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A 0% intro APR credit card can be a powerful financial tool — whether you're planning a big purchase, tackling existing debt, or just need a little breathing room. These cards let you avoid interest for a set time, helping you pay off balances without added pressure. But not all offers are created equal, and some come with fine print you’ll want to know before diving in.
How does a 0% introductory offer work? And which cards have the best offers for introductory interest? Let's take a look.
How 0% Introductory APR Offers Work
A 0% intro APR card lets you avoid interest for a set period — usually on new purchases, balance transfers, or both. During that time, you won’t pay interest on qualifying transactions. After the promo period ends (e.g., 12 months), any remaining balance begins accruing interest at the card’s regular APR — which is typically based on your credit profile.
While you may have a 0% introductory rate, balance transfers typically require paying a 3%–5% fee on transfers, often with a $5 minimum. Also, many issuers only apply the intro APR to transfers made within a set window — typically 45 days or two billing cycles from account opening. So, it pays to act fast and pay off the balance before interest kicks in.
The 5 Best Credit Cards With No Annual Fee and 0% Introductory APR
If you've decided you want a credit card with no annual fee and a 0% introductory APR, you're in the right place. These are our top picks.
Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express
- Earn a $200 statement credit after you spend $2,000 in purchases on your new Card within the first 6 months.
- No Annual Fee.
- Enjoy 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months from the date of account opening. After that, 20.24% to 29.24% variable APR.
- 3% Cash Back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year in purchases, then 1%.
- 3% Cash Back on U.S. online retail purchases, on up to $6,000 per year, then 1%.
- 3% Cash Back at U.S. gas stations, on up to $6,000 per year, then 1%.
- Cash back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit or at Amazon.com checkout.
- Thinking about getting the Disney Bundle which can include Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+? Your decision made easy with $7/month back in the form of a statement credit after you spend $9.99 or more each month on an eligible subscription (subject to auto renewal) with your Blue Cash Everyday® Card. Enrollment required.
- 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
- 3% cash back at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $6,000 per year in purchases, then 1%)
- 3% cash back at U.S. gas stations (on up to $6,000 per year, then 1%)
- 3% cash back with U.S. online retailers (on up to $6,000 per year, then 1%)
- 1% 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.
- Purchase APR: Introductory APR of 0% on purchases for 15 months, then a Variable rate of 20.24% - 29.24% (Rates & Fees)
- Annual card fee: $0 (Rates & Fees)
- Card highlights: High-value welcome offer for a card with no annual fee. Fantastic cash-back return on everyday spending categories, including U.S gas stations, U.S. supermarkets, and U.S online shopping
Related: Blue Cash Everyday full review
Chase Freedom Unlimited®
- Intro Offer: Earn a $200 Bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening
- Enjoy 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, our premier rewards program that lets you redeem rewards for cash back, travel, gift cards and more; 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and 1.5% on all other purchases.
- No minimum to redeem for cash back. You can choose to receive a statement credit or direct deposit into most U.S. checking and savings accounts. Cash Back rewards do not expire as long as your account is open!
- Enjoy 0% Intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers, then a variable APR of 18.99% - 28.49%.
- No annual fee - You won't have to pay an annual fee for all the great features that come with your Freedom Unlimited® card
- Keep tabs on your credit health, Chase Credit Journey helps you monitor your credit with free access to your latest score, alerts, and more.
- Member FDIC
- Rates & Fees
- Earn 5% on purchases through Chase Travel℠
- Earn 3% on dining at restaurants
- Earn 3% on drugstore purchases
- Earn 1.5% on all purchases
- Purchase APR: 0% introductory APR on purchases for 15 months, then a Variable rate of 18.99% - 28.49%
- Balance Transfer APR and fee: Enjoy a 0% introductory APR on balance transfers for 15 months, then a Variable rate of 18.99% - 28.49%. Note the balance transfer fee: Either $5 or 3% of the amount of each transfer made within 60 days of account opening. After that, either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer. Whichever value is greater will apply in both cases.
- Annual card fee: $0
- Card highlights: Earn 1.5% on all other purchases cash back on all purchases; when combined with the points earned from Chase credit cards with an annual fee, these Ultimate Rewards can be redeemed in the Chase Travel Portal or transferred to travel partners for a higher return.
The Chase Freedom Flex℠ is also an option if you can maximize the rotating 5% bonus categories each quarter. However, we recommend the Freedom Unlimited if you want a simple earning structure and maximizing return on non-bonus spending.
