What is the best credit card for a large purchase?

The best credit card for large purchases is the U.S. Bank Shield™ Visa® Card because it offers an introductory APR of 0% for 24 months. That gives you two whole years to pay off whatever you’re planning to buy, and you won’t have to pay an annual fee. The regular APR is 17.24% - 28.24% (V), though.

Another good option is the Chase Freedom Unlimited®, especially if you don’t need quite as long to pay off your large purchase and you want to earn rewards. The Chase Freedom Unlimited® offers a credit limit of $500 - $5,000+ and gives new cardholders an intro APR of 0% for 15 months. Plus, the card has a $0 annual fee and great rewards.

Best Credit Cards for Large Purchases in 2025

What we like: The U.S. Bank Shield™ Visa® Card offers an intro rate of 0% for 24 months on both new purchases and balance transfers, giving you a long interest-free period. Plus, it comes with a $0 annual fee and offers 4% cash back on prepaid air, hotel and car reservations booked directly in the Rewards Center.

What we don’t like: The U.S. Bank Shield™ Visa® Card has a high regular APR, charging 17.24% - 28.24% (V). There’s also a balance transfer fee of 5% (min $5).

Who should get it: Apply for the U.S. Bank Shield™ Visa® Card if you need a long time to pay off a large purchase. This card is available to people with good credit or better.

What we like: Chase Freedom Unlimited offers an intro rate of 0% for 15 months on both new purchases and balance transfers. Plus, it comes with a $0 annual fee and offers benefits such as extended warranty coverage and purchase protection.

Chase Freedom Unlimited also rewards cardholders with 5% cash back on travel through Chase Travel, 3% back at restaurants and drugstores, and 1.5% back on all other purchases.

What we don’t like: Like most 0% credit cards and most elite rewards cards, Chase Freedom Unlimited has a fairly high regular APR, charging 18.74% - 28.24% (V). Plus, it has a balance transfer fee of either $5 or 3% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater in the first 60 days (5%, min $5 after).

Who should get it: Apply for Chase Freedom Unlimited if its ongoing rewards match up well with your spending habits and its intro APR can save you money when making a large purchase. This card is available to people with good credit or better.

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What we like: The Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card gives you $300 in welcome bonuses: a $100 credit to use towards flights, stays and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel during your first cardholder year (limited-time offer), plus a $200 cash bonus for spending $500 on purchases in the first 3 months, as well as 1 - 8% cash back on purchases made with the card.

Capital One Savor also offers an introductory interest rate of 0% for 12 months on both new purchases and balance transfers. It comes with a $0 annual fee, too.

What we don’t like: Capital One Savor has a high regular APR, at 18.99% - 28.99% (V). Plus, it has a balance transfer fee of 3% for the first 12 months, 4% at a promo APR that Capital One may offer you at any other time.

Who should get it: Apply for Capital One Savor if you want to earn bonus rewards on dining and entertainment purchases while you save on interest. This card is available to people with good credit or better.

What we like: The Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card’s financing promotion gives you an intro APR of 0% for 15 billing cycles on both new purchases and balance transfers made in the first 60 days. The card also comes with a $0 annual fee.

In addition, the Bank of America Travel Rewards credit card offers an initial bonus of 25,000 points for spending $1,000 in the first 90 days. It also rewards cardholders with 1.5 points per $1 spent on all purchases.

What we don’t like: The Bank of America Travel Rewards credit card has a regular APR of 17.74% - 27.74% Variable and a balance transfer fee of 3% for 60 days from account opening, then 4%.

Who should get it: Apply for the Bank of America Travel Rewards credit card if you want to earn rewards at a flat rate on all purchases and then redeem for travel. This card is available to people with excellent credit.

What we like: The Wells Fargo Reflect is one of the best credit cards for large purchases as it offers an intro APR of 0% for 21 months from account opening on both purchases and qualifying balance transfers. Plus, it has a minimum credit limit of $1,000 and a $0 annual fee.

What we don’t like: This card’s balance transfer fee is 5% (min $5), and its regular APR is 17.74%, 24.24%, or 28.49% Variable.

Who should get it: Apply for Wells Fargo Reflect if you have good credit or better and want to avoid interest for months.

It is worth noting that the best credit card for a large purchase ultimately depends on your financial situation and the type of purchase you’re planning to make. As you compare credit cards, keeping the following pointers in mind can help you get the best results.

Tips to Maximize Credit Card Benefits on a Large Purchase 

1. Choose a credit card that offers a 0% introductory APR on new purchases if you won’t be able to pay off your large purchases by the due date. You should also use a credit card payoff calculator to make a plan to minimize interest charges.
2. Select a card that offers rewards. If you already know what type of purchase you’re going to make, choose a card that gives bonus rewards for that spending category. Otherwise, consider a card that gives a high earning rate on all purchases.
3. Get a card that gives a high initial bonus. That way, when you use your card for a large purchase, it could help you hit the minimum spending requirement and earn the bonus.
4. Apply for a card that offers purchase benefits, as they might come in handy when making large purchases. Perks to watch out for include purchase protection, extended warranty, and guaranteed returns.

It’s also important to point out that any time you make a big purchase with a credit card, you risk hurting your credit score due to high credit utilization. But there are ways to avoid that. You could overpay your bill in advance of your purchase to get a negative balance and more spending power with your card. After the purchase, you could also pay your bill before your monthly statement gets generated to reduce the balance used to calculate credit utilization. 

Those strategies are especially important for people with less-than-good credit, who aren’t likely to qualify for credit cards with high limits or low interest rates. 

The Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card is great for financing a large purchase. You need to have good credit to get it, but it has no interest rate for the first 21 months.