Blue Nile is a major jewelry retailer with an impressive selection of engagement rings, diamonds, and other jewelry items. With purchases easily costing a few thousand dollars, looking into financing options is something most shoppers will want to do.📑
Let’s take a closer look at the Blue Nile credit card and whether it’s a good option for financing your next jewelry purchase.
Blue Nile credit card review: What are the main benefits?
The Blue Nile credit card is a retail credit card with special offers that help you save when you make large jewelry purchases.
Zero percent APR on specific purchases
Some Blue Nile purchases will qualify for zero-percent financing if you use the credit card. However, you’ll have to pay off your balance in full before the end of a term.
If you spend between $500 and $1,499, you can get zero-interest financing with a six-month term. If you spend $1,500 and more, you’ll get zero-percent financing for 12 months.
However, if you make a purchase in the Astor by Blue Nile product line, you’ll have to spend at least $2,000 to qualify for zero-interest financing for 12 months.
Credit plans with special financing
The Blue Nile credit card gives you access to additional special financing options. The zero-interest financing plans have limited terms, but your purchase will also qualify for 9.99% financing if you want a longer term. You’ll be able to select the financing plan you want at checkout.
You can qualify for different credit plans with a 9.99% APR:
- If you spend $2,000 to $2,999 on your purchase, you’ll get a 24-month term.
- If your purchase costs $3,000 to $3,999, you can get a 36-month term.
- The term extends to 48 months for purchases between $4,000 and $5,999.
- If you spend $6,000 or more, you’ll have 60 months to pay off your balance.
These different plans give you access to affordable financing with reasonable terms, which results in monthly payments that work for your budget.😚
There are no penalties if you pay off your balance early. However, you won’t have much control over how Comenity, the bank that issues Blue Nile credit cards, distributes the money if you pay more than the minimum. You’ll have to contact customer service if you want to apply a larger payment to a specific credit plan.
Are there any fees?
There are no annual fees for the Blue Nile credit card. It’s definitely a plus since credit cards typically come with an average annual fee of $110.
There is a late fee of $41 if you miss a payment, which corresponds to what most credit card issuers charge.
Grace period
The grace period is another noteworthy benefit. If you fail to pay off your balance by the time of the financing period, Comenity Bank will start charging interest to the account. Comenity will charge interest from the date of the purchase and use the 28.99% APR, which can add up to a significant sum.
However, you have a grace period of 25 days to pay off your account after the end of the special financing period.
Special offers
There isn’t much information about special offers and promotions available to cardholders, but Blue Nile seems to share exclusive marketing emails with special deals regularly with cardholders.
Convenient online tools
The great thing about Blue Nile credit card financing is that you’ll have access to a convenient online portal. You can use this portal to check your balance, see how much credit you have available, and make payments. And there’s more:
- There is no app but you can easily access this site with a mobile browser.
- With EasyPay, you can save time by making a payment as a guest without having to log into your account.
- You can schedule and manage automatic payments.
Boost your credit score
Comenity will report your new credit line and every Blue Nile credit card payment you make to the three credit reporting agencies. Because purchases can easily reach a few thousand dollars when shopping for jewelry, this credit card will probably boost your credit score by adding more available credit.🤗
An overview of Blue Nile credit card rates
The Blue Nile comes with a standard APR of 28.99%. It’s much higher than what most credit cards charge, but it’s not unusual to see retail credit cards with high APRs, especially if zero-interest financing is available.💡
How to apply for a Blue Nile credit card?
You can apply in a store or online. You’ll need to create an account on the Blue Nile website and fill out a simple application form.
You’ll have to share your name, contact information, address, and Social Security Numbers. You’ll also have to share information about your income.
Next, Comenity Bank will pull your credit score and you’ll receive an approval decision almost instantly. The entire process should only take a few minutes.
Other payment methods available at Blue Nile
You can pay for your Blue Nile purchase with any major credit card, including VISA, MasterCard, and American Express. You can also use a payment method like PayPal, Alipay, or WeChat Pay or pay with a bank wire.
However, you won’t be able to use cash or money orders to pay for your purchase. Debit cards will work as long as they come from VISA or MasterCard.
Is the Blue Nile credit card worth it?
