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0% APR Credit Cards

Compare nearly a dozen 0% APR cards and start saving on interest.

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Kevin Joey Chen

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Kliment Dukovski
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Compare 0% APR credit cards

Check out the table to compare 0% APR credit card options. Select up to four cards to see how cards stack up side-by-side. By clicking "Show filters" you can also filter options that best fit your credit score and financial needs.

Name Product Purchase APR Balance transfer APR Annual fee Filter values
Citi Simplicity® Card
Citi Simplicity® Card
0% intro for the first 18 months (then 14.74% to 24.74% variable)
0% intro for the first 18 months (then 14.74% to 24.74% variable)
$0
With an intro APR of 18 months, this card has one of the longest balance transfer offers on the market. Plus, no late fees and no annual fee.
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Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card
Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card
0% intro for the first 18 months (then 13.74% to 23.74% variable)
0% intro for the first 18 months (then 13.74% to 23.74% variable)
$0

Best of Finder 2021

 An impressive 18 months intro APR on balance transfers and purchases, as well as no annual fee make this one of the top 0% APR cards available.
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Citi Custom Cashâ„  Card
Citi Custom Cashâ„  Card
0% intro for the first 15 months (then 13.99% to 23.99% variable)
0% intro for the first 15 months (then 13.99% to 23.99% variable)
$0
A new cashback card that automatically awards 5% to your highest eligible spending category each billing cycle, on up to $500 (then 1%).
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Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express
Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express
0% intro for the first 15 months (then 13.99% to 23.99% variable)
N/A
$0
Earn up to $250. You'll get 20% back on Amazon.com purchases in the first six months for up to $150 back, and $100 after you spend $2,000 in the first six months. This is a higher-than-average welcome offer for a card with no annual fee. Terms apply, see rates & fees
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Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express
Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express
0% intro for the first 12 months (then 13.99% to 23.99% variable)
N/A
$0 intro annual fee for the first year ($95 thereafter)
Earn up to $350. In your first 6 months, you can earn a $150 statement credit when you spend $3,000, and earn 20% back on Amazon purchases made with your card, up to $200 total. Having 6 months to earn a welcome offer is a rare benefit as most cards give you only 3. Terms apply, see rates & fees
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The best 0% APR credit cards of 2021

If you’re looking for a place to start on your card journey, we’ve ranked the 7 best 0% APR credit cards to give you an idea of what to expect from a strong 0% APR credit card.
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What is a 0% APR credit card?

A 0% APR credit card offers an introductory period of time where you’ll pay no interest on certain financial activities. After this introductory period is over however, your card reverts to a standard APR and gains interest as usual. There are two main types of 0% APR offers.

  • A 0% purchase APR. This offer gives you a set amount of time to make new purchases and pay them off over time without accruing interest on those purchases. Cards with this feature typically offer periods ranging from 6 to 20 months. Any purchases remaining on the card after the end of the intro period will begin accruing interest at the card’s revert rate.
  • A 0% balance transfer APR. A 0% balance transfer card offer lets you transfer your existing debts to the eligible card and pay off that debt interest free for a set period of time. Like a 0% purchase APR, most cards offer periods between 6 and 20 months and length. And if you fail to pay off your entire debt in time, the remaining balance will begin accruing interest at the card’s revert APR.

    • How to compare 0% APR credit cards

    You have a few key features to examine when determining which 0% APR credit card is right for you.

    • Type of 0% APR offer. This is the first order of business when comparing 0% APR credit cards. Credit cards may feature 0% APR for purchases or for balance transfers, and some even feature both. Depending on your financial needs, this is the first way to narrow down your card options.
    • Intro period length. After choosing the kind of intro APR you need, you’ll want to look at the period length next. It directly determines how long you have to pay off your consolidated debts or your new purchases, interest-free. If you need have a lot of debt to clear or purchases to make, you may want a longer intro period length to give yourself plenty of time for repayments.
    • Revert APR. After your intro period ends, your card will return to a typical APR. If you plan on carrying a balance in the future, you’ll want a card with a low revert APR.
    • Balance transfer fees. Most balance transfer cards charge a fee for performing a balance transfer. This fee can range from 2% to 5% of the transferred amount on average, which can get expensive depending on how much you need to transfer.
    • Rewards. Rewards can give a 0% APR card some utility and value long after the intro period ends.
    • Annual fee. If a 0% APR credit card features an annual fee, make sure it offers enough value to make that annual fee worth it after your intro period ends. For example, travel perks or rewards can help make up for the cost of the card. Otherwise, continuing to pay that annual fee is probably not worth it.

