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Find travel rewards, cash back, 0% intro APR and more.
A no-annual-fee credit card is a great choice if you want to keep costs low. It can also be surprisingly robust, offering attractive rewards or benefits you might not have expected.
Our pick for no annual fee
Chase Freedom Unlimited®
New offer! Double cash back: Earn 3% cash back on all purchases in your first year up to $20,000 spent. After that earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on all purchases.
0% intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers, then a variable APR of 17.24-25.99%. Balance transfer fee is 3% of the amount transferred, $5 minimum
No minimum to redeem for cash back
Cash back rewards do not expire as long as your account is open
Free credit score, updated weekly with Credit Journey℠
You’ll find many great no-annual-fee credit card options in a variety of categories.
Best no-annual-fee credit cards
Though annual-fee cards tend to offer the best features, you’ll find a wealth of top-notch no-annual-fee cards. Here are our picks for the cream of the crop.
A quick look at the best no-annual-fee credit cards
As long as you pay off your purchases consistently, this card offers the highest flat-rate cash back for no annual fee. It also offers a stellar intro APR on balance transfers.
Rewards: 1% cash back on all purchases and another 1% back as you pay them off.
Intro APR: 0%% on balance transfers for 18 months from the date of your first transfer. After that, 15.74% to 25.74% variable applies.
Long intro APR window: Transfers can qualify for the intro APR up to 4 months after you’ve opened your account.
This card offers excellent rewards on travel, especially if you’re a PenFed Honors Advantage member. It also offers an air travel credit and a TSA PreCheck or Global Entry application fee credit — perks you’d typically find only with premium travel cards.
Rewards: 3x points on all travel purchases. 4x points if you’re a PenFed Honors Advantage member.
Welcome offer: 25,000 bonus points after you spend $2,500 on purchases within the first 90 days of account opening.
Travel credits: $100 a year for air travel, $100 every five years for your TSA PreCheck or Global Entry application fee.
Promo APR: 0% on balance transfers for 12 months. After that, 12.99% to 17.99% variable applies.
Here, you’ll find a superb intro APR on both purchases and balance transfers. A few cards offer a similar promotional interest rate. However, Wells Fargo’s product lets you qualify for the balance transfer intro APR for up to 120 days after account opening, which is very generous.
Intro APR: 0% on purchases and balance transfers for the first 18 months from account opening. After that, a 13.74% to 27.24% variable applies.
Long intro APR window: Your transfers can qualify for the intro APR for as long as 120 days days after account opening.
Check your FICO score monthly: Your credit score is pulled from Experian, one of the top credit bureaus in the US.
Consider this card if you have excellent credit and want a low APR. You could receive an APR on all balances as low as 7.24% variable. Also, the product is light on fees — balance transfer fees in particular.
APR: 7.24% to 18% variable on all balances.
Fees: No annual fee. No balance transfer, cash advance or foreign transaction fees.
If your business spends heavily on office supplies, this small-business card can generate stellar rewards. You can also earn great rewards in select categories such as airfare, hotel stays, US restaurants and US gas stations. With a 50,000-per-year cap on bonus rewards, you could earn tremendous cash back in 5% and 3% cashback categories.
Reward highlights: 5% cash back at US office supply stores and on wireless telephone services you purchase from US providers. 3% cash back on a category of your choice from select categories.
Intro APR: 0%% on purchases for the first 15 months. After that, 14.49% to 21.49% variable applies.
Airfare purchased directly from airlines
Hotel stays booked directly with hotels
Car rentals purchased from eligible car rental agencies
US gas stations
US restaurants
US purchases for advertising in eligible media
US purchases for shipping
US computer hardware, software and cloud computing purchases made directly from eligible providers
Another great small-business pick: The Chase Ink Business Cash℠ Credit Card
Amex’s no-annual-fee business card is a great pick, but it has notable weaknesses. For example, it doesn’t have a welcome offer, and you can’t transfer a balance to it.
The Ink Business Cash℠ Credit Card is a formidable competitor, offering a signup bonus and an intro APR on purchases and balance transfers. It may be a better choice for you.
Methodology
We compared credit cards on the market with similar benefits and rewards. To assemble our best picks, we chose cards with additional standout features.
Best for flat-rate cash back. We looked for the card with the highest flat-rate cash back with no annual fee. We assumed a cardholder would pay off their balance consistently without accruing interest.
