GM BuyPower Card Review

Full Review of GM BuyPower Card

Pros Explained

• High Rewards Rates For a Card With No Annual Fee: If you’re in the market for a new GM vehicle, the GM BuyPower card offers exceptional rewards, especially for a card with no annual fee. You’ll get 5% in earnings on the first $5,000 you spend each year, giving you $250 towards a new car if you charge the maximum to the card. After reaching that spending threshold, you’ll get an unlimited (and still-decent) 2% in earnings on further purchases. That’s a higher rewards rate than you’ll find with most credit cards. 
• Introductory 0% APR: The GM BuyPower card has an introductory 0% APR for purchases. You’ll get 0% APR for 12 months after opening an account; after that, your variable APR will be between 15.24% to 24.24%. If you’re planning on making major purchases or taking a vacation, this introductory offer gives you a full year to make payments on them without paying interest charges. 

Cons Explained

• No Bonus: Unfortunately, the GM BuyPower doesn’t come with an introductory bonus. That’s a big drawback, especially considering that almost all other business cards offer such incentives. 
• Limited Redemption Options: While most business cards offer multiple and quite different, ways to redeem rewards, the GM BuyPower has only two options. Both involve redeeming your rewards with GM. Earnings can be used to buy or lease a new GM vehicle or, to an annual limit of $250, for in-dealership purchases of GM parts, servicing, and accessories. The rewards can also be applied to the cost of vehicle costs like SiriusXM subscriptions or OnStar plans. 
• High late payment fee and relatively high APR: The late fee for this card can be up to 38 dollars and the APR as much as 24.24%. Keeping this in mind, we advise you to always pay on time and to pay the full balance.

The GM BuyPower is strictly for those who plan to buy a GM vehicle in the future, or who now own one that they need to have regularly serviced. If either or both of those conditions apply, there’s virtually no downside to getting this card. 

At a minimum, you could charge the $5,000 a year required to earn $250 in GM credits and use that money for maintenance at a GM dealership. After that milestone is reached, and the card’s 5% rewards rate expires for the rest of the year, it may still make sense to use the GM BuyPower as your default card for further purchases, if you eventually plan to buy a GM vehicle. The card’s appeal also increases if you plan major purchases in the year after you receive the new card. The 0% APR offer allows you to carry any or all purchases in that period without paying interest. 

However, the GM BuyPower card has been discontinued. GM cards are now under the My GM Rewards Card, which is operated by Marcus, a brand of Goldman Sachs

Rewards Redemption Details

Your rewards can only be redeemed in two ways: 

• Purchase or lease of a new Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, or GMC vehicle
• Up to $250 in statement credits per year for in-dealership purchases of parts, accessories, servicing, and such add-ons like SiriusXM subscriptions and OnStar plans

Redemptions must be made at a GM-certified dealership. Your earnings can’t be redeemed for fleet vehicle incentive programs or combined with some offers and discounts, such as the GM Employee Discount Program, GM Company-Owned Vehicle Discount, or the GM Supplier Discount Program. 

How to Maximize Your Rewards

If you own a GM vehicle or plan on buying one, you can get the most from this card by charging $5,000 to the card. Everything up to that amount charged to the card every year earns 5% in rewards. If you owned a GM vehicle, you can redeem those $250 in statement credits for service or parts for your car. Alternatively, you could use your rewards towards the purchase or lease of a new GM vehicle. 

Beyond the initial $5,000 in annual spending, you can earn further rewards by using your GM BuyPower card to pay for such routine purchases as groceries, gas, and car repairs. Those purchases earn 2% in rewards that can be applied to the purchase of a new vehicle or up to a $250 limit each year for parts, servicing, or add-ons like Sirius XM.

Still, if you plan to get a new GM vehicle, the rewards can certainly add up. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average American spent $16,022 in 2019 on food, clothing, fuel, entertainment, and personal care products. If you used your GM BuyPower card to pay all of those transactions, you'd earn 5% in rewards on the first $5,000 spent—$250. You’d earn 2% in rewards on the remaining $11,022, to earn a further $220.44 to put towards acquiring a vehicle. All told, you'd earn $470.44. 

For example, the Chevrolet Spark starts at $13,220. Use your rewards when you purchase a new model, and you’d pay $12,749.56, plus tax, title, and fees. 

GM BuyPower's Outstanding Benefits

This card offers outstanding benefits for a card without an annual fee. You'll enjoy:

• Events and experiences: With your card, you’ll get access to the Priceless Cities program. You can attend exclusive events like concerts, sports events, and spa treatments. 
• Rental home access: With your card, you’ll get access to OneFineStay, a program that allows you to rent luxury vacation homes all over the world. 
• Shoprunner membership: You'll get a complimentary Shoprunner membership. Through this program, you’ll get free two-day shipping and two-day returns from major retailers. 

Standard Benefits

• Travel benefits: This card offers extensive travel benefits, including complimentary upgrades, concierge service, $1 million in travel accident insurance, trip cancellation insurance, secondary car-rental insurance, airport concierge access, and emergency travel assistance services
• Price protection
• Extended warranty
• Identity theft resolution services

Cardholder Experience

The GM BuyPower card is serviced by Capital One, one of the top card issuers in the country. J.D. Power's 2021 U.S. Credit Card Satisfaction Study ranked Capital One third out of 11 national card issuers.

You can contact customer service around the clock through secure email or by calling 1-800-277-4825. 

Security Features

This card offers standard security features such as zero-liability protection and fraud alerts. 

Capital One does give you access to CreditWise, a free service you can use to view your TransUnion credit report. And, you’ll get an alert whenever a creditor performs a credit inquiry or if an account is reported as delinquent. 

Final Verdict

The GM BuyPower card makes financial sense for almost anyone who owns a GM vehicle, especially if they plan to buy a new one at some point. The average American car owner drives 13,476 miles a year, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation. Oil changes are typically made every 5,000 to 7,500+ miles of driving and can cost up to $75, according to Kelley Blue Book. That’s without other maintenance expenses such as tire replacement.

GM drivers who spend $5,000 a year on the card earn $250 in credits and can use that to cover much or all of the routine maintenance for their GM vehicle. While the GM BuyPower card has been discontinued, GM vehicle owners can still opt for the My GM Rewards Card.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is GM card still Capital One?

No, GM credit cards are now operated by Marcus, a Goldman Sachs brand. 

Who took over the Capital One BuyPower card?

The BuyPower card is no longer available; it has shifted to the MY GM Rewards card. GM's credit card portfolio is now owned by Goldman Sachs.

What is the credit limit on a GM credit card?

Aside from the Scotiabank GM Visa cards, credit limits are not specified on the website and will be assigned individually to your account. These limits can be increased or decreased at the discretion of the credit card company. As an example, the minimum credit limit listed for the Scotiabank GM Visa card is $500 and the limit for the GM Visa Infinite card is $5,000.