At first glance, the Barnes and Noble Mastercard looks attractive, especially to those who do not yet own a credit card with an associated reward program. There is no annual fee, and (supposedly) they will ship you $50 in reward certificates after using the card for the first time.

The implementation is very poor, however, and there are many better reward options out there. After more than a year since signing up, the $50 sign-up bonus has never arrived at my home, despite repeated phone calls to MBNA. At least I have received those certificates that I have earned through spending - each dollar charged onto the card is worth one reward point (two for purchases at Barnes and Noble), and for each 1000 points earned, a $10 reward certificate is issued. Unfortunately, there are different certificates for use at the retail stores and Barnes and Noble.com. The web site where one can supposedly enter one's preference has not been functioning properly, thus making it impossible to switch between these options. Another downside is that the certificates expire after only three months, making it impossible to save them up for big purchases, such as the Christmas season.

The card's APR of 12.99% is acceptable, but still quite high compared to other reward cards out there. Needless to say, any savings earned through the rewards are more than offset by interest charges for those who carry a balance. Fortunately, a standard grace period of about three weeks allows the balance to be paid off completely each month without incurring finance charges. Account management is easy thanks to MNBA's excellent online account management system, which allows easy access to statements and recent account activity.

Since reward certificates can only be used at Barnes and Noble, and the 1% (2% in case of Barnes and Noble purchases) rebate is among the lowest among its competitors, this card can only be recommended to those who are avid readers and use Barnes and Noble for all their purchases. Otherwise, you will be better served with a card offering more tangible benefits, such as cash back, gasoline rebates, or free hotel nights.

Recommended: No