It’s Ulta credit card issued by Comenity Bank, isn’t the ideal choice for every person. It has many of the same issues as other credit cards for stores, including an inability to reward customers and a high annual APR.
If you’re an avid Ulta customer and particularly when you’re using the Ulta salon, it’s an extremely useful store card, due to its high-point value.
There are 5 things you need to be aware of about your Ulta credit card.
1. Types of the Ulta credit card
If you decide to apply to the Ulta credit card, you could be given two options for the card based on your creditworthiness and financial history.
The Ulta Beauty Rewards Credit Card is a “closed-loop” card, meaning that it is only available in stores at Ulta Beauty, or online atUlta.com.
The Ulta Beauty Rewards Mastercard is an “open-loop” card that can be used anywhere Mastercard can be used.
Both cards are free of annual cost, however, for those who have sufficient credit to be eligible for the card, the Mastercard model provides more flexibility and advantages. For instance, starting in January 2025, Ulta Beauty Rewards Mastercard cardholders can enjoy a modest welcome bonus. (The version for stores does not have bonuses of this kind.)
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2. They work closely with Ulta’s customer loyalty program
These Ulta credit cards are branded with the name of Ulta’s customer loyalty program, Ulta Beauty Rewards, which is completely free to join, whether credit card or no. These Ulta credit cards are rewarded with points from the loyalty program with those rates.
2 points per $1 at Ulta. (1 point from your Ulta Beauty Rewards membership, 1 point from your credit card).
1 point for every $3 in any other location than Ulta Beauty (Mastercard version only).
At first glance, these aren’t the most impressive rates. The majority of non-annual-fee, general-purpose credit cards are able to earn 2x the amount you spend on each purchase, no matter where. However, it is possible to increase your Ulta credit card’s rates of return up to 2.5x back, based on the amount you spend on the brand.
This is how points are earned through Ulta’s three rewards levels:
They’re not the highest budgets for an Ulta loyalist to achieve during one year, particularly when you include salon services. A haircut, for instance, can cost up to $60, while a tube of mascara that’s designed by a professional could cost you as much as $42.
3. Use the point value before expiration policy
Like most store cards, points can be used only within those of the Ulta brand, meaning they are not flexible. However, the good news is Ulta Beauty Rewards points are worth higher than the industry-standard of one penny per point. Additionally, unlike the majority of stores, they have a minimum threshold for redemption that is rather high, beginning at 100 points. Furthermore, you can choose the time and number of points you want, they can be redeemed at any time.
You could almost double the worth of your points by waiting to utilize an amount that is larger within a single transaction.
However, there is a caveat that points expire after one year for members at the base level. If you haven’t spent enough on Ulta to earn the Diamond or Platinum levels (where points aren’t expired) you might want to set an appointment on your calendar to ensure you don’t miss the chance to redeem points.
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4. Benefits and a great deal for Ulta salon clients
In all the wonderful advantages of using the Ulta credit card. The same benefits that you can earn and redeem via the Ulta Beauty rewards program. Ulta Beauty reward program is applicable at your Ulta salon.
Rewards for salon services are not common among all-purpose credit cards. Therefore, if you are spending a significant amount on treatments at the salon and purchase all of your hair care cosmetics and other products at Ulta, you’re bound to earn a lot of points that are worth it.
To determine the true worth from this Ulta credit card, I calculated my personal savings potential when I moved all my routine services to Ulta. I would then go to the Ulta salon and buy my usual hair products, skin care, and cosmetic products from Ulta. To give you an idea of my habits, I prefer to cut my hair and color according to a six-to-eight week timeframe, and for this calculation, I set aside 600 dollars per year for product purchases.
The result? I discovered that in one year, I could easily receive at the very least 3,600 points, worth more than $200 off of product or service purchases. This is more than 12% in rewards prior to incorporating the Platinum and Diamond point levels, and any other promotions or discounts. Additionally, since points can be used to pay for services at a salon that would pay for at minimum one appointment with a hair stylist every year.
5. Beware the ugly interest rate
The rewards offered by this Ulta credit card can be more than enough to entice any beauty queen. However, if you’re worried that you’ll have a balance that’s not paid off between months, it’s not the one to choose for.
In January 2025, the current APR on the Ulta Beauty Rewards Mastercard was 22.49 percent to 31.49 percent based on creditworthiness. Likewise, the Ulta Beauty Rewards credit card came with a 31.49 percent APR for the duration of the loan.
Beauty is a pain, but that rate of interest is just a bit painful. If you’re going to have a balance to pay that’s not ideal, consider joining the Ulta Beauty Rewards program with the zero percent.
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