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Credit cards with a $0 introductory annual fee let you take advantage of perks and rewards without an upfront cost. You can earn thousands of points or hundreds of dollars in cash back from the welcome offer and bonus categories — all while enjoying the card’s benefits without paying an annual fee right away. This gives you a full year to decide whether the card is worth keeping before the fee kicks in.
This list focuses on rewards credit cards that waive the annual fee for the first year, rather than those with no annual fee at all. Here are the best cards that give you a year to try their benefits at no cost.
Page Contents
Rewards Cards Featuring $0 Introductory Annual Fees
The table below highlights some of the best rewards credit cards with a $0 introductory annual fee. You'll find both personal and business cards, each giving you a full year to decide if they’re worth keeping before the annual fee posts to your account.
| Credit Card | Personal / Business | Annual Fee | Welcome Bonus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express | Personal | $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95 (Rates & Fees) | Earn a $250 statement credit after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card within the first 6 months. |
| Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card | Personal | $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $150 (Rates & Fees) | Earn 80,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. |
| The New United℠ Explorer Card | Personal | $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $150 | Limited-Time Offer: Earn 60,000 bonus miles after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open. |
| Capital One Spark Miles for Business | Business | $0 introductory fee for the first year; $95 after that | Earn a one-time bonus of 50,000 miles - equal to $500 in travel - once you spend $4,500 on purchases within 3 months from account opening. |
| Capital One Spark Cash | Business | $0 intro for first year; $95 after that | Earn $1,500 Cash Back once you spend $15,000 in the first 3 months from account opening. |
| Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card | Business | $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $150 (Rates & Fees) | Limited Time Offer: Earn 90,000 Bonus Miles after spending $6,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Offer Ends 7/16/25. |
| Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard® | Personal | $99, waived for first 12 months | Earn 60,000 American Airlines AAdvantage® bonus miles after spending $3,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening. |
| Citi® / AAdvantage Business™ World Elite Mastercard® | Business | $99, waived for first 12 months | Earn 65,000 American Airlines AAdvantage® bonus miles after spending $4,000 in purchases within the first 4 months of account opening. |
| U.S. Bank Business Altitude Connect Card | Business | $0 Intro annual fee for the first year, $95 per year thereafter | Limited Time Offer: Earn 60,000 bonus points, worth $600 if you spend $6,000 on the Account Owner's card in the first 180 days from account opening. |
| U.S. Bank Business Leverage® Visa Signature® Card | Business | $0 Intro annual fee for the first year and $95 thereafter | Earn $750 in rewards when you spend $7,500 in eligible purchases on the account owners' card within the first 120 days of opening your account. |
| The New United℠ Business Card | Business | $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $150 |
Related: The Best Rewards Credit Card Offers for This Month
Best Personal Credit Card With No Annual Fee for the First Year
The Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express is a powerful cash back earner — and the fact that it carries a $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95 (Rates & Fees) is just the icing on the cake. It's our pick for the best personal card without an annual fee for the first year you carry it.
Speaking of earning rates, you can score:
- 6% Cash Back on select U.S. streaming subscriptions
- 6% Cash Back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year in purchases (then 1%)
- 3% Cash Back on transit including taxis/rideshare, parking, tolls, trains, buses and more
- 3% Cash Back at U.S. gas stations
- 1% Cash Back on other purchases
- Cash Back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit or at Amazon.com checkout.
And if you needed another incentive to add this card to your wallet, the Blue Cash Preferred offers new applicants a $250 statement credit after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card within the first 6 months.
- Earn a $250 statement credit after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card within the first 6 months.
- $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95.
- Buy Now, Pay Later: Enjoy $0 intro plan fees when you use Plan It® to split up large purchases into monthly installments with a fixed fee. Pay $0 intro plan fees on plans created during the first 12 months from the date of account opening. Plans created after that will have a monthly plan fee up to 1.33% of each eligible purchase amount moved into a plan based on the plan duration, the APR that would otherwise apply to the purchase, and other factors.
- Low Intro APR: 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 12 months from the date of account opening. After that, your APR will be a variable APR of 20.24% - 29.24%.
- 6% Cash Back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year in purchases (then 1%).
- 6% Cash Back on select U.S. streaming subscriptions.
- 3% Cash Back at U.S. gas stations and on transit (including taxis/rideshare, parking, tolls, trains, buses and more).
- 1% Cash Back on other purchases.
- Cash Back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit or at Amazon.com checkout.
- $84 Disney Bundle Credit: With your enrolled Blue Cash Preferred® Card, spend $9.99 or more each month on an auto-renewing Disney Bundle subscription, to receive a monthly statement credit of $7. Valid only at Disney Plus.com, Hulu.com or Plus.espn.com in the U.S.
- Apply with confidence. Know if you're approved for a Card with no impact to your credit score. If you're approved and you choose to accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.
- Terms Apply.
