Just about every retailer these days has a rewards program. There are perks for stores and customers alike. It’s a lucrative way to build customer loyalty with incentives such as points that translate into dollars off purchases, free birthday gifts, and even exclusive access to deals or new releases. But not all are created equally.
Ultamate Rewards, the name of Ulta Beauty’s Rewards Program, may be one of the best programs out there when it comes to all of the above. The most recent example of this is from a viral TikTok video where a woman saved over $600 on beauty products using her Ulta Rewards!
Before you roll your eyes and insist you don’t need to join yet another store’s rewards program, here’s everything you need to know about Ulta Beauty Rewards.
Ulta Rewards Program Overview
Ulta is a one-stop-shop for all things beauty and hygiene, from the best drugstore bronzer to high-end matte lipsticks and everything in between. Over the past few years, they’ve added even more brands, including NARS, Olaplex, and Good Molecules. Whether you spend a few bucks on beauty products a month, or you’re a regular beauty hauler, joining Ulta Rewards can really be worth it.
Ulta Rewards is pretty straightforward. It’s free to join and you earn points for every dollar spent on beauty products and services. At the baseline membership level, spending $1 = 1 point. Those points can then be put toward future purchases.
Being a rewards member will also score you a free birthday gift every year and exclusive coupons that can be put towards beauty products and services.
It’s Free to Join, Here’s How
You can join Ulta Rewards online or in a store. To join, you’ll need to provide your name, address, and birthday. The rewards program includes a free birthday gift and exclusive member offers during your birthday month! Who doesn’t love free stuff?!
You must be 16 years old to join Ulta Rewards. If your parents or siblings also shop at Ulta, every family member can have their own rewards membership. You can all rack up points individually as memberships can’t be combined.
If you have multiple Ulta shoppers in the fam, you definitely won’t want them using your valuable points.
How to Earn Points
Similar to other rewards programs, the more you spend at Ulta, the more you’ll save.
There are three levels: Member, Platinum, and Diamond. Members enjoy 1 point for every $1 spent and a free birthday gift. Points = cold hard cash off products and services. Sounds great so far, right?
It gets better. When you spend $500 in a year, you become a Platinum member and enjoy new perks such as exclusive deals, early access, and gifts. Each dollar spent will earn you 1.25 points.
Diamond members spend at least $1200 in one year, earning 1.5 points. See how these add up much more quickly as you spend more money? So if you’re buying your haircare products, skincare, and makeup all from Ulta, you’ll be racking up some major points in no time.
Plus, your points never expire for Platinum and Diamond members. So if you have your eyes on the Dyson Airwrap and don’t want to spend the whopping $599.99 on it, this is how you could get it at a steal. Or perhaps you are just looking for the best eyeshadow palettes and want to try a few out – having points to burn will help you!
It’ll take some time to save up all the points, but if you’re a Platinum or Diamond member, it’s definitely a possibility to save some serious cash on big-ticket items.
Earning More Points With the Ulta Credit Card
Pssst! Calling all TikTok beauty haulers and self-proclaimed makeup gurus! If you’re already making trips to Ulta on a regular basis, the Ulta Rewards credit card may be for you.
Cardholders earn 2 points for every $1 spent at Ulta. Plus, 1 point is earned for every $3 spent outside of Ulta, which really makes accumulating points much faster and easier.
Ulta Credit Card Breakdown:
- Earn 2 points for every $1 spent at Ulta; 1 point for every $3 spent outside of Ulta
- 20% off all products and services on your first purchase at Ulta
- 500 bonus points when you spend $500 in the first 90 days outside of Ulta
- Spend $500 between January 1 and December 31 to earn Platinum status and receive 25% higher base earning rate
- Spend $1200 between January 1 and December 31 to earn Diamond status and receive 50% higher base earning rate
Double the points sounds fantastic, right? But just like with any other credit card, make sure you read the fine print about terms and conditions including fees, rates, and spending caps.
How to Check Your Points
As you make more purchases and rack up more points, periodically checking in on your points balance doesn’t hurt. You can check your point balance online in your account or through the Ulta Beauty app on your phone.
Create an account, sign in, and provide your member ID. Once you’re logged in, you can see your points balance and see how much you’ve saved.
How to Use Your Points
Earning points at Ulta = future discounts on beauty products you’re already buying. Unlike other rewards programs where you earn points that you can only put toward samples or miniature items, Ulta allows you to buy what you love at a better (or free) price. Umm, sign me up!
You can start redeeming points when you have at least 100 points available, which is $3 off any merchandise. If you’re saving up, you can still enjoy little discounts here and there, as the amount of points you use is totally up to you.
100 points = $3 off
250 points = $8 off
500 points = $17.50 off
750 points = $30 off
1000 points = $50 off
2000 points = $125 off
Another great thing about Ulta Rewards is points can be combined with other offers, such as BOGO deals and store coupons. The only thing better than getting something on sale is getting something that’s really on sale. Do all of these things and you’ll be walking out of Ulta wondering if you robbed the place. You didn’t really, but it might feel like it because you just got one heck of a deal!
It’s easy to see how these savings could help you keep up with the latest makeup trends!
Ulta Beauty at Target
As if we all needed a reason to spend even more money at Target. A partnership between Ulta and Target launched in stores across the country last year. If it seemed like Target’s beauty section expanded since then, that’s why!
More than 100 Target stores have Ulta Beauty shops, with more than 250 on the way. While you can earn Ulta Rewards while buying Ulta Beauty items at Target, you can’t use points there. Link your Ulta Rewards member ID with your Target Circle account to start saving at Target.
Can I Earn Points on Beauty Services?
Yes! All beauty services are eligible for points. Just one more reason to stop by.
The Bottom Line
We all like saving money, right? Whether you use cheap makeup brands, high-end ones, or a combination of both, joining Ulta Rewards can definitely benefit you. It’s free to join, and as you spend more, you earn points that directly translate to dollars off products and services.
Plus, if you save up a ton of points and score some major goodies at a killer deal, you may even go viral on social media.
Happy saving!
Natalie Tarangioli is a full-time marketing director. Her passion for all things makeup and beauty has spanned over a decade. She holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism and mass communication from Arizona State University and lives in Phoenix, Arizona.