This is the number one retail rip-off of them all and any store that knows what it's doing instructs its counter jockeys to push these like they're going out of style. Why? It works and people fall for the save now, pay later trick all the time. They don't even use the words store credit, preferring to go with the much more positive sounding, "rewards." They also bait you with, "Would you like to put that on your rewards card?" So, the next thing out of your mouth almost always is, "What's a rewards card?" and they can get you with the customary schpeil. So, what's so bad? Well, if you buy four sweaters at $200 with the added 20% off from the rewards card, but you can't pay it off right away and spend seven months paying off at 29% APR, thanks to the small limit the store gives you, you could've actually bought eight sweaters with the money you were using to pay off the outstanding balance. It can also hurt your credit rating because you'll lose ten to 30 points every time you don't pay it off. Plus, the more store credit cards you open, the more your credit is ruined and it can stay with you for two years.