The Univision credit card is here! In the news this week in the Columbus Dispatch:

Alliance Data Systems’ Columbus-based card-services business has signed a new, long-term agreement to provide co-branded credit-card services to the Spanish-language TV network Univision.

The new Univision MasterCard credit card and loyalty program will reward card members with redemption options, including Univision-branded merchandise, exclusive content and experiences that could include “behind-the-scenes video” and VIP access at events.

You may know Alliance Data Systems better as Comenity Bank, the name under which it operates its credit card unit. The linked article made me think that the Univision credit card was a new product, but apparently it already exists. Here are the benefits, as marketed on the site:

• Zero Annual Fee
• Earn 1,000 UniPuntos just for making your first purchase
• Get 2 points per $1 on gas and groceries, and 1 point per $1 for all other purchases
• Track and redeem your points online
• 24/7 bilingual customer service so you can communicate your way
• Zero fraud liability on unauthorized charges
• Over 4,500 rewards just for you!

In other words, there’s not much to recommend the Univision Credit Card. If you really want a piece of plastic with the Univision logo, there’s always the Univision debit card. As always, your baseline should be a no-annual-fee 2% cashback card like the Citi Double Cash. I don’t know much “UniPuntos” are worth, but even assuming one cent per point, dos puntos per gas/grocery dollar is nothing to write home about it. Comenity isn’t too keen on letting you learn anything about how the rewards work before you sign up for the card.

And this was amusing: Remember up above where the bilingual customer service is mentioned so that “you can communicate your way”? Right below that it says, “The application process is provided in English and Spanish as a courtesy to our customers. Further account servicing and communication may not be available in Spanish.” Ladies and gentlemen, Comenity Bank!

Thanks to reader Amy C for pointing me to a cosmetics blog discussing Comenity’s new Ultamate Rewards credit card, which of course is not to be confused with Chase’s Ultimate Rewards cards. One develops a certain way of thinking in this hobby and it’s fun to see a different take on a product from somebody outside of the usual group of blogs and commenters. And I don’t use the word “normal” pejoratively: however appalling it may be to not maximize one’s credit card rewards, doing so is a weird thing in the sense that the vast majority of people just aren’t into it. [Read more…]

In credit card news:

Ulta Beauty and Alliance Data [i.e. Comenity] have partnered to develop and manage the Ultamate Rewards Credit Card program which is designed to enhance the benefits of the popular Ultamate Rewards loyalty program and increase engagement with the Ulta Beauty brand.

I, for one, think it’s hilarious that there is now an ‘Ultamate Rewards’ credit card. I’m surprised that they’re actually doing this–I would have thought that Chase’s trademark lawyers would scare off anybody who wanted to have a name that’s almost exactly like Ultimate Rewards, but then maybe Ultamate Rewards has been around longer. I wish Ulta and Comenity would take it a step further and launch a new card called Smapphire Preferred or the Freedom Ultalimited or something like that.

In any case, for any Ulta loyalists who happen to be reading this Doctor of Credit has run the numbers and found that this card can actually get you a little over 6% back on your Ulta purchases,  but only about 2% everywhere else, and that’s the best-case redempion scenario. As is usually the case with store loyalty cards, you’re better off with a simple 2% cash back card.