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We’ve all likely considered or completed a home improvement project recently. Whether you’re taking on a major renovation or are planting a container garden on the patio, home improvement stores have become the go-to places for the supplies we need to spruce up our environment.
Many home improvement projects can cost a bundle, so it would be a shame not to earn rewards on those expenses. Unfortunately, earning rewards on those purchases is not usually a straightforward process as few credit cards offer bonus rewards for purchasing directly at home improvement stores.
When we focus on the rewards-earning process, however, just a bit of creativity can pay off big. And that’s the objective we’ll tackle in today’s article.
Timing, which card you use, and how you complete the transaction are all factors in receiving the most rewards for your home improvement purchase. This might sound complicated, but all of those variables don’t scare us. As you’d expect, we’re happy to break it down and make it simple to earn more.
If you want to earn the most rewards on your home improvement purchases, let’s get started.
When you’re looking for a credit card to use for home improvement purchases, you’ll want to be as strategic as possible.
That’s because home improvement purchases can easily run into the thousands of dollars; you wouldn’t want to miss out on those rewards!
You also have to consider your goals with a credit card — are you looking for maximum rewards, a credit card with a 0% introductory APR period to defer interest payments, or a combination of both?
Whatever the case, the best cards for home improvement offer the highest ROI, confer the best benefits, and can even offer attractive financing terms to spread out your payments.
In this next section, we’ll be walking you through our favorite personal credit cards for home improvement purchases!
| Card | Welcome Bonus and Annual Fee | Home Improvement Benefits |
| Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card |
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| Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card |
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| Chase Freedom Unlimited® |
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| The Platinum Card® from American Express |
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| Citi® Double Cash Card |
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| Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express |
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The Capital One Venture X card is our top pick for those looking to use a personal credit card for home improvement purchases.
We love the Capital One Venture X card because of its amazing rewards. Specifically, you’ll earn an unlimited 2x miles on all non-bonus purchases including home improvement purchases.
This credit card comes with attractive purchase protection and extended warranty benefits, as well as cell phone protection insurance, and 4 no-fee authorized users.
You’ll even earn 10x Capital One miles on all hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, plus 5x miles on all flights booked through Capital One Travel.
Its other benefits are incredible, too:
Lastly, this credit card is rounded out with awesome travel insurance and no foreign transaction fees.
We have a great appreciation for Capital One Miles, which is one of the newer transferable points programs out there.
Because we value Capital One miles at around 1.8 cents each, the Capital One Venture X card offers a 3.6% return on spending for your home improvement purchases, which is fantastic.
You can redeem your miles for a fixed value through statement credits, gift cards, and travel booked through Capital One Travel. But those in the know will transfer their Capital One miles to travel partners and book luxury first and business class flights to get maximum value.
The Capital One Venture card is the slightly-less premium version of the Capital One Venture X card.
This mid-tier, premium credit card still has most of what you’re looking for if you’re spending a lot at home improvement stores.
You’ll still get all of the fantastic 2x miles on all non-bonus purchases, including home improvement purchases, as you would with the Capital One Venture X card.
You’ll even get 5x miles on hotels and rental cars through Capital One Travel and the Global Entry/TSA PreCheck application fee credit.
The key difference, though, between the Capital One Venture X card and the Capital One Venture card (besides the annual fee) is that the Capital One Venture card doesn’t have all of the travel benefits that the Capital One Venture X card does.
You’ll still enjoy travel insurance, purchase protection, and extended warranty. This card has no foreign transaction fees or added fees for authorized users.
The Freedom Unlimited card is one of the most attractive cards without an annual fee. This fantastic choice earns very robust rewards that can actually be transferred to travel partners with the right credit card pairing.
But before we get into that, let’s get into the earning structure:
As you can tell, the Freedom Unlimited card boasts a 1.5% cash-back structure with no limits and caps.
This 1.5% cash-back can then be converted to Ultimate Rewards points if you have an eligible card, such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card or the Chase Sapphire Reserve®. In a single move, you’ll double your return on spending to 3% since your 1.5% cash-back is converted to 1.5x points!
Another selling point of this card is its 0% introductory APR (as detailed in the table above) which can help you defer interest accrual as you spread out your payments.
The Freedom Unlimited card comes with benefits such as purchase protection, extended warranty, zero liability fraud protection, fraud alerts, and no additional fees for authorized users.
Chase Ultimate Rewards is one of the absolute best points programs; you can use your points for Amazon purchases, gift cards, cash-back, travel booked via the Chase Ultimate Rewards travel portal, and much more.
But the best way to use points, in our opinion, is to transfer them to the Chase airline and hotel partners for luxury award travel!
As a reminder, earning 1.5x Ultimate Rewards points would be equivalent to a return on spending of 3%, by our valuations.
Hot Tip: Check to see if you’re eligible for a welcome bonus offer of up to 125k (or 150k) points with the Amex Platinum. The current public offer is 80,000 points. (This targeted offer was independently researched and may not be available to all applicants.)
The Amex Platinum card is the king of luxury travel cards. Simply put, this iconic product is not only a status symbol but has an array of worthwhile travel benefits.
