Barnes & Noble Mastercard®
Barclays and related product names are trademarks of their respective owners. Madeen is not affiliated with, sponsored by, endorsed by, or acting on behalf of Barclays. Madeen is an independent credit-card comparison and education service. Issuer websites control current terms, fees, and eligibility.
How we calculate effective rate →
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.
- Top category
- Dining
- Effective value
- 2%
- Annual fee
- $0
Best for dining-heavy spend when you want to avoid an annual fee; confirm issuer terms before applying. Best for spenders who put meaningful volume in dining and can earn 2x points. The welcome bonus can help if you can meet the spend requirement.
What does the Barnes & Noble Mastercard earn in each category?
Dining is the strongest category at 2% effective value (2x points at about 1 cents each). That dining rate ranks higher than about 59% of the 2,850 cards we track in that category. The five-category effective-rate table on this page shows how Barnes & Noble Mastercard compares across dining, grocery, gas, travel, and other spend. Catalog spend signals highlight coffee.
Dining is the strongest category at 2% effective value (2x points at about 1 cents each). That dining rate ranks higher than about 59% of the 2,850 cards we track in that category. The five-category effective-rate table on this page shows how Barnes & Noble Mastercard compares across dining, grocery, gas, travel, and other spend.
| Category | Earn rate | Effective value |
|---|---|---|
| Dining Restaurants, cafes, takeout | 2x points | 2% Top category |
| Grocery Supermarkets and grocery stores | 1x points | 1% |
| Gas Gas stations and fuel | 1x points | 1% |
| Travel Flights, hotels, transit | 1x points | 1% |
| Other General everyday spend | 1x points | 1% |
Madeen values Barnes & Noble 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.
- 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 2x points. Best for spenders who put meaningful volume in dining and can earn 2x points. 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 2x points. Madeen ranks its dining effective rate higher than about 59% 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 2x points. 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.
Pros
- Strongest Madeen category is dining at about 2% effective (2x points).
- No annual fee in our catalog snapshot.
- Welcome bonus may add value if you can meet spend requirements.
Cons
- Charges $3 foreign transaction fees.
- Barnes & Noble value depends on how you redeem, not straight cash back.
Does the Barnes & Noble Mastercard have an annual fee?
The Barnes & Noble Mastercard has an annual fee of $0 and a foreign transaction fee of $3. Confirm current fees on the issuer page before applying.
- Annual fee
- $0
- Foreign transaction fee
- $3
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.
Mastercard Transit Benefit
$200/yrSave when you tap and go with your eligible Mastercard and receive a $2.50 statement credit when you spend $10 or more each month at participating transit systems.
Instacart
$140/yrGroceries 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+.
$25 Barnes & Noble Gift Card
$25/yrEarn a $25 Barnes & Noble Gift Card after your first purchase or balance transfer
Automatically receive a $25 Barnes & Noble Gift Card
$25/yrevery time you earn 2,500 points
Free online FICO® Credit Score access
$25/yrlets you keep an eye on your credit score and get alerts when we learn that your score has changed
Global emergency services
$10/yrCall 1-800-MASTERCARD (1-800-627-8372) for 24/7 assistance to report a lost or stolen card.
HealthLock
$10/yrEnjoy a HealthLock for Mastercard Medical Claim Monitor complimentary membership plus a 90-day upgrade to all HealthLock services at no monthly cost.
Mastercard ID Theft Protection
$10/yrMonitor your credit file for fraud, get alerts for suspicious activity and access a resolution specialist.
Mastercard Music and Entertainment Access benefit
$10/yrMastercard gives you exclusive access to ticket presales at top venues and festivals across the U.S. Eligibility restrictions, exclusions and terms apply. Offer expires 3/31/2027.
Protection wherever you shop
$10/yrWith Mastercard Zero Liability protection you’re protected against unauthorized transactions in stores, online and in app.
Barnes & Noble Premium Membership
Earn 12 months of Barnes & Noble Premium Membership if you spend $7,500/year on eligible purchases
Related encyclopedia topics
Common questions about the Barnes & Noble Mastercard
Where do cardholders spend most with the Barnes & Noble Mastercard?
Madeen's RewardsCC catalog snapshot shows the strongest bonus categories on coffee (2x), fast food (2x), other food and drink (2x) for the Barnes & Noble Mastercard. These are anonymized issuer category signals, not individual cardholder transactions. Route everyday spend through categories that match your habits, then compare effective rates with Madeen at checkout.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 |
Side-by-side comparisons
Store-specific guides
Madeen publishes merchant guides that rank cards for specific stores and services. Browse guides for dining spend to see which cards win at checkout.
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See how this card ranks in your wallet
Madeen compares the cards you already carry for dining, groceries, gas, travel, and everyday purchases — free, no bank login required.
Barclays and related product names are trademarks of their respective owners. Madeen is not affiliated with, sponsored by, endorsed by, or acting on behalf of Barclays. Madeen is an independent credit-card comparison and education service. Issuer websites control current terms, fees, and eligibility.
Madeen compares cards you add to your wallet using published catalog rules — no bank login required. Issuer pages control current fees, caps, exclusions, and eligibility; Madeen does not issue cards, make approval decisions, or provide financial advice. Apply links are temporarily hidden on madeen.app. Affiliate disclosure