Do Appliance Stores Earn a Bonus?

The short answer: Usually just the base rate. Standalone appliance stores code under a household-appliance category that mainstream cards do not treat as a bonus. At a big-box or home-improvement retailer, an appliance may code as electronics or home improvement instead, which a matching card could reward. Either way, a large appliance is a good welcome-bonus opportunity.

How appliance stores code

A dedicated appliance retailer rings up under a household-appliance store category code, outside the usual bonus buckets, so most cards earn their base rate. If you buy the appliance at a home-improvement store, it takes on that store’s category, which a card with a home-improvement bonus could reward, as covered in home improvement store bonuses. At an electronics retailer it may code as electronics.

Use the size to your advantage

A refrigerator or a washer-dryer is a big purchase, ideal for meeting a welcome-bonus minimum spend or using a long intro-APR offer to spread the cost interest-free. Those benefits usually matter more than the earn rate on a purchase this size.

The best card for appliances

Since a standalone appliance store earns the base rate, a strong flat-rate card is the reliable choice, unless you buy at a home-improvement store on a card that rewards it. Run your spending through the credit card rewards calculator to find the best base-return card, and see the flat options in best cash back cards.

Frequently asked questions

Do appliance stores earn a bonus?
Standalone appliance stores earn the base rate. At a home-improvement or electronics retailer, the appliance may code as that store, which a matching bonus card could reward.
What card is best for a big appliance purchase?
A flat-rate card for a standalone store, or a home-improvement card if you buy at one. Either way, a card whose welcome bonus the purchase unlocks is worth considering.
Do appliances at Home Depot or Lowe’s earn a bonus?
They can, because the purchase codes as home improvement. A card with a home-improvement bonus would earn its higher rate there.

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Bryce Casson

Written by Bryce Casson, Founder of Cardocrat. About the author and how we rank cards.