It falls closer to the bottom of the list because of its reduced earning structure on home improvement purchases.
On your home improvement spending, you’ll earn 1x Membership Rewards points, which is worth a return on spending of 2.2% by our valuations.
But you should consider getting this card for all the other benefits and perks. This card offers one of the biggest welcome bonuses out there — and you can earn 5x points per dollar spent on flights purchased directly with the airline or at Amex Travel (up to $500,000 in purchases per calendar year), as well as 5x points on prepaid hotels booked through Amex Travel.
This card also comes with no preset spending limit, making it easy to make big purchases as needed.
But the Amex Platinum card is so special because you’ll get:
Lastly, this card is rounded out with no foreign transaction fees (see rates and fees).
We’re positively in love with American Express Membership Rewards. If you can get your hands on these points, you’ll be thrilled that these are some of the most valuable points, worth about 2.2 cents apiece.
To maximize your points, transfer them to airline and hotel partners for award travel. This is an easy way to get more than 2.2 cents per point of value!
Other ways to redeem Amex points include Pay With Points through Amex Travel, statement credits, cash-back, charity, gift cards, and merchandise.
The last personal credit card we’ll discuss is the Double Cash card. Even though it’s an incredibly popular credit card, most people don’t think to use it on home improvement purchases.
It doesn’t come with a welcome offer, but it often has a 0% introductory APR offer, as detailed in the table above.
We love this card because it earns a total of 2% cash-back per dollar spent (1% when you purchase and 1% when you pay it off, earned as ThankYou Points). And even though the ways to use these points are limited without having a different ThankYou credit card, we are big fans of this product.
The Double Cash card also comes with a late fee pass, flexible pay dates, fraud protection, zero liability for unauthorized purchases, no-fee authorized users, and more.
We mentioned above that the rewards earned on these cards are ThankYou Rewards Points.
This happens to be one of the best transferable points systems available — however, the Double Cash card as a standalone credit card only gets you access to Choice Privileges, Wyndham Rewards, and JetBlue as transfer partners.
If you also have a card like the Citi Premier® Card or the Citi Prestige® Card, you can transfer points to the full list of transfer partners, which can help you book amazing flights like Emirates first class and SWISS business class.
By our valuations, Citi ThankYou Points are worth 1.6 cents each, which translates to a return on spending of 3.2% when you earn 2x points per dollar.
Bottom Line: Our favorite personal cards for home improvement purchases are the Capital One Venture X card, Capital One Venture card, Freedom Unlimited card, Amex Platinum card, and Double Cash card.
Our last choice is a cash back card and it’s a little different because it earns rewards on online purchases. The Amex Blue Cash Everyday card earns 3% cash-back at U.S. online retailers (including home improvement stores) on up to $6,000 in purchases each year.
While Amex’s terms indicate you won’t earn extra rewards on purchases ordered online but paid for in-store, you can earn the 3% cash-back on online purchases that you simply pick up in the store.
Other benefits of this card include:
Do you frequently make purchases at home improvement stores for your business? If so, it’s wise to get a business credit card that rewards you the most for these purchases — let’s talk through our favorite options!
| Card | Welcome Bonus and Annual Fee | Home Improvement Benefits |
| The Business Platinum Card® from American Express |
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| Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card |
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| The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express |
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| Capital One Spark Miles for Business |
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| Capital One Spark Cash Plus Card |
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Hot Tip: Check to see if you’re eligible for a huge welcome bonus offer of up to 170,000 points with the Amex Business Platinum. The current public offer is 120,000 points. (This targeted offer was independently researched and may not be available to all applicants.)
The Amex Business Platinum card is often thought of as a business owner’s best friend. Besides being a partner to help facilitate business activities, this card boasts unprecedented luxury travel and business benefits.
To start, this card boasts an eye-popping welcome bonus. This ought to jumpstart your rewards in the blink of an eye!
The Amex Business Platinum card earns 1.5x Membership Rewards points on eligible purchases in key business categories and on purchases of $5,000 or more everywhere else (up to $2 million in combined purchases every calendar year).
These key business categories include:
Also, with no preset spending limit, the Amex Business Platinum card will make it easier to get large purchases approved as needed.
Remember, you’ll also earn 5x Membership Rewards points on flights and prepaid hotels booked through Amex Travel.
Don’t forget about the American Express Global Lounge Collection access, Fine Hotels & Resorts access, and hotel elite status upon enrollment with Marriott Bonvoy (Gold Elite) and Hilton Honors (Gold).
You’ll even get up to $400 in statement credits for U.S. Dell purchases, up to $200 annual airline fee credit, up to $360 annual Indeed credit, up to $150 annual Adobe credit, up to $120 annual wireless phone services credit, Global Entry/TSA PreCheck application fee credit, and so much more.
The Amex Business Platinum card comes with terrific travel insurance and no foreign transaction fees (rates and fees).
Hot Tip: Check out our guide to the best credit cards for construction businesses!
Our runner-up card is one of Chase’s business credit cards, the Ink Business Unlimited card which is packed with excellent rewards in a small package.
