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Financial Wellness Store Credit
FILE - Terri Ross, left, checks out a customer at a store in the Huntington Mall on Nov. 25, 2022, in Barboursville, W.Va. (Sholten Singer/The Herald-Dispatch via AP, File)

Before you sign up for a store credit card, know what you're getting into

With holiday shopping season around the corner, experts recommend caution when your favorite store offers you a credit card

By ADRIANA MORGA
Published - Sep 23, 2024, 11:20 AM ET
Last Updated - Sep 23, 2024, 11:20 AM EDT

NEW YORK (AP) — When Mykail James was 19 and working a holiday job at Victoria's Secret, she took out a store credit card with a $2,000 credit line.

When her school break was over, she realized she could no longer afford the payments. After missing a few, she paid off the card only to find that her credit score had decreased dramatically, affecting her ability to access other types of credit.

“I didn’t get an actual bank credit card until I was 21, just because of that fear," said James, who is now a financial expert and creator of The Boujie Budgeter. “Because of how it impacted my credit and also made it harder for me to buy a car a couple of months later.”

With holiday shopping season around the corner, experts recommend caution when your favorite store offers you a credit card.

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