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Itching to get your hands on a new laptop or desktop computer? Keep reading to learn the benefits of using a credit card for the purchase. [[{“value”:”
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A great credit card can be an excellent financial tool. Credit cards let you build credit, earn rewards, and pay for purchases easily and securely. It’s an especially smart idea to use one to buy big-ticket items, like furniture, major appliances, and computers.
Let’s take a closer look at why you should use a credit card to buy your next desktop or laptop computer.
1. No-interest financing
A great reason to use a credit card for your computer purchase is the chance to finance your new device over time with no interest charges. This can be helpful if you need the item sooner rather than later and don’t have the cash saved up.
If you’re opening a new card to get your computer, you may be able to enjoy one of the best intro 0% APR offers, lasting from 12 months to potentially as long as 21 months, depending on the card.
This is a great deal that can save you money, especially when you consider that credit cards normally charge very high interest rates — the average rate for accounts charged interest was 22.76% in May 2024.
Just don’t trust that the minimum required payment on your monthly statement will be enough to pay off the entire purchase in the 0% APR period. Instead, do that math yourself to arrive at your actual minimum payment to get out of interest charges. If you spend $1,200 on your new computer and have 18 months of 0% APR, pay at least $67 a month to pay off the charge in time.
Some store credit card options also offer deferred interest financing on large purchases. This can also be a useful tool, but you need to pay off your entire balance within the time allotted or you’ll be charged interest on the entire purchase.
So here, too, do the math yourself to find out how much to pay. If you get six months of deferred interest financing for your $1,200 computer, that’s $200 a month you’ll need to pay.
2. A boatload of points or cash back
Consider using a credit card for purchasing a computer to take advantage of cash back, rewards points, or miles. Depending on the rewards rate on your particular credit card, that $1,200 computer could mean earning beaucoup rewards.
Let’s say you have a flat-rate cash back card that pays you 2% back on purchases. For a $1,200 purchase, you’ll earn $24 back — not bad! If you use a card that earns travel rewards points or miles, they could be worth more if you transfer them to a travel partner. It’s worth picking the right card to buy your new machine to maximize those rewards.
If you’re trying to meet the minimum spend on a new credit card to reach a sign-up bonus, your new computer can help. Say your cash back card is offering $200 cash back for spending $500 in the first three months with the card. Your new computer could easily get you to the finish line.
3. Purchase protection and an extended warranty
A computer is an expensive purchase — you could be spending hundreds or thousands of dollars for one. As such, it’s worth using a credit card to buy a computer because of the included purchase protections and extensions to manufacturer warranties.
You could breathe a little easier knowing your new computer is protected against damage or theft for 90 or 120 days after purchase. Depending on how much the computer cost, however, you might be out of luck — some purchase protection caps out at a claim limit of $500 or $1,000. If you have a card with a high annual fee, you might get a higher limit, so choose accordingly depending on how much you intend to spend.
Some card issuers offer an additional extended warranty on top of the manufacturer’s warranty — say, for a year. So if your new computer dies on you right after the manufacturer’s warranty expires, you could still be covered. You can turn to your credit card issuer and file a claim (including information like the purchase receipt, manufacturer’s warranty, and a description of the computer), and your computer will either be repaired or replaced.
A caveat
Using a credit card to purchase your new computer can be a slam dunk — if you can afford to pay off the balance immediately or you’re using 0% APR or deferred interest financing. Otherwise, you’ll find yourself facing frighteningly high interest charges (remember that 22.76% figure we discussed above?).
In this case, it’s worth either waiting to save up for the purchase or considering another way to finance it, such as a personal loan, if you need a new computer sooner rather than later (say, for work or school). Make the choice that works best for you and your finances.
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