5 Best 0% APR Credit Cards

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After 25 hours of research evaluating 100 products, we picked Chase Freedom Unlimited® as our top choice.

Experts say you should never let your credit card utilization exceed 10% of your available credit, but let’s be real: Many of us ignore that recommendation. That’s why Americans have a combined total of more than $1.3 trillion in revolving debt as of April 2018.

If you’re a member of the balance-carrying crew, consider applying for 0 APR credit cards. The benefits of 0 APR credit cards don’t last forever, but you often get a break from interest on purchases and/or balance transfers for more than a year.

After your card’s promotional period ends, you can generally expect an APR that falls somewhere between 13% to 30%. The exact amount depends on your creditworthiness, so make sure you pay bills on time and keep your credit utilization rates low.

Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way...

Are you ready to apply for some of the best 0 APR credit cards? We’ve compiled a list of our favorites to help you find an APR-free card that meets your needs.

Not sure the cards below are right for you? Take a look at our best low-interest credit cards and best cards for balance transfers before you decide.

Editorial Note: This content is not provided or commissioned by the credit card issuer. Any opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the author’s alone, and may not have been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the credit card issuer. This site may be compensated through a credit card issuer partnership.

This article was last updated September 4, 2018 but some terms and conditions may have changed or are no longer available. For the most accurate and up to date information please consult the terms and conditions found on the issuer website.

Why trust us: Faveable has spent thousands of hours researching, interviewing experts, and testing products to come up with carefully selected lists trusted by millions of consumers since 2013.

Best Fixed Value Travel Rewards Card

Barclaycard Arrival Plus® World Elite Mastercard®

Get from Barclay's

Variable APR	95
Cash Advance APR	90
Rewards Rate	95
Annual Fee	90
Intro APR	90
Bonus Offers	95
Application Process	95

300 Clicks

Why People Love it

Earn a high rewards rate on all your purchases, plus a huge sign-up bonus
Get ultimate redemption flexibility for travel purchases
Expect miles back every time you redeem

ProsCons

You'll earn 2 miles per dollar on every purchase; no need to worry about bonus rewards categories. Also, no foreign transaction fee, plus international chip and pin capability.

Charges an annual fee, doesn't offer great ways to maximize your rewards, and no luxury perks.

Variable APR

9.5 / 10

18.24%, 22.24%, or 25.24%

Cash Advance APR

9.0 / 10

27.49%

Rewards Rate

9.5 / 10

Earn 2 miles per dollar spent, plus get 5% of your miles back every time you redeem.

Annual Fee

9.0 / 10

$89 (waived the first year) - so it could be worse.

Intro APR

9.0 / 10

None.

Bonus Offers

9.5 / 10

Enjoy 70,000 bonus miles after spending $5,000 on purchases in the first 90 days.

(Normally, you can earn 60,000 miles after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 90 days — worth $600 in travel statement credits.)

Application Process

9.5 / 10

Apply online through the Barclays website.

Details:Barclaycard Arrival Plus® World Elite Mastercard® »

Best 0 APR Credit Card to Slowly Pay Off Balance Transfers

Citi Diamond Preferred Credit Card

Get from Citi

Variable APR	14.49% - 24.49%
Cash Advance APR	26.74%
Rewards Rate	n/a
Annual Fee	$0
Intro APR	0% on purchases for 12 months and 0% on balance transfers for 21 months.
Bonus Offers	n/a

108 Clicks

Why People Love it

0% APR on balance transfers for 21 months
0% APR on purchases for 12 months
$0 annual fee

Cons

Low credit limits for some cardholders
No rewards program
Hard to get late fees waived

Details

Application Process: Apply online in minutes for a shot at getting this Citi Diamond Preferred card. You can also apply via the phone by calling 1-800-505-1675 if you prefer.

Having a FICO score above 690 may help your approval odds.

Fees: If you're the type of person who rushes to cancel cards before the annual fee hits, relax. This Citi card has no annual fee, so you can take your time paying off balance transfers and purchases.

This isn’t a fee-free card, though. Balance transfers cost 5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater. A cash advance will set you back $10 or 5% of the amount of each cash advance, whichever is greater.

There’s also a foreign transaction fee of 3% for overseas transactions in US dollars. Late payments and returned payments usually cost $35, and cardholders warn that it’s difficult to get these fees waived.

APR: Make the most of your 0% APR during the promotional period because it jumps to somewhere between 14.49% and 24.49% after that. The promotional period lasts 12 months for purchases and 21 months for balance transfers. This is one of the longest promotions we’ve seen for balance transfers.

The cash advance APR is 26.74%. Try not to pay late or have a payment bounce so you can avoid the 29.99% penalty APR.

Rewards: None, unfortunately. But this card is geared more toward people who need to pay off balances from old cards, not people who want to rack up new debt.

However, the card does offer a 24/7 Citi Concierge to help you plan for your next trip or score deals on goods and services.

Bonus Offers: None.

Details:Citi Diamond Preferred Credit Card »

Best Rewards Credit Card Without Annual Fee

Bank of America® Travel Rewards Credit Card

Get from Bankofamerica

Variable APR	16.49% - 24.49%
Cash Advance APR	19.49% to 26.49%
Rewards Rate	1.5 points per dollar
Annual Fee	$0
Intro APR	0% on purchases and balance transfers for 12 billing cycles
Bonus Offers	20,000 online bonus points if you make at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening - that can be a $200 statement credit toward travel purchases.

