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 critical rewards should you put some or — in uncommon circumstances — the entire price on a bank card to earn invaluable factors and miles. A big buy, akin to a automotive down fee, can also be a good way to satisfy the minimal spending necessities for a bank card welcome provide.
In the event you’re contemplating buying a automotive with a bank card, listed below are some playing cards to contemplate and key issues to pay attention to.
Finest playing cards for getting a automotive
Choosing the proper card can earn you extra rewards in your automotive buy, making the method extra rewarding. Listed here are among the finest playing cards to make use of when shopping for a automotive or making a down fee.
American Specific Platinum: Finest for giant purchases
Annual price: $695 (see charges and charges)
Welcome provide: New cardmembers can discover out their provide 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 presents fluctuate, and also you might not be eligible for a proposal.
Incomes charge on automotive purchases: 1 level per greenback spent
Why it is a good selection: The Platinum Card® from American Specific 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 doesn’t suggest limitless funds, however should you’re seeking to make a big down fee and even buy a whole automotive, this card is a greater choice than one with a set credit score restrict. The quantity you’ll be able to spend adapts based mostly on elements akin 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 beneficial you repay the cardboard as quickly as potential and keep away from dropping worth you gained from incomes a pleasant sum of factors.
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To study extra, learn our full assessment of the Amex Platinum.
Apply right here: American Specific Platinum
American Specific Enterprise Platinum: Finest for large spenders
Annual price: $695 (see charges and charges)
Welcome provide: Earn 150,000 bonus factors after spending $20,000 on eligible purchases throughout 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 12 months)
Why it is a good selection: The Enterprise Platinum Card® from American Specific 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, price $300 in accordance with TPG’s July 2025 valuations. The quantity you’ll be able to spend adapts based mostly on elements akin to your buy, fee and credit score historical past.
To benefit from this card, be certain that the automotive buy or down fee is a minimum of $5,000; in any other case, you are higher off utilizing a no-annual-fee card that gives rewards on nonbonus classes, akin to The American Specific Blue Enterprise Money™ Card (see charges and charges), which earns 2% money again (on the primary $50,000 spent every calendar 12 months, then 1%).
To study extra, learn our full assessment of the Amex Enterprise Platinum.
Apply right here: American Specific Enterprise Platinum
American Specific Blue Enterprise Plus: Finest for optimum factors
Annual price: $0 (see charges and charges)
Welcome provide: Earn 15,000 bonus factors after spending $3,000 on purchases throughout 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 shall be a variable charge from 17.49%-27.49%.)(see charges and charges)
Incomes charge on automotive purchases: 2 factors per greenback on the primary $50,000 spent every calendar 12 months (then 1 level per greenback)
Why it is a good selection: For a card with no annual price, The Blue Enterprise® Plus Credit score Card from American Specific earns a powerful 2 factors per greenback spent on the primary $50,000 in purchases every calendar 12 months (and 1 level per greenback thereafter).
For the reason that card comes with a 0% introductory APR, it may be simple to make a purchase order with it and pay it off inside 12 months to keep away from curiosity prices.
Not like the 2 Platinum playing cards, this one comes with a preset restrict, so make sure you’ll be able to cowl the price of the automotive or down fee earlier than buying.
To study extra, learn our full assessment of the Amex Blue Enterprise Plus.
Apply right here: American Specific Blue Enterprise Plus
Chase Freedom Limitless: Finest for incomes money again
Annual price: $0
Welcome provide: 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 charges) may be a good way to earn money again — and switch it into invaluable factors.
A $15,000 automotive buy would earn you $225 money again. Nevertheless, when you’ve got an Final Rewards points-earning bank card, you’ll be able to maximize your money again by turning it into 22,500 factors, that are price $461, in accordance 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 study extra, learn our full assessment of the Freedom Limitless.
Apply right here: Chase Freedom Limitless
Citi / AAdvantage Platinum Choose: Finest for American Airways loyalists
Annual price: $0 introductory annual price the primary 12 months, 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 actual 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 could possibly 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 couple of thousand Loyalty Factors wanting Government Platinum standing, and this buy helped her safe it.
To study extra, learn our full assessment of the Citi / AAdvantage Platinum card.
The data 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 supplied by the cardboard issuer.
Buying a automotive with a bank card FAQ
Though shopping for a automotive with a bank card could appear simple, 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’ll be able to placed on a bank card is determined by the automotive dealership. You could possibly negotiate how a lot it could possibly cost, as this was the case for me. I used to be capable of 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?
In the event you’re seeking to buy a automotive completely on a bank card, it is beneficial to name forward and converse to a finance supervisor on the dealership. Some could not settle for bank cards for the whole automobile buy, whereas others shall be comfortable to simply accept them. In my expertise, a down fee when financing or leasing a automotive is often payable with a bank card, supplied it is throughout the allowed restrict of prices.
What dealerships cost charges for utilizing bank cards?
This varies by dealership, and whereas some can cost a price for a bank card transaction, different dealerships could select to not cost any price. Once I put a down fee on my automotive final 12 months, the dealership didn’t cost me a transaction price, even after I negotiated charging a better quantity of the fee to my bank card. The simplest option 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 worth with my bank card?
Once more, this is determined by the dealership, as some could solely can help you use a bank card for a down fee towards a lease or financed automobile. Others could can help you put the whole buy value of the automotive on a bank card.
Do I must pay my full steadiness?
In the event you make the automotive buy on a card that’s providing a 0% rate of interest, then you’ll be able to pay the minimal steadiness per 30 days (often 1% of the whole steadiness) or make sufficient of a fee to repay the whole card throughout the promotional interval. In the event you put the cost on a card that prices curiosity, your finest 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 will negatively have an effect on your credit score rating. To maintain your utilization down, repay the steadiness as quickly as potential, and you may decrease the long-term impression.
Backside line
Buying a automotive with a bank card may be a good way to earn a big sum of factors, miles or money again. It is also a simple option to meet the minimal spending requirement on a brand new card.
Simply needless to say not all dealerships will can help you cost the total buy value — many solely settle for bank cards for down funds — so you’ll want to verify forward of time.
Associated: Finest bank cards
For charges and charges of the Amex Platinum, click on right here.
For charges and charges of the Enterprise Platinum, click on right here.
For charges and charges of the Blue Enterprise Plus, click on right here.
For charges and charges of the Amex Blue Enterprise Money, click on right here
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