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Synchrony Premier World Mastercard®2% Reward Rate 2% cash back on every purchase Regular APR16.99% - 29.99% variable Credit ScoreExcellent (750 - 850) Card Details
The Best No Annual Fee Credit CardsBest Overall No Annual Fee CardChase Freedom Flex℠Up to 5X Reward Rate Earn 5% cash back in categories that rotate quarterly on up to $1,500 when enrolled, 5% on travel purchased throughRead More Regular APR17.99% - 26.74% Variable Credit ScoreExcellent, Good (700 - 749) Why We Picked It This card has the brawn to handle just about all of your credit card spending needs without an over-inflated price tag. The card has an annual fee of $0, yet comes with a pumped-up earnings structure that covers a wide swath of expenses including travel, drugstores and dining plus rotating quarterly bonus categories in areas many households are likely to find appealing. Pros & Cons
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Best Potential for First Year EarningsDiscover it® Cash BackUp to 5% Reward Rate Earn 5% cash back on everyday purchases at different places each quarter like Amazon.com, grocery stores, restaurants, and gas stations,Read More Welcome BonusCashback Match™ Regular APR14.99% - 25.99% Variable APR Credit ScoreExcellent/Good (700 - 749) Why We Picked It For moderate spenders who are willing to activate the 5% rotating categories and track the quarterly spending cap, this no-annual-fee card can deliver tidy rewards outside of its ongoing 1% earning rate. Pros & Cons
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Best Flat Rate No Annual Fee CardWells Fargo Active Cash® CardUnlimited 2% Rewards Rate Earn unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases Welcome Bonus$200 Cash Rewards Regular APR17.99%, 22.99%, or 27.99% variable APR Credit ScoreExcellent, Good (700 - 749) Why We Picked It The Wells Fargo Active Cash offers an unlimited 2% cash rewards rate on purchases and charges no annual fee. This puts it in competition with the best flat-rate cash back cards on the market. Pros & Cons
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Best for Automatically Enhanced EarningsCiti Custom Cash℠ CardUp to 5% Reward Rate 5% cash back on up to $500 in purchases in your top eligible spend category each billing cycle. All otherRead More Regular APR16.99% - 26.99% (Variable) Credit ScoreExcellent, Good (700 - 749) Why We Picked It The Citi Custom Cash is a great option for people looking to maximize cash back rewards without having to worry about activating or selecting bonus categories. Pros & Cons
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Best for Potential EarningsAlliant Cashback Visa Signature Credit Card *Up to 2.5% Reward Rate Those eligible for Tier 1 Rewards earn 2.5% cashback on the first $10,000 of qualifying eligible purchases per billing cycleRead More Regular APR15.24% - 25.24% variable Credit ScoreExcellent (750 - 850) Why We Picked It If you regularly rack up your monthly balance, the 2.5% return on the Alliant card is hard to beat. The downsides are that excellent credit is recommended before you apply for the card and the lack of a welcome bonus. Pros & Cons
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Best No Annual Fee Airline CardUnited Gateway℠ CardUp to 2x Rewards Rate 2X miles per $1 spent on United purchases, at gas stations and on local transit and commuting. 1 mile perRead More Welcome BonusEarn 20,000 bonus miles Regular APR19.49% - 26.49% Variable Credit ScoreGood, Excellent (700 - 749) Why We Picked It With its simple and respectable rewards rates, plus Visa Signature benefits, casual fliers who are loyal to United will find value in United's only card with no annual fee. Pros & Cons
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Best Low Cost Airline CardJetBlue Card *
Up to 3X Reward Rate Earn 3X points on JetBlue purchases; Earn 2X points at restaurants and office supply stores; Earn 1X points on allRead More
Welcome Bonus10,000 bonus points Regular APR18.99%, 22.99% or 27.99% variable Credit ScoreExcellent (750 - 850) Why We Picked It The JetBlue Card is an excellent way for occasional Jetblue fliers to get started on Jetblue and earn miles toward flights. If you travel more frequently and would appreciate a set of perks, the JetBlue Plus Card is worth the annual fee. Pros & Cons
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Best No Annual Fee Hotel CardHilton Honors American Express CardUp to 7X Reward Rate Earn 7X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for each dollar of eligible purchases charged directly with hotels and resorts within theRead More Welcome BonusEarn 80,000 points Regular APR18.74%-27.74% Variable Credit ScoreExcellent/Good (700 - 749) Why We Picked It A good intro into the Hilton world without paying an annual fee, the Hilton Honors Card from American Express brings you a few nice perks. But if you're a serious Hilton traveler, you'll want to look at one of the higher end cobranded Hilton cards offered by American Express. Pros & Cons
