How Contractors Can Pay for Materials by Credit Card

How Contractors and Trades Businesses Can Pay for Materials by Credit Card

Every contractor knows the squeeze: you buy the materials today, you get paid when the job's done — sometimes 30, 60, 90 days later. Meanwhile you're front-loading lumber, fixtures, wire, and pipe out of your own bank account, and losing evenings to invoices spread across supply house accounts, e-Transfers, and cheques.

Chexy fixes both problems. Pay every material order and business bill from one dashboard, on your credit card — even when the supply house doesn't take cards — and let your card's grace period bridge the gap between buying materials and getting paid.

Can I pay suppliers with a credit card?

Yes. Chexy charges your card, then pays your supplier directly by e-Transfer, pre-authorized debit, or Bill Pay. Since building materials count as business purchases, they're eligible on Amex, Visa, and Mastercard — plumbing and heating supply, electrical supply, lumber yards, equipment dealers, manufacturers, all of it.

What trades bills can go on which card?

Amex-eligible (also fine on Visa or Mastercard):

• Materials from any supply house — pipe, wire, lumber, drywall, fixtures, fasteners
• Tools, machinery, and equipment purchases
• Fuel and petroleum products for your fleet
• Commercial and vehicle insurance premiums
• GST/HST, payroll remittances, property tax
• Utilities for your shop
• Advertising — lead-gen services, ad campaigns, agency invoices

Please note: Amex payments are ultimately subject to review by our compliance team, and eligibility depends on the payee.

Visa or Mastercard:

• Your shop or yard lease
• Subcontractors you hire (services, not goods)
• Software — estimating, scheduling, accounting subscriptions
• Equipment repair services

Why the float matters more in trades than anywhere else

You carry the cost of materials before the client pays you. Put a $20,000 material order on your card through Chexy and you don't part with cash for weeks — often long enough that the progress payment lands before the card bill does.

Materials sit at 2.40%, so the fee on that order is $480. A card earning 1.25 points per dollar gives you 25,000 points, worth at least $500 at 2 cents per point redeemed for travel — so the points cover the fee. On top of that:

• Float that can replace expensive short-term borrowing or a line of credit draw
• A tax-deductible fee, which lowers its real cost again
• Hours back every week — one dashboard instead of six payment workflows

Most of your other bills — insurance, taxes, utilities, the shop lease, ad spend — sit at the lower 1.99% rate, where the points come out ahead of the fee.

Frequently asked questions

Can I pay suppliers with a credit card?

Yes. Buying materials, tools, and equipment for business use is supported on Chexy on all credit cards — regardless of whether the seller is a wholesaler, retailer, or manufacturer.

Can I pay a subcontractor with a credit card?

Yes, with Visa or Mastercard. Hiring trades services isn't Amex-supported, but the other networks handle it and your sub still gets an e-Transfer like normal.

Can I put my equipment loan on a card?

No — loan and financing payments are debt repayment and aren't supported on any card. Buying equipment outright is card-eligible.

Does my supplier need to accept credit cards?

No. They get paid by e-Transfer, pre-authorized debit, or Bill Pay. Nothing changes on their end.

Stop fronting materials out of your own chequing account. One dashboard, weeks of float, points on every material order. Get started with Chexy for Business →