L.L. Bean Mastercard Review

If you are considering opening a bank card, you should look for the most financially beneficial option. If you are a big fan of L.L. Bean, the LLBean Mastercard is worth considering. Born as an alternative to the LLBean Visa in 2018, this card has gained many fans. You can use its services in 50 U.S. states and Washington, D.C.

But why is it so popular among customers? Is it a good option for you? To answer these and other questions, we have written this article. Below, we will consider the peculiarities of Bean Mastercard credit cards, terms and conditions, and pros and cons.

About L.L.Bean Mastercard

Have you heard about the L.L.Bean shop or wondered what credit card you should get? For those who don’t, it is a famous American shopping service provider that has been operating for more than a century. Now, L.L.Bean sells clothes and shoes for an active lifestyle, recreation, and travel. You can also find interior design and home furnishings products on its official website.

Citibank has issued the L.L.Bean card (former LLBean Visa card) for devoted bean shoppers. This credit card offers appealing bonuses and a reward system for cardholders. Among them are a zero annual fee for Bean shopping and a fixed A.P.R. So, let’s look closer into its main features and peculiarities.

Features of Bean Credit Card

Before you apply for an L.L.Bean Mastercard, learn all its features carefully. Like any other financial product, it has both strong and weak sides. That is why evaluating whether the benefits overwhelm the drawbacks is essential.

To help you manage it, our team has analyzed Bean credit cards and made an inventory of their essential characteristics. So, let’s look at this Citibank (one of the biggest American banks) product together!

Generous Reward Rate

The main reason these credit rewards cards are popular is the flexible rewards system. It would help if you remembered that this credit option offers bonuses for every Bean merchandise and other payments.

For example, for each purchase from your Bean savings account, you will get a 4% reward in so-called Bean Bucks that you can use for future purchases. The more you buy, the cheaper it is for you.

But it doesn’t mean it is the only benefit of using this bank card. Apart from shopping, you can receive a 2% reward at gas stations and restaurants. A person with this card also gets a 1% reward on travel, groceries, drugstore purchases, and other purchases.

APRs

The annual percentage rate is the actual cost of the loan, which includes, in addition to the nominal rate, commissions and other expenses. It is calculated automatically after confirming the loan terms and displayed in the loan agreement.

Like any other credit solution, L.L.Bean Mastercard charges an annual percentage rate. A purchase A.P.R. varies from 17.24% to 26.24%. At the same time, you will have to pay 25.24% for a cash advance. You won’t have an introductory period for making your first Bean purchase or with zero interest charges.

Fees

The annual fee is another pleasant surprise for people who want to get an L.L. Bean card. It is a payment a borrower has to pay to a bank or online lender for using their services. If you opt for this card, you won’t have to pay an annual fee.

Among other things, you can enjoy free L.L. Bean purchases, free standard shipping, free return shipping, and monogramming. However, this Citibank product charges a 5% fee for balance transfers. It means a $2,000 balance may cost you an additional $100. Make sure you don’t miss payments. In case of late payment, you will have to pay $40.

To avoid a late fee, you can use financial apps to check credit card balances and remind about paydays.

Charges for Foreign Transactions

This option is not the best way to deal with money abroad. Otherwise, be ready to pay 3% of the amount you spend on each purchase. Just imagine that if you spent $4,000 while having a vacation, you would pay $120 just for making foreign transactions.

So, if you are not using this Citibank card in the U.S.A., it is better to leave it at home and look for other solutions. This step will prevent you from extra expenses.

What Credit Required

If your financial reputation looks like a disaster, L.L. Bean is not your best solution. However, the credit requirements for the borrowers are not harsh. It is how the card issuer checks the borrowers’ creditworthiness. To qualify for this card, you must score 700-850 points. You can consider other cards, like the Old Navy Credit Card.

You should also know that the card issuer conducts a credit check before issuing a card. It reports to 3 major credit bureaus: Equifax, Experian, and Transunion. As a result, your credit score can decrease by several points, although it won’t last long. If you fulfill your financial obligations and don’t allow yourself to make a late fee within a billing cycle, your score will get higher.

Pros & Cons Of L.L.Bean Mastercard

Like any other credit solutions offered by financial services companies, LLBM (previously L.L.B. Visa) has both advantages and disadvantages. To understand whether it is an excellent alternative, let’s consider them in detail.

Advantages

1. Generous rewards

The L.L.B. card presents great bonuses for L.L.B. store fans. Just imagine getting 4% cash back from each shopping. The reward system is easy to understand and join. You start earning bonuses after any purchase.

The bonuses are earned in the form of Bean Bucks, equal to dollars. For example, for each $100, you will get $4. At gas stations, you will also receive 2%. Other similar options, like the Gap Visa card, provide a lower cashback rate.

2. Free shipping

People with L.L.B. cards can use free regular shipping and return shipping during online shopping. Monogramming is also available for free.

3. Beneficial fees

This card offers zero annual fees. The A.P.R. is also relatively low. It ranges from 17.24% to 26.24%. It is lower than loan conditions offered by other cards.

Disadvantages

1. Registration process

You won’t get a credit card even if you buy things regularly without a personal online account. To apply for the card, you need to have an L.L.B. account. It means that you need to log in to qualify for it.,

2. Foreign transaction fee

Be ready to pay a 3% fee for foreign transactions for each purchase. Even though Mastercard is accepted worldwide, it is not a good solution for devoted travelers. Among other cons is that if you make a Bean purchase with this card, there is no introductory A.P.R. offer.

About Cashback of L.L.Bean Mastercard

As mentioned, this card is a cashback one. It is essential to understand before getting a card approval. If you are not using L.L.Bean Mastercard store services, it is better to look for other credit solutions.

A card owner gets a 4% bonus reward for each item bought from this company. At a gas station, you will receive 2% and 1% for all other transactions. Your next purchase can be paid with these bonuses.

What Are Bean Bucks?

After you have completed a Bean credit card login process, you can start earning bonuses. Now you know that for each payment, you can get rewards. However, the virtual cash you get is counted not in dollars but in Bean Bucks.

One Bean Bucks amounts to 1 dollar. It is essential to underline that you can use earned rewards only for compensating the prize of items sold by L.L.B. If you will not do it, look for a more beneficial alternative.

How Can I Earn Bean Bucks

Bean Bucks may sound complicated, but to earn them, you need to pay using your card. The best way to accumulate bonuses is to buy things from L.L.B. You will get 4% for each payment.

Moreover, if you visit gas stations frequently, you can receive 2% cash back for using this card there. On the other hand, if you are not buying anything in these places, you won’t get a reward.

If you still doubt whether this card option is an excellent solution, look for user-generated content and read customer feedback.

What Bonus Categories and Limitations Does L.L.B. Have?

We have already told you about all the bonuses offered by this card. However, we haven’t answered the question about who and how we can get them. As we have defined before, only a borrower with a credit score of more than 700 points can apply for this card. It is the only difficulty that you can face.

To apply for a card, you must visit the official site of an L.L.B. credit card. You don’t have to look for the nearest financial institution. Then, you will be required to fill in the application form providing information about your financial matters. You must specify your social security number, address, phone number, and income data.