Related: Freedom Unlimited full review
Chase Slate Edge℠
- Purchase APR: 0% Intro APR on Purchases for 18 months and 0% Intro APR on Balance Transfers for 18 months, then a Variable APR of 20.49% - 29.24%
- Annual card fee: $0
- Card highlights: Automatic consideration for a 2% reduction in APR each year you spend $1,000 or more on purchases. Plus, get purchase protection, extended warranty, and rental car insurance benefits.
Related: Chase Slate Edge full review
U.S. Bank Business Platinum Card
- Purchase APR: 0% intro APR on purchases for 18 billing cycles on purchases, then a Variable rate of 14.99% - 23.99%
- Annual card fee: $0
- Card highlights: Massive introductory APR offers of up to 18 Billing Cycles on purchases and balance transfers
Citi Custom Cash® Card
- Sign-up bonus of $200 in cash back after you spend $1,500 on purchases in the first 6 months of account opening, issued as 20,000 ThankYou® Points
- 5% cash back in your top eligible spend category on up to $500 of purchses each billing cycle
- No rotating bonus categories to sign up for--the top earning category adjusts automatically each month to the eligible category in which you spend the most.
- Excellent intro APR offer on purchases and balance transfers
- No annual fee
- Earn 5% cash back on purchases in your top eligible spend category each billing cycle, up to the first $500 spent
- 1% cash back thereafter, plus, you'll earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases
- No rotating bonus categories to sign up for – as your spending changes each billing cycle, your earn adjusts automatically when you spend in any of the eligible categories.
- Special Travel Offer: Earn an additional 4% cash back on hotels, car rentals, and attractions booked on Citi Travel℠ portal through 6/30/2025.
- Eligible spending categories are: Restaurants, Gas Stations, Grocery Stores, Select Travel, Select Transit, Select Streaming Services, Drugstores, Home Improvement Stores, Fitness Clubs and Live Entertainment.
- Purchase APR: 0% introductory APR for 15 months, then a Variable rate of 19.24% - 29.24%
- Balance Transfer APR and fee: 0% introductory APR on balance transfers for 15 months, then a Variable rate of 19.24% - 29.24%. Balance transfer fee applies with this offer: 5% of each balance transfer; $5 minimum.
- Annual card fee: $0
- Card highlights: Earn up to 5% cash back on 10 different bonus categories, including restaurants, gas stations, grocery stores, select travel, select transit, select streaming services, drugstores, home improvement stores, fitness clubs, and live entertainment. Plus, if you also hold a Citi Prestige® Card or Citi Strata Premier℠ Card, you can combine points and then transfer to more than a dozen airline partners.
Related: Citi Custom Cash full review
Are There Downsides to Using a 0% Introductory APR Card?
Reaping the benefits of a 0% APR card comes down to discipline. The first rule of collecting points and miles is never to carry a balance on your cards. When you're earning rewards at a rate of 2-3%, getting slapped with interest of up to 30% quickly wipes out any gains you may have made.
When you take on a 0% introductory APR card intending to carry a balance, you need to reinforce your habits and ensure you are aware of the rules. If you’re late on a payment, the bank may nullify the 0% rate, again eliminating any gains you have made. However, if you understand how a 0% introductory offer works and can employ it to avoid interest as you pay down debts or finance a large project, you'll save money in the long run.
Final Thoughts
When used strategically, a 0% intro APR card can save you hundreds (or even thousands) in interest — whether you're chipping away at a balance or funding a major purchase. Just make sure to mark your calendar for when the intro period ends and have a plan to pay off your balance in time. And if you pick a card with strong rewards or perks, you’ll still find value long after the promo period ends.
If you’re looking for a 0% introductory APR credit card, you can’t overlook the Blue Cash Everyday. With no annual fee (Rates & Fees) and top rewards, it's a great card to keep even after your introductory interest period expires.
- Earn a $200 statement credit after you spend $2,000 in purchases on your new Card within the first 6 months.
- No Annual Fee.
- Enjoy 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months from the date of account opening. After that, 20.24% to 29.24% variable APR.
- 3% Cash Back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year in purchases, then 1%.
- 3% Cash Back on U.S. online retail purchases, on up to $6,000 per year, then 1%.
- 3% Cash Back at U.S. gas stations, on up to $6,000 per year, then 1%.
- Cash back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit or at Amazon.com checkout.
- Thinking about getting the Disney Bundle which can include Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+? Your decision made easy with $7/month back in the form of a statement credit after you spend $9.99 or more each month on an eligible subscription (subject to auto renewal) with your Blue Cash Everyday® Card. Enrollment required.
- 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
- 3% cash back at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $6,000 per year in purchases, then 1%)
- 3% cash back at U.S. gas stations (on up to $6,000 per year, then 1%)
- 3% cash back with U.S. online retailers (on up to $6,000 per year, then 1%)
- 1% 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.
