Credit Card News
Rural King Introduces Updated Rewards Visa Card with 5% Back
The farm and home store Rural King is revamping its co-branded credit card with the help of a new banking partner.
About the Rural King Rewards Visa:
Rural King — a speciality store found across the midwest and southeastern United States — has announced the launch of the Rural King Rewards Visa. This co-branded card comes via a partnership with UMB Bank. The card replaces the Rural King Harvest Visa, with existing cardholders automatically being moved to the new product.
With the Rural King Rewards Visa, customers can earn 5% back in rewards on Rural King and RK Gun purchases. Plus, cardholders can also earn 3% rewards on gas purchases, 3% on groceries, and 3% on dining (including fast food). All other purchases earn 1% back in rewards.
When customers accrue 500 points, they’ll automatically (within 72 hours) be issued a $5 reward. These rewards can then be redeemed in-store at Rural King locations. According to the card’s website, rewards will also expire 60 days after they are issued.
To mark the launch of the updated card, applicants can also earn a welcome bonus. Currently, new cardholders can earn $20 in reward upon approval.
Comparing to the past:
The latest Rural King Rewards Visa includes some notable changes from the previous Rural King Harvest Visa, which was issued by Redstone Federal Credit Union. The most recent version of that card offered 3% back on gas, 3% back at restaurants, 2% back on Rural King purchases, and 1% back on all other purchases. However, rather than earning Rural King Rewards, these points could be redeemed for cash deposits, statement credits, or Rural King gift cards.
Looking even further back, the Rural King Harvest Card once offered 5% back on Rural King purchases and 1.5% back on all other purchases. Again, points earned under this version of the card could be redeemed for cash back as well.
What they’re saying:
Announcing the updated card, Rural King’s VP of Marketing Phil Reiter said, “The Rural King Rewards Visa is a significant step forward in offering our members additional benefits both for shopping at Rural King and in the community. We plan to continue to enhance the Rural King Rewards program over time to continue to add even more value for members, as the initial response to the program has been tremendous.”
My thoughts:
As we’ve seen with other co-branded rewards cards of this ilk, the updated Rural King Rewards Visa is a bit of a mixed bag. Compared to the product it’s replacing (the Rural King Harvest Card), there is an arguable improvement since the new card earns 5% back at Rural King itself. Of course, the downside is that these rewards can now only be used at Rural King stores — and apparently expire 60 days after rewards are issued, making it more difficult for customers to save up before cashing in. Because of that, I’d argue that the store’s co-branded credit card game peaked long ago when the card offered both 5% back and real cashback.
With all of that said, for fans of Rural King, the card could still prove to be rewarding. But, outside of diehards, I wouldn’t put this rewards card at the top of any list.
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Other Articles by Kyle Burbank
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