Buying a automotive is a big expense. And sadly, it is often a diminishing funding that loses worth over time, beginning with the second you drive it off the lot.
The silver lining right here is {that a} automotive buy can earn you some severe rewards for those who put some or — in uncommon instances — the entire price on a bank card to earn useful factors and miles. A big buy, corresponding to a automotive down fee, can also be a good way to satisfy the minimal spending necessities for a bank card welcome supply.
For those who’re contemplating buying a automotive with a bank card, listed below are some playing cards to contemplate and key issues to concentrate on.
Greatest playing cards for purchasing a automotive
Selecting the best card can earn you extra rewards in your automotive buy, making the method extra rewarding. Listed here are among the greatest playing cards to make use of when shopping for a automotive or making a down fee.
American Categorical Platinum: Greatest for giant purchases
Annual charge: $695 (see charges and costs)
Welcome supply: New cardmembers can discover out their supply and see in the event that they’re eligible to earn as excessive as 175,000 bonus factors after spending $8,000 on eligible purchases on the brand new card within the first six months of card membership. Welcome affords fluctuate, and also you might not be eligible for a suggestion.
Incomes charge on automotive purchases: 1 level per greenback spent
Why it is a good selection: The Platinum Card® from American Categorical is a wonderful alternative as a result of it has no preset spending restrict, making it excellent for a big buy like a brand new automotive. No preset spending restrict does not imply limitless funds, however for those who’re trying to make a big down fee and even buy a whole automotive, this card is a greater choice than one with a hard and fast credit score restrict. The quantity you may spend adapts based mostly on elements corresponding to your buy, fee and credit score historical past.
The Amex Platinum requires the steadiness to be paid in full every month, however with Pay Over Time, cardmembers can carry a steadiness (although it accrues curiosity). If buying a automotive, it is really useful you repay the cardboard as quickly as attainable and keep away from shedding worth you gained from incomes a pleasant sum of factors.
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To be taught extra, learn our full evaluation of the Amex Platinum.
Apply right here: American Categorical Platinum
American Categorical Enterprise Platinum: Greatest for giant spenders
Annual charge: $695 (see charges and costs)
Welcome supply: Earn 150,000 bonus factors after spending $20,000 on eligible purchases inside the first three months of card membership.
Incomes charge on automotive purchases: 1.5 factors per greenback spent on eligible U.S. purchases over $5,000 (on as much as $2 million in purchases per calendar yr)
Why it is a good selection: The Enterprise Platinum Card® from American Categorical is just like the non-public Amex Platinum and has no preset spending restrict. This card is one other excellent alternative because it earns 1.5 factors per greenback spent on purchases of $5,000 or extra. A $10,000 down fee on a brand new automotive would earn you 15,000 Amex factors, value $300 in line with TPG’s July 2025 valuations. The quantity you may spend adapts based mostly on elements corresponding to your buy, fee and credit score historical past.
To profit from this card, ensure that the automotive buy or down fee is not less than $5,000; in any other case, you are higher off utilizing a no-annual-fee card that gives rewards on nonbonus classes, corresponding to The American Categorical Blue Enterprise Money™ Card (see charges and costs), which earns 2% money again (on the primary $50,000 spent every calendar yr, then 1%).
To be taught extra, learn our full evaluation of the Amex Enterprise Platinum.
Apply right here: American Categorical Enterprise Platinum
American Categorical Blue Enterprise Plus: Greatest for optimum factors
Annual charge: $0 (see charges and costs)
Welcome supply: Earn 15,000 bonus factors after spending $3,000 on purchases inside the first three months of card membership. Plus, obtain a 0% introductory annual proportion charge for 12 months from the date of account opening. (After that, the APR might be a variable charge from 17.49%-27.49%.)(see charges and costs)
Incomes charge on automotive purchases: 2 factors per greenback on the primary $50,000 spent every calendar yr (then 1 level per greenback)
Why it is a good selection: For a card with no annual charge, The Blue Enterprise® Plus Credit score Card from American Categorical earns a formidable 2 factors per greenback spent on the primary $50,000 in purchases every calendar yr (and 1 level per greenback thereafter).
For the reason that card comes with a 0% introductory APR, it may be straightforward to make a purchase order with it and pay it off inside 12 months to keep away from curiosity costs.
In contrast to the 2 Platinum playing cards, this one comes with a preset restrict, so make certain you may cowl the price of the automotive or down fee earlier than buying.
To be taught extra, learn our full evaluation of the Amex Blue Enterprise Plus.
Apply right here: American Categorical Blue Enterprise Plus
Chase Freedom Limitless: Greatest for incomes money again
Annual charge: $0
Welcome supply: New cardholders can earn $200 money again after spending $500 within the first three months from account opening.