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express (Rates & Fees), and Chase Freedom Unlimited® (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.
Wow – somehow I missed this Tip of the Day ! I look forward to using that in the near future. Thanks for the TIP!!
Free money but affects your credit score.
Only in the short term while you’re holding a balance. I’m actually doing this right now and my score has only taken a 10 point dip.
Good timing. Just looking for a card to roll over an existing balance from barclays after their 15 months of 0 interest expires soon.
It’s kind of like free money.. until the clock runs out.. I’ve done these in the past.. for short term leverage when I needed it. Not terrible if you are disciplined about it.
It was great when bank accounts paid 6% and the cards often offered no fees for the “balance transfer”, or even when they had a fee but capped it at $50, then $75. , After calling customer service and combining my Chase card (including the formally First USA and Bank One cards) credit lines into the 0% card’s limit, I wrote their “balance transfer” check to my self, as permitted, and put it in the bank.m Once I borrowed up to my credit limit at 0% for a year from a Chase card, and opened a 6% one year CD at Chase (the highest rate around at the moment. Then, got a check for the money when the CD matured, walked to the teller and paid off my credit card a day or two before the year was up (the time it took for the check I used to open the CD to clear and be reflected as the starting date of my one year interest free loan. MBNA (now part of Bank of America) would do an ACH transfer right into your bank account for “balance transfers”, if you wanted. Discover once offered my a 0% “balance transfer” up to my credit limit for a $29 fee for as long as I took to pay it off as long as I made 2 charges every monthy. The $29 fee and any other purchases were at the regular interest rate. For about 5 years, once a month when I was at the post office anyway, I would buy 2 10c stamps, each in a separate transactions. Eventually, the interest I paid went up, and the rate on bank accounts went down to a point where it was time to pay it off. It was good while it lasted.
While not exciting from a points & miles perspective, 0% APR cards do have their uses.
Until interest rates increase into an area where one can arbitrage the balance from the 0% card I will be holding off on these.
What getting into the points/miles hobby has done for me is ramp up my awareness regarding just where my money goes. And, since I now put everything, and I mean everything, on one of my cc it’s very easy to track the big picture, and in those rare instances where carrying a balance might occur, getting a 0% APR with no transfer fees is very appealing.
I applied for the EveryDay card last week and got instant approval so I’m looking forward to receiving it soon so as to work on gaining the 10K bonus points.
Using a 0 percent APR to invest the money is definitely something that a Points and Miles collector could manage. But when discussing this hobby with a Newbie, the minute they ask about the APR, I know the hobby is not for them. I have no idea about the APR on my cards. It doesn’t matter.
That indeed is an excellent test. If it comes to matter, you’ve done something very wrong.
Same with me. Now, rates are sow low, unless they offer 0% with no fee, it’s not worth it. And, the cap on the fee was lifted from $50 to $75 to unlimited, except on rare cases, years ago. Since I always pay off the bills when they come, I don’t have the slightest idea what the rate they charge is.
Since I don’t see a”signup” bonus for the Discover It card, I assume you are referring to the 100% bonus match on all cash back earned the first year, which means 10% back on bonus categories. And, if it’s a retailer or service you use, you can buy gift cards or prepay depending on what the bonus categories are, and extend the savings. That sounds good to me.
Very good in depth analysis, however I never carry a balance on any card.
Good reminder that 0% cards need a high level of discipline and attention to detail…
Nice rundown of these options. Sure this can help someone make a decision.
Great list ! Love 0% APR !!!
The best advice of course is never carry a balance, then it doesn’t matter the interest rate. Just get the rewards 🙂
Yeah, but free money! 🙂
The BoA Cash Rewards was one of my favorite beginner cards. Of course it doesn’t get love anymore once you’re into premium card territory, but it’s a good one to start with, along with the Chase Freedom.
This list reminds me of how I kick myself for not taking that 0% APR 0% fee on balance transfers/cash advance offer I got on my Chase Freedom right when the recession happened.
Awesome, thanks for the information!
Thanks for this write up, I always thought 0 APR meant a trade off of rewards but I didn’t realize some offer both.
thank you, that’s very helpful
Does Chase Slate have any rewards?
It does not, however, it also provides the benefit of a limited period of time where balance transfers have no fees.
Which credit cards offer the best and most repeat BT offers? PenFed always offers 0% for 12 month and 3% fee. Discover is generous too.
While I don’t need a low rate or time to pay, I remember when credit cards used to send out 0% or 1% or something for, sometimes, up to a year, offers with no or a low. capped fee, I’d put the money in a bank CD that, at the time, paid around 6%, and make a couple thousand a year.