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Best No Annual Fee Card for Eating Out and Staying InU.S. Bank Altitude® Go Visa Signature® CardUp to 4X Reward Rate Earn 4 points per dollar on dining, takeout, and restaurant delivery and 2 points per dollar at grocery stores, groceryRead More Welcome Bonus20,000 bonus points Regular APR17.99% - 26.99% (Variable) Credit ScoreExcellent Credit (750 - 850) Why We Picked It With no foreign transaction fee and industry-leading earnings on dining, the Altitude Go could get you up into the air quickly. Pros & Cons
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Best for ShoppersCapital One® Walmart Rewards® Card *Up to 5% Reward Rate Earn 5% back on Walmart.com & in the Walmart app, including Grocery Pickup and Delivery; Earn 2% back on restaurantsRead More Welcome Bonus5% cash back for the first 12 months Regular APR17.99% - 27.74% variable Credit ScoreFair (650 - 699) Why We Picked It The card offers excellent rewards for those who frequently shop at Walmart, particularly online. With no annual fee, it's a sweet deal to earn up to 5% cash back. Pros & Cons
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MethodologyWe started our research for this ranking with dozens of credit cards that don’t charge an annual fee. From there, we focused on finding cards that offer lucrative rewards schemes and consumer benefits or protections like extended warranties or purchase protection against damage or theft. We also considered which cards offer 0% APR on purchases or balance transfers for a limited time, then we gave priority to cards that offer a total package that makes sense for the ways consumers spend and use credit. Best No Annual Fee Credit CardsWhat Is An Annual Fee?An annual fee is a yearly charge credit card issuers will typically add to a credit card account statement for use of the card. Though many credit card accounts include annual fees—especially those offering high-end rewards or those marketed toward consumers with poorer credit—many do not. Our list of the best no-annual-fee cards includes a selection of cards, but many credit cards forgo charging an annual fee, so this list does not completely exhaust your options. Some cards will waive the annual fee in the first year or offer other incentives to potential cardholders who may meet certain criteria. For instance, some cards’ fine print will detail two versions of a card: one with an annual fee and one without. In many of these cases, the card with an annual fee is designed to be offered to those consumers the bank deems less creditworthy. How to Get a Credit Card With No Annual FeeThe first step toward becoming a credit cardholder is to research your options. Lists of the best cards without annual fees, like ours above, make a great starting point and comparison tool, but be sure to carefully read the fine print of any card you’d like to apply for before you apply. A Schumer Box, or a standard chart listing fees and terms of a card, should be included with any legitimate credit card offer and can help you confirm a card does not, in fact, charge annual fees. Applying for a credit card is a fairly straightforward process. Card issuers typically offer online applications you can fill out with personal and financial information including your name, address, Social Security number, income and housing status. Applications often lead to near-instant decisions, but anyone applying for a credit card should be aware of the consequences to credit. When a consumer submits a credit card application, a card issuer will typically make a hard inquiry upon the consumer’s credit report. Too many hard inquiries across a short period of time may reflect poorly to some lenders, so be careful to select carefully so you only need to apply once, or hopefully at most twice. Space out card applications by several months to help your credit recover from hard inquiries. Who Should Get a No Annual Fee Credit Card?If you’re going to apply for a credit card, applying for one without an annual fee should be the default choice. If a certain card’s annual fees make sense for you and you know the financial benefit will outweigh the cost of an annual fee, it may be worth paying for an annual fee card—but with several key caveats. Be careful to consider the cost of the benefits of an annual fee card. One important question to ask: Can I find these benefits using a combination of other no-annual-fee cards? If you can achieve the same or better rewards earning using multiple no-annual-fee cards with various bonus categories or find the same benefits using a selection of other, less-expensive cards, the primary reason to apply for an annual-fee card loaded down with benefits would be one of convenience. Applying for a credit card is an important financial decision with consequences and responsibilities attached. We advise only those ready to use a credit card responsibly apply for one—if you don’t trust yourself to limit your spending to what you can reasonably pay for before interest accrues, for example, a credit card may not be right for you. How to Pick a Credit Card with No Annual FeeBefore you apply for a credit card, you should think over what you hope to get out of your card. Here are some steps that can help you wind up with the right credit card for your needs, whether your goal is earning rewards or saving money with a low APR.
