Our Verdict
The Capital One Bass Pro Shops® CLUB Credit Card* is meant to hook those who frequent Bass Pro Shops and/or Cabela’s for their outdoor sporting needs. The no-annual-fee card earns 2% back at Bass Pro Shops, Cabela's & participating Cenex locations and 1% back on all other purchases.
You may get reeled in by the Mastercard perks and a path to earning even higher rewards if you meet certain spending thresholds on the card each year. But you’ll have to fish hard to find the value in this card. You can do better with a general-purpose rewards card.
Note: This card has an identical twin, the Capital One Cabela’s CLUB® Credit Card*. These two cards are exactly the same and different in name only.
Highlights
- Earn up to $50 in CLUB Points, terms apply
- Earn 2% back per dollar spent at Bass Pro Shops, Cabela’s and participating Cenex locations
- Earn 1% back per dollar spent anywhere Mastercard is accepted
- No annual fee
Introduction
If your favorite way to spend time outside requires gear, you’ve likely spent a good chunk of change acquiring it. Hunting, fishing, watersports and camping all require an investment in various equipment. Using the Capital One Bass Pro Shops® CLUB Credit Card* is one way to earn rewards on those purchases with an eye towards redeeming for more equipment down the line.
Even though it runs on the Mastercard network and can be used just about anywhere, it’s best to think of the Bass Pro Shops card as a store card with benefits. That’s because although your qualifying purchases on the card, which includes purchases at Bass Pro Shops, Cabela’s and Cenex locations, are subject to a fairly low APR of: 9.99%, all other purchases on the card are subject to a higher APR of 9.99% APR on Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s purchases, 20.49% - 32.24% variable APR.
Those who do spend big on the card will start out earning 2 points per dollar spent within the Bass Pro Shops/Cabela’s/Cenex ecosystem, with the potential to snag higher rates after meeting spending thresholds.
These are great possible rewards from a no-annual-fee card but there are a couple of things that could turn this card into chum. You can only redeem your rewards towards another Bass Pro Shops or Cabela’s purchase. You can’t get cash back or even use the earnings as a statement credit towards paying down your bill. That, plus the mediocre returns and higher APR on unrelated spending mean this is a card best used just within the brand and used to get discounts towards future purchases within the brand.
In other words, it’s a store card camouflaged with a Mastercard label. Throw this card back and scoop up a general-purpose rewards card that lets you use your rewards however you’d like.
Quick Facts
- Annual fee: $0
- Welcome bonus: $20$20 in CLUB Points upon approval, an extra $10 in points after 2 Bass Pro Shops or Cabela's purchases within 30 days of account approval and $20 in points after 5 purchases everywhere else within 30 days of account approval
- Purchase APR on Bass Pro Shops, Cabela’s and Cenex spending: 9.99% APR
- Purchase APR on all other spending: 9.99% APR on Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s purchases, 20.49% - 32.24% variable APR
- Earn 2% back at Bass Pro Shops, Cabela's & participating Cenex locations and 1% back on all other purchases
- Comes with Mastercard perks and benefits
- Rewards can only be redeemed towards purchases at Bass Pro Shops or Cabela’s
Bass Pro Shop Card Rewards
Earning Rewards
Cardholders are automatically considered to be Bass Pro Shops CLUB Classic Members. At the Classic level, you’ll earn 2% back at Bass Pro Shops, Cabela's & participating Cenex locations and 1% back on all other purchases.
If you spend at least $10,000 on your Bass Pro Shops credit card in a calendar year, you’ll get boosted from Classic to Silver status which means you’ll earn 3% back on your spending at Bass Pro Shops’ family of stores. Spend at least $25,000 on the card in a year and you’ll get the highest level status, Black, which will net you an oversized 5% back on all your spending at Bass Pro Shops, Cabela’s and participating Cenex gas stations.
Redeeming Rewards
Points are worth one cent each and there is no minimum redemption amount. Points can only be redeemed towards purchases with Cabela’s and Bass Pro Shops and their merchandising subsidiaries, including in-store restaurants, located in the U.S.
Rewards Potential
Forbes Advisor uses data from various government agencies in order to determine both baseline income and spending averages across various categories. The 70th percentile of wage-earning households brings in $116,000 annually and has $36,177 in expenses that can be charged to a credit card.
Of that $36,177 we estimate our sample cardholder would spend a combined $5,039 on leisure pursuits, clothing and gas spending. Assuming that all of these purchases were made at Bass Pro Shops, Cabela’s or Cenex gas stations and earned 2 points per dollar spent, that would net 10,078 points. Spending in other categories would net 31,138 points for a total of 41,216 points, which can be redeemed for $412.16 in qualifying purchases at Bass Pro Shops or Cabela’s.
