Many people sign up for store specific credit cards. These cards are issued to patrons of stores so that they can make large purchases without having to wait weeks to save up the money and come back. In general, these cards a great ways to build credit and also have a few perks when doing sizable amounts of business (like when building a home or renovating your current home) with a particular company. However, the drawback to these cards is that many places will not accept them because of the moniker on the card and the use at (generally) a competitor’s store.
Thankfully, there are ways around this and many companies have started to combine their cards to be useful in more places than just the original store where the card was applied for. As these cards are backed by the big credit card companies it is easy for businesses to accomplish this as they simply need to use the same company for their card issuances. Unfortunately, this just leads to the confusion of where you can and cannot use your branded credit card and can lead many to resignation of trying to figure it out.
Nevertheless, if you need to use your Sears credit card for any other purchases it is very simple to do so with a little bit of information. First, not everywhere will accept these cards, but, in general, if a store accepts Discover cards they will likely accept your Sears card. Second, if you have the option to run your card through the scanner on your own, you should as many companies will decline to use the card (because of the branding) in their store. Finally, if you cannot find a company that will let you use your card, call the corporate issuing office and ask them for a list of places that you can use your card.