Have you ever received a credit card offer in the mail that you thought was strange? Have you ever noticed the person standing in line next to you at the checkout counter using an unusual credit card?
While most people are familiar with airline-branded credit cards or cards targeting small business owners, the cards on our list target much more niche groups. However, the advice for everyone who wants a new credit card is the same — make sure you pick the right credit card for your spending habits and check your credit score before you apply so you can understand which rates you’re most likely to qualify for. (You can see two of your credit scores for free on Credit.com.)
Here are some of the strangest credit cards in America.
The International Brotherhood of Magicians Credit Card
This organization was founded in 1922 and today boasts 11,000 members including many of the top professional magicians. It used to offer a credit card that allowed members to earn “points toward brand-name magic equipment and events.” Yet like so many other things that magicians touch, their credit card has since disappeared!
Justice Credit Card
Justice is a chain of clothing stores that markets to tweens — those just entering their teen years. This company also has its own credit card that offers cardholders a 15% discount on their first in-store purchase, and another 15% discount on their first online purchase. What’s weird is that their customers are too young to apply for a credit card on their own, which means parents need to apply to get this card. There is no annual fee for this card.
Hello Kitty Visa Platinum Rewards
Like the Justice card, Hello Kitty is a children’s brand with its own credit card. According to its website, customers can show their “Hello Kitty support and pride by choosing one of our customized card designs.” If that is not enough, cardholders can earn a $50 discount for every 5,000 points earned redeemable on Sanrio.com, the company that markets Hello Kitty merchandise. There is no annual fee for this card.
The Linux Foundation Visa Platinum Rewards Card
Despite the cute penguin on this card, Linux is not another brand marketed to children. Linux is a computer operating system that is available to the public for no licensing cost. According to its website, cardholders earn rewards that “will go directly toward providing community technical events and travel grants for open source community members in order to accelerate Linux innovation.” Supporters of this software will love the rewards benefits, and this probably should have made our list of credit cards for geeks. There is no annual fee for this card.
NASA Credit Card
Do you need to purchase a new solid rocket booster? How about an upgrade to your inertial navigation unit? If so, the NASA credit card might seem to be the right choice, however it turns out that it is just a regular credit card offered by the NASA Federal Credit Union to current and former employees of the space agency. You can also become a member of this credit union by joining a society such as the Mars Society or the Moon Society, both of which advocate for the study, exploration and colonization of their respective heavenly bodies. The card itself is actually a little boring, until you realize that it may actually be the most popular credit card among astronauts. There is no annual fee for this card.
Precious Moments Visa
The Precious Moments company sells cute figurines of children and animals in adorable poses. Cardholders can choose one of the card designs that feature images their favorite figurines, or they can custom design their own card by uploading their family photos. There is no apparent policy on how weird your family photo can be before it is rejected, so we can only imagine what images have been used. There is no annual fee for this card.
More on Credit Cards:
- The Credit.com Credit Card Learning Center
- 6 Smart Credit Card Strategies
- How to Get a Credit Card With Bad Credit
Image: Hemera