When I was in college, I was fortunate enough to work as a Sales Associate at Victoria’s Secret in the Georgetown Park Mall in Washington, DC. It was in a great area and I got to work with a lot of higher-class people. (Go ahead. Call me a diva. I understand.) The hours were flexible, and I loved working there.
Unfortunately, while working there, I was offered the opportunity to apply for a Victoria’s Secret Angels Card, the credit card offered by Victoria’s Secret. I was 20, and I didn’t even have a credit card yet. SO, I applied, thinking that I was going to be denied.
I was wrong.
I received a credit limit of a mere $200. That might not seem like a lot to you, but for a 20 working in a store that sells her favorite panties, it was like manna from Heaven. PLUS, I got the additional 20% off for being a store employee. ROCK!
Needless to say, I charged up my Angels Card pretty quick. But, since I worked at Victoria’s Secret, it was easy for me to make my payments on time. I usually paid in full, too. That was both a good and bad thing.
It was a good thing, because it made my credit rating jump. If you’re responsible with payments to credit cards, your credit rating will go up. If not, it goes down, and you end up carrying a mark with you for a while.
The bad part was that, with my elevating credit rating, I was rewarded with MORE credit. Instead of a $200 limit, it was raised to $450. From $450, it went to $700. Now, I’ve got over $1000 of credit to use with my Angel Card. And, Vitoria’s Secret is just so darned tempting to shop at…
As you can well imagine, I spent and spent with my Angel Card. I spoiled myself so much that the only underwear that will touch my skin is from Victoria’s Secret. I weaned myself off of the nightgowns and pajamas, branching off into other brands, so I don’t spend that much more money at Victoria’s Secret.
The thing is, the Angel Card makes it so darned easy to shop! You can use it in the Victoria’s Secret store, catalog and website. Furthermore, the Angel Card is accepted at many other stores and websites, including Bath & Body Works and FTD.com.
The incentives are terrific. Regardless of how much you use your Angel Card, you are constantly sent opportunities for discounts and even free products in the mail. You receive the Victoria’s Secret catalog about once every 2 months, which is great. You also receive your bill evern month, usually filled with coupons, samples and members-only specials. For example, I received a coupon for a free pair of Victoria’s Secret pantyhose– no minimum purchase. In the past, I have received coupons for free bras and panties, and even a 75% off coupon for anything in the store.
Angel Card also has the Angels Rewards Program, in which you earn points when shopping with Victoria’s Secret (either catalog, web or store). Once you hit 500 points, they convert to gift certificates. Different items have different points values, and you have special earning opportunities throughout the year. I know that you can earn over 100 points for each bra that you purchase. You can use the gift certificates that you earn for anything you want.
The bill comes once a month, due by the 26th or 27th. The Angel Card is from WFNNB, the same bank that finances the Lerner NY Card and others. (Both Victoria’s Secret and Lerner are under the umbrella of The Limited, Inc.WFNNB is probably the preferred bank for all of The Limited companies.) The APR is a staggering 22.99%. Take my advice and DON’T CARRY A BALANCE!!!! You’ll get buried in the interest charges. Pay off your balance ASAP. Trust me– I’m still paying off what I charged up in college.
As far as store credit cards go, the Victoria’s Secret Angel Card is one of the best. The reward program and other incentives make up for the high APR. Just don’t make the same mistake I did and go hog-wild in the store, from the catalog, or on the web like I did.