This card starts with a huge welcome bonus to entice you to open the card, but what’ll make you keep the card is the unlimited 1.5% cash-back on all purchases without any caps.
The 1.5% cash-back rewards on this card are convertible to 1.5x Ultimate Rewards points if you have an Ultimate Rewards credit card, such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred card, Chase Sapphire Reserve card, or the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card. By converting your cash-back to points, your return on spending jumps to 3%!
To round out the perks on the Ink Business Unlimited card, you’ll find no-fee employee cards, primary rental car coverage, purchase protection, extended warranty, and zero liability fraud protection.
One of our favorite no-annual-fee cards from American Express is the Amex Blue Business Plus card. Offering straightforward rewards, this is one you should consider using if you have relatively small-scale business spending at home improvement stores.
You’ll earn 2x Membership Rewards points on everyday business purchases, including home improvement stores. Your 2x points are capped at $50,000 per calendar year, and you’ll earn 1x points after that.
Based on our valuations, earning 2x points is equal to a return on spending of 4.4%, which is fantastic.
You might also find a useful 0% introductory APR as detailed in the table above — but the usual benefits on this card include no-fee employee cards (see rates and fees), access to Amex Offers, and Expanded Buying Power.
A fan favorite amongst business owners, the Capital One Spark Miles card has excellent rewards you can take advantage of on your home improvement purchases.
To get your relationship rolling, you’ll earn an awesome welcome bonus, then enjoy 2x Capital One miles on all your business purchases without any caps. That’s equal to a return on spending of 3.6% by our valuations!
You’ll also earn 5x miles on hotel and rental car bookings made through Capital One Travel.
The Capital One Spark Miles card comes with up to $100 credit for Global Entry/TSA PreCheck application fees, no foreign transaction fees, no-fee employee cards, extended warranty, and purchase protection.
The very last credit card we’ll be discussing in this guide is the Capital One Spark Cash Plus card.
And it has a simple value proposition — get an unlimited 2% cash-back on all your purchases. Plus, there’s a great welcome bonus!
The difference is that this card has no preset spending limit, unlike Capital One’s other cards.
You’ll also get your $150 annual fee refunded every year you spend at least $150,000.
This card offers no-fee employee cards, purchase protection, extended warranty, and no foreign transaction fees.
Hot Tip: The cash-back rewards earned on the Capital One Spark Cash Plus card can actually be converted at a 1% to 1x ratio to Capital One miles if you have a Capital One Miles credit card such as the Capital One Venture X card, Capital One Venture card, or Capital One Spark Miles card.
As you can tell from the list above, our favorite credit cards are those that earn transferable rewards. That’s because these are generally the most valuable and can be used for outsized value when booking award travel.
Credit cards with specific merchants like The Home Depot, Lowe’s, or Menards generally don’t offer attractive rewards or discounts compared to the cards in this guide.
Plus, our recommended credit cards earn points on so much more than just home improvement, so you’ll find it so much easier to rack up and use rewards with the cards in this guide when compared to credit cards from home improvement stores.
The best card for your home improvement purchase, however, will depend on your willingness to pay an annual fee, how well rewards earnings match up with your spending mix, and if you can use any other benefits offered by the card. Also, you’ll want to consider whether or not you’ll need a 0% introductory APR promotion to help spread out your credit card payments over time.
In the end, earning rewards on your home improvement purchases with a card you can utilize in the long run may be a good choice, especially considering how pricey home improvement purchases can be.
For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the above benefits are provided by Visa® or Mastercard® and may vary by product. See the respective Guide to Benefits for details, as terms and exclusions apply.
Enrollment required through Capital One website or mobile app. Upon enrollment, eligible cardholders will remain at upgraded status level through December 31, 2024. Please note, enrolling through the normal Hertz Gold Plus Rewards enrollment process (e.g. at Hertz.com) will not automatically detect a cardholder as being eligible for the program and cardholders will not be automatically upgraded to the applicable status tier. Additional terms apply.
The information regarding the Capital One Spark Cash Plus Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.
The information regarding the Chase Freedom Unlimited® was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.
The information for the Citi Prestige® Card has been collected independently by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.
Information regarding the Capital One Spark Miles for Business was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.
For rates and fees of The Platinum Card® from American Express, click here.
For rates and fees of the Blue Cash Everyday® from American Express, click here.
For rates and fees of The Business Platinum Card® from American Express, click here.
For rates and fees of The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express, click here.
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Christine ran her own business developing and managing insurance and financial services. This stoked a passion for points and miles and she now has over 2 dozen credit cards and creates in-depth, detailed content for UP.
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2 comments
Abby Schwing
February 01, 2021
Good post. I learn something new and challenging on blogs I stumbleupon on a daily basis.
It’s always helpful to read content from other writers and practice a little something from their websites.
Donna
June 11, 2022
While you do earn more points with your Amex options above, there is another straight forward option of just using the Business Platinum card, which will get you 1.5x per dollar. I know this is a lot less than the 5-6% you noted above, it doesn’t take the extra steps needed with the other cards, and you don’t have any gift card balances hanging around.
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