If you’ve been carrying a General Motors credit card in your wallet for a decade, you might want to take a close look at the logo on the back. It’s been a wild ride. First it was Capital One, then Goldman Sachs (Marcus), and now, as of late 2025 and heading into 2026, Barclays has officially taken the wheel.
Honestly, transitions like this are usually a headache for customers. People are reporting balance transfer glitches, login issues, and some serious confusion about where their points went. But if you’re looking to buy a new Tahoe or Silverado in the next year, this card is still arguably the fastest way to shave a few thousand dollars off that sticker price.
What Most People Get Wrong About the My GM Rewards Mastercard
There is a massive misconception that this is a "cash back" card. It is not. If you spend $10,000 on groceries and expect a check in the mail, you’re going to be disappointed.
The GM Rewards Mastercard is a loyalty tool. Its entire purpose is to lock you into the GM ecosystem—Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, and Cadillac. You earn points that are essentially "GM Dollars." In the current 2026 landscape, the math looks like this:
- 7x points on every $1 spent on eligible GM purchases (parts, service, accessories).
- 3x points on everything else. No categories to track. Just 3% back toward a car on every single purchase.
For a card with no annual fee, a flat 3% "value" on all spending is actually insane. Most premium travel cards only give you 1.5% or 2% on general spend. The catch? You can only spend it on a car or at the dealership.
The 2026 Barclays Factor: What’s New?
The move to Barclays brought some specific tweaks to the "fine print" that you won't find on the old Goldman Sachs versions.
One of the biggest perks currently being pushed is the dual 0% APR offers. Most cards give you one intro period. This one gives you an introductory 0% APR for the first 9 months on GM purchases over $499 if you make them right after opening the account. But then—and this is the part people miss—it offers a recurring 0% APR for 6 months on any GM dealership purchase over $499.
Think about that. If your transmission blows or you need a $1,200 set of tires, you can basically finance that repair at 0% for six months, every single time. That’s a huge safety net for truck owners who deal with high maintenance costs.
The Real Value of the Welcome Bonus
Right now, new cardmembers can grab 30,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 in the first 90 days. Since 1 point equals 1 cent in the GM world, that’s a **$300 credit** toward your next lease or purchase.
Is it the biggest bonus on the market? No. But for a no-fee card, it’s a solid down-payment booster.
The Business Version: A Hidden Gem for Fleet Owners
If you run a small business, the GM Business Mastercard is actually the superior product. The welcome offer jumps to 100,000 points ($1,000 value) after you spend $5,000 in the first five months.
I’ve talked to contractors who put all their materials and fuel on this card. If you’re spending $50,000 a year on business expenses at a 3x earn rate, you’re looking at $1,500 in rewards annually. Over three years, that’s $4,500 off a new work truck just for buying the stuff you were going to buy anyway.
The Frustrating Reality: Redemption Roadblocks
It isn't all sunshine and 0% interest. The biggest complaint in 2026 is the redemption process.
Gone are the days of physical paper vouchers. Everything is digital now through the My GM Rewards portal. You have to link your card to your GM owner center account. If the emails don't match, or if your dealer "doesn't know how to run the points," it can be a nightmare.
Pro tip: Always tell the finance manager you are using points before you sign the final four-square. Once the contract is funded, applying points retroactively is nearly impossible.
Is it Actually Worth It?
Whether the general motors credit card makes sense for you depends entirely on your brand loyalty.
- Get it if: You plan on driving a GM vehicle for the next 10 years. The 3% back is unbeatable for a no-fee card if the destination for those rewards is a vehicle purchase.
- Skip it if: You like to switch brands. If you might buy a Ford or a Tesla next, those points are effectively worthless. You'd be better off with a 2% cash-back card like the Wells Fargo Active Cash.
Actionable Next Steps
If you decide to pull the trigger, here is the most efficient way to handle it:
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- Check your "My GM Rewards" account first. Make sure your email is verified. This prevents the "missing points" glitch during the Barclays transition.
- Use it for the "Big Stuff." If you have a major service coming up (brakes, 60k-mile tune-up), apply for the card a week before. You'll hit the spend requirement for the $300 bonus instantly and get 7x points on the repair.
- Monitor the APR. After the intro period, the variable rates can soar up to 32.24%. This is a card to be paid in full every month; otherwise, the interest will eat your "car savings" in weeks.
The card is a specialized tool. Use it like one, and you’ll never pay full price for a Chevy again.