I love the Freedom & Freedom Unlimited tandem. Maxing out the quarterly categories on the Freedom & earning 1.5x for non-bonused spend with the Freedom Unlimited is a fantastic combo for $0 in annual fees. Of course the caveat there is that one must hold a premium UR (SP/SR/IP) card to really maximize the value of those points.
I can’t for my life figure out whey somebody would use these 0% interest cards if one pays off their balance in full each and every time. I am sure you will all set me straight!
I borrow at 0% invest the money and make 25% a year.
I use the free loan to invest and earn money – arbitrage
Another credit card caveat to watch for: Those providers – and thankfully there are only a few – who have “gotcha” rules for paying down 0% APR balances and offers. Bank of America is a notable example. If you are carrying balances with two different APR rates? Your payments go towards the lower rate first – not the other way around. So you have to pay off the entire 0% balance – which negates the interest saving reason you took advantage of the offer in the first place.
Another tip: Most, if not all providers say that you can’t pay off the same provider’s card with a balance transfer offer. Example: You can’t do a balance transfer from say Chase Freedom to Chase Slate. But many providers offer a direct deposit of funds at the 0% rate to your bank account. So take the cash and then use it to pay off whatever card you want – including the same provider’s higher interest rate card.
Good points to make John — these standards will carry across all issuers, not just BofA
It’s a good preview of such cards available.
But I was curious, wouldn’t carrying a balance on the account, though without any interest charge, impacts our credit rating?
yes, but the impact may not be significant — credit utilization is a single factor in your score. More here: https://awardwallet.com/blog/tips-managing-credit-score/
very helpful, thanks as always
Discipline is the key
I can’t agree more!
If you are doing this to get rewards to use on airlines or hotels, you should never carry a balance on your cards. Otherwise, it offsets the whole point.
Thank you!! I just jumped on one of these to put $10K on for 6 months.. just need some slack room to pay it off.
0% cards are great if you have a need for it.
the 3% fee on its makes most of these deals a no-go.
You missed the best card out there!!! Amex Business Blue beats all of these cards. 0% APR, no fee, and 2X points on all purchases. Unfortunately they dropped the sign up bonus. Its my go to card for most of my expenses. The other card I use is the CSR.
If you’re in the points & miles game the APR on a CC shouldn’t matter, as one should never be paying interest on credit card spend. Bottom line: if one is paying interest, one is seriously compromising the value of any rewards earned.
This is interesting and good knowledge if I ever have unexpected expenses but under normal circumstances I am not organized enough to take advantage of 0 APR offers. Kudos to those of you who are able to do so.
Normally I don’t even look at the APR since I pay my full balance every month, it means nothing.
thanks for the info
Can’t go wrong with a Discover card when looking for a no annual fee card.
I also like the BOA card and have done well with it. My gas and groceries go on here and then into a savings account.
Every year Citi offers me zero interest for several months. So I make minimum payments and pay off at the end before interest is charged.
Nice list. Due to European travel we always look to see if a card charges fee for use there.
citi double cash seems also a choice. 18 months for 0% APR
I never use any aero APR, HSBC always send same zero APR to me every month.
Great list of no fee cards. We have the BOA cash rewards card and we have been happy with it.
Chase slate seems to be the only one with no fee balance transfer.
I started off w/ the Chase Freedom when I first signed up for a card. It was a great way to rack up rewards with little hassle. I highly recommend the card.
would it be possible to extend this section to european/german cc’s too?
Sebastian, I’d love to but we simply don’t have much knowledge in that area and how the European/German financial credit cards markets work.
Perhaps it’s time to open a Citi TY points card since 0 annual fee and 0% intro APR are a nice bonus since the lowest level TYP card doesn’t offer a points bonus usually.
Boa have some good card offers out there.
I’ll definitely look into these cards.
I personally avoid bank of america like the plague. I also recommend looking into credit cards from various credit unions. They often have 0% intro APR and a lower interest rate in general. My credit union offers interest as low as 7%.
Why do you avoid BoA? I use them and I love it personally. I have my CashBack Rewards card with them and its great. Considering getting their Travel Rewards as well
I agree. They definitely have some good products. But, they also are unrelenting when it comes to fees and such. You have to be careful about their policies or they’ll charge you out of your fortune.
While I bank with BofA, I’ve never really considered their cards since they didn’t look all that appealing to me however I’ll take a second look at their options.
I agree on avoiding BofA.
When I’m carrying money on a zero-interest card, I always make the “payments” along the way into a savings account. That way I never get caught with a huge balance I’m unable to pay at the end of the free period.