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Whether you’re paying for a wedding, replacing your roof, buying a new laptop or covering an unexpected medical bill, a large purchase can be an opportunity to earn valuable rewards.
The right credit card could help you earn a lucrative welcome bonus, rack up thousands of points or miles, finance your purchase with a 0% introductory annual percentage rate (APR) or protect your purchase with valuable insurance benefits.
Before making a large purchase, it’s worth taking a few minutes to think about what you want to get out of it.
Here’s how to choose the right card — and our picks for the best credit cards for large purchases.
How to choose the best credit card for a large purchase
Not every large purchase belongs on the same credit card. The best option depends on both the purchase itself and your financial goals.
Before you swipe your card, ask yourself these four questions:
Are you trying to earn a welcome bonus?
If you’re planning to spend several thousand dollars anyway, it may be the perfect opportunity to open a new credit card and meet its minimum spending requirement. Many of the best travel rewards cards offer welcome bonuses worth hundreds — or even thousands — of dollars in travel when you meet the spending requirement within the first few months of account opening.
Related: What is a credit card welcome offer?
Do you need time to pay off the purchase?
If you won’t be able to pay your balance in full when your statement closes, a card with a 0% introductory APR may save you far more than you’d earn in rewards. Just be sure to have a plan to pay off the balance before the promotional period ends.
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If you can pay your balance in full, you’ll generally come out ahead by choosing a card with the best rewards or welcome bonus instead of prioritizing a 0% APR offer.
Will purchase protection matter?
For expensive electronics, appliances, jewelry or other valuable items, purchase protection and extended warranty coverage can provide valuable peace of mind. Depending on the card, these benefits may cover eligible purchases against theft or accidental damage for a limited time or extend the manufacturer’s warranty.
Does the purchase earn bonus rewards?
Some purchases earn bonus rewards, while others don’t. If your purchase won’t earn elevated rewards, a card with a strong flat earning rate is often your best bet.
Once you’ve answered those questions, choosing the right card becomes much easier.
Related: How to track your progress toward a credit card welcome bonus
The best cards for large purchases
| Card | Welcome offer value* | Reward rates | Annual fee |
|---|---|---|---|
Value: $1,388 Earn 75,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening. |
| $95 | |
Value: $200. Earn $200 bonus cash back after spending $500 on purchases within the first three months from account opening. |
| $0 | |
Value: $200. Earn $200 cash back after spending $1,500 on purchases within the first six months of account opening.
|
| $0 | |
Value: Up to $6,000. Find out your offer and see if you’re eligible for as high as 300,000 bonus points after spending $20,000 on purchases in the first three months of card membership. Welcome offers vary, and you may not be eligible for an offer. |
| ||
Value: $1,000. Earn $1,000 cash back after spending $10,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening. |
| $195 | |
Value: Up to $2,000. Find out your offer and see if you are eligible for as high as 100,000 bonus points after spending $8,000 on purchases within the first six months of card membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. |
| ||
Value: $2,775. Earn 150,000 bonus miles after spending $30,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
|
| $395 |
*Welcome offer value is calculated based on TPG’s July 2026 valuations and is not provided by the issuer.
Card details for the best cards for large purchases
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card: Best overall
Annual fee: $95
Welcome offer: Earn 75,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening.
Why it’s great for large purchases: You’ll earn at least 2 miles per dollar spent across all purchases.
Many large purchases, such as wedding expenses or home renovation costs, may not fit in a traditional bonus category, so a flat-rate card that earns across all categories can be a great option.
Plus, this is an excellent card for everyday spending in the long term once you’ve taken care of your large purchases. You can redeem miles at a fixed value as a statement credit for eligible travel purchases, or you can use Capital One’s 15-plus transfer partners to maximize redemption value.
To learn more, check out our full review of the Capital One Venture Rewards.
Learn more: Capital One Venture
Chase Freedom Unlimited: Best for financing a large purchase
Annual fee: $0
Welcome offer: Earn $200 bonus cash back after spending $500 on purchases within the first three months from account opening.
Why it’s great for large purchases: You’ll get at least 1.5% back, (or 1.5 points per dollar) on purchases. If you also have an eligible Chase Ultimate Rewards-earning card, such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (see rates and fees), you can transfer your rewards to Chase’s 14 partners.
But beyond this welcome offer, Chase Freedom Unlimited’s great introductory APR period sets it apart from other flat-rate cards. While we always recommend paying off your credit cards in full each month, an introductory APR period (when used responsibly) can help you finance a larger purchase over time.
You’ll be subject to an APR between 18.24%–27.74% after your 15-month 0% introductory period ends.
To learn more, check out our full review of the Freedom Unlimited.
Apply here: Chase Freedom Unlimited
Citi Double Cash Card: Best for earning cash back
Annual fee: $0
Welcome offer: Earn $200 cash back after spending $1,500 on purchases within the first six months of account opening.
Why it’s great for large purchases: If you’d rather earn cash back than travel rewards, it doesn’t get much better than the Citi Double Cash. You’ll earn 2% back on every purchase — 1% when you buy and 1% when you pay off your card.
It’s a flat-rate card, meaning you don’t have to worry about many bonus categories. You’ll get at least 2% back (1% when you buy and 1% when you pay your bill), no matter the merchant. Plus, you’ll earn 5% total cash back on hotel, car rentals and attractions booked on the Citi Travel portal.
However, if you do want to use your rewards for travel (and you also have a card that’s part of the ThankYou program), you can convert your cash-back rewards into Citi ThankYou points.
