Cabela’s CLUB Card review: Will your hunt for a new credit card end here?
Annual Fee: $0
This content is curated by Intuit Credit Karma’s Editorial team using data from members who were approved for this card or similar cards, or who self-matched this card or similar cards. Intuit Credit Karma receives compensation from third-party advertisers, but that doesn’t affect our editors’ opinions. Our third-party advertisers don’t review, approve or endorse this content. Information about financial products not offered on Credit Karma is collected independently. Our content is accurate to the best of our knowledge when posted.
Here’s the average credit limit of members who matched their Cabela’s CLUB Card or similar cards.
% of members by credit limit range
The average credit limit for members who have matched with this card or similar cards is $6,843, with $300 being the most common.
Here’s the average credit score of members who matched their Cabela’s CLUB Card or similar cards.
% of members by credit score range
The average credit score for members who have matched with this card or similar cards is 690, with 813 being the most common. Note this is just one of the deciding factors when it comes to getting approved.
Member stats
Updated daily
34.8%
Average credit utilization (or what percent of the card’s credit limit is being used) of members who matched with this card or similar cards.
51 years
Average age of members who matched this card or similar cards.
$86,012
Average annual income of members who matched this card or similar cards. Note: Income may be estimated for some members by Credit Karma and may differ from members’ actual incomes.
Pros and cons
Image: yesNo annual fee
Image: yesEarn rewards for shopping at Cabela’s and Bass Pro Shops
Image: ConUnderwhelming sign-up bonus
Image: ConStatus upgrade not guaranteed even if you hit the spending requirements
Image: ConConfusing tiered APR system could lead to serious interest charges
Cabela’s CLUB Card review
Updated August 14, 2023
This date may not reflect recent changes in individual terms.
Written by: Tim Devaney
5 things you need to know about the Cabela’s CLUB Card
1. Bagging a two-point buck isn’t much to get excited about
The Cabela’s CLUB Card delivers underwhelming in-store savings on everyday purchases.
You’ll earn two CLUB points for every $1 you spend on purchases made from Cabela’s stores, websites, catalogs and phone orders. These savings also extend to Bass Pro Shops, which owns Cabela’s, and certain Cenex gas stations and convenience stores.
You can use the Cabela’s CLUB Card to shop at other stores, too, but you will only earn one point per $1 on all other purchases.
CLUB points are worth 1 cent each and can only be redeemed for purchases at Cabela’s and Bass Pro Shops.
Considering some other store cards offer 5% or more cash back on purchases with the branded retailer, we can’t see how this rewards program provides exceptional value.
2. The sign-up bonus is underwhelming
The Cabela’s CLUB Card tries to reel you in with up to $60 in sign-up bonuses.
- You’ll automatically receive $20 worth of points after being approved for the card.
- You can earn another $20 worth of points if you make two Bass Pro Shops or Cabela’s purchases on your card within 60 days of account approval.
- You can earn $20 in points after three purchases on the card everywhere else the card is accepted within 60 days of account approval.
3. Elite status may be unreachable
With the Cabela’s CLUB Card, you can earn more points on in-store purchases if you are upgraded to Silver or Black status.
- Silver status will earn you three points for every $1 you spend at Cabela’s and Bass Pro Shops.
- Black status will earn you five points for every $1 you spend at Cabela’s and Bass Pro Shops.
To qualify, you must use the card to spend $10,000 per year for Silver status or $25,000 per year for Black status. If you don’t have a lot of Cabela’s purchases lined up, you might have a hard time meeting the spend requirements.
Even if you do hit these steep spending requirements, though, there could be a catch. The Cabela’s CLUB Card reserves the right to refuse your status upgrade if it determines you’re not “creditworthy” — and the card agreement provides little insight into how it defines that term.
4. Don’t shoot yourself in the foot by carrying a balance
If you carry a balance on the Cabela’s CLUB Card, you could be rolling the dice on your credit.
For one thing, the Cabela’s CLUB Card charges an interest rate of 9.99% on purchases from Cabela’s and Bass Pro Shops — an offer that camouflages the potential for spending beyond your budget. When compared to the card’s regular variable APR for all other purchases, which ranges between 15.24% and 26.99%, you might be tempted to take advantage of the special in-store APR by making a big purchase you can’t pay for right away and carrying a costly balance.
Also, from time to time the Cabela’s CLUB Card may promote 0% interest “special financing” offers. But the terms of repayment are confusing, because Cabela’s doesn’t indicate how interest charges will be applied after the promotional period ends.
Even if you pay down most — but not all — of your balance before the special financing period ends, some cards charge “deferred interest” on the entire balance (including the amounts you already paid), if you don’t pay the whole thing off by a certain due date.
Does the Cabela’s card do that? We don’t know. But the terms as we read them do sound eerily similar to deferred interest clauses we’ve seen from other store cards. Even if they don’t charge deferred interest, the lack of clarity with this and other card features troubles us.
5. No annual fee is nice
Not everything about the Cabela’s CLUB Card is bad.
After all, it is affordable for most of the store’s shoppers, because it doesn’t charge an annual fee.
Consider the Cabela’s Outdoor Rewards program instead
The Cabela’s CLUB Card isn’t your only opportunity to save on Cabela’s purchases. By joining the Cabela’s Outdoor Rewards program instead of applying for a Cabela’s credit card, you might be able to save even more money overall on your purchases.
Your rewards card isn’t a credit card or any other form of payment, but many of its features match those of the Cabela’s CLUB Card. Here’s a rundown of how it works.
- You’ll still earn two points for every $1 you spend on Cabela’s purchases, just like you would with the credit card.
- By paying for your purchase with another credit card, you could earn cash back or rewards from a separate rewards program, in addition to the rewards points you earn with Cabela’s Outdoor Rewards. It’s like double-dipping in the rewards pool.
More importantly, you may benefit more financially by not adding another credit card to your wallet. Store credit cards can be risky, and they’re sometimes worth it if the rewards can save you a lot of money. But if you can achieve those savings through the store’s dedicated rewards program, what’s the benefit of applying for the in-store card, too?
Who this card is good for
We can’t even recommend the Cabela’s CLUB Card to people who frequently shop at the outdoors store, because you may be able to earn more by participating in Cabela’s Outdoor Rewards program and using another credit card.
The Cabela’s CLUB Card is riddled with confusing or vague terms and explanations for things like whether you’ll qualify for elite status and how special-financing offers work. We look at credit card agreements every day and still couldn’t figure out some of this card’s terms. You’re probably better off playing it safe and looking for another option.
Not sure this card is right for you? Consider these alternatives.
- Citi Double Cash® Card: Consider this card if you’re looking for a strong cash-back rate on every purchase you make.
- Petal® 1 Visa® Credit Card: This is a decent starter card with no annual fee — and the opportunity to earn cash back on some purchases.
- Discover it® Cash Back: This card is a good option for earning cash back wherever you shop.