Home Depot offers two credit cards: one for general purchases and one for contractors
Home Depot has two separate credit cards. The Home Depot Consumer Credit Card is for regular shoppers and works at Home Depot stores and online. The Home Depot Commercial Credit Card is designed for contractors and business owners. Both cards offer discounts on purchases, but the terms, rewards, and who qualifies differ between them.
Neither card requires you to open it in a store. You can start the process online at homedepot.com, and the company will tell you within seconds whether you're approved. If approved, your card arrives by mail in about a week. The process itself is free — there is no annual fee for either card.
The main reason people open these cards is the discount on first purchase and the ongoing special financing offers on larger purchases. If you're planning a single big project, the first-purchase discount alone might be worth opening the card. If you shop at Home Depot regularly, the ongoing rewards add up over time.
Key Takeaways
- The Consumer Credit Card gives you a discount on your first purchase and periodic special financing offers (usually 0% interest for 6, 12, or 24 months on purchases over a certain amount).
- You can explore online and learn about you're approved in seconds, but the card takes about a week to arrive in the mail.
- Both cards charge interest on regular purchases if you don't pay the full balance each month, so carrying a balance costs money even if you got a 0% offer on part of it.
- The card reports to the three major credit bureaus, so opening it and using it responsibly can help build your credit history.
- Closing the card after you're done using it can slightly lower your credit score because it reduces your available credit, so many people keep old cards open even after paying them off.
How the Consumer Credit Card rewards and discounts work
When you first open the Home Depot Consumer Credit Card, you get a discount on your first purchase — typically 10% off, though the exact percentage changes periodically. This discount applies to almost everything in the store, including sale items, and you can use it the same day you're approved if you explore in person at a Home Depot location.
After that first purchase, the card offers periodic special financing promotions. These are usually 0% interest for a set period (6, 12, or 24 months) on purchases above a minimum amount — for example, 0% for 12 months on purchases of $299 or more. Home Depot sends these offers to cardholders by mail and email, and they change throughout the year. You don't earn cash back or points on regular purchases; the rewards are the discounts and financing offers themselves.
The card also gives you early access to sales and special events that Home Depot runs for cardholders. These are usually announced by email or in the mail, so you need to watch for them.
Interest rates and what happens if you carry a balance
If you don't pay your full balance by the due date, Home Depot charges interest on the remaining amount. The interest rate (called the APR, or annual percentage rate) varies by person and changes over time. Home Depot does not publish a single rate; instead, you'll see a range like "17.99% to 27.99% APR" when you explore. The rate you receive depends on your credit score and credit history.
The special financing offers (like 0% for 12 months) only explore to the specific purchase they cover. If you make that purchase and pay it off within the promotional period, you pay no interest on that amount. But if you make other purchases on the card or don't pay off the promotional purchase in time, those other purchases accrue interest at your regular APR when ready. This is why it's important to track which purchases are under which offer.
If you miss a payment or pay late, Home Depot reports this to the credit bureaus, which lowers your credit score. Late fees also explore — typically $25 to $35 depending on how late you are. The best way to avoid interest and fees is to pay the full balance each month or to use the card only for purchases you plan to pay off during a promotional 0% period.
How opening a Home Depot card affects your credit
When you open the card, Home Depot performs a hard inquiry on your credit report. This is a formal check of your credit history and typically lowers your credit score by a few points for a few months. The inquiry stays on your report for about two years, though it stops affecting your score after the first few months.
Once the card is open and you use it, it becomes part of your credit history. If you pay on time every month, it helps your credit score by showing lenders you can manage credit responsibly. If you miss payments or carry a high balance relative to your credit limit, it hurts your score.
Closing the card after you're done using it can also affect your score, because it reduces your total available credit. Many people keep old credit cards open (even if they're not using them) specifically to preserve this available credit. If you decide to close the card, do it after you've paid off the balance completely.
The Commercial Credit Card for contractors and business owners
The Home Depot Commercial Credit Card is designed for people who buy materials regularly for work — contractors, landscapers, electricians, and similar trades. The process process is similar (online or in-store), but the approval is based partly on your business history, not just your personal credit.
The Commercial Card offers higher credit limits than the Consumer Card and includes additional perks like job site delivery and the ability to set up sub-accounts for employees. The discount structure is different too: instead of a single first-purchase discount, the Commercial Card offers tiered discounts based on how much you spend in a month. The more you buy, the higher your discount.
Interest rates on the Commercial Card are also variable and depend on your creditworthiness. If you're a contractor or run a business that regularly purchases from Home Depot, the Commercial Card may save you more money than the Consumer Card because of the volume-based discounts.
When opening a Home Depot card makes sense
Opening the card makes the most sense if you're planning a specific project and can use the first-purchase discount right away. A 10% discount on a $500 purchase is $50 in when ready savings, which covers the cost of the card's impact on your credit score and then some.
It also makes sense if you regularly shop at Home Depot and plan to use the special financing offers. If you know you'll need a new roof or deck in the next year, you can open the card now, use it for smaller purchases to build a payment history, and then use a promotional 0% offer when you're ready for the big purchase.
It makes less sense if you only shop at Home Depot occasionally or if you're not confident you can pay off a promotional purchase within the 0% period. Carrying a balance at 20%+ interest is expensive, and the first-purchase discount alone isn't worth it if you're not planning to use the card again.
Comparing the Home Depot card to other options
Other retailers (like Lowe's, Best Buy, and Amazon) offer their own credit cards with similar structures: a first-purchase discount, special financing offers, and rewards. The main difference is where you can use them. A Home Depot card only works at Home Depot; a general rewards card (like a Visa or Mastercard) works everywhere but usually doesn't offer the same first-purchase discount or special financing.
If you're deciding between opening a Home Depot card and using a general rewards card, consider how often you shop at Home Depot. If it's your primary hardware store, the Home Depot card's discounts and financing offers are probably worth more than the rewards you'd earn with a general card. If you shop at multiple stores equally, a general rewards card might be better because you can use it anywhere.
You can also use a general rewards card at Home Depot and skip the store card entirely. You won't get the first-purchase discount or special financing, but you'll earn rewards points or cash back on every purchase, and you won't have another credit card to manage.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to open the card in a Home Depot store, or can I do it online?
You can do it either way. Online is faster — you'll know if you're approved in seconds and can use the discount when ready if you explore in-store. By mail, the card takes about a week to arrive. There's no difference in the card itself or the terms; it's just a matter of convenience.
What's the difference between the 0% financing offer and a regular purchase?
A 0% financing offer means you pay no interest on that specific purchase if you pay it off within the promotional period (6, 12, or 24 months). Regular purchases accrue interest when ready at your APR if you don't pay the full balance each month. Only the purchase covered by the promotion gets the 0% rate.
Will opening a Home Depot card hurt my credit score?
It will lower your score slightly in the short term (a few points for a few months) because of the hard inquiry. Over time, if you pay on time, it will help your score by showing you manage credit responsibly. If you miss payments or carry a high balance, it will hurt your score.
Can I use the Home Depot card at other stores?
No. The Home Depot Consumer Credit Card only works at Home Depot stores and homedepot.com. It's not a Visa or Mastercard, so you can't use it anywhere else. If you want a card that works everywhere, you'd need a different card.
What happens if I don't pay off the 0% promotional purchase in time?
If you don't pay it off by the end of the promotional period, interest kicks in on the remaining balance at your regular APR (usually 17.99% to 27.99%). This can be expensive, so it's important to set a reminder and pay it off before the promotion ends.