No annual fee credit cards

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.

Best for balance transfers

Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card

Finder Rating: 4.2 / 5

★★★★★

Credit recommended (740-850) Apply now on Citi's secure site

740
Min. credit score

$0
Annual fee

n/a
Rewards

n/a
Welcome offer

• Info
• Pros & cons
• Details

The Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card offers one of the best balance transfer intro APRs on the market. On top of that, you get a long intro APR period on purchases and you won't pay an annual fee.

• Balance transfer intro APR. 0% for 18 months from the date of your first transfer, then 14.74% to 24.74% variable.
• Purchase intro APR. 0% for 18 months from account opening, then 14.74% to 24.74% variable.
• Other benefits. No annual fee. Long window to take advantage of the balance transfer intro APR.

• No rewards program. You won't earn any rewards on purchases made with this card.
• No signup bonus. You also won't earn any bonus when you signup for this card.
• Foreign transaction fees. Refrain from using this card abroad or online with foreign merchants or you'll pay 3% fee of the amount.

Annual Fee	$0
Purchase APR	0% intro for the first 18 months (then 14.74% to 24.74% variable)
Balance transfer APR	0% intro for the first 18 months (then 14.74% to 24.74% variable)
Welcome offer	N/A
Rewards	N/A

Best for signup bonus

IHG® Rewards Club Traveler Credit Card

Finder Rating: 4.5 / 5

★★★★★

Credit recommended (670-850) See offer on Creditcards.com's secure site Rates & fees

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670
Min. credit score

$0
Annual fee

Up to 15x
Points

75,000
Points welcome offer

• Info
• Pros & cons
• Details

According to our current valuations, this card's signup-bonus points are worth $525. That's significantly higher value than you'll find with other no annual fee cards.

• Signup bonus. 75,000 points after you make $2,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening.
• Reward points. 15x points on IHG hotel purchases. 2x points at gas stations, restaurants and grocery stores. 1x points on all other purchases.
• Fourth reward night free. Redeem points for four or more reward nights and get one night free.

• No intro APR period. You won't get a chance to save money on interest with this card.

Annual Fee	$0
Purchase APR	15.99% to 22.99% variable
Balance transfer APR	15.99% to 22.99% variable
Welcome offer	75,000 points after spending $2,000 in the first 3 months
Rewards	15x total points at IHG hotels, 2x points at gas stations, grocery stores and restaurants and 1x points on all other purchases

Best for cash back

Citi® Double Cash Card

Finder Rating: 3.8 / 5

★★★★★

Credit recommended (740-850) Apply now on Citi's secure site

740
Min. credit score

$0
Annual fee

Up to 2%
Cash back

n/a
Welcome offer

• Info
• Pros & cons
• Details

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.

• Cash back. Earn 1% cash back on all purchases and another 1% back as you pay them off.
• Intro APR period. 0% on balance transfers for 18 months from the date of your first transfer. After that, a 13.99% to 23.99% variable APR applies.
• Long intro APR window. Transfers can qualify for the intro APR up to 4 months after you've opened your account.

• No signup bonus. You won't earn any bonus upon signup.
• No intro APR period on purchases. You only get 0% intro APR period on balance transfers. But purchases don't get this perk.
• Foreign transaction fees. Every transaction made abroad or online at foreign merchants will cost you 3% fee of the amount.

Annual Fee	$0
Purchase APR	13.99% to 23.99% variable
Balance transfer APR	0% intro for the first 18 months (then 13.99% to 23.99% variable)
Welcome offer	N/A
Rewards	Up to 2% cash back on purchases (1% when you buy plus 1% as you pay)

Best for travel

Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card

Finder Rating: 3.2 / 5

★★★★★

Credit recommended (670-850) Read review

670
Min. credit score

$0
Annual fee

1.5x
Points

25,000
Points welcome offer

• Info
• Pros & cons
• Details

The Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card offers simple but solid rewards on all purchases. If you're a member of the bank's Preferred Rewards program, you'll earn 25% to 75% more points on your spending.

• Reward points. Earn unlimited 1.5x points on all spending.
• Signup bonus. 25,000 online bonus points - worth $250 in statement credit - after you make $1,000 in purchases within the first 90 days of account opening.
• Intro APR period on purchases. 0% on purchases for the first 12 statement closing dates, then 14.99% to 22.99% variable.

