I don't know if it is a sign of trouble as much as it is an annoyance for all involved.HCal wrote: ↑May 1st, 2022, 1:34 am Many successful retailers have co-branded credit cards, so I don't think this is necessarily a sign of trouble. It's also common in other industries, for example airlines sometimes make more money on their credit cards than from flights.
But this is a new thing for pharmacy chains, which are probably looking for new revenue streams. I really hope it doesn't catch on, as it's annoying for both customers and cashiers, and the card offerings are usually not that great compared to what is available directly from banks.
You never hear people complain about Target pushing the Red Card, with its immediate 5% discount, it is simple to everyone involved and feels like it has a tangible benefit. The option to link it to your personal bank account opens it to many customers who cannot get a credit card and kills the discussion about "trying to sell customers a credit card with a high ripoff Interest rate" so that seems to be an accepted thing to bug every customer about at Target and score cashiers on conversions of.