It depends on how much you plan on spending at Blue Nile. There are a few drawbacks to consider:
- The 28.99% APR is extremely high. Unless your purchase qualifies for 0% or 9.99% financing, we don’t recommend using this card.
- The minimum payment amounts are another drawback. They don’t always correspond to the full amount of the account, which means you have to do the math yourself and might have to make larger monthly payments to pay off your balance in time.
- Like with most zero-interest financing offers, you’ll have to pay interest if you fail to pay off your balance within the financing period. However, interests will add up from the day of your purchase, which can cost a lot.
- Balance transfers aren’t available, which means you can’t refinance your purchase.
- There are occasional special offers and promotions, but no rewards or loyalty points.
Do we recommend the Blue Nile credit card?
Overall, we don’t recommend the Blue Nile credit card for purchases that don’t qualify for special financing or if you’re not confident that you’ll be able to pay off your account balance before the end of the special financing period.
However, the card can be a good option if you make a purchase that qualifies for 0% financing and can pay it off within the financing period. Even larger purchases that qualify for 9.99% financing are interesting since it’s a low APR compared to what most credit cards charge.✅
How do other credit cards compare?
If you’re considering a jewelry purchase, you should know that Kay Jewelers, Jared, and Zales also offer credit cards issued by Comenity.
These cards have a minimum purchase limit since you can get zero-interest financing if you spend $300 or more. However, the APR for larger purchases is higher since you’ll pay 16.99% on financing for purchases of $1,500 or more instead of 9.99%.
Compared to Blue Nile, these retailers tend to offer better special offers. For instance, the Kay Jewelers card comes with a $100 discount during your birthday months, $100 off during your anniversary month, and savings on jewelry repairs.
You can also save by using a non-retailer credit card for your jewelry purchase. Most credit card issuers have 0% introductory APR offers when you open a new card, which can be a good way to finance a large purchase:
- The Chase Freedom Unlimited card comes with no annual fee and 0% APR for your first 15 months. You’ll also get 1.5% cashback on all your purchases and a $200 bonus if you spend $500 or more within your first three months. A jewelry purchase would make it easy to qualify for this bonus.
- The Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards credit card is another option worth considering with no annual fee and 0% APR for the first 15 months. You can get 1.5% cashback on all your purchases, but there are special offers for specific retailers. At the moment, you can get 8% cashback on purchases made at Jared, Zales, and KAY Jewelers.
Other ways to save money when shopping at Blue Nile
Besides seeking affordable financing, we recommend looking for deals and savings to lower the price tag of your purchase.🤑
Sales, events, and promo codes
Blue Nile cardholders will receive occasional special offers via email, but Blue Nile mostly holds sales and special events for holidays or during Black Friday.
You can also get a one-time $50 discount if you sign up for the Blue Nile email list. There is also a 15% discount for students, military, first responders, healthcare workers, and educators.
Plus, you can get a $100 coupon code if you refer a friend and they make a purchase.
Choosing the right diamond to save
Before you shop for a diamond, you should know about the 4Cs used to assess quality. The 4Cs are cut, color, clarity, and carat weight. You can save by compromising on the 4Cs, but it’s important to know-how:
- The cut quality will determine how well the diamond will reflect light and it’s generally not a good idea to settle for a low-quality cut.✍🏻 However, emerald and Asscher cuts can be more affordable compared to round cuts since they’re easier to execute.
- The "carat" is a unit that measures the weight of a diamond. A carat is equal to 0.2 grams. There is a price hike when a diamond reaches the one or two-carat mark. You can save by getting a 0.9 or 1.9 carat stone instead.
- Clarity indicates how inclusions and imperfections are present. A few inclusions can lower the price without affecting the appearance of the diamond. Plus, it’s sometimes possible to hide flaws with a ring setting.
- It’s perfectly acceptable to save by choosing an H or G diamond in terms of color since the difference with a colorless diamond is hard to see with the naked eye.
- Consider a lab-grown diamond over a mined stone. They tend to cost less and are more ethical.
Conclusion
Jewelry purchases can be expensive, and it pays to shop around for different financing options. 👉🏻The Blue Nile credit card can be a good option for purchases that qualify for 0% or 9.99% financing, but you need to be confident that you’ll be able to pay off your balance before the end of the promotional period.
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