• No intro APR period on balance transfers. You only get an intro APR period on purchases, but not on transfers.
• Penalty APR. If you make a late payment, Bank of America may impose a penalty APR of up to 29.99% variable.

Annual Fee	$0
Purchase APR	0% intro for the first 12 statement closing dates (then 14.99% to 22.99% variable)
Balance transfer APR	14.99% to 22.99% variable
Welcome offer	25,000 points after spending $1,000 in the first 90 days
Rewards	1.5x points on all purchases

Best for purchase intro APR

U.S. Bank Visa® Platinum Card

Credit recommended (740-850) Read review Rates & fees

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740
Min. credit score

$0
Annual fee

n/a
Rewards

n/a
Welcome offer

• Info
• Pros & cons
• Details

The U.S. Bank Visa® Platinum Card doesn't offer rewards. However, it offers superb intro APRs on both purchases and balance transfers.

• Intro APR period. 0% on purchases and balance transfers for 20 months, then 13.99% to 23.99% variable.
• Cell phone protection. Pay your wireless bill with your card. You'll receive cell phone coverage for up to $600 per claim with a $25 deductible. You can make a maximum of two claims per 12-month period.
• No annual fee. You get to save money on interest and you won't pay an annual fee.

• No rewards program. You won't earn any rewards with this card.
• No signup bonus. Similar to other cards with long 0% intro APR card, the U.S. Bank Visa® Platinum Card doesn't have a signup bonus.
• Foreign transaction fees. Purchases made abroad or online with foreign merchants will cost 3% of the amount.

Annual Fee	$0
Purchase APR	0% intro for the first 20 months (then 13.99% to 23.99% variable)
Balance transfer APR	0% intro for the first 20 months (then 13.99% to 23.99% variable)
Welcome offer	N/A
Rewards	N/A

Best for low interest

UNIFY Financial Credit Union Variable-Rate Visa® Credit Card

Credit recommended (670-850)

670
Min. credit score

$0
Annual fee

n/a
Rewards

n/a
Welcome offer

• Info
• Pros & cons
• Details

Consider this card if you have excellent credit and want a low APR. You could receive an APR on all balances as low as 7.99% variable. Also, the product is light on fees - balance transfer fees in particular.

• Low APR. 7.99% to 17.24% variable on all balances is among the lowest you can find in a credit card.
• No annual fee. You won't pay an annual fee for the card.
• Other fees waived. The card also has no balance transfer fee, cash advance or foreign transaction fees.

• No rewards. The card doesn't have a rewards program.
• No signup bonus. Also, you don't get to earn any reward upon signup.

Annual Fee	$0
Purchase APR	7.99% to 17.24% variable
Balance transfer APR	N/A
Welcome offer	N/A
Rewards	N/A

Best for small business

American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card

Credit recommended (670-850) Read review Rates & fees

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670
Min. credit score

$0
Annual fee

Up to 2%
Cash back

n/a
Welcome offer

• Info
• Pros & cons
• Details

With this card, you'll earn a solid 2% cash back on up to $50,000 in eligible purchases per calendar year, then 1% back. That can be an excellent deal depending on your business, especially as the card has no annual fee. You'll also receive an intro APR on purchases, which is uncommon among business credit cards.

• Cash back. On all eligible purchases, earn 2% cash back on up to $50,000 each calendar year, then 1% back.
• Intro APR period. 0% on purchases for the first 12 months. After that, 13.24% to 19.24% variable APR.
• Expanded buying power. In some cases, you can make purchases that put you over your credit limit without penalty. This privilege adjusts according to Amex's discretion and factors such as your payment history and credit record.

• Foreign transaction fees. Every purchase you make abroad or online with foreign merchants will cost you a 2.7% of the amount.
• No balance transfers. This card's intro APR period on balance transfers was removed in May 2020.

Annual Fee	$0
Purchase APR	0% intro for the first 12 months (then 13.24% to 19.24% variable)
Balance transfer APR	N/A
Welcome offer	N/A
Rewards	2% cash back on all purchases on up to $50,000 per calendar year, then 1%

Compare credit cards with no annual fee

You’ll find many great no-annual-fee credit card options in a variety of categories.

