Best Credit Card for The Home Depot in 2026
The Home Depot is classified under MCC 5251 (Hardware Stores). The best card for The Home Depot purchases is the Lowes (no annual fee), earning 5x on hardware stores — an effective return of 7.50%.
The Home Depot is a hardware store where you can rack up serious rewards points if your credit card covers it under the Hardware Stores MCC.
Sign up for The Home Depot's credit card; it offers incredible rewards just for shopping there regularly.
Spending Math
If you spend $200 at The Home Depot every month and have a card that earns 5x on this category, you'll earn $10 per month or $120 annually. A general 1% cash back card would only net you $2 monthly, totaling $24 yearly.
The Home Depot purchases are classified under MCC 5251 (Hardware Stores).
MCC Details for The Home Depot
Best Credit Cards for The Home Depot (2026)
How The Home Depot Codes on Your Statement
When you pay at The Home Depot at their locations, your card issuer sees MCC 5251 in the transaction data. This code tells your bank that the purchase was made at a hardware stores merchant. Bonus reward rates on your card apply based on this MCC — not the merchant name itself.
If your card earns bonus points on "hardware stores" purchases, The Home Depot transactions will qualify — even if your card terms only mention a category name and not The Home Depot specifically. The key is that the MCC matches your card's bonus category definition.
You can verify the MCC on any The Home Depot transaction by checking your card's mobile app or statement. Some issuers display the merchant category alongside the transaction details. For the most accurate information, contact your card issuer's customer service and ask whether MCC 5251 qualifies for bonus rewards.
Bonus Category Match — The Home Depot
About MCC 5251: Hardware Stores
Merchant Category Code 5251 is assigned by card networks (Visa, Mastercard, Amex, Discover) to classify businesses in the Hardware Stores industry. Issuers use MCCs to determine which transactions qualify for bonus reward rates. When a merchant is assigned MCC 5251, all qualifying card programs that include hardware stores as a bonus category will apply the elevated earn rate.
The Retail industry group encompasses several related MCCs. Not all merchants in a similar business will share the same MCC — for example, a grocery store inside a warehouse club may code as wholesale ({"5300"}) rather than grocery ({"5411"}). Always verify with your issuer if you're unsure whether a specific merchant qualifies for bonus rewards on your card.
Other Hardware Stores merchants: Ace Hardware, Ace Hardware Store, Do it Best.
What You Could Earn at The Home Depot
Spending $200/month at The Home Depot with the Lowes (5x on hardware stores) earns approximately $120/year in rewards. A basic 1% card earns $24 on the same spending. That is $96 more per year with no annual fee.
Prefer no annual fee? The Custom Cash earns 5x at The Home Depot merchants, earning $120/year with no annual fee.