Best Credit Card for Menards in 2026
Menards is classified under MCC 5251 (Hardware Stores). The best card for Menards purchases is the Lowes (no annual fee), earning 5x on hardware stores — an effective return of 7.50%.
Hardware stores like Menards are covered under cash-back cards that offer high rewards for home improvement spending, making them a great place to earn extra points or cash back.
Use your high-reward card for bulk purchases at Menards to maximize your points and take advantage of their frequent sales.
Spending Math
If you spend $200 at Menards each month with a card offering 5x points on Lowe's, you'd earn $10.00 in rewards monthly, totaling $120.00 annually. In comparison, a basic 1% cash-back card would only net you $24.00 over the same period.
Menards purchases are classified under MCC 5251 (Hardware Stores).
MCC Details for Menards
Best Credit Cards for Menards (2026)
How Menards Codes on Your Statement
When you pay at Menards 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, Menards transactions will qualify — even if your card terms only mention a category name and not Menards specifically. The key is that the MCC matches your card's bonus category definition.
You can verify the MCC on any Menards 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 — Menards
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 Menards
Spending $200/month at Menards 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 Menards merchants, earning $120/year with no annual fee.