L.L.Bean Mastercard Review 2024 (2024)

The L.L.Bean® Mastercard®* earns rewards as Bean Bucks redeemable toward future L.L.Bean purchases. The card earns 4% Bean Bucks® per dollar spent at L.L. Bean, 2% Bean Bucks® per dollar spent at restaurants and gas stations and 1% Bean Bucks® per dollar spent on all other purchases. As is typical with many cards, purchases made at bakeries or cafes and restaurants inside of other stores won’t typically earn the full 2%. Likewise, with gas stations attached to supermarkets or wholesale clubs—these purchases will only earn 1%.

While limited on the additional perks, the card does offer free standard shipping and free return shipping on all L.L.Bean orders, plus free monogramming of L.L.Bean products. These perks don’t apply to L.L.Bean for Business items and shipping perks do not apply to express shipping, oversized item shipping or shipping to addresses outside of the U.S. You must use your card or Bean Bucks to make the purchases and receive these perks.

You won’t want to use your L.L.Bean Mastercard overseas much, since it charges a 3% of each purchase transaction in U.S. dollars foreign transaction fee. The card also includes a welcome offer of 15% off the purchase you make in the same website visit where you receive instant approval for the card. If you leave the website and return, the offer won’t be valid.

• $0 annual fee
• Earn 15% off today at L.L.Bean upon approval with the L.L.Bean® Mastercard®, terms apply
• Earn 4% Bean Bucks® per dollar spent at L.L. Bean, 2% Bean Bucks® per dollar spent at restaurants and gas stations and 1% Bean Bucks® per dollar spent on all other purchases
• Free standard shipping, free return shipping and free monogramming of L.L.Bean products purchased with the card or Bean Bucks

Earning Rewards

The L.L.Bean® Mastercard®* earns 4% Bean Bucks® per dollar spent at L.L. Bean, 2% Bean Bucks® per dollar spent at restaurants and gas stations and 1% Bean Bucks® per dollar spent on all other purchases. Bean Bucks are earned immediately and will appear in your account at llbean.com and on your statement each month.

The L.L.Bean® Mastercard®* includes a welcome bonus: 15% off today at L.L.Bean upon approval with the L.L.Bean® Mastercard®, terms apply.

Redeeming Rewards

Bean Bucks earned with the L.L.Bean Mastercard reduce the total amount of a purchase by $1 each. Bean Bucks may be used to pay for purchases via the L.L.Bean website, in person or over the phone. If over the phone or in person, cardholders must inform the sales agent of the desire to use Bean Bucks before the purchase is complete, as Bean Bucks cannot be used retroactively.

Bean Bucks may only be used toward the price of merchandise or services purchased from L.L.Bean and are not redeemable toward express or oversized shipping, sales tax, Outdoor Discover Programs or L.L.Bean for Business purchases.

Rewards Potential

Forbes Advisor uses data from various government agencies in order to determine both baseline income and spending averages across various categories. Our estimated 70th percentile household brings in $116,000 annually and has $36,177 in expenses that can be reasonably charged to a credit card.

Of these purchases, we estimate the average household will spend $2,227 on clothing or apparel each year. If an individual spends half this amount at L.L.Bean, they can expect to earn 44.54 Bean Bucks on these purchases. Since this household also spends $1,905 on gas and $3,856 at restaurants, it might see earnings of 38.1 and 77.12 Bean Bucks, respectively. For all remaining purchases, the household might see an additional 293 Bean Bucks. This brings the potential annual reward to 452.76 Bean Bucks. Based on personal research, we think one of those canvas L.L.Bean totes could carry that many Bean Bucks.

• Standard Mastercard benefits: The card includes Zero Liability, ID Theft protection and global assistance services.
• Free shipping: Pay nothing for standard L.L.Bean order delivery when you purchase with the card.
• Free return shipping: Ship your L.L.Bean returns back for free when you make the purchase with the card.

Interest Rates

• Regular APR: 20.24% - 29.24% variable
• Purchase intro APR: N/A
• Balance transfer intro APR: N/A

Fees

• Annual fee: $0
• Balance transfer fees: 5% of each transaction, minimum $10
• Foreign transaction fees: 3% of each purchase transaction in U.S. dollars

L.L.Bean® Mastercard®* vs. REI Co-op® Mastercard®*

The new REI Co-op® Mastercard®* offers a better all-around reward potential for those who prefer REI over L.L.Bean, but there’s not a ton of reasons someone couldn’t leverage rewards from both cards—especially since the REI card is a Mastercard and offers rewards for all purchases made outside of the brand, too. The REI Co-op® Mastercard®* earns 5% back on purchases at REI, 1.5% back on all other eligible purchases.

Though the card doesn’t offer a shipping benefit, the REI Co-op® Mastercard®* does offer an annual $50 credit toward REI Co-op Experiences and doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees. The REI Co-op® Mastercard®* does require REI Co-op membership to apply. REI Co-op membership costs a one-time $30 fee.

L.L.Bean® Mastercard®* vs. Capital One Bass Pro Shops® CLUB Credit Card*

The Capital One Bass Pro Shops® CLUB Credit Card* doesn’t reel in rewards quite as tasty as those offered by the L.L.Bean Mastercard. The Bass Pro Shops CLUB card earns 2% back at Bass Pro Shops, Cabela's & participating Cenex locations and 1% back on all other purchases and also doesn’t charge an annual fee.

Your preference in store will likely determine if you opt for an L.L.Bean Mastercard or a Capital One Bass Pro Shop/Cabela’s CLUB Credit card, but if you’re more focused on rewards the L.L.Bean Mastercard is a better pick.

L.L.Bean® Mastercard®* vs. Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card*

The Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card* doesn’t earn store rewards. Instead, it earns 2% cash rewards on purchases. This earned-everywhere, flat-rate cash back may be more appealing to those who want more flexibility in redemption. Because cards such as the L.L.Bean Mastercard limit reward redemptions to brand purchases, you’ll likely see much more value from a card such as the Wells Fargo Active Cash.

The Wells Fargo Active Cash also offers a 0% intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and qualifying balance transfers, then a 20.24%, 25.24%, or 29.99% variable APR applies. Balance transfers made within 120 days qualify for the intro rate and fee of 3% then a fee of up to 5%, with a minimum of $5 applies. Its welcome bonus doesn’t require you to make a purchase right after applying for the card: Simply earn $200 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 in purchases in the first 3 months.

Are you an L.L.Beanie? The L.L.Bean® Mastercard®* isn’t a terrible store card, but it’s not the best out there. Its rewards and store-related purchases don’t quite lead in the outdoor-apparel-co-branded-credit-cards industry, but the card isn’t trailing behind the pack. Though the card doesn’t offer any sketchy special financing offers, be sure to read the fine print for yourself as you should with any card you chose to apply for.

Methodology

Forbes Advisor considers a variety of criteria when assigning credit cards a rating. Cards are graded based on numerous factors including:

• Welcome bonus offers
• Ongoing earning rates
• Value of individual points
• Included brand perks
• Additional cardholder benefits

Card features we expect cardholders to use the most often are weighted more heavily in our ratings. Altogether, the factors came together to provide a star rating for each individual card.

Read more: How Forbes Advisor Rates Credit Cards