Barnes & Noble Mastercard®
The Barnes & Noble Mastercard® from Barclays earns up to 2% effective value on dining in Madeen's catalog snapshot. It has no annual fee. New applicants may see: Earn a $25 Barnes & Noble Gift Card after your first purchase or balance transfer. Madeen compares this card against the cards you already carry — no bank login required.
- Top category
- Dining
- Effective value
- 2%
- Annual fee
- $0
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Madeen compares public issuer terms with its card-rule catalog. Issuer pages control rewards, fees, benefits, exclusions, and eligibility; Madeen does not issue cards, make approval decisions, or provide financial advice.
What does the Barnes & Noble Mastercard earn in each category?
Dining is the strongest category at 2% effective value (2% back). That dining rate ranks higher than about 29% of the 1,547 cards we track in that category. Madeen summarizes catalog reward rules for comparison only; issuer pages control current fees, caps, exclusions, and eligibility.
Dining is the strongest category at 2% effective value (2% back). That dining rate ranks higher than about 29% of the 1,547 cards we track in that category.
| Category | Earn rate | Effective value |
|---|---|---|
| Dining Restaurants, cafes, takeout | 2% back | 2% Top category |
| Grocery Supermarkets and grocery stores | 1% back | 1% |
| Gas Gas stations and fuel | 1% back | 1% |
| Travel Flights, hotels, transit | 1% back | 1% |
| Other General everyday spend | 1% back | 1% |
Madeen values cash back at about 1 cents each. Madeen compares every card using this cash-equivalent estimate while still showing the raw earn rate for context.
What are the Barnes & Noble Mastercard reward caps and conditions?
The Barnes & Noble Mastercard has 1 notable cap or condition rule(s) in Madeen's catalog, including activation windows, spend limits, and category exclusions. Review each bullet below before assuming unlimited earn rates. Madeen summarizes catalog reward rules for comparison only; issuer pages control current fees, caps, exclusions, and eligibility.
- Earn 2x points for every $1 spent at restaurants
Who should get the Barnes & Noble Mastercard?
The Barnes & Noble Mastercard fits spenders who put meaningful volume in dining and can earn 2% back. Best for spenders who put meaningful volume in dining and can earn 2% back. The welcome bonus can help if you can meet the spend requirement.
Barnes & Noble Mastercard fits spenders who put meaningful volume in dining and can earn 2% back. Madeen ranks its dining effective rate higher than about 29% of the catalog in that category. Compare it against cards you already carry with Madeen — no bank login required.
Best for spenders who put meaningful volume in dining and can earn 2% back. The welcome bonus can help if you can meet the spend requirement.
Foreign transaction fees make it weaker for international spend.
Best for dining-heavy spend when you want to avoid an annual fee; confirm issuer terms before applying. Madeen summarizes catalog reward rules for comparison only; issuer pages control current fees, caps, exclusions, and eligibility.
Pros
- Strongest Madeen category is dining at about 2% effective (2% back).
- No annual fee in our catalog snapshot.
- Welcome bonus may add value if you can meet spend requirements.
Cons
- Charges $3 foreign transaction fees.
Does the Barnes & Noble Mastercard have an annual fee, and what's the welcome bonus?
The Barnes & Noble Mastercard has an annual fee of $0 and a foreign transaction fee of $3. New applicants may see: Earn a $25 Barnes & Noble Gift Card after your first purchase or balance transfer. Confirm current issuer terms before applying.
- Annual fee
- $0
- Foreign transaction fee
- $3
- Signup bonus
- Earn a $25 Barnes & Noble Gift Card after your first purchase or balance transfer
What benefits come with the Barnes & Noble Mastercard?
The Barnes & Noble Mastercard includes $25 Barnes & Noble Gift Card, Automatically receive a $25 Barnes & Noble Gift Card, Barnes & Noble Premium Membership in our snapshot. Perks and benefits can change; verify coverage on the issuer site before you rely on them.
