May 27, 2020

Sephora Cash Rewards Are Active

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My ranting post was heard and Sephora Cash Rewards are now active at sephora.com.

Sephora has revised a lot of their Beauty Insider Benefits for 2020 as you may know and one of the main revisions is the option to redeem points for cash rewards. However, news of this broke months ago but you weren’t able to actually redeem your points for rewards until just now! As of now, at check out, you’ll be asked if you’d like to redeem 500 points for $10 off your purchase. This offer can be used in conjunction with other promo codes, gift cards, or Reward Bazaar gift cards. However, you’re only able to get $10 off at each check out. Unlike Ulta you won’t be able to cash in a bunch of points at one time. You can only redeem $10 per order which I personally think blows. Ulta allows you to redeem all your points in one go should you like. Sephora fails miserably at this option.

Another important factor is 500 Sephora Reward Points is worth $10 where as 500 Ulta Reward Points is worth nearly $20 ($17.50 to be exact). I’m not sure how Sephora will handle returns when you’ve used a $10 reward as they have been fiercely bad handling the Reward Gift Cards. Remember that time I tried returning a Huda Beauty Eyeshadow Palette after using a Reward Bazaar Gift Card and I only got a buck back and some change?

Remember, if you buy some with Ulta points and you return the item the points are returned to your account. I have a feeling Sephora won’t do that. They haven’t disclosed the return policy on points but I guess we’ll have to wait and see how it goes down.

I think cash rewards are a step in the right direction for Sephora but they still have a long way to go before their Reward Benefits are as good as the Ulta one. For the past few years, Ulta has been competing heavily with Sephora and winning. I still love Sephora but even I can admit some of their efforts aren’t quite hitting the mark.

What do you think of the new Sephora Cash Reward Benefits?

10 Comments

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About the Muse

Isabella MuseIsabella is just an average everyday geeky girl who doesn’t blend her eyeshadow correctly, wears too much blush, and hopes she never finds her holy grail products because she likes the thrill of the chase so much. Her mission is to bring you super honest reviews on makeup, skincare, fragrance and all things beauty. She’s in no way an expert on the topic and she sure as hell isn’t a super model. But she’s passionate about makeup and is seeking like-minded individuals that like pina coladas, getting caught in the rain, and ones that enjoy spending hundreds of dollars at Sephora without feeling buyer’s remorse. If you’re that person feel free to reach out and leave a comment or follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Bloglovin‘.

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Comments

  • kjh

    It sucks, of course. I have ~4000 dinosaur points that I’ve had since the Cretaceous and virtually never shop there. No matter how they are redeemed, it is still 500 points=$10 off. Spending 4K at a store and getting 80$ off, $10 at a time, is not exactly rewarding. I’d rather spend my makeup mental energy (MME) on whether to save Ulta points for a biggie/holiday/20% time or defray as I go. Effabuncha Sephora. So done.

  • Geek in Heels

    Has this replaced the cash reward for Rouge members? I was able to cash out 2,500 points for $100 back in March (and have been doing so regularly since they introduced this reward 2 years ago). The $100 reward for 2,500 points is a much better deal than the $10 for 500 points so I’d be pretty mad if they got rid of it!

    • Isabella Muse

      You mean the Rewards Bazaar Gift Cards? Those are still available on Tuesday and Thursday as far as I know.

  • Hollie

    Even their CC rewards are horrid… 4% back?

    Ulta doubles my points and has extra multipliers through the year… then I use my points during 20% off prestige and BOOM.

  • kimkats

    500 points nets you a lousy $10 off? Well, I guess it’s better than nothing, but Ulta is still eating sephora’s lunch when it comes to rewards systems. And apparently will continue to do so for the foreseeable future.

    Sephora really needs to step up its game. Ulta is carrying quite a few of the same brands that Sephora is, and since their reward program is so much better, it makes no sense to buy at sephora unless there’s a sale or a reward you might actually use. But their rewards are often just sample sizes of stuff that you could ask for and get without redeeming points. so sephora is still sucking wind at the rewards game. But at least they were good to their word and made it so you can redeem a crapton of points for a minimal discount.

  • Dee

    It confirms that Ulta is the place to shop. I like that Ulta lets you stockpile your points for a big cash off discount. It’s ridiculous. I won’t try to stay Rouge. 20% discounts are pretty much a dime a dozen these days

  • Rachel

    Genuinely curious if anyone has been able to obtain the $100 gift card lately. I have rouge status, but every time I check the rewards bazaar, I never see it anymore. At the very least, it used to show up and say that it’s sold out. I’ve been checking since April and I’ve yet to see it once.

    • Geek in Heels

      The last time I got one was in March but the way I’ve been getting them is by checking every Tues and Thurs at 9am PT as soon as the new rewards drop. Otherwise, they sell out before I can get them!

      • Rachel

        Tried again today at 8:59 am and 9am (PT happens to be my timezone) for a comparison to see if there was any luck. I was able to see the offerings before and after, but sadly no dice! They had the Glow Recipe Vanity Upcycling with full sized products (at least I think they are) that I could have gotten, but didn’t. I checked about 30 minutes later and they still listed it on their rewards page even though it’s sold out. Maybe they haven’t been issuing gift cards with the crisis?

  • Jay

    I agree that it’s a step in the right direction! I don’t shop as much as I used to, so I don’t mind occasionally buying 1-2 things I really want at full price and then splurging during the sales. I look at the rewards as extras so $10 off is more than I had before.