[Update: Some offers mentioned below have expired and/or are no longer available on our site. You can view the current offers from our partners in our credit card marketplace.DISCLOSURE: Cards from our partners are mentioned below.]
When it comes to home improvement, Home Depot is a heavyweight. The big-box retailer sells home improvement merchandise online and in over 2,200 stores, making it a major shopping destination for millions of home improvement professionals and do-it-yourselfers. Home Depot also offers credit cards aimed to help shoppers finance their projects, which can often get expensive or require repeat shopping trips.
If you’re planning your next big home upgrade, two of Home Depot’s financing options may be relevant to you. Here, we break down the details of both so you can determine if they can help you get to work. (Note: For full details on each Home Depot card, be sure to read the card agreements.)
Home Depot’s Consumer Credit Card can help finance your next home improvement project. You can apply for the card in store or online, and you can even find out if you’re pre-qualified without impacting your credit score. (You can view two of your credit scores for free on Credit.com.)
Similar to a cash back card, this card can be used for any Home Depot purchase online or in store, and you can manage your account online or with a mobile app.
The card’s best feature is its variety of special financing options. Currently, Home Depot is offering an introductory 0% APR for all purchases of $299 or more if you pay them off within six months. The annual percentage rate (APR) is a variable 17.99% to 26.99%, based on creditworthiness. There is no annual fee.
The Home Depot also offers cardholders up to 24 months of interest-free financing during special promotions throughout the year. These promotions apply to rotating categories such as roofing supplies or kitchen cabinets.
Finally, cardholders get one year of “hassle-free returns,” which the company says is four times longer than the typical return period.
The Project Loan card is intended for larger, more expensive projects like remodels or additions. The application can be completed in store or online.
As its name implies, the card is actually a loan to cover the costs of your home project. If you’re approved for a loan, Home Depot supplies you with a card, and you get six months to purchase all needed supplies and services. You can get a credit line of up to $55,000.
Once the purchasing window is closed, you get up to 84 months to pay off your loan.
Unlike store credit cards, which come with high APRs, this card comes with a fixed APR of 7.99%, and no down payment is required.
The Consumer Credit Card is certainly appealing for ongoing home improvement projects. It’s straightforward and comes with a variety of introductory offers that could potentially help you avoid paying any interest.
If your purchase qualifies for the 0% APR and you can pay off your balance within the introductory time period, the card is a strong offer. However, the subsequent variable APR ranges are quite high. If you can’t pay off the balance in full before the interest kicks in, you may want to look for a card with a lower interest rate than something between a variable 17.99 to 26.99%.
It’s a tougher call for the Project Loan card. The fixed APR sounds reasonable at 7.99%, and it’s nice that you get six months to make your purchases. But there are many other ways you can finance your project, including home equity loans and personal loans. You may want to carefully research every loan option you have and run the numbers to see which one is the most cost-effective.
If Home Depot’s 0% APR offer sparked your interest, you may want to consider other credit cards with similar introductory rates. These cards also let you initially avoid interest, and your purchases aren’t limited to Home Depot.
Here are two of our favorites:
Card Details +
Why We Picked It: The Discover it® Cash Back is currently offering . It also earns 5% cash back for up to $1,500 spent on purchases in revolving bonus categories each quarter and unlimited 1% cash back on everything else. Revolving quarterly bonus categories include things like restaurants, wholesale clubs or Amazon.com purchases. (You can check Discover’s cash back calendar online to learn the upcoming quarterly categories.) Note: You have to enroll each quarter to earn the 5% cash back on up to $1,500 in purchases in the designated category. Discover is also currently matching all rewards new cardholders earn in their first year at the end of that year. Again, if you need more deets, check out our full Discover it review.
At publishing time, the Citi Simplicity and Discover it cards are offered through Credit.com product pages, and Credit.com is compensated if our users apply and ultimately sign up for these cards. However, this relationship does not result in any preferential editorial treatment. This content is not provided by the card issuers. Any opinions expressed are those of Credit.com alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the issuers.
Note: It’s important to remember that interest rates, fees and terms for credit cards, loans and other financial products frequently change. As a result, rates, fees and terms for credit cards, loans and other financial products cited in these articles may have changed since the date of publication. Please be sure to verify current rates, fees and terms with credit card issuers, banks or other financial institutions directly.
This article was last updated on October 2nd, 2017.
