The best credit cards and strategies for maximizing home improvement spending
Editor's Note
When it's time to remodel or build a home, you'll likely face significant costs. Readers routinely ask us what credit cards will maximize their rewards on purchases at Home Depot, Lowe's, Ace Hardware and other home improvement stores.
Today, we cover several strategies and credit cards you should consider when it comes to maximizing the return on your home improvement expenses. As you'll see, many of the best cards for home improvement purchases don't carry an annual fee and are useful for other types of purchases as well.
Store cards typically aren't good picks because they offer poor returns on spending — or none at all. The Home Depot Consumer Credit Card, for instance, doesn't offer any cash-back rewards, though it has the benefit of special financing offers, which might be handy for large purchases.
The best cards for home improvement store purchases
Here is a comparison of the earning rates for home improvement purchases on all the personal cards we considered:
| Card name | Earning rates | Rate of return* | Earning limits | Annual fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Alliant Credit Union Visa Signature Card* | 2.5% back on the first $10,000 of eligible purchases per billing cycle, then 1.5% back
Must have a qualifying Alliant checking account and complete required activities to earn at this rate; otherwise, cardholders will earn 1.5% back on all purchases | 2.5% | 2.5% earning rate limited to $10,000 in purchases per billing cycle | $0 |
6% cash back (for the first year, then 3%) in the category of your choice
2% cash back at grocery stores and wholesale clubs 1% cash back on all other purchases | 3% at home improvement stores | 6% (then 3% after the first year) and 2% earning rates are limited to the first $2,500 in combined purchases in these categories each quarter, then the earning rate is 1% until the next quarter begins | $0 | |
5 miles per dollar on rental cars, vacation rentals, and hotels booked with Capital One Travel
2 miles per dollar on other purchases | 2 miles per dollar | None | $95 | |
5% back on travel purchases through Chase Travel℠
3% back at restaurants, including takeout and delivery 3% back at drugstores 1.5% back on all other purchases | 1.5% at home improvement stores | None | $0 | |
5% back in your top spending category each billing cycle ("home improvement stores" is an eligible category)
1% back on all other purchases Earn an additional 4% cash back on hotels, car rentals and attractions booked on the Citi travel portal through June 30, 2026 | 5% as long as this is your top spending category during that billing cycle | 5% earning rate is limited to $500 in purchases during each billing cycle, then 1% back | $0 | |
2% back on all purchases — 1% when you purchase and another 1% when you pay your bill
Plus, earn 5% total cash back on hotel, car rentals and attractions booked on the Citi Travel portal | 2% on all purchases
| None | $0 | |
No rewards earning; the card merely offers improved return policies and financing options | None | None | $0 | |
Huntington Voice Credit Card* | 3 points per dollar on your chosen category, which you can change each quarter ("home improvement stores" is a category)
1 point per dollar on other purchases | 3% if this is your chosen category, otherwise 1% | Bonus earnings are limited to the first $2,000 of purchases in your preferred category each quarter, then 1 point per dollar until the next category begins | $0 |
IKEA Visa® Credit Card* | 5% back via Rewards points on IKEA purchases, including installation and assembly services
3% back via Rewards points on dining, grocery store and utility purchases 1% back via Rewards points on other purchases | 5% back at IKEA stores but 1% back at other home improvement stores | No earning limits, but redemptions come in the form of reward certificates redeemable at U.S. stores or on the U.S version of the website; rewards are issued only in $15 increments and expire 90 days from the date of issue | $0 |
MyLowe's Rewards Credit Card* | 5% off when paying with your card at a Lowe's store or Lowes.com | 5% savings at Lowe's, but the card cannot be used at other stores | None | $0 |
Prime Visa (see rates and fees) | 5% back on Amazon, Whole Foods and Chase Travel℠ purchases with an eligible Prime membership
2% back at restaurants, gas stations and local transit and commuting 1% back on all other purchases | 5%, 2% or 1%, depending on the category — including 5% on Amazon or 1% at home improvement stores | None | $0, but Prime membership required |
U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card* | 5% back in two categories of your choosing, which you can change quarterly (choices include "furniture stores" and "department stores")
2% back in one category of your choosing 1% back on other purchases | Likely 1%, since home improvement stores may not trigger these bonus categories | 5% back is limited to the first $2,000 of combined purchases across your two chosen categories each quarter, then 1% back until the next quarter begins | $0 |
2% cash rewards on purchases | 2% cash rewards | None | $0 |
Rewards value is based on TPG's August 2024 valuations and is not provided by the card issuer.
