Credit cards with 0% APR promotional financing can help you save money while you pay down your debt. You can also use these cards to defer payment on some purchases without incurring interest charges.
In this article, we’ll show you our picks for the best 0% APR credit cards and help you decide which one is right for you.
Methodology
Our team of experts reviewed dozens of credit cards with 0% interest offers, and considered various factors including the intro APR period duration, rewards value, benefits and fees. Using a data-based approach, we narrowed down the list to the top nine credit cards that scored highly based on our weightings. Read our full methodology below
Chase Freedom Unlimited®
Regular APR
20.49% – 29.24% Variable
On Chase Bank USA, NA’s Secure Website
Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card
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Best 0% APR credit card
Key takeaways
1.25X
Earn unlimited 1.25X miles on every purchase, every day. Miles won’t expire for the life of the account and there’s no limit to how many you can earn.
5X
Earn 5X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you’ll get Capital One’s best prices on thousands of trip options.
5/5
Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card
Best for a high welcome bonus
Key takeaways
1.5x
Earn unlimited 1.5 points per $1 spent on all purchases, with no annual fee and no foreign transaction fees and your points don’t expire.
25K
25,000 online bonus points after you make at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening – that can be a $250 statement credit toward travel purchases.
4.1/5
Best for a high welcome bonus
On Bank of America’s Secure Website
Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card
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Best for cash back on groceries, dining, streaming and entertainment
Key takeaways
3%
Earn unlimited 3% cash back on dining, entertainment, popular streaming services and at grocery stores (excluding superstores like Walmart® and Target®).
1%
Plus 1% on all other purchases.
5%
Earn 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel.
8%
Earn 8% cash back on Capital One Entertainment purchases.
Rates & Fees
4/5
Best for cash back on groceries, dining, streaming and entertainment
Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card
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Best for 2% cash rewards
Key takeaways
2%
Earn unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases
4/5
Wells Fargo Reflect® Card
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Best for an ultra-long 0% APR
Key takeaways
✓
Extra-long 0% intro APR for 21 months from account opening on purchases and qualifying balance transfers (then an 18.24%, 24.74% or 29.99% variable APR) 0% intro APR for 21 months from account opening on purchases and qualifying balance transfers (18.24%, 24.74% or 29.99% variable APR thereafter). Balance transfers made within 120 days from account opening qualify for the introductory rate.
✓
Offers cellphone protection and car rental insurance
4/5
Best for an ultra-long 0% APR
Bank of America® Unlimited Cash Rewards credit card for Students
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Best for students
Reward rate
1.5%
Earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on all purchases.
$200
$200 online cash rewards bonus after you make at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening.
4.3/5
Discover it® Cash Back
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Best for rotating bonus categories and first-year cash back match
Reward rate
5%
Earn 5% cash back on everyday purchases at different places each quarter like grocery stores, restaurants, gas stations and more up to the quarterly maximum when you activate.
4/5
Best for rotating bonus categories and first-year cash back match
Best for rotating bonus categories and benefits
Key takeaways
5%
Earn 5% cash back in categories that rotate quarterly on up to $1,500 when enrolled.
5%
5% on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®.
3%
3% on dining and drugstores and 1% on all other purchases.
4/5
Best for rotating bonus categories and benefits
Chase Freedom Unlimited®
Best for uncapped cash back
Key takeaways
1.5%
Earn an additional 1.5% cash back on up to $20,000 spent in the first year
5%
After that 5% on Chase travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®
3%
3% on dining and drugstores and 1.5% on all other purchases
3.9/5
Best for uncapped cash back
On Chase Bank USA, NA’s Secure Website
Our picks at a glance
How to make the most of your 0% APR credit card
- Make a plan to pay off your balance before the 0% rate expires. The key to receiving the most value from your 0% APR card is to pay off your balance in full before the promotional interest rate expires. For example, if you transfer a balance to a card with a 15-month 0% APR on balance transfers, you could divide your balance by 15, and pay off that amount each month. This strategy will work if you don’t make new charges to that card to add to your balance. And if you can’t pay off your entire balance before the 0% APR offer expires, then you’ll want to pay off as much as possible. While you have 0% APR financing, 100% of your payment will go towards your principal, enabling you to pay down your debt much more rapidly than you can once your account incurs interest charges again.
