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Paying interest on credit card debt will quickly wipe out the value of any rewards earned on purchases and can make it difficult to pay down the balance on your credit card. We recommend never carrying a balance on your cards, but, the reality is, whether you have a large purchase on the horizon or an emergency expense you haven’t accounted for, there are times when it isn’t practical or pragmatic to pay down your entire balance at the end of the month.
While many cards offer an introductory 0% APR period on both purchases and balance transfers, we’ve focused this post on cards featuring a 0% intro APR on purchases. Allowing you to take advantage of the purchase protections offered by rewards cards, earn rewards on your purchase, and potentially pay no interest or fees on a large purchase that would cost substantially more using traditional financing.
Top 0% Introductory APR Credit Cards for Purchases
When tossing up between 0% APR cards, it’s essential to ask yourself a few questions, first and foremost being; can you pay off the balance before the end of the introductory APR period, without making late payments. High credit card interest rates are an inefficient method of financing a purchase, and if you miss a payment, or don’t pay the balance in full before the introductory APR period ends, you’ll be paying double-digit interest rates. Other factors to consider include:
- How much time will it take to pay down the balance? 6 months? 12 months? Longer? This will have a significant impact on the best card for your situation.
- Will points, miles, or cash back provide the best return on your purchase?
- Are there fees to factor into the equation? Annual fees or transaction fees for example.
Once you have a clear idea of your requirements, it's time to find the best card to suit your needs. Below, you'll find some of our favorite 0% intro APR cards listed from longest 0% intro APR period to shortest.
| Credit Cards Offering 0% Intro APR on Purchases | 0% APR Period on Purchases | Regular APR | Welcome Offer | Annual Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wells Fargo Platinum Visa card | 18 months | 13.74% - 27.24% Variable APR | N/A | $0 |
| Chase Freedom Unlimited® | 15 months | 17.24% - 25.99% Variable APR | 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 |
| Chase Freedom® | 15 months | 17.24 - 25.99% Variable APR | Earn a $150 Bonus after spending $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening. | $0 |
| HSBC Gold Mastercard® credit card | 15 months | 14.24%, 20.24% or 25.24% | N/A | $0 |
| The Blue Business℠ Plus Credit Card from American Express | 12 months | 15.49% - 21.49% Variable APR - Rates & Fees | N/A - Terms Apply | $0 - Rates & Fees |
| Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express | 15 months | 15.24% - 26.24% Variable APR - Rates & Fees | Earn a $150 statement credit after you spend $1,000 in purchases on your new Card within the first 3 months. - Terms Apply | $0 - Rates & Fees |
| The Amex EveryDay® Credit Card from American Express | 15 months | 14.99% - 25.99% Variable APR | Earn 10,000 Membership Rewards® points after you use your new Card to make $1,000 in purchases in your first 3 months. - Terms Apply | $0 |
| Discover it® Cash Back | 14 months | 13.99% - 24.99% Variable APR | INTRO OFFER: Discover will match ALL the cash back you've earned at the end of your first year, automatically. There's no signing up. And no limit to how much is matched. | $0 |
| Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card | 12 months | 18.24% - 25.24% Variable APR | Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards® | $95 |
| Ink Business Unlimited℠ Credit Card | 12 months | 15.49% - 21.49% Variable APR | Earn $500 bonus cash back after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. | $0 |
| Ink Business Cash℠ Credit Card | 12 months | 15.49% - 21.49% Variable APR | Earn $500 bonus cash back after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. | $0 |
| Wells Fargo Cash Wise Visa® Card | 12 months | 16.24%-28.24% Variable APR | Earn a $200 cash rewards bonus after spending $1,000 in the first 3 months | $0 |
| Capital One® VentureOne® Rewards Credit Card | 12 months | 14.24% - 24.24% (Variable) APR | 20,000 Miles once you spend $1,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening | $0 |
Chase Freedom Unlimited®
While it doesn't offer the longest 0% APR intro rate on purchases, the Freedom Unlimited stands out from the crowd thanks to a new signup offer and some stellar features. Providing up to 15 months without the need to pay interest on purchases (then 17.24% - 25.99% Variable), plus a standout rate on balance transfers, the card also stars with a solid signup offer of 3% cash back on all purchases in your first year up to $20,000 spent (after, earn 1.5% on all purchases). While advertised as cash back, you’re effectively earning 3X Ultimate Rewards points on your first $20K.
Ink Business Unlimited℠ Credit Card & Ink Business Cash℠ Credit Card
Both the Ink Business Unlimited and Ink Cash offer up the perfect mix of high-value welcome bonus and extended intro APR period. Not only will new cardholders pay no interest on purchases until the intro APR period ends, but you can land one of the highest cash back bonuses available across all the rewards cards.
Don’t forget, if you also hold an Ultimate Rewards earning card that charges an annual fee, you can combine the points earned on these two cards with those earned on premium Ultimate Rewards earning cards, and transfer them to partners to achieve exponentially higher value!
Wells Fargo Cash Wise Visa® Card
Another popular card offering a great overall package is the Cash Wise Visa. The card provides a top-value welcome offer for a no annual fee card, and cardholders earn 1.5% cash rewards on purchases (plus 1.8% on qualifying mobile wallet purchases for the first 12 months), perfect for larger purchases that may require additional time to pay down the balance.
Final Thoughts
There are plenty of cards available offering 0% intro APR on purchases, plus you can earn a stack of points, miles, or cash back without attracting the high interest charged on traditional credit cards. It’s great that all the cards listed charge no annual fee as it provides access to low (or no) cost finance for larger purchases that accept credit card payments.
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 The Blue Business℠ Plus Credit Card from American Express (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 took advantage of such offer light years ago by buying loads of treasury bonds.
Nice move!!!! I spend those years shuffling credit from one to the next!!!1 Now in a Much better place!! $$$$$
Tim, Congrats on being in a much better place… a spot good enough to participate in all these loyalty program efforts!
Some good card offers detailed above, will give it some extra thought.
I just took advantage of the no interest. Just be sure you check to see if it must be paid off in a specified time to avoid all the back interest if it Applies
Several credit unions run better deals every year (no transfer fee or a big bonus rebate). The BT fees charged by banks generally make this a bad deal.
I recently got the Blue Business Plus and got an 18 month 0% APR on it along with a 20K welcome offer. That was a great offer for a card that gives 2X on all purchases. Plan to use that card long term.
I miss the old days when they had % APR and % balance transfer fees. It was worth it to put the free money in the bank and earn interest.
I sure miss those days when one could buy loads of treasury bonds with those introductory 0% APR for 18 months credit cards.
Great list. This is super useful for large purchases that I need to make, like a new mattress, car & apartment maintenance.
Are the ones listed with $0 annual fee like that for a year or does some sort of fee kick in at a later date? I’m always very skeptical about these cards, but it seems like there are so many options that I should give one of them a shot! I bank with BoA and I see no cards from them, so maybe it’s time to shop around! Great article, thanks
If you click through to a card you can see all the details.
the cards that offer low fee 0% balance transfers are also useful.