*The information for the these cards has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
When other cards and strategies could make sense
Believe it or not, you don't always need to use the card with the highest return for your home improvement purchases. Here are some situations where it could make sense to use another rewards card.
Meeting a minimum spend — With a large expense on your horizon, you should think about adding a new credit card to your wallet. You can use home improvement purchases to quickly knock out minimum spending requirements on one or more new cards and qualify for bonus points. There are some great elevated sign-up bonuses available right now.
Meeting annual spend bonuses — Taking care of a home isn't cheap, so make sure to check the cards in your wallet and see if you could use this spending to hit an annual spend threshold that triggers bonus miles, a companion ticket, a free award night or the Southwest Companion Pass. Numerous credit cards offer benefits that come after spending a certain amount of money on that card during the year; using a large purchase to earn that benefit could be worthwhile.
Spending toward elite status — Some credit cards allow you to earn status or accelerate your progress toward elite status through credit card spending. We have a roundup of these cards here. You can accelerate your elite status in programs like United MileagePlus, World of Hyatt and American Airlines AAdvantage.
Use shopping portals — We say it often: If you're shopping online, you should always click through a shopping portal first. With just one or two extra clicks before making an online purchase, you can multiple your cash-back earnings or rewards points, and these earnings are on top of what you'll get from your credit card. Sites like Cashback Monitor and Rakuten will produce return rates for home improvement stores like Lowe's and Home Depot and all you have to do is select the one with the highest return. Plus, these sites often provided bonuses for new users and elevated return rates on popular shopping days.
Offers from your credit card issuer — Options like Amex Offers, Chase Offers, Capital One Offers and Citi Merchant Offers may provide discounts or bonus earnings at a merchant where you're planning to make a purchase. By checking these first, you may find offers like 5% cash back on your card or earning triple points on purchases above a certain amount. Note that these are targeted offers, so not everyone will see the same offers and not every store has an offer available every day.
Coupons — Look for coupons in your local newspaper or online — or even consider buying coupons from someone on eBay for a few dollars — as these may lead to big savings on your home improvement purchases. If you find multiple coupons, separate your purchases into multiple transactions to maximize your savings.
Lowe's Military and Veteran Discount — Attach your proof of qualification to your My Lowe's card either through the automated system on Lowe's.com or by taking your DD-214 or military ID to your local Lowe's, where customer service can help you enroll. You'll then save 10% automatically on almost everything in the store every time you scan your card at checkout.
Buy the supplies for your contractor — Most contractors who perform remodels or home improvement projects don't accept credit cards. Negotiate with your contractor to see if you can buy the supplies yourself for the project. If the contractor provides a shopping list, you can purchase the supplies yourself and earn credit card rewards on this portion of the project, even though you won't be able to use a credit card to pay for the labor.
Earning credit card rewards when financing home improvements
If you're looking to refinance or take out a loan for home improvements, you'll have to make payments directly to your bank. There's no fee-free way to make those payments with a credit card and earn points. If your financial institution will accept a check, you can use services like Plastiq, which typically charge a 2.5%-3% service fee to make it possible to use your credit card (and earn points).
Most of the time, the rewards you earn in exchange for the fee aren't worth enough to make up for the charge, or the margin when you come out ahead is so small that it should be avoided. However, if you're able to earn enough Plastiq referral credits by having friends, family and coworkers sign up for the service and make a payment using your referral code, you may be able to get a few months of fee-free payments under your belt and earn credit card rewards.
Another option for financing large projects is using a credit card with an introductory annual percentage rate (APR) offer, paying 0% interest for a year or more, depending on the card. If this sounds like a good option, see our guide to the best credit cards with a 0% introductory APR for more details.
Bottom line
Home improvement projects represent a significant expense, and you should do everything possible to minimize the sting. With the right combination of savings tactics and rewards-earning credit cards, you'll do far better than if you walked into a store and paid cash.
At the end of the day, the best card for your home improvement purchases depends on the amount and type of goods you're purchasing. For instance, if it's a lot of inexpensive goods or basic building supplies, you might want to use a combination of discounted gift cards and coupons to save as much money as possible. Remember that if you're using gift cards, you'll lose out on credit card purchase protection benefits.
If it's an appliance or electronics, you might want to use a shopping portal and a credit card with purchase protection to earn maximum points while still getting important protections offered by your credit card. You could also consider a combination of approaches, depending on your situation. There's not one best credit card for every home improvement project for every person, so consider what works for you.
The only wrong answer when it comes to your home improvement purchase is doing none of the above.
Related: The best credit cards for each bonus category
Updated 5/28/25