- Always make at least minimum monthly payments. “Interest-free” doesn’t mean you don’t have to make monthly payments on your balance. On the contrary, you must make at least the minimum payment each month, even during an interest-free period. If you miss a payment, consequences may include a late fee and an early end to your interest-free offer.
- Consider avoiding making new purchases on the card. To give yourself the best chance of paying off a balance transfer or large purchase before the introductory period ends, you may want to avoid using the card for other expenses.
What are 0% APR credit cards?
0% APR credit cards offer interest-free financing for new purchases, balance transfers or both. Cards with these offers may or may not earn rewards, and include both consumer and small-business cards. The best intro no interest credit cards have introductory periods that can extend to 21 months. Others can have offers that last for as little as six months.
Who can qualify for 0% APR credit cards?
Generally, you will need at least good credit to get a card with a 0% introductory APR. Good credit is a FICO score of 670 to 739, and very good credit is a score of 740 to 799. The higher your score, the more likely you are to qualify for the best rates and large credit limits.
Pros and cons of 0% APR credit cards
While credit cards with promotional 0% APR offers can be valuable, they do have some drawbacks.
Pros:
- Avoid interest charges. With these offers, you aren’t incurring interest charges during the promotional period.
- Pay down your debt sooner. With all of your payments being applied to your principal, your debts can be paid off sooner than if you were continuing to accrue interest.
- Defer payment. Charging a large expense to a card with interest-free financing can allow you to pay it off over time at no additional cost.
Cons:
- Balance transfer fees. Credit cards that offer 0% intro APRs on balance transfers will typically impose a fee of 3% or 5% of the amount transferred.
- Can encourage debt. Cardholders may be tempted to postpone repayment of their debt, rather than paying it off sooner.
- Limited availability. These offers aren’t available to applicants with subpar credit.
How to apply for a 0% APR credit card
The process for applying for a credit card with a 0% APR offer will be the same as with any other credit card. Applications may be available online, by phone, by mail or in person at a branch location.
You’ll be asked for personally identifying information such as your name, address and Social Security number or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number. You may also be asked about your employment, income and your monthly housing payment.
If the card offers balance transfers, you may be asked in the application if you’d like to complete a transfer. Keep in mind that card issuers usually do not permit transfers from one of their cards to another.
Distinguishing between 0% APR and low-interest credit cards
Some credit cards feature a below-average standard interest rate, but not a 0% APR offer. These can be attractive to those who need to carry a balance from time to time. In contrast, credit cards with 0% introductory APRs can have higher standard interest rates than low-interest credit cards. Cards can also offer promotional APRs that are lower than their regular APRs, but not 0%.
Methodology
Our money and data analytics teams evaluated over 60 credit cards with introductory 0% APR offers and narrowed down our list of the best 0% interest credit cards by giving them a star rating out of five, based on the following factors and our editorial judgment:
0% intro period length (30%)
All of the cards we reviewed offer an intro 0% APR, but their interest-free periods vary in length. We gave the most weight to this category, giving cards with the longest introductory 0% APR periods the best scores.
Variable APR (15%)
A 0% APR offer doesn’t last forever, and you’ll eventually pay interest on credit card charges you don’t pay off in full each month. The average credit card APR (annual percentage rate) is currently over 20%, so if you carry a balance, debt can accumulate quickly. Cards with relatively lower APRs got higher grades in this category, while cards with higher APRs got marked down.
Fees (15%)
We included annual fees, foreign transaction fees and balance transfer fees in this category, giving each equal weight. None of the cards that made our list charge an annual fee, and four don’t add foreign transaction fees.
Rewards value (10%)
Cards with the longest intro APR offers typically don’t earn rewards, but you can find cards with slightly shorter intro periods that do. We used spending data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and estimates of rewards values from The Points Guy to determine which cards offer the highest potential rewards for regular consumers.