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Name	Product	Annual fee	Balance transfer APR	Purchase APR	Filter values
Citi® Double Cash Card		$0	0% intro for the first 18 months (then 13.99% to 23.99% variable)	13.99% to 23.99% variable		This one of the most valuable flat cashback cards. It comes with 2% cash back (1% when you buy plus 1% when you pay) and 18 months to pay off transfers.	Apply now View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
CardMatch™ from creditcards.com		See terms	See issuer's website	See issuer's website		Use the CardMatch tool to find cards you're likely to qualify for with your credit score, without a hard pull on your credit.	See offer View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Citi Rewards+℠ Card		$0	0% intro for the first 15 months (then 13.49% to 23.49% variable)	0% intro for the first 15 months (then 13.49% to 23.49% variable)		Get rewards on gas and groceries with no annual fee. Ideal for everyday use, it's the only card that rounds purchases up to the nearest 10 points.	Apply now View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
TD Cash Credit Card		$0	0% intro for the first 15 billing cycles (then 12.99%, 17.99% or 22.99% variable)	0% intro for the first 15 billing cycles (then 12.99%, 17.99% or 22.99% variable)		3% on dining and 2% on groceries make this a valuable card for food purchases. Use it while traveling, too, with no foreign transaction fees. Available in: CT, DC, DE, FL, MA, MD, ME, NC, NH, NJ, NY, PA, RI, SC, VA, VT	Apply now View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Amalgamated Bank of Chicago Platinum Rewards Mastercard®		$0	12.9% to 22.9% variable	0% intro for the first 12 months (then 12.9% to 22.9% variable)		Earn 5x points in rotating categories and $150 after spending $1,200 in the first 90 days	Apply now View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...

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No annual fee cards by bank

What is an annual fee?

An annual fee is the yearly cost to keep a credit card. If your card has one, the 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 cost, which helps you minimize the expense of owning 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.

Pros and cons of a no annual fee card

It’s always good to get a full picture of a card type before you submit an application. Here are a few things to consider before getting a no annual fee card.

How do I compare no annual fee credit cards?

There are many no annual fee cards out there, and the choices can sometimes feel overwhelming. To help you narrow down your options, here’s what to consider:

Do you want to earn rewards?

Many no-annual-fee cards come with a rewards program. You can either get a card with accelerated rewards on select categories like travel, dining, groceries or gas, or you can get a card with flat-rate rewards on all purchases.

• Spend a lot on everyday purchases? Check out the cards issued by American Express, Discover and Bank of America.
• Want a flat-rewards card? Citi and TD Bank offer one of the best cards with flat rewards rate on all purchases.
• Spend a lot on travel? Barclaycard has almost 20 travel credit cards in the form of cobranded cards with cruise lines, airlines and home rentals. All other card providers offer a smaller selection of no-annual-fee travel cards, but most of them are excellent options.

Do you want a 0% intro APR period?

Many no annual fee cards have intro APRs. This means you could get 0% APR on purchases or balance transfers for a period of time. Think about whether a promotional interest rate is important to you — and if so, how long you want it to be.

Do you want a strong signup bonus?

A signup bonus can give you a burst of rewards soon after you’re approved for a card. Many no annual fee cards have similar bonuses, but you’ll find the occasional offer that stands out.

With a no-annual-fee card, expect to earn a bonus worth anywhere from $50 up to $250.

Do you have a good credit score?

Your credit score has a big effect on which cards you’ll be approved for. For rewards cards and products with intro APRs, you’ll usually want to apply with a good to excellent credit score of 670 or higher. If your score is lower than that, consider a no annual fee secured credit card to build your credit.

Bottom line

A no annual fee card can help you keep costs down. It can also offer great rewards and benefits you didn’t expect.

If you want more options, there are plenty of credit cards to compare. Check out our guide to the best credit cards of 2020.

Frequently asked questions

• What kind of credit do you need to get a no annual fee credit card?

  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.

• Do no annual fee credit cards pay rewards?

  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.

• Can the card issuer begin charging an annual fee later on?

  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.

• Are no annual fee credit cards completely free?

  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.

• How can I tell if a credit card charges an annual fee?

  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.