital One

Updated
Elizabeth Aldrich
By: Elizabeth Aldrich

Our Credit Cards Expert

Many or all of the products here are from our partners that compensate us. It’s how we make money. But our editorial integrity ensures our experts’ opinions aren’t influenced by compensation. Terms may apply to offers listed on this page.

The Kohl's credit card is issued by Capital One and also known as the "Kohl's Charge" card. It has some valuable benefits for frequent Kohl's shoppers, as well as a few key drawbacks to be aware of, such as a confusing rewards program structure and a high interest rate. In this Kohl's credit card review, you can learn everything you need to decide whether or not the Kohl's Charge credit card is right for you.

Full Kohl's Charge Card by Capital One review

Tops perks

35% introductory discount

You'll get 35% off of your first purchase when you open and use the Kohl's Charge credit card. Plus, you'll get another 15% discount off of another purchase when you get your card in the mail.

Exclusive savings

Cardmembers get access to exclusive monthly discounts and sales throughout the year as well as a special offer each year on your card anniversary.

Extra convenience

The card lets you take advantage of receipt-free returns, so you don't have to worry about holding onto your receipts. You can also connect to Kohl's Pay, a mobile payment option, and pay your credit card bill through Kohl's mobile app.

Become a Most Valued Customer (MVC)

If you spend $600 per year on your Kohl's Charge credit card, you'll become a Most Valued Customer (MVC). This gets you access to free shipping and a birthday gift.

No annual fee

This is a no annual fee credit card, which means you can enjoy the perks and benefits without worrying about a membership fee cutting into your rewards. As long as you pay off your balance in full each month, you won't have to pay to carry Kohl's Charge credit card in your wallet.

What could be improved

APR

Like most store credit cards, the Kohl's Charge credit card comes with a significantly higher interest rate than regular credit cards. This means that if you carry a balance from month to month, you could end up paying big money on interest fees. If you need to carry a balance, it's better to go for a 0% intro APR credit card instead.

Wider acceptance

The Kohl's Charge credit card is a store card and doesn't belong to any major credit card networks like Visa or Mastercard. This means it can be only used for purchases at Kohl's or on Kohl's website, which is pretty limiting.

Spending rewards program

While the discounts offered by the Kohl's Charge credit card can be combined with Kohl's Cash coupons and the Yes2You Rewards® program, both these rewards programs are open to general shoppers. The card itself doesn't come with its own reward program or points system.

More simplicity

In order to maximize rewards and savings with this card, you’ll have to combine the monthly discounts it offers with programs outside of the credit card such as Kohl’s Cash and Yes2You Rewards®. While it’s great that you can combine these programs to increase your savings, it can get confusing and makes it easy to miss out on some potential savings.

Read more: Best Credit Cards for Holiday Shopping

Find the best credit card for your needs

Compare credit card rewards, fees, APRs, and more using our side-by-side comparison tool.

Alternatives to consider

  • If you want a cash back card that earns big on purchases everywhere: The Citi Double Cash® Card earns an unlimited 1% cash back on purchases, plus another 1% cash back when you pay off the card, for an effective cash back rate of 2%. It also comes with a generous balance transfer offer if you need to pay off debt.
  • If you want a cash back card that earns big on rotating bonus categories: If you're willing to do a little strategizing, a card like the Discover it® Cash Back can be even more rewarding. Cardholders earn 5% cash back on everyday purchases at different places each quarter like grocery stores, restaurants, and gas stations, up to the quarterly maximum of $1,500 on purchases and when you activate. Other eligible purchases earn 1% cash back.

Read more: Best Credit Cards for Online Shopping

As of Nov. 27, 2023
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Citi Double Cash® Card Discover it® Cash Back
Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars.
4.50/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
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Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars.
5.00/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
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Credit Rating Requirement: Circle with letter I in it. Falling within this credit range does not guarantee approval by the issuer. An application must be submitted to the issuer for a potential approval decision. There are different types of credit scores and creditors use a variety of credit scores to make lending decisions.

Recommended Credit Score required for this offer is: Fair to Excellent (580-850)

Fair to Excellent (580-850)

Credit Rating Requirement: Circle with letter I in it. Falling within this credit range does not guarantee approval by the issuer. An application must be submitted to the issuer for a potential approval decision. There are different types of credit scores and creditors use a variety of credit scores to make lending decisions.

Recommended Credit Score required for this offer is: Good/Excellent (670-850)

Good/Excellent (670-850)

Welcome Offer: Circle with letter I in it. Earn $200 cash back after you spend $1,500 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.

20,000 ThankYou® Points

Welcome Offer: Circle with letter I in it. N/A

Discover will match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year.