Incomes charge on automotive purchases: 1.5% money again
Why it is a good selection: The Chase Freedom Limitless® (see charges and costs) might be a good way to earn money again — and switch it into useful factors.
A $15,000 automotive buy would earn you $225 money again. Nevertheless, when you have an Final Rewards points-earning bank card, you may maximize your money again by turning it into 22,500 factors, that are value $461, in line with TPG’s July 2025 valuations.
Cardholders additionally obtain a 0% introductory APR on purchases and steadiness transfers for 15 months from account opening. After the introductory interval, a variable APR of 18.99%-28.49% applies. This may give you time to repay your automotive buy with out curiosity.
To be taught extra, learn our full evaluation of the Freedom Limitless.
Apply right here: Chase Freedom Limitless
Citi / AAdvantage Platinum Choose: Greatest for American Airways loyalists
Annual charge: $0 introductory annual charge the primary yr, then $99
Welcome bonus: Earn 80,000 bonus miles after spending $3,500 on purchases within the first 4 months from account opening.
Incomes charge on automotive purchases: 1 mile and 1 Loyalty Level per greenback spent
Why it is a good selection: Though the Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Choose® World Elite Mastercard® solely earns 1 mile per greenback spent, the true profit for American Airways frequent flyers is that the cardboard earns 1 Loyalty Level per greenback spent. If a dealership means that you can put a big down fee or the whole buy on the cardboard, you may earn a pleasant chunk of Loyalty Factors towards elite standing.
I put the down fee for my final automotive buy on my spouse’s Citi / AAdvantage Platinum as a result of she was a number of thousand Loyalty Factors wanting Government Platinum standing, and this buy helped her safe it.
To be taught extra, learn our full evaluation of the Citi / AAdvantage Platinum card.
The knowledge for the Citi Platinum Choose has been collected independently by The Factors Man. The cardboard particulars on this web page haven’t been reviewed or offered by the cardboard issuer.
Buying a automotive with a bank card FAQ
Though shopping for a automotive with a bank card could seem straightforward, listed below are some issues to bear in mind.
What’s the most quantity I can placed on a bank card?
The utmost quantity you may placed on a bank card is dependent upon the automotive dealership. You could possibly negotiate how a lot it might probably cost, as this was the case for me. I used to be in a position to negotiate with my native dealership to extend the utmost allowed cost on a bank card from $5,000 to $8,000.
Do all dealerships settle for bank cards?
For those who’re trying to buy a automotive fully on a bank card, it is really useful to name forward and converse to a finance supervisor on the dealership. Some could not settle for bank cards for the whole car buy, whereas others might be blissful to simply accept them. In my expertise, a down fee when financing or leasing a automotive is often payable with a bank card, offered it is inside the allowed restrict of costs.
What dealerships cost charges for utilizing bank cards?
This varies by dealership, and whereas some can cost a charge for a bank card transaction, different dealerships could select to not cost any charge. After I put a down fee on my automotive final yr, the dealership didn’t cost me a transaction charge, even after I negotiated charging a better quantity of the fee to my bank card. The simplest approach to discover out is by calling dealerships in your space, however that will require extra effort in your half.
Can I pay a portion of the value with my bank card?
Once more, this is dependent upon the dealership, as some could solely mean you can use a bank card for a down fee towards a lease or financed car. Others could mean you can put the whole buy worth of the automotive on a bank card.
Do I must pay my full steadiness?
For those who make the automotive buy on a card that’s providing a 0% rate of interest, then you may pay the minimal steadiness monthly (often 1% of the whole steadiness) or make sufficient of a fee to repay the whole card inside the promotional interval. For those who put the cost on a card that costs curiosity, your greatest plan of action is to pay the steadiness in full to keep away from curiosity.
Does shopping for a automotive with a bank card have an effect on my credit score rating?
When buying a automotive in your bank card, your credit score utilization will certainly enhance, and this could negatively have an effect on your credit score rating. To maintain your utilization down, repay the steadiness as quickly as attainable, and you will reduce the long-term influence.
Backside line
Buying a automotive with a bank card might be a good way to earn a big sum of factors, miles or money again. It is also a simple approach to meet the minimal spending requirement on a brand new card.
Simply understand that not all dealerships will mean you can cost the complete buy worth — many solely settle for bank cards for down funds — so you should definitely examine forward of time.
Associated: Greatest bank cards
For charges and costs of the Amex Platinum, click on right here.
For charges and costs of the Enterprise Platinum, click on right here.
For charges and costs of the Blue Enterprise Plus, click on right here.
For charges and costs of the Amex Blue Enterprise Money, click on right here
