Best Credit Cards for Large Purchases for March 2022 – CNET [CNET]

If you need to stretch out payments on a big purchase, consider this card. The U.S. Bank Visa® Platinum Card gives you 20 billing cycles of 0% introductory APR on purchases, which is longer than any of our other top picks for large purchases. After the introductory period, the APR is 14.49% to 24.49% variable. This offer could save you hundreds of dollars in interest and finance charges, as long as you consistently meet the minimum payment every month and pay the balance in full before the 20 billing cycles end. This card is a top pick on our best 0% introductory APR credit cards list.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card doesn’t offer the option of low- or interest-free financing, but it’s great for travel rewards if you will be making a big purchase. The 60,000-point welcome bonus (a $600 value in cash back) could be redeemed for your next trip or vacation. You must spend at least $4,000 within the first three months of card approval to collect these points, making it an easy choice if you already plan to make a large purchase or to travel. You can also collect enhanced rewards points on travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards, dining, online grocery purchases and select streaming services, as well as a standard 1-to-1 point per dollar ratio on any other purchases.

To stretch the value of your points, book your trips through the Chase Ultimate Rewards® portal. There, your points are worth 25% more, making your welcome bonus worth $750. If you purchase a hotel stay through Chase Ultimate Rewards®, you’ll also earn up to a $50 statement credit per year. And if that’s not enough, you’ll also get an annual gift of 10% of your past year’s expenditure in the form of points. That means if you spend $25,000 on purchases, you’ll earn 2,500 bonus points. All this could add up to a nice vacation.

As long as you make payments on time, you may be eligible for a credit limit increase, potentially boosting your credit score. In another effort to motivate your credit-building, you can earn an additional 0.5% cash back after you make 12 monthly on-time payments on eligible purchases. Alternatively, check out some of our other picks for fair or average credit.

According to the Federal Reserve, the average credit card interest rate these days is 16.30%. Financing a large purchase at such a high interest rate could be costly. Unless you can take advantage of a low- or no-interest introductory credit card offer and can commit to paying off your balance on time, it may be cheaper to look for financing alternatives such as a personal loan or drawing on your savings.

To maximize what you can earn for large purchases, choose a rewards credit card that offers points that can be redeemed for merchandise, travel or cash. Stay informed on which credit card categories offer bonus earnings. The way you redeem your points could also make a big difference. You may be able to redeem accrued rewards for bonus points when you make redemptions at a specific website or merchant, stretching your rewards even further.

American Express cards typically offer high credit limits, making it possible to make larger purchases. If you’re not sure of your spending limit, contact your card issuer for more information. You may also be able to request a credit limit increase if you foresee the need to make a large purchase in the near future and your current credit limit isn’t enough.