170 Clicks

Why People Love it

Bank of America customer? Earn bonus points on top of your bonus points!
Solid sign-up bonus
A high flat rewards rate

ProsCons

Offers bonus points for being a Bank of America customer
Allows flexible redemption options
No annual fee

The card doesn't have a great sign-up bonus compared with other travel credit cards
It's more restrictive than a straigh cash-back card
If you're a big spender, you could get better rewards elsewhere

Details

Application Process: Apply online and get a response within 60 seconds.

Rewards: Earn 1.5 points per dollar spent on all purchases. Plus, you can get between 10% and 75% more rewards, depending on your relationship with Bank of America.

Bonus Offers: Receive 25,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 within the first 90 days, equivalent to $250 of travel credit.

Annual fee: None.

Details:Bank of America® Travel Rewards Credit Card »

HSBC Cash Rewards Mastercard® Credit Card

Get from HSBC

Variable APR	15.24%, 19.24% or 25.24%
Cash Advance APR	27.24%
Rewards Rate	1.5% Unlimited Cash Back on all purchases
Annual Fee	$0
Intro APR	0% introductory APR on balance transfers for 12 months. Variable APR of 15.24%, 19.24%, 25.24% will apply after the Introductory period.
Bonus Offers	Introductory 3% Cash Back for 12 months
Penalty APR	32.24%

218 Clicks

Why People Love it

Offers a decent sign-up bonus and rewards rate
APR promotion on balance transfers
Travel benefits

ProsCons

Get a sign-up bonus worth $150
Pay no interest on balance transfers for 12 months
Travel perks include no foreign transaction fees, lost luggage coverage, and travel accident insurance

0% APR promotion doesn't include purchases
Charges an above-average balance transfer fee

Details

Application Process: Apply online, and get a decision within 60 seconds or less.

Rewards: Earn 1.5% cash on all purchases. Also, get a 10% anniversary bonus on all cash rewards earned each year, effectively increasing your rewards rate to 1.65%.

Bonus Offers: Earn $150 cash back after you spend $2,500 in the first three months after opening your account.

Annual Fee: None.

Details:HSBC Cash Rewards Mastercard® Credit Card »

Best Overall Cash Back Credit Card

Chase Freedom Unlimited®

Get from Creditcards.chase

Variable APR	16.24% - 24.99%
Cash Advance APR	26.24%
Rewards Rate	1.50%
Annual Fee	$0
Intro APR	0% on Purchases and Balance Transfers for 15 months
Bonus Offers	Earn a $150 Bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening.

198 Clicks

Why People Love it

If you have more than one Chase credit card, you can earn more by transferring points and splitting your spending between the two cards
Freedom and flexibility: the flat 1.5% cash back rate isn't limited to a specific category
The bonus offers are easily attainable and include a $150 bonus after spending $500 within 3 months after opening. Plus, you'll earn a $25 bonus after you add an authorized user and make a purchase in the same period.

ProsCons

There's a lot to love about the Chase Freedom Unlimited cash back credit card. It provides a high rewards rate with no nonsense in terms of rotating spending categories - just a flat 1.5% back on every purchase you make with the card. With responsible use, you won't have to pay a penny to use this card, as there's no annual fee.

As far as actually getting the cash back you've earned, there's no minimum required for redemption, and cash back earnings can be redeemed for any amount (unlike the Chase Freedom card, which requires a minimum $20). On top of that, there's a relatively small minimum spend required to earn the lucrative account opening bonus.

The Chase Freedom Unlimited card doesn't offer any specific bonus categories, due to its nature as a flat-rate cash back credit card. So those who know their high-spending categories (like groceries, for example) may want to opt instead for a cash back credit card that caters to their spending habits.

While going through this list, you'll also notice that it's not the highest flat-rate cash back card around. There's also a foreign transaction fee, so if you want a credit card specifically for international travel you should look into opening a credit card that caters specifically to travelers.

Details

Application Process: Online, over the phone, or at a branch. Online is the easiest method, but it's nice to know that you have options!

Annual Fee: No annual fee! How's that for maximizing the money in your pocket? Balance transfer fees are $5 or 5% of the transferred amount (whichever is greater).

APR: 0% for the first 15 months, then a variable APR of 16.24% to 24.99%.

Rewards: You can redeem your rewards as cash back in the form of:

Bank account deposits
Statement credits

Or, you can also redeem rewards using the Chase Ultimate Rewards points. Ultimate Rewards points are worth 1 cent each and may be claimed through the Ultimate Rewards portal for:

General merchandise purchases made through the portal, or third-party retailers (such as Amazon)
Travel purchases

Bonus Offers: Earn a $150 bonus after spending $500, within 3 months after opening a new account. Additionally, you can also earn $25 if you opt to add an authorized user of the card, and that person makes their first purchase within the 3 month period.

Details:Chase Freedom Unlimited® »

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Article Staff

By Missy Nolan

Missy Nolan is a single mom who is too sleep-deprived to come up with a clever bio at the moment. She has been a professional writer for more than 10 years and loves staying home with her 3 kids. Well, most of the time. Missy rocks at parenting, baking, cooking, saving cute outfits she'll never wear on Pinterest, and sipping her beloved secret-menu Starbucks Pink Drink while strolling through Target.

She's your go-to girl for advice or feedback on any of the things listed above, as well as tips on healthy living, bargain hunting, marketing, and finances. Connect with Missy here or at MakeItWithMissy.com, a food blog that features healthy recipes and grocery deals.

You can also find Missy on Legit Lender, Health.com, The Nest, Catalogs.com, and OneSpace.

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