Rewards Program: Circle with letter I in it. 2% cash back: 1% when you buy plus 1% as you pay

Up to 2% cash back

Rewards Program: Circle with letter I in it. Earn 5% cash back on everyday purchases at different places you shop each quarter like grocery stores, restaurants, gas stations, and more, up to the quarterly maximum when you activate. Plus, earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases—automatically.

1% - 5% Cashback

Intro APR: Circle with letter I in it. N/A

Purchases: N/A

Balance Transfers: 0%, 18 months

Intro APR:

Purchases: 0%, 15 months

Balance Transfers: 0%, 15 months

Regular APR:

19.24% - 29.24% (Variable)

Regular APR:

17.24% - 28.24% Variable APR

Annual Fee:

$0

Annual Fee:

$0

Highlights:

  • Earn $200 cash back after you spend $1,500 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.
  • Earn 2% on every purchase with unlimited 1% cash back when you buy, plus an additional 1% as you pay for those purchases. To earn cash back, pay at least the minimum due on time.
    Plus, for a limited time, earn 5% total cash back on hotel, car rentals and attractions booked on the Citi Travel℠ portal through 12/31/24.
  • Balance Transfer Only Offer: 0% intro APR on Balance Transfers for 18 months. After that, the variable APR will be 19.24% - 29.24%, based on your creditworthiness.
  • Balance Transfers do not earn cash back. Intro APR does not apply to purchases.
  • If you transfer a balance, interest will be charged on your purchases unless you pay your entire balance (including balance transfers) by the due date each month.
  • There is an intro balance transfer fee of 3% of each transfer (minimum $5) completed within the first 4 months of account opening. After that, your fee will be 5% of each transfer (minimum $5).

Highlights:

  • INTRO OFFER: Unlimited Cashback Match for all new cardmembers – only from Discover. Discover will automatically match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year! There’s no minimum spending or maximum rewards. You could turn $150 cash back into $300.
  • Earn 5% cash back on everyday purchases at different places you shop each quarter like grocery stores, restaurants, gas stations, and more, up to the quarterly maximum when you activate. Plus, earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases—automatically.
  • Redeem your rewards for cash at any time.
  • Discover could help you reduce exposure of your personal information online by helping you remove it from select people-search sites that could sell your data. It’s free, activate with the mobile app.
  • Get a 0% intro APR for 15 months on purchases. Then 17.24% to 28.24% Standard Variable Purchase APR applies, based on credit worthiness.
  • No annual fee.
  • Terms and conditions apply.
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Suggested credit score

If you have good credit or excellent credit, or in other words, a FICO® Score of 670 or higher, you'll have a good chance of being approved. Even if your score is slightly lower, you might still get approved with a score in the mid 600s.

Luckily, Kohl's offers a pre-qualification tool that can help you get a sense of whether or not you'd qualify for the Kohl's Charge credit card without any impact on your credit. Keep in mind that there are no strict credit guidelines, and no one is ever guaranteed approval. Along with your credit score, credit card issuers typically look at your income and existing debt.

This credit card is right for you if:

  • You shop frequently at Kohl's
  • You plan to pay off your balance in full each month
  • You won't be tempted to overspend

It's worth noting that the Kohl's Charge credit card isn't the best choice for shoppers who plan to carry a balance. Even a generous introductory 35% discount could easily be negated by the card's high APR. If you plan to carry a balance, opt for a credit card with a low interest rate.

The rewards and discount program is fairly complicated because you have to combine general store rewards with the credit card's discounts to maximize the value. If you don't mind navigating this, you could snag some generous savings.

However, if you're after a simpler, more flexible credit card, you may be better opting for a general cash back or travel rewards credit card. These often have their own easy-to-understand rewards programs, which you can combine with the other two Kohl's loyalty programs.

The bottom line is that if you're a regular shopper at Kohl's -- either in-store or online -- the Kohl's Charge credit card could be a smart addition to your wallet.

Our credit card methodology

At The Motley Fool Ascent, we rate credit cards on a five-star scale (1 = poor, 5 = best). Our rating criteria includes rewards rates, welcome bonuses, fees, and perks like travel credits and 0% intro APR offers to evaluate our ratings.

We combine these factors with an evaluation of brand reputation and customer satisfaction to ensure you're getting the best card recommendations. Learn more about how The Ascent rates credit cards.

FAQs

  • The minimum credit limit for the Kohl's Charge card seems to be $300. Initial credit limits as high as $800 have been reported, but credit limit increases seem to be the best way to get a higher credit limit.

  • The Kohl's Charge card can only be used in Kohl's stores or online at Kohls.com. It is a closed-loop store card that does not operate on any credit card networks.

  • Yes, the Kohl's Charge card can be used to build credit. This card is associated with a line of credit, and your payment history and balances will be reported to the credit bureaus. Keep in mind that any card that can help you build credit can also damage your credit if you don't regularly pay down what you owe. For best results, pay your card in full and on time every month.

Our Credit Cards Expert