Old Navy vs. Banana Republic Credit Card

If you shop at Old Navy or Banana Republic, you've probably been offered the store's credit card at checkout. Both are now Barclays "Encore" Mastercards: the Old Navy Encore Mastercard and the Banana Republic Encore Mastercard. Barclays also issues the same card under the Gap and Athleta brands.

The short version: these are the same card with different logos. The rewards work the same way, the rates and fees on Barclays' pages match, and points from any of them pool into one Encore account that works across the whole Gap Inc. family. The real differences are the first-purchase discount and which store's branding you'd rather carry.

The more useful question is whether one of them earns a place next to the card you already use. That depends mostly on how much you spend at Gap Inc. brands, and on one catch: the rewards can only be spent there.

What the four Encore Mastercards have in common

According to Barclays' card pages and Gap Inc.'s Encore program terms (checked October 19, 2026), each Encore Mastercard:

• has no annual fee
• earns "5X" points at the Gap Inc. family of brands (Old Navy, Gap, Banana Republic, Athleta), "3X" at other eligible retail apparel brands and "1X" everywhere else Mastercard is accepted
• converts 500 points into a $1 reward, redeemable on purchases at Gap Inc. brands or in the Encore Market
• includes free shipping on online orders of $35 or more
• carries a 33.49% variable purchase APR, with a balance transfer fee of $5 or 5%, whichever is greater

So it doesn't matter whether you open the Old Navy card or the Banana Republic card: a dollar spent at Banana Republic earns the same points on either one.

What "5X" actually means

The multipliers are easy to misread. "5X" doesn't mean 5 points per dollar. Gap Inc.'s Encore terms say members without the card earn 5 points per $1 at its brands, and cardholders earn five times that:

Gap Inc.'s FAQ adds that cardholders with a World or World Elite Mastercard version earn 10 points per $1 everywhere else (about 2%). "Eligible apparel stores" means merchants coded as clothing stores; the FAQ excludes wholesale clubs, Amazon, Target and Walmart.

At Gap Inc. brands, 5% back beats a typical flat-rate card. Spend $1,000 a year across Old Navy and Banana Republic, and you earn 25,000 points, or $50 in rewards. A no-annual-fee flat 2% card such as Wells Fargo Active Cash would earn $20 on the same spending.

The catch: it's store credit, not cash

Those $50 can only be spent at Gap Inc. brands or in the Encore Market. Under the program terms, points can't be redeemed for gift cards, taxes or shipping, can't pay your card bill, and have no cash value. They also expire if you don't earn or use any points for 12 months.

That changes the comparison in two ways:

• If you'd shop there anyway, store credit is close to cash, and 5% at Gap Inc. brands is a strong rate.
• Outside Gap Inc. brands, about 1% in store credit is weaker than 2% cash back you can spend anywhere. Use your regular card for groceries, gas and everything else.

Our cash back vs. travel points guide explains how to compare reward currencies when one of them can only be spent in one place.

Where the cards differ: the first-purchase discount

The welcome offer on these cards isn't a cash bonus. It's a percentage off your first purchase at that brand, and this is the one place where the Old Navy and Banana Republic versions differ.

• Old Navy Encore Mastercard: Barclays' page lists 30% off your first purchase at Old Navy with your new card.
• Banana Republic Encore Mastercard: Barclays' page lists 20% off your first purchase at Banana Republic.

Barclays' terms say the discount code expires 14 days after the account is opened if you apply online, and it applies to your first purchase in store the same day if you open the account in store. The new card must be the only payment method on that purchase.

That makes the timing simple: apply only when you already have a large purchase planned. A 30% discount on a $300 back-to-school or work-wardrobe haul is $90, more than a year of 5% rewards on $1,000 of spending. Applying for a $25 purchase isn't worth a credit inquiry. For how card applications affect your credit, see our credit utilization guide.

Mastercard vs. store card: what you're actually approved for

People often search "can I use my Old Navy card anywhere?" The answer depends on which version you get.

• The Encore Mastercard works anywhere Mastercard is accepted.
• If you aren't approved for the Mastercard, Barclays says you'll automatically be considered for the Encore Credit Card, a store card that only works at Gap Inc. stores and online.

With the store card, the Gap Inc. earn rate and the first-purchase discount still apply. You just can't use it anywhere else, and since 1% in store credit isn't a great everyday rate, that isn't a big loss.

The APR is the real risk

At 33.49% variable, carrying a balance on any of these cards wipes out the rewards fast. A $500 balance carried for a year at that rate costs well over $100 in interest, while $500 of Gap Inc. spending earned about $25 in rewards. Our payment priority guide covers which balance to pay first if you're carrying more than one.

So which one should you get?

If you mostly shop at Old Navy: the Old Navy Encore Mastercard, opened right before a big planned purchase so the 30% first-purchase discount does the heavy lifting. Then use it for Gap Inc. purchases only.

If you mostly shop at Banana Republic: the Banana Republic card's 20% first-purchase discount applies at Banana Republic. Points earn the same at every Gap Inc. brand, so if your big purchase that day is at Old Navy, the Old Navy card's 30% is the bigger discount.

If you shop across all Gap Inc. brands: pick one. Don't open several Encore cards; they earn the same everywhere in the family and pool into one rewards account.

If you rarely shop at Gap Inc. brands: skip them. A few hundred dollars a year earns only a few dollars more than a flat 2% card, and those dollars expire if you stop shopping there.

If this would be your first credit card: a store card can be easier to get, but a starter card that earns on everything usually builds a more useful credit history. Our first credit card guide walks through the options.

Quick checklist before you apply

1. Have a large purchase planned at the brand within 14 days of applying online.
2. Check the current first-purchase discount on Barclays' page for that brand.
3. Plan to pay the balance in full; the APR is 33.49% variable.
4. Remember the real earn rate: about 5% at Gap Inc. brands, 3% at other apparel stores and 1% elsewhere, all in Gap Inc. store credit.
5. Use the card at least once a year at a Gap Inc. brand, or your points can expire.

Card terms, rates, and offers change. Facts in this guide were checked against Barclays' card pages, Gap Inc.'s Encore program terms and FAQ, and our card records on October 19, 2026; confirm current terms with the issuer before applying.