Other Bass Pro Shop Card Benefits
Holders of the Bass Pro Shops card will receive several other Bass Pro perks including standard Mastercard benefits:
- Exclusive offers. Cardholders will receive members-only discounts, promotions, in-store events and giveaways.
- Zero liability protection. You’re not responsible for unauthorized charges made on your card.
- Global services. Get emergency assistance anytime, anywhere and in any language. This includes reporting a lost or stolen card, obtaining an emergency card replacement or cash advance, finding an ATM and answering questions on your account.
- ID theft protection. You can opt in to this service that monitors your credit file for changes that could indicate fraud, sends you emergency alerts and can assign you a resolution specialist if fraud is detected.
- Signature events. Access to learn from expert outfitters and go behind-the-scenes with the top brands in the industry.
- Price match. If you find an identical product currently being sold at a lower price by another retailer within 100 miles of your local Bass Pro Shops or Cabela’s store, or on a qualifying website, we will match that price at the time of purchase. CLUB members will get an additional 5% off the matched price.
Fine Print
Interest Rates
- Regular APR: 9.99% APR on Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s purchases, 20.49% - 32.24% variable APR
- Intro APR: N/A
- Balance transfer intro APR: N/A
Fees
- Annual fee: $0
- Balance transfer fee: 3% of the amount of each transferred balance that posts to your account at a promotional APR that we may offer you.
- Foreign purchase transaction fee: None
How the Bass Pro Shops Card Stacks Up
Capital One Bass Pro Shops® CLUB Credit Card* vs. Ducks Unlimited Rewards Visa® Card*
If you like the idea of a card that celebrates the great outdoors, consider the Ducks Unlimited Rewards Visa® Card*. The no-annual-fee card earns 3% back per dollar spent on Ducks Unlimited purchases (up to $10,000) during each 12 consecutive billing cycle, then earn 1.5% back for the remainder of the qualifying period. Earn an unlimited 1.5% back per dollar spent on all other purchases and a portion will go to support wetlands conservation.
Unlike the Bass Pro Shops card which limits your earnings to redemptions for more merchandise from the company, you have more options with the Ducks Unlimited Rewards Visa® Card*.
Redemption options for the Ducks Unlimited Rewards Visa® Card* include merchandise, gift cards/certificates, travel (flights, hotels and car rentals) and cold hard cash (statement credit, ACH or check). One drawback: For cash back redemptions, you can only redeem your rewards in increments of $25, $50, $100, $250 and $1,000, so you’ll have to wait until you squirrel away enough rewards to meet one of those thresholds. Other rewards may be redeemed starting at 1,000 points.
Capital One Bass Pro Shops® CLUB Credit Card* vs. Chase Freedom Flex℠
Even if you spend nearly all of your disposable income on things related to the great outdoors, you might find a card that rewards you for all of life’s other expenses could yield greater rewards overall. Consider the Chase Freedom Flex℠ card if you want a pumped-up earnings structure that covers a wide swath of expenses.
The Freedom Flex Card carries a $0 annual fee and earns 5% cash back on up to $1,500 in combined purchases in categories that rotate quarterly (requires activation), 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3% cash back on dining and drugstores and 1% cash back on all other purchases. Earnings can be taken in any amount at any time as a deposit to your eligible bank account, to use for travel through Chase’s portal, to buy gift cards or to Shop with Points on Amazon.
Capital One Bass Pro Shops® CLUB Credit Card* vs. Citi Double Cash® Card
If keeping track of which card to use at different times sounds like a chore, consider an easy-to-earn, easy-to-redeem card like the Citi Double Cash® Card. The card earns a straightforward 2% cash back on all purchases—1% when purchases are made and another 1% when they’re paid off. It carries a $0 annual fee and your rewards are earned as ThankYou points that can be redeemed as cash back via a statement credit, direct deposit or a a check mailed to you.
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Is the Bass Pro Shops Card for You?
The Capital One Bass Pro Shops Card could be the right choice for someone who uses this card just for purchases within the brand, is comfortable only being able to use the rewards to buy items from the retailer and doesn’t mind using another card on all other spending. But that’s likely a pretty narrow channel for most. If you’re looking for rewards that you can spend any way you’d like, it makes more sense to go with another option and let this card swim with the fishes.
*The information for the following card(s) has been collected independently by Forbes Advisor: Capital One Bass Pro Shops® CLUB Credit Card, Capital One Cabela’s CLUB® Credit Card, Ducks Unlimited Rewards Visa® Card. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