    How much can I save on interest with a 0% APR card?

    Here’s an example of how much in interest you might expect to save on a purchase using a 0% purchase intro APR card. In this example, there are three credit cards with three different interest rates, each making the same $2,500 purchase. Assuming you take a full 15 months to pay off your purchase — the length of card A’s intro APR period — here’s how much you’d have to pay each month and how much interest you’d accrue on each.

    Credit Card ACredit Card BCredit Card C
    Purchase balance$2,500$2,500$2,500
    Purchase APR0%14.99%22.99%
    Repayment period15 months15 months15 months
    Monthly payment$167$184$193
    Interest Paid$0$257$401

    As you can see, you’d end up paying at least an additional $257 in interest on Card B and a whopping $401 in interest on Card C if you needed the full 15-months to pay off your purchase.

    Which banks offer 0% APR cards?

    Here’s a quick look at which banks offer some form of 0% APR offer on their cards and the maximum intro period length it offers.

    BankNumber of Balance Transfer cardsNumber of 0% Purchase cardsMaximum length
    American Express01215 months
    Wells Fargo8918 months
    Bank of America121718 months
    Capital One0715 months
    US Bank6620 months
    Citi5518 months
    HSBC3418 months
    Chase0615 months
    TD Bank3115 months
    Discover3714 months

    Tips for using a 0% intro APR card

    It pays to do a little math to ensure you can make the necessary payments to pay off your balance before the end of your intro period. Here are some quick tips for using a 0% intro APR card effectively.

  • Pick the right intro length.

    • Generally, the longer your intro period, the better. Give yourself plenty of time to pay off your balance and you won’t get caught flat-footed if you need to allocate those repayment funds to a more pressing matter in a given month.

  • Mind your revert APR.

    • If it looks like you won’t be able to pay your balance before the end of your intro period, look at your revert APR and calculate how much interest is going to start building. If the interest looks severe, it can pay to bump up your typical payments to quickly finish off your balance.

  • Set up autopay and don’t miss a payment.

    • If you miss one of your monthly payments, your provider may revoke your 0% intro APR period. In this case, your balance would start accruing interest immediately. To make sure you don’t miss a payment, set up your account for autopay for the amount you want to pay each month.

    What to do when a 0% intro period ends

    If you still have a balance on your card and your intro APR will expire soon, you have a few options. For more information, read about what happens when an intro APR period ends.

    • Let your balance start accruing interest at the normal rate. If your balance isn’t too high, you might not mind your intro APR expiring before you’ve paid off your debt. Consider making a solid plan to pay off your balance so you don’t pay too much interest.
    • Make a balance transfer. You may be able to get a 0% intro APR balance transfer card, which could help you pay off your balance with lower interest. If you do this, however, consider whether you’re making progress toward paying off your debt — or if you’re just shuffling it around.
      Card providers are unlikely to approve you for a balance transfer card if your credit utilization ratio is very high. They’ll be wary of taking you on as a customer if they think you’re drowning in debt.
    • Take out a personal loan. If you don’t want to deal with another card but you want a lower interest rate on your balance, consider a personal loan. You could get an APR that’s substantially better than your credit card’s normal APR.

    Bottom line

    Getting a 0% APR credit card can be a smart move for certain purchases, and it can be helpful if you need a lower interest rate on existing debt. However, be careful with it — your card provider is hoping you won’t pay off your balance by the time your 0% intro APR ends.

    If you think you’ll carry a balance for a long time, consider a low-interest rate credit card.

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      One Response

        Avatarfinder Customer Care
        nikkiangcoMarch 29, 2018Staff

        Hi Toni!

        Thanks for contacting finder – the leading comparison website & general information service built to give you advice in your buying decision needs.

        Yes, you can cancel the card and transfer to a cheaper one after a promotional period. However, you may have to contact your bank how to go about this before your promotional period ends to make sure there is no balance left on the card.

        Please note that we’re a product comparison website and we hold no affiliation with any company we feature on our site. We provide general information on products to assist you in your buying decision process hence we cannot recommend product / service that is rightfully fit for you.

        Hope this helps!

        Best regards,
        Nikki

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