Lowe’s Military Discount vs. Credit Card: Which Saves You More?

THE BOTTOM LINE (TL;DR)

Winner for Appliances: Credit Card (5% Off). Military Discount excludes major appliances.
Winner for Lumber & Wire: Credit Card (5% Off). Military Discount excludes “commodities.”
Winner for General DIY (Paint, Hardware, Tools): Military Discount (10% Off).
Winner for Annual Limit: Military Discount. Unlike Home Depot’s $400 cap, Lowe’s has no annual limit on savings.
The “Gotcha”: You cannot stack them. You must choose one at checkout.

Select whichever savings medium you want to use to purchase tools at Lowe’s; however, you can also get a $500 check for sharing your shopping experience in the Lowe’s Survey after an eligibility check.

If you are a veteran or active duty service member shopping at Lowe’s, you face a unique mathematical problem at the register. You likely have the 10% Military Discount loaded to your MyLowe’s account, but you might also be eyeing (or already holding) the MyLowe’s Rewards Credit Card, which promises 5% off every day.

Common logic suggests 10% is better than 5%. However, Lowe’s has introduced massive exclusions to the military program over the last three years that flip this logic for “big ticket” purchases. If you use the wrong Discount on a kitchen remodel or deck project, you could leave hundreds of dollars on the table.

This guide analyzes the fine print of both programs as of 2026 to determine exactly which method saves you more for specific projects.

The Core Rules: How Each Discount Works

Before comparing them head-to-head, you need to understand the structural differences. The most important rule is that these discounts do not stack. You cannot get 15% off by using your Lowe’s Card and your military ID. You must pick one.

1. The Lowe’s Military Discount (10% Off)

Lowe’s offers a 10% discount to active-duty, retired, and veteran members of the US Armed Forces, as well as their spouses.

The Good: There is no annual limit on how much you can save. This is a massive advantage over Home Depot, which currently caps military savings at $400 per year.
The Bad: It strictly applies to eligible full-priced items. It excludes the most expensive items in the store (appliances and lumber).
The Verification: You must verify your status through ID.me and link it to your MyLowe’s Rewards account.

2. The MyLowe’s Rewards Credit Card (5% Off)

Formerly the Lowe’s Advantage Card, this store credit card gives you 5% off eligible purchases at the register.

Image showing how MyLowe's Rewards Credit Card look like

The Good: It applies to almost everything, including categories banned from the military, such as lumber and appliances.
The Bad: The 5% does not apply if you choose a “Special Financing” offer (like 6 months no interest). You have to decide: pay less now (5% off) or pay later (0% interest).
The “Sale” Clause: The terms state that the 5% cannot be applied to “Special Discount Programs” or “New Lower Price” items. However, in practice, the 5% often stacks with standard weekly ad sales, whereas the military Discount never does.

Scenario 1: Major Appliances (Fridge, Stove, Washer)

Winner: Credit Card (5% Off)

This is the most common mistake veterans make. As of March 2022, Lowe’s officially excluded major appliances from the Military Discount program. If you scan your military barcode for a $2,000 refrigerator, the Discount will be $0.

However, the 5% credit card discount applies to major appliances, provided you are not using a special financing offer.

$120 with Card	Price	Military Discount (10%)	Credit Card (5%)	You Save
Samsung Refrigerator	$2,400	$0 (Excluded)	$120 Off	$120 with Card
GE Dishwasher	$800	$0 (Excluded)	$40 Off	$40 with Card

Pro Tip: Occasionally, Lowe’s offers 5% or 10% “off major appliances” coupons to the general public. The credit card 5% usually will not stack with these coupons, but it will stack with standard “Was/Now” markdown prices on the floor.

Scenario 2: Building Materials (Lumber, Wire, Cable)

Winner: Credit Card (5% Off)

If you are building a deck or wiring a basement, put your military ID away. Lowe’s classifies dimensional lumber, plywood, OSB, and electrical wire as “commodities.” Commodities are strictly excluded from the military Discount because their prices fluctuate with the market.

The Lowe’s Credit Card has no such exclusion. You get 5% off that stack of 2x4s or that expensive roll of 12/2 Romex wire.

Project: 500 sq. ft. Deck
Material Cost: $3,500 (Lumber & Fasteners)
Military Savings: $0 on lumber (might save ~$10 on screws)
Credit Card Savings: $175 (5% off total)

Scenario 3: General Home Maintenance (Paint, Tools, Decor)

Winner: Military Discount (10% Off)

For the “middle of the store” items—paint, hand tools, cleaning supplies, light bulbs, and hardware—the military Discount reigns supreme. These items are rarely on the exclusion list unless they are already on clearance.

Since the military Discount (10%) is double the credit card discount (5%), you should always use your MyLowe’s account for these runs. You do not need to use the Lowe’s credit card to get the military Discount; you can pay with a rewards card that earns you points or cash back elsewhere, effectively stacking your savings (e.g., 10% military discount + 2% cash back on your Visa).

The “Sale Price” Trap

One area where the Lowe’s Credit Card often quietly outperforms the military Discount is on sale items.

The Rule: The Military Discount applies only to “Regular Price” items. If a DeWalt drill is on sale for Father’s Day ($199, down from $249), the military Discount will not apply. You pay $199.

The Credit Card Reality: While the Terms & Conditions say the 5% doesn’t apply to “Special Values,” the Point-of-Sale system often allows the 5% off on standard “Was/Now” temporary price cuts. In the drill example, using the credit card would likely drop the $199 price to ~$189.05.

Definitive Exclusion Comparison Table

Use this table to decide which barcode to scan before you get to the checkout line.

Category	Military Discount (10%)	Credit Card (5%)
Major Appliances	NO	YES
Lumber & Plywood	NO	YES
Electrical Wire	NO	YES
Plumbing Pipe	YES	YES
Paint & Stain	YES	YES
Tools & Hardware	YES	YES
Clearance Items	NO	SOMETIMES*
Installation Fees	NO	NO
Gift Cards	NO	NO

*Credit card 5% often stacks with standard sales, but may not apply to “Manager Special” or deep clearance yellow stickers.

Strategy: The Two-Transaction Method

To maximize your savings, you should never combine lumber/appliances and paint/tools in a single transaction.

Step 1: Separate your cart. Put all appliances, lumber, and wire in one pile. Put paint, screws, decor, and hand tools in another.

Step 2: Pay for the lumber/appliance pile with your Lowe’s Credit Card to get 5% off (since the military Discount would be 0%).

Step 3: Pay for the paint/tools pile with your Military Discount linked to your MyLowe’s account. Pay with a different high-rewards credit card (like a 2% cash back Visa) to maximize total return.

By splitting the transaction, you ensure you aren’t getting 5% on items where you could have gained 10%, and you aren’t getting 0% on items where you could have gotten 5%.

Lowe’s Military Discount vs. Credit Card 5% Off