Introduction 
Introduction
The Williams Sonoma Visa Signature Card was launched in September 2011 with Barclays Bank1. The affinity card is designed to reward their loyal customers who spend a lot at their stores with a reward program where they could earn points and redeem for interest rewards. And it differs slightly from other programs.
Williams Sonoma just isn't another retail store. They sell cookware and kitchen ware. I have bought many products from their store and I found that their staff to be very knowledgable. They even let you sample extra virgin olive oils and vinegrettes. But aside from kitchenware, their stores also frequent have booking signings by authors who have written cook books (many chefs).
If you shop a lot at their stores, you might be thinking of getting their credit card and the first question you will ask is what is there in it for me? To answer that, let's look at the features and benefits.
Features Features
How You Earn Points? - This is how you earn points on this card. When you make a purchase at Williams Sonoma, you will earn 3 points for every dollar that you spend. For example, if you spend $25 on a bottle of sauce, you will earn 75 reward points (25 X 3). For other regular purchases outside of Williams Sonoma store, you will earn one point for every dollar that you spend on the card. It is important to note that points expire 5 years from the date they are earned.
Aside from that, you will also earn 3 points for every dollar that is spent on bridal registries. You do have to link your Williams Sonoma card account with their (or rather your) bridal registry page for you to earn the three points. And at your first anniversary, you will receive a 15% discount coupon.
One Time Sign Up Bonus - As a new card member, you will receive 2,500 points in your account after your first purchase. There is no minimum spend requirements to get these bonus points (just use your card).
Other Benefits - Aside from the ability to earn reward points with the card, there are other benefits that await you.
Custom Concierge Service - Being a card member allows you access to a custom concierge service that is normally reserved for higher end elite credit card. Aside from arrange travel (and other typical concierge arrangements) for you, they also have specially selected luxury travel packages preassembled for Williams-Sonoma cardholders.
How You Redeem Points - To redeem your points, you have to log in into your Barlcays account. From there, you can redeem points for Williams-Sonoma Gift Cards, Culinary Excursions, Statement Credits and Cookbook Club Classes at select Williams-Sonoma stores.
10% Discount Coupon 10% Discount Coupon 10% Discount Coupons - For every $2,500 that you spend within a month, you will get a 10% discount coupon. You can get up to four a month (which means if you spend $10,000 a month, you will get four 10% discount coupons). These coupons expire after 90 days which they are issued, so it is very important not to forget to use them.
Free Shipping For First Year Free Shipping For First Year
Free Shipping During The First Year - For the first year of your card membership, you will get free shipping just by having the card. You will get the free shipping through a program called Reserved Membership. There is no automatic enrollment, so you have to make sure you register.
The way this perk works is as follows. After you receive your new card in the mail, there will be a package inside that tells you the instructions to enroll in the Reserve Membership program. You will have to go to the Williams Sonoma website and create an account. After that, you have to go to www.WSVisaReserve.com, where you just have to follow the instructions and redeem your Reserve code. You will need your new Visa number and a promo code that is in your package. Once that is all done, all you have to do is to make sure you log into your Williams Sonoma account before you make any purchase online and you will get the free shipping for 12 months.
Opinion and Verdict Opinion and Verdict
Before we give our verdict on this card, I would like to dispel a myth about "retail store" cards and also look at the pros and cons of this card.
First the myth. If you search the internet enough, you'll find lots of articles telling you why cards from retail stores may not be such a good idea. Reasons given include high interest rates and limited rewards. I disagree with that line of argument because I do not carry a balance and there are times when you will shop at a particular store a lot and it makes sense to get their card. My wife (Mrs Credit Card) has the GAP and LL Bean Visa. And having those cards gave us a huge one time savings from the purchases we made and we also get regular discount coupons (which we use).
What I like about this card - There are many things that I like about this card. It lets you earn reward points when you buy things from them. As a bonus, if you decide to use them as your registry, you find you can also earn more points!
The other thing that I really like about this card is that the more you spend on the card, the more 10% discount coupons you can get. Very few "retail" affinity cards have such features. The only downside to this feature is that you have to use the coupons within 90 days!
One of the really cool features that new members should take advantage is the free shipping for one year perk as a Reserve member. This perk is even more valuable now because as of September 2011, Williams Sonoma now require reserve members to make a purchase of at least $45 (together with a coupon code) to get free shipping. But if you get this card, you will get the free shipping with no such requirements.
Things I do not like about this card - There is not much to criticize this card. Perhaps the only real issue I have is that the points expire in 5 years. But 5 years is long enough for most people and you should really use your points way before that.
Verdict - Having bought a few items at Williams-Sonoma before, I can understand why people would keep coming back to the store. The staff know their products well and they always have book signings and cooking demonstrations. A chef enthusiast would simply love shopping here.
If you are always buying products from here, you might just want to consider getting this card because you can earn points and use them to get gift cards or even statement credits. If you spend enough a month, you'll get a couple of 10% discount coupons (which means more visit to the store!). If the above describes you, this card may be a good addition in your wallet.