- Rates & Fees
- 6% Cash Back on select U.S. streaming subscriptions
- 6% Cash Back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year in purchases (then 1%)
- 3% Cash Back on transit including taxis/rideshare, parking, tolls, trains, buses and more
- 3% Cash Back at U.S. gas stations
- 1% Cash Back on other purchases
- Cash Back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit or at Amazon.com checkout.
Related: Our Full Review of the Blue Cash Preferred Card
Best Business Credit Card With No Annual Fee for the First Year
Our pick for the top business card with no annual fee for the first year is the Capital One Spark Miles for Business. New applicants can earn a one-time bonus of 50,000 miles once you spend $4,500 on purchases within 3 months from account opening. Based on what AwardWallet users redeem Capital One miles for, this bonus is worth about $1,000.
- Earn 50,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,500 on purchases within 3 months from account opening; worth $500 in travel if redeemed for a fixed-value, or potentially much more when transferred to airline partners
- 2 Miles per $1 on every purchase, everywhere
- Fee credit for Global Entry or TSA Pre✔® (up to $120)
- No foreign transaction fees
- $0 introductory fee for the first year; $95 after that
- 2X miles per dollar on every purchase, everywhere, no limits or category restrictions
- 5X miles per dollar on purchases through Capital One Entertainment (through 12/31/2025)
- 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
This card also earns valuable Capital One miles on every purchase, which can be transferred to 19 travel partners. And with any spending, it's hard not to rack up the rewards whenever you swipe your card thanks to its friendly earning rates.
- 2X miles per dollar on every purchase, everywhere, no limits or category restrictions
- 5X miles per dollar on purchases through Capital One Entertainment (through 12/31/2025)
- 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
From the second year on, you'll pay just $95 to keep this card in your wallet.
Related: Our Full Review of the Capital One Spark Miles for Business
If cash back is more your style, check out the Capital One Spark Cash instead. New applicants can earn a one-time bonus of $1,500 miles once you spend $15,000 in the first 3 months from account opening.
- 2% cash back for your business on every purchase, everywhere
- No foreign transaction fees
- $0 intro for first year; $95 after that
- 2% Cash Back on every purchase
- 5% Cash Back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One's travel booking site.
Airline Credit Cards With $0 Introductory Annual Fees
Some of the most common credit cards with a $0 introductory annual fee are co-branded airline cards. While these cards offer long-term perks that can justify the fee (think free checked bags and priority boarding), it’s hard to overlook the bonus miles you’ll earn after meeting the minimum spending requirements.
Here’s a quick look at the top airline credit cards that are currently waiving the annual fee for the first year:
(Terms apply)
- 2X miles per dollar spent on purchases made directly with Delta
- 2X miles per dollar spent at U.S. supermarkets
- 2X miles per dollar at restaurants worldwide, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S.
- 1X miles on all other eligible purchases
- 2X miles per $1 spent on purchases from United®
- 2X miles per $1 spent on dining and hotel stays when booked with the hotel
- 1X mile per $1 spent on all other purchases
(Terms apply)
- 2X miles per dollar spent on eligible purchases made directly with Delta
- 2X miles per dollar on eligible U.S. purchases for advertising in select media (annual cap of $50,000 in eligible purchases)
- 2X miles per dollar on eligible U.S. shipping purchases (annual cap of $50,000 in eligible purchases)
- 2X miles per dollar on eligible dining purchases
- 1X miles per dollar on all other eligible purchases
Other options include:
- Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard®
- Earn 60,000 American Airlines AAdvantage® bonus miles after spending $3,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening.
- Full review of the AA Platinum Select.
- Citi® / AAdvantage Business™ World Elite Mastercard®
- Earn 65,000 American Airlines AAdvantage® bonus miles after spending $4,000 in purchases within the first 4 months of account opening.
- Full review of the Citi AAdvantage Business Card.
Related: AwardWallet's Roundup of Best Award Travel Sweet Spots
Final Thoughts
No matter the reason you're considering a credit card with a $0 introductory annual fee, the good news is that you have plenty of great options. Whether you're looking for an airline card or a highly rewarding personal or business card, there’s something for everyone.
That said, if you’re thinking of opening one of these cards just for the bonus, keep in mind that canceling within the first year after pocketing the rewards isn’t a good idea. We recommend playing the long game to keep on the good side of card issues.
Also, while there’s no annual fee upfront, that doesn’t mean these cards are completely fee-free. Credit cards come with plenty of other potential fees, from interest and late fees to foreign transaction or balance transfer fees, which aren't waived during the first year.
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card (Rates & Fees), Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card (Rates & Fees), Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express (Rates & Fees), and The New United℠ Explorer Card (Rates & Fees)
The comments on this page are not provided, reviewed, or otherwise approved by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.
I love the comment that if you call they will waive the fee – I am looking at getting the Chase Sapphire Card (per your blogs) and will definitely remember the fee for year 2 and call when it happens.
I’ve been lucky where sometimes when year 2 rolls around, and the fee get charged, I can call them and get them to waive that too. It never hurts to ask.
That’s great news… Thanks for the list.