- $25 Barnes & Noble Gift Card
Earn a $25 Barnes & Noble Gift Card after your first purchase or balance transfer
- Automatically receive a $25 Barnes & Noble Gift Card
Automatically receive a $25 Barnes & Noble Gift Card every time you earn 2,500 points
- Barnes & Noble Premium Membership
Earn 12 months of Barnes & Noble Premium Membership if you spend $7,500/year on eligible purchases
- Free online FICO® Credit Score access
Free online FICO® Credit Score access lets you keep an eye on your credit score and get alerts when we learn that your score has changed
- Global emergency servicesIncluded with Standard Mastercard
Call 1-800-MASTERCARD (1-800-627-8372) for 24/7 assistance to report a lost or stolen card.
- HealthLockIncluded with Standard Mastercard
Enjoy a HealthLock for Mastercard Medical Claim Monitor complimentary membership plus a 90-day upgrade to all HealthLock services at no monthly cost.
- InstacartIncluded with Standard Mastercard
Groceries and more delivered in as fast as one hour. Get $10 off your second order each month, and new Instacart+ members can also get three free months of Instacart+.
- Mastercard ID Theft ProtectionIncluded with Standard Mastercard
Monitor your credit file for fraud, get alerts for suspicious activity and access a resolution specialist.
Common questions about the Barnes & Noble Mastercard
Does the Barnes & Noble Mastercard have an annual fee?
The Barnes & Noble Mastercard carries an annual fee of $0 in Madeen's catalog snapshot. Issuer terms can change, so confirm the current fee on the issuer's site before you apply. Madeen does not predict approval or prequalification. Madeen summarizes catalog reward rules for comparison only; issuer pages control current fees, caps, exclusions, and eligibility.
What category earns the most with the Barnes & Noble Mastercard?
Dining is the strongest Madeen category for the Barnes & Noble Mastercard at about 2% effective value, based on our catalog snapshot and standard point valuations. Other categories are listed in the effective-rate table on this page. Madeen summarizes catalog reward rules for comparison only; issuer pages control current fees, caps, exclusions, and eligibility.
Does the Barnes & Noble Mastercard charge foreign transaction fees?
The Barnes & Noble Mastercard charges a foreign transaction fee of $3 in our catalog snapshot. Check issuer terms before international spend because rates and fee waivers can change. Madeen summarizes catalog reward rules for comparison only; issuer pages control current fees, caps, exclusions, and eligibility.
What is the Barnes & Noble Mastercard welcome bonus?
The Barnes & Noble Mastercard welcome offer in our snapshot: Earn a $25 Barnes & Noble Gift Card after your first purchase or balance transfer. Minimum spend, eligibility, and offer windows are set by the issuer and can change. Madeen summarizes catalog reward rules for comparison only; issuer pages control current fees, caps, exclusions, and eligibility.
What credit score do you need for the Barnes & Noble Mastercard?
Madeen's catalog lists a typical credit range of Good for the Barnes & Noble Mastercard. Issuers decide approval using their own criteria; Madeen does not predict approval odds or prequalification. Madeen summarizes catalog reward rules for comparison only; issuer pages control current fees, caps, exclusions, and eligibility.
How do you redeem rewards on the Barnes & Noble Mastercard?
Rewards on the Barnes & Noble Mastercard post as cash back. Redemption value depends on how you use cash back (statement credit, travel, transfers, or issuer portals). Madeen shows effective cash-equivalent rates using standard valuations. Madeen summarizes catalog reward rules for comparison only; issuer pages control current fees, caps, exclusions, and eligibility.
How does the Barnes & Noble Mastercard compare to similar cards?
Compare the Barnes & Noble Mastercard against Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard (3.6% on Dining, $99 fee); Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Business Mastercard (3.6% on Dining, $99 fee); FRONTIER Airlines World Mastercard (3.3% on Dining, $99 fee). Madeen ranks effective value by category and annual fee using the same catalog snapshot dated 2026-05-01.
| Card | Top category | Effective value | Annual fee |
|---|---|---|---|
Barnes & Noble Mastercard This card | Dining | 2% | $0 |
| Dining | 3.6% | $99 | |
| Dining | 3.6% | $99 | |
| Dining | 3.3% | $99 | |
Barclays | Dining | 3% | $0 |
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