Pros and Cons of No Annual Fee Credit CardsWhile credit cards with annual fees may offer more benefits, stronger rewards or greater access to those with poorer credit, these annual fees are rarely, if ever necessary to obtain a credit card and may present riskier options for those who don’t carefully conduct a cost-benefit analysis. Cards without an annual fee often feature fewer rewards or benefits. This is most obvious when comparing reward structures for similarly-designed cards from the same issuer where one charges an annual fee and its peer does not. For example, the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card earns and offers a $100 credit toward application for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck while the Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card earns 5 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 1.25 miles per dollar on every other purchase and offers no such credit. The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card charges a $95 annual fee while the Capital One VentureOne doesn’t charge an annual fee. For those who won’t use the Venture’s $100 credit to expedited airport security, the increased reward earning must offset the cost of the annual fee. Assuming each mile can be redeemed for about $0.01 (check out our guide to Capital One Miles and the redemption options for more information) a cardholder would need to spend an additional $12,667 per year to offset a $95 annual fee using only the difference in reward earning between the two cards of 0.75 miles per dollar. To view rates and fees for the Hilton Honors American Express Card please visit this page. Frequently Asked QuestionsWhat is the best credit card with no annual fee?There is no one best card as each person has a unique credit profile and set of needs. Our list gives you a good place to start. If you are looking for a card with no annual fee and category bonuses, consider the Chase Freedom Flex. If you are looking for no annual fee and simple cash back, consider a card like the Citi® Double Cash Card. What does no annual fee mean?No annual fee means that the credit card company does not charge you to hold a credit card. No annual fee does not mean no fees at all, though. You might still pay interest, over-limit fees, late payment fees or a foreign transaction fee. What are the elite credit cards with no annual fee?If you are looking for elite benefits such as airport lounge access or travel status, you won’t find them on cards without an annual fee. That said, some cards offer benefits such as cell phone insurance and secondary car rental coverage. Can you get a no annual fee credit card with bad credit?Most unsecured cards marketed to those with bad credit charge an annual fee. Why choose a no annual fee card?The main reason to choose a no-annual-fee credit card is cost of ownership. If you aren’t going to use benefits that are offered with cards that have annual fees, there is no reason to pay for them. Using a no-annual-fee card allows you to enjoy the convenience of a credit card without the out of pocket cost. Next Up in Credit CardsInformation provided on Forbes Advisor is for educational purposes only. Your financial situation is unique and the products and services we review may not be right for your circumstances. We do not offer financial advice, advisory or brokerage services, nor do we recommend or advise individuals or to buy or sell particular stocks or securities. Performance information may have changed since the time of publication. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Forbes Advisor adheres to strict editorial integrity standards. To the best of our knowledge, all content is accurate as of the date posted, though offers contained herein may no longer be available. The opinions expressed are the author’s alone and have not been provided, approved, or otherwise endorsed by our partners. What credit card has the lowest interest rate in US?The Titanium Rewards Visa® Signature Card from Andrews Federal Credit Union tops our list thanks to the low interest rates, strong rewards program and no foreign transaction fees — all at no annual fee. This card offers a low variable APR of 10.99% to 17.99%.
What credit cards do not charge interest?15 months. Amex EveryDay® Credit Card.. Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card.. Chase Freedom Flex℠. Chase Freedom Unlimited®. American Express Cash Magnet® Card.. Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express.. Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card.. The Bank of America® Unlimited Cash Rewards Card.. Is there such thing as a 0 interest credit card?A 0% APR credit card offers no interest for a period of time, typically six to 21 months. During the introductory no interest period, you won't incur interest on new purchases, balance transfers or both (it all depends on the card).
Whats better 0 APR or no annual fees?It's usually better to find a credit card with 0% APR—even if it's during a promotional period and you have to still pay an annual fee.
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