Best for travel and no foreign transaction fees. We chose the card that offered the best rewards rate on travel for no annual fee. We gave the PenFed product credit for features that are uncommon in no-annual-fee cards: a signup bonus worth $250, an air travel credit and a credit for a TSA PreCheck or Global Entry application fee.
Best for 0% intro APR. A few cards offer 18-month intro APRs on purchases and balance transfers. Wells Fargo’s product is our top pick because of its generous window to qualify for the special balance transfer rate. With other cards, you’ll often get just 60 days to qualify.
Best for low interest. This card offered the lowest potential APR on all balances among the cards we compared.
Best for small business. We chose this card based on the strength of its rewards rates. Though Amex’s product doesn’t have a welcome offer or balance-transfer option — which we consider significant weaknesses — it gets tremendous credit for its very high cap on bonus rewards.
For some cards, you may need to pay a fee just to be a cardholder. This annual fee is charged automatically each year, typically during the month you opened your account. With a no-annual-fee card, you won’t have to pay this fee. Avoiding an annual fee helps you minimize the cost of using a credit card.
Annual fees typically range from as low as $30 or as high as $550. Some providers waive the annual fee in the first year, giving cardholders 12 months to enjoy their cards at no cost. That said, a card with an annual fee typically comes with more perks and benefits that can offset the fee.
How to choose a no-annual-fee credit card
Decide what kind of card you want. To narrow your options, decide how you primarily want to use your card and what you hope to get out of it.
Do you want travel rewards? Cash back? A 0% intro APR? There are excellent products in each category, and some that combine features.
Compare a few credit cards. Once you’ve decided the main feature you want, compare a few cards that offer it. Use our cashback, balance transfer, travel, low-interest and business credit card guides to determine a card that’s right for you.
Apply for a card. You’ll need information such as your contact details, Social Security number, date of birth, gross annual income and employment information.
Wait for your card. You may receive instant approval, especially if you apply with a major card issuer. If the issuer needs to review your application, it may take a few days to a few weeks to hear back.
If you’re approved, look for your card in the mail within seven to 10 days.
There are no annual fee credit cards that target everyone from excellent to fair credit. People with bad credit scores, however, will find limited options for no annual fee credit cards. If you’ve had trouble getting approved for credit in the past or you have a bad credit history, you may have to improve your credit before you can qualify for a no annual fee credit card.
You may expect that all the great rewards credit cards charge an annual fee, but fortunately, there are several great rewards credit cards without an annual fee. You can find a variety of no annual fee credit cards that pay cash, miles and points rewards. You’ll typically need to have good credit to qualify for a rewards credit card, regardless of whether the card charges an annual fee.
Your credit card issuer can start charging an annual fee after you’ve already signed up for the card. If your card issuer plans to introduce an annual fee, they’re required to let you know well in advance of the time the annual fee will become effective. You’ll have the opportunity to opt out, or reject, the addition of the annual fee. Your credit card issuer will have to allow you to pay your credit card off under the current terms (no annual fee), but may cancel your account or suspend your purchasing privileges. Unless your credit card has great rewards, opting out of the new fee is typically best.
A no annual fee credit card can be completely free, but it depends on how you use the credit card. Paying on time and in full will help you avoid late fees and interest. Most other fees are transaction based, which means you’ll have to avoid specific transactions to avoid paying fees. This includes balance transfers, cash advances and purchases made in foreign currencies.
Most no annual fee credit cards will prominently advertise that there’s no fee for the card. It’s one of the biggest selling points for a credit card. If you see the phrase “No annual fee” followed by an asterisk (*), check for a caveat in the fine print. You may learn that the annual fee is only waived in the first year of the credit card. The best way to figure out whether a credit card charges an annual fee is to read through the credit card pricing disclosure. All credit cards are required to list the pricing associated with a credit card with each credit card offer.
Credit card applications are denied for a variety of reasons. from recent late payments to short employment history. You won’t know the specific reason or reasons you’re denied until the credit card issuer sends a letter in the mail letting you know why. Once you receive the letter, use the details to help you figure out how to proceed with your next credit application. You may need to improve your credit before you apply for a credit card again.
Jeremy is finder's Global Head of Publishing & Editorial. Jeremy has been with finder since the very beginning and is part of the founding team working closely with Fred and Frank to build finder.com into the comparison network it is today.
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