I signed up for the Chase Sapphire a few months ago and the points really grow fast if you can pile up the expenses. This post has a pretty good list – in a few months I’ll be back to refer to this list to sign up for my rewards next card!
Lists like these are critical as you obtain more and more cards, you have to know what options you still have…
no fee is always a winner
Can you publish another story that would feature balance transfer cards complete with the introductory interest offer and the fee charged for the transfer? That would be very helpful to me.
sure!
I sooo wish we could have get one of these in Italy…!
Cards like these are the best since you can cancel if the ongoing value isn’t worth the af
Super helpful post! So many out there on cards with no fees, but as they often don’t give me the rewards I’m looking for, it’s useful to know which waive the fee that first year. Plan to add a new card to my arsenal soon – cheers 🙂
will try to get a City plat, we’ll if this will work as I’m from outside US
IHG is one of the best i think
Anyone know if AMEX will give you 35k points if you call them (after signing up at 30k)?
YMMV, worth an ask.
Glad to have this list . Plan on adding a new card soon. Thanks!
Very useful info, I am shopping for a new credit card and this makes my search so much easier.
Unfortunately the American Express is really not practical for the travel abroad, its not as widely accepted as Visa.
I applied for Capital one venture cards periodically over the years and always recd a letter stating I am denied due to have too many cards. I never had Capital one card and do have a few cards with different banks. My FICO score is over 800 and income 100k+ and debt free. Why? Is capital One very strict? I only been turned by other banks because I was over 5/24 rule. Help?
What *exactly* does it state for reason? I’ve never heard of someone being denied due to having too many cards unless they have too many cards with that specific creditor.
“Too many credit cards opened in the last two years associated with you”
States: We used info from your credit report to make the decision…Experian
I recd these letters from Capital One and Chase at various times. With Chase I had cards but with Capital One I never had their card.
Tkxs
Joseph, I’d highly recommend calling them up, asking to review your application and reconsider you as a customer. The answer may change to a yes, but at least you’ll get an explanation in English from a human as opposed to something stock from a computer system.
Thxs will do and I will let you what the outcome is.
Only if Chase Marriott & Hyatt card can follow IHG’s annual night rules ($49 for any hyatt or marriott room)…. I canceled Marriott card since I can’t find a good use for that annual cert.
This may be the time for me to place the Premier Rewards Gold cc on my radar. I’ve been thinking about it off and on for a long time and I’m in a good position right now to be approved. I just may go for it and thx for the reminder.
I love my Chase IHG Rewards credit card. The first year was free, each subsequent year is $49 and it comes with a free night at one of their hotels. $49 for a nice hotel room is a great deal!
Sometimes the card holder can negotiate the annual fee to be waived subsequently or offer with a certain spend limit bonus points depending on the situation. Always worth a call.
IHG is my personal fave on that list. Because as I’m sure we all know, the anniversary night starting after year 1 is worth well more than $49, especially when combined with whatever signup bonus you get. Check your emails. My mother recently got a 100,000 targeted offer with 5,000 for authorized user spend as well. 105K in IHG can be worth a good bit if stretched right or combined with PointsBreaks, etc.
Chase Preferred credit card for me.
Are 20k extra IHG points worth not having the annual fee waived?
Personally, I would say yes to that.
$0 AF fee cards are great to keep to increase your average age of accounts.
If the benefits outweigh the fee, go for it!
Very helpful list. I am going to have to favorite this article and refer back to it, when I am ready to apply for more cards.
I love being able to try out cards the first year w/out a fee! Any tips when the Chase Sapphire might get another large bonus on points? Is it something they usually do? Or is it rare? How do ya’ll handle the opening of a card, getting the bonus and then getting to the year and canceling? Closing hits your credit score so I would hate to lower my score really but $95 is a lot and then I wouldn’t be able to get the Sapphire again with the bonus, do I understand this correct?
We have no information on any increase for the Sapphire Preferred — I honestly doubt we’d see another increase on the card.
As for closing the card, you need to decide if the value received on it is worth the annual fee. I definitely think so on the Sapphire Preferred but if it isn’t for you simply close the card or look to convert it to another card with no annual fee. Under current conditions you wouldn’t be eligible for the bonus again on the card unless it has been 24+ months since you last received the bonus and you don’t currently hold the card.
Keep in mind, closing a card account won’t decimate your credit score. Yes, it’ll drop due to a change in your credit utilization by losing the line of credit you have on the card, but if you have an otherwise strong credit portfolio, you might not notice any change at all.
Thank you! I appreciate your insight!
Thank you for the post, this is a good reference of a lot of the cards I should be aiming to acquire. No annual fee the first year seems to add about 20% more value to the sign up bonus.
is there any card having similar perks within Europe?
Sorry, I do not know.
How about the Chase Marriott Rewards card? Where would you rate it in comparison to the other Chase cards that you have listed here?
The Marriott card has a big signup bonus, which I think makes up for the annual fee on it. It really comes down to what you’re looking to cash in on and your travel goals, but because the card does not waive its annual fee the first year we left it off of this list.
Super helpful- thanks for the list!