To learn more, check out our full review of the Citi Double Cash.
Apply here: Citi Double Cash
The Business Platinum Card from American Express: Best for business spending over $5,000
Annual fee: $895
Welcome offer: Find out your offer and see if you’re eligible for as high as 300,000 bonus points after spending $20,000 on purchases in the first three months of card membership. Welcome offers vary, and you may not be eligible for an offer.
Why it’s great for large purchases: The Amex Business Platinum is great for larger purchases for multiple reasons. A large purchase could help you hit the high spending requirement for its welcome bonus, which is worth up to $6,000 according to TPG’s July 2026 valuations.
Additionally, the Amex Business Platinum offers 2 points per dollar spent on eligible purchases in select business categories and eligible purchases of $5,000 or more, on up to $2 million of these purchases per calendar year (then 1 point per dollar spent).
This means that, per our valuations, you’ll essentially get a 4% return in the form of valuable Membership Rewards points. Finally, the card also offers extended warranty* and purchase protection*, which can provide peace of mind when you’re purchasing large-ticket items.
*Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.
To learn more, check out our full review of the Amex Business Platinum.
Apply here: Amex Business Platinum
Ink Business Premier: Best for business cash back
Annual fee: $195
Welcome offer: Earn $1,000 cash back after spending $10,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening.
Why it’s great for large purchases: The Ink Business Premier is intended for business owners with large operating expenses. As such, the card offers 2.5% cash back on purchases of $5,000 or more and 2% cash back on all other eligible purchases.
The best part is that there’s uncapped potential for earning rewards, so the more you spend, the more rewards you’ll accrue. The downside is that cash back earned on this card cannot be transferred to any Chase Ultimate Rewards point-earning credit card.
To learn more, check out our full review of the Ink Business Premier.
Apply here: Ink Business Premier
American Express Gold Card: Best for purchase protection
Annual fee: $325
Welcome offer: Find out your offer and see if you are eligible for as high as 100,000 bonus points after spending $8,000 on purchases within the first six months of card membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.
Why it’s great for large purchases: While the Amex Gold doesn’t offer bonus rewards for large purchases, it does offer up to $10,000 in purchase protection per covered incident, including accidental damage and loss.
American Express makes it easy to determine the level of protection available on your card. Just go to the American Express website, select the type of protection you’re interested in, and then click on your card.
Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.
Note that most of these policies limit the coverage provided for natural disasters, and you can’t use the benefit on purchases of permanent household fixtures (like carpet or tile). But if your upcoming large purchase is for an eligible item that could be lost or damaged, the Amex Gold can be a lifesaver.
And even without a bonus category for large purchases, you still earn 1 point per dollar spent (worth a 2% return based on TPG’s valuations) on nonbonus spending.
To learn more, check out our full review of the Amex Gold.
Apply here: Amex Gold Card
Capital One Venture X Business: Best for business travel purchases
Annual fee: $395
Welcome offer: Earn 150,000 bonus miles after spending $30,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
Why it’s great for large purchases: You’ll earn an impressive 10 miles per dollar spent on hotel and rental cars and 5 miles per dollar spent on flights and vacation rentals when using Capital One Business Travel.
The upside to booking business travel on the card is that Capital One has 15-plus transfer partners, and points earned can be redeemed for award tickets with good-value programs such as Air Canada Aeroplan, Air France-KLM Flying Blue and British Airways Club.
To learn more, check out our full review of the Venture X Business.
Learn more: Capital One Venture X Business
Ways to maximize rewards on a large purchase
Of course, there are other ways to use your credit cards to make the most of large purchases.
Use large purchases to earn a welcome offer or welcome bonus
Even if you have a card that doesn’t offer bonus points in the category you’re planning on making the large purchase in, it can still make sense to use a specific card if you’re trying to hit a high spending requirement.
The Amex Business Platinum from our list of best cards for large purchases is one example, as is the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card (see rates and fees). With the latter, you can earn 100,000 points after spending $8,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
Using the card for a large purchase could help you hit that threshold and earn that stellar bonus, making using it worth it even if you aren’t racking up bonus points on the purchase itself.
Using large purchases to hit spending thresholds for extra benefits
Select credit cards offer valuable spending threshold bonuses that reward you for spending large amounts on your card during the year. Some examples include the following:
Charging a large purchase to a credit card that offers a threshold bonus could help you meet most or all of the spending requirement for the bonus.
Check Amex Offers, Chase Offers and shopping portals for merchant deals
Often overlooked when maximizing earnings are Amex Offers and Chase Offers. These programs provide statement credits or extra points when you add an offer to your card and then make a qualifying purchase. You can view the currently available offers when you log in to your online account.
Offers are usually available from travel, shopping, dining and entertainment merchants, ranging from bonus points to statement credits.
And, of course, you should always check online for potential shopping portal offers if you’re making a large purchase with an online retailer. Shopping portals allow you to double-dip rewards alongside credit card bonuses.
Related: The beginner’s guide to airline shopping portals
Bottom line
A large purchase is one of the best opportunities to maximize the value of your credit card. Depending on the card you choose, you could earn a valuable welcome bonus, finance the purchase with a 0% introductory APR, receive purchase protection or simply earn thousands of extra points or cash back.
Before making your purchase, compare your options and think beyond the rewards rate alone. In many cases, the right credit card can save you money — or help fund your next trip.
For rates and fees of the Amex Business Platinum, click here.
For rates and fees of the Amex Gold, click here.
