Lowe’s Credit Cards VS Home Depot Credit Cards – Which Is Right For Your Business?

Lowe’s and Home Depot are two of the biggest home improvement juggernauts. Like many big box stores, they both offer an array of co-branded credit cards.

These cards give you rewards or pay lower interest rates when you buy at either store. This makes them appealing options if you frequent either Lowe’s or Home Depot. Should you have both stores nearby, selecting the right card could ultimately save your business a decent amount of money.

Ready to find out the best Lowe’s or Home Depot options for your business? Read through to find out!

Best Standard Credit Card: Lowe’s Business Rewards Card From American Express

For businesses that shop frequently at either Lowe’s or Home Depot, but need a card that can be used elsewhere as well, there’s only one choice: Lowe’s Business Rewards Card From American Express. That’s because all of Home Depot’s cards can only be used in-store, and the rest of Lowe’s offerings can only be used in-store, too.

This Amex card features three points per dollar spent at restaurants and U.S.-based office supply stores, and on wireless telephone services purchased straight from U.S. service providers. You’ll then collect two points per dollar spent on Lowe’s purchases and one point per dollar on everything else. On top of those rewards, you’ll also get 5% off when buying at Lowe’s—effectively giving you 7% back when buying from the home improvement store.

Once you get your rewards, you’ll be able to redeem them for Lowe’s or American Express gift cards. Besides the base rewards scheme, this card lets you snag 5,000 bonus points after you spend $100 in your first 30 days.

You’ll also get access to standard credit card features. These include employee cards, an extended warranty of up to two years, purchase protection against theft and damage, and travel insurance. Additional bonuses include no annual fee, although there is a foreign transaction fee of 2.7%.

Best Store Card: Lowe’s Advantage Card

When it comes to a basic in-store card, Lowe’s takes the cake again. The Advantage Card nets you 5% off eligible Lowe’s purchases as its base rewards feature. This discount cannot be used in combination with coupons, price-matching, or various other discounts, including military and employee ones.

You can also opt out of the 5% discount and into two different special financing options. The first financing method scores you six months 0% APR on purchases above $299.

Lowe’s second option (called “project financing”) enables special financing on purchases above $2,000. Here’s its payment table:

• 36 fixed monthly payments at 3.99% APR
• 60 fixed monthly payments at 5.99% APR
• 84 fixed monthly payments at 7.99% APR

If either financing option is selected, the 5% discount will be voided. With this in mind, the financing routes should only be used when necessary. Note that despite these special financing rates, the Advantage Card’s standard APR sits rather high.

Also, this is not marketed as a business-specific card; however, using a personal card for business can still be an excellent option.

Best Rewards Program: Lowe’s

Keeping with the theme, Lowe’s has the best overall rewards program. The reason for this is simple: every Lowe’s card features—at the bare minimum—5% off every purchase made with Lowe’s. Home Depot, meanwhile, either offers a convoluted gas discount with their Commercial Account Credit Card and Commercial Revolving Charge Card or no rewards at all.

Besides that 5% off, Lowe’s includes additional rewards with their American Express co-branded business card. This means that the Business Rewards Card can ultimately collect up to 7% cash back if you’re using it at Lowe’s. This rate is very impressive and is ultimately one of the best cash back rates across all credit cards.

Home Depot’s lone rewards program (bundled with the Commercial Account and Commercial Revolving cards) features a $0.10 per gallon savings when you fuel up at Shell and other select gas stations for every $100 purchased at Home Depot. Because you’re able to buy up to 20 gallons of gas with the savings in effect, you essentially get 2% cash back earmarked for gas.

Best For A Large Purchase: Home Depot Project Loan Card

While Lowe’s leads the way in most categories, Home Depot still has one trick up its sleeve. That trick comes in the form of their Project Loan Card.

Aimed at those working on large projects, this card is technically a loan. You’ll be able to receive a loan between $2,500 and $55,000. It offers a fixed APR of 7.99%. You’ll have 84 months to pay off the loan and can pay in-full early without penalty.

Once approved for the Project Loan Card, you’ll have a six-month window to buy products or installation services. There are no annual fees included with this card. However, because it is ultimately a loan, you won’t score any rewards like you might with a regular credit card.

Best APR: Lowe’s Advantage Card

For the best APR, we come back to the Lowe’s Advantage Card. While its standard APR is higher than most cards, the special financing attached with this card sets it apart.

As mentioned earlier, you’re able to forgo the card’s 5% discount on Lowe’s purchases and instead choose one of two financing options. The initial option grants you six months 0% APR on purchases above $299.

For the second option, you can nab special financing on purchases at Lowe’s that are above $2,000. Its rates and time frames are as follows:

• 36 fixed monthly payments at 3.99% APR
• 60 fixed monthly payments at 5.99% APR
• 84 fixed monthly payments at 7.99% APR

Other cards may offer better standard interest rates. However—because of its pair of options—the Lowe’s Advantage Card makes a great tool for those making a large hardware purchase and needing to carry a balance.

Final Thoughts

All told, Lowe’s generally offers the better cards. Between higher reward rates and more appealing APRs, Lowe’s cards are simply more appetizing. However, Home Depot still has an excellent option if you need a larger loan for a project.

Didn’t find a card you’re looking for? Get a bigger picture on all of Lowe’s credit cards. Or take a peek at Home Depot’s offerings.

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