Welcome bonus (10%)
If you’re in the market for a 0% APR credit card, earning a welcome bonus might not be your first priority. But if you’re using the card to make large purchases you want to pay off over time, using that spending to reach the minimum requirement for a welcome bonus is a nice extra boost. Cards with more valuable welcome bonuses, based on rewards valuations from The Points Guy, scored better in this category.
Benefits and statement credits (10%)
You won’t find fancy premium credit cards with luxury perks on our list of 0% APR cards, but several do offer benefits that can save you money, protect your purchases and even cover you if things go wrong while you’re traveling. No-frills cards with few benefits didn’t score well here, while cards with built-in perks fared better.
Low credit score threshold (10%)
Most credit cards with 0% APR offers require at least a good credit score, but there are a handful that don’t. Cards that are only available to folks with excellent credit (a FICO score of 800 or higher, or a VantageScore of 750 or more) got fewer points here, while cards for good or fair credit got a boost.
What didn’t make the cut
While we looked at dozens of credit cards, we only chose the top nine for this review. Here are a few other competing products that didn’t make our list.
- State Farm Good Neighbor Visa® Card: This card has a long introductory financing offer, but it doesn’t feature rewards or many notable benefits.
- U.S. Bank Visa® Platinum Card: While this card features an ultra-long introductory APR offer of 21 billing cycles on purchases and balance transfers (then a 18.74% – 29.74% Variable APR), it doesn’t offer rewards and has few cardholder benefits.
- Amex EveryDay® Credit Card
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The information for the Amex EveryDay® Credit Card has been collected independently by CNN Underscored. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
: This card offers valuable American Express Membership Rewards® points and has a $0 annual fee. But cardholders earn points at a modest rate. - Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card: With this card, you earn cash back at a competitive rate of 1.5% on all purchases, plus 5% cash back when you book hotels and rental cars with Capital One Travel. But the Chase Freedom Unlimited offers additional cash back bonus categories and more robust benefits.
- Citi Custom Cash® Card: This is a good card if you can take advantage of its 5x rewards categories. Plus, it’s one of the few 0% APR cards that only require fair credit to be eligible for approval. But otherwise, the rewards potential is weak.
All information about Amex EveryDay® Credit Card has been collected independently by CNN Underscored.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
Credit cards with 0% APR offers will not charge interest during the promotional period. These offers can apply to new purchases, balance transfers or both. The intro APR often lasts between 12 and 21 months.
Once the promotional period expires, the card’s regular purchase and/or balance transfer interest rate will apply. The rates different cards charge are outlined in their terms and conditions, and can vary based on your creditworthiness.
If you fail to make the minimum payment on time, or the payment is returned as unpaid, then you may owe a late fee, your 0% APR could expire and a penalty APR could apply to your balance.
When you open a new credit card, lenders typically do a hard credit inquiry before deciding to approve you, which can cause your credit scores to dip slightly. However, any balance you carry will add to your total debt and negatively affect your credit utilization ratio, which may cause your scores to drop. That said, making on-time payments on your 0% APR credit card can help increase your credit scores, just like making on-time payments with other credit cards.
To view rates and fees for Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card, please visit this page.
To view rates and fees for Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card, please visit this page.
To view rates and fees for Amex EveryDay® Credit Card
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The information for the Amex EveryDay® Credit Card has been collected independently by CNN Underscored. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
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All information about Amex EveryDay® Credit Card has been collected independently by CNN Underscored.
*The information for the following card(s) has been collected independently by CNN Underscored Money: Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card, Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card, Wells Fargo Reflect® Card, Discover it® Cash Back, Chase Freedom Flex℠, U.S. Bank Visa® Platinum Card, Amex EveryDay® Credit Card
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The information for the Amex EveryDay® Credit Card has been collected independently by CNN Underscored. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
, and Citi Custom Cash® Card. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
All information about Amex EveryDay® Credit Card has been collected independently by CNN Underscored.
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