The Citi Custom Cash has home improvement as one of the 5% categories. It is only up to $500 per month though, so it falls short of what you'd get with the BoA Customized Cash.
@Xanthos472 wrote:Hey all, I'm currently looking for one or more cards with a home improvement category. After looking through the past years' expenses, I realized this is a VERY large spend category for us, $4K+/month. The reason for this being ongoing remodeling/landscaping as well as most of our other expenses coding as home improvement 🤷♂️
Lowe's and Home Depot cards are non-starters, since annual spend at both combined is under $500/year.
I already have the Huntington Voice, but that's just 3% and only covers $2K/quarter.
I do have Platinum Honors with BoA and a CCR is next on the list to get once 5/24 allows, but that will still only cover $2.5K/quarter.
Are there any lesser-known gems out there y'all would care to share?
I'm in a similar situation. The best option is to just add additional CCR(s), but it's hard to justify 5/24 slots on them. I'm hoping my next card will be a USBAR, that's 4.5% anywhere that accepts mobile wallet. If you already have a relationship with Amex, you could pick up the Lowes business card — soft pull and doesn't report to personal credit, so why not? US Bank Shopper Cash has Ace Hardware and Restoration Hardware as 6% categories (really 4.4% after AF if you spend to the cap). By the way, how is it possible to only spend $500 per year combined at HD / Lowes? I'd find it hard to stay under $500 a month. Do you live in an area where they don't have a presence?
@1LostArk wrote:
@Xanthos472 wrote:... I do have Platinum Honors with BoA and a CCR is next on the list to get once 5/24 allows ...
... I'm in a similar situation. The best option is to just add additional CCR(s), but it's hard to justify 5/24 slots on them.
I keep seeing 5/24 references, so just to clarify, 5/24 is purely a Chase restriction. BofA has a 3/12 policy for non-banking customers. But Platinum Honors banking customers like the OP can be approved up to 7/12. (See >this< doctorofcredit posting.) IMO, with heavy home improvement spend, the potential rewards at 5.25% on $10K annually would well be worth a 5/24 slot even if it would delay a later Chase application. And yes, they allow multiple CCR accounts.
@Xanthos472 wrote:Hm, maybe get both the Citi CC AND the BoA CCR? That would still leave $6K+ per quarter earning 2.62x. I could get more than 1 CCR, but surely there are some credit union cards out there? I'm a bit leary of having so much exposure to one issuer.
Cap 1 QS #1 2.5K | Cap 1 QS#2 16K | Citi DC 5410. | Synch 2% 10K | Disco IT 11.3K | Disco Miles 10K | Amex BCE 6K EDP 6.2K Schwab 3K | Citizen's 1.8% 10.7K | Wells Cashwise #1 20K #2 1K | USBank Cash+ 21K | Fidelity 20K | Truist Spectrum #1 7.5K Spectrum #2 4.5K Bright 5K | PNC Cash #1 3K Cash #2 600 Points #1 600 Points#2 600 | BECU Cash 23.4K Low Rate 10.5K | BoA Premium Rewards 25.8K Travel Rewards 30K | FNBO Evergreen 20K | SAFE CU Cashback + 10K | Huntington Voice 5650 | Keybank Latitude 8K |
BECU CLOC 15K
IMO, @Xanthos472, you have plenty of lender diversity beyond BofA. And being a Platinum Honors client probably makes any adverse changes to your credit accounts less likely, if anything were to change with profile. The additional CCR, being capped at only $2.5K per quarter for the highest return, only needs a smaller credit limit of $5K or so to give some utilization padding. I think working towards (2) CCRs plus maybe a CCC would give a good 5%+ return on $6.5K per quarter ($2.5 + $2.5 + $1.5). That is over half your $12K per quarter. Plus the additional 5% potential on some rotating category cards.
