Best 0% Intro APR Credit Cards

Best 0% APR Credit Cards

• Citi Simplicity Card – No Late Fees Ever
• Citi Double Cash Card
• BankAmericard credit card
• Discover it Cash Back
• Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card
• Chase Freedom Unlimited

Citi Simplicity Card – No Late Fees Ever

The Citi Simplicity Card – No Late Fees Ever (a NextAdvisor advertiser) offers the best available introductory APR offer with a whopping 21-month 0% intro APR on balance transfers! All transfers come with a 5% balance transfer fee ($5 minimum) and must be completed within the first 4 months of account opening, but we still think this card is worthwhile when you consider how long the 0% intro APR period is. Cardholders also receive a 12-month 0% intro APR on purchases and pay no annual fee, no penalty rate and no late fees.

Citi Double Cash Card

The Citi Double Cash Card kicks things off with an 18-month 0% intro APR on balance transfers (with a 3% balance transfer fee, $5 minimum). It doesn’t offer a 0% intro APR on purchases, so that might be a dealbreaker if you’re looking for a card with both. The card also earns 2% cash back on all purchases in a unique way — you’ll earn 1% cash back when you make a purchase and another 1% cash back when you pay for that purchase. We should note that balance transfers do not earn cash back rewards. Rounding out the Citi Double Cash Card is no annual fee.

BankAmericard credit card

The BankAmericard credit card offers a 0% intro APR on purchases for 18 billing cycles, along with a 0% intro APR for 18 billing cycles on balance transfers made in the first 60 days (with a 3% balance transfer fee, $10 minimum) — after the 0% intro APRs expire, the rate is 14.74% – 24.74% variable. On top of that, you’ll pay no annual fee and no penalty APR, which means paying late won’t increase your interest rate. Cardholders will also receive access to their FICO score for free via online banking. The BankAmericard credit card requires good to excellent credit (usually considered a credit score of 700 or higher) for approval.

Discover it Cash Back

Discover it Cash Back offers a 14-month 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers (then the APR is 13.49% to 24.49% variable) — with an intro 3% balance transfer fee, up to 5% fee on future balances (see terms). When it comes to cash back, you’ll earn 5% cash back on rotating categories each quarter you activate (up to the quarterly maximum, currently $1,500, then it’s 1% back) and 1% cash back on all other purchases. What’s more, Discover will match all of the cash back you earn in your first year as a cardholder!

Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card

Want a card with straightforward cash back rates and a long 0% intro APR? If so, the Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card is for you. Kicking things off is a 15-month 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers (with a 3% balance transfer fee). Next, when you spend $500 on purchases in the first 3 months of account opening, you’ll get a $150 bonus! Additionally, you’ll earn an unlimited 1.5% cash back on all purchases. As if all of that isn’t enough, it has no annual fee and no foreign transaction fees.

Chase Freedom Unlimited

Another card offering a flat cash back rate on all purchases with a long 0% intro APR is Chase Freedom Unlimited. Cardholders will get a 15-month 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers (with a 3% intro balance transfer fee when you transfer a balance during the first 60 days your account is open, $5 minimum — after that, it’s 5% or $5, whichever is greater). In terms of cash back rewards, you’ll earn an unlimited 1.5% cash back on all purchases, which means you don’t have to worry about spending limits or categories. Chase Freedom Unlimited also has no annual fee.

Comparing the Best Zero Interest Credit Card Offers

Whether you want to avoid paying interest on a new, large purchase or you’re already paying interest on a balance and want to stop, the following list of low APR credit cards can help. Some cards offer long 0% intro APR periods on both purchases and balance transfers, allowing you to avoid interest on both new expenditures and ones you’ve already made.

The length of the 0% intro APR periods differ from card to card, but they can be as long as 21 months. A handful of cards we’ve reviewed also include cash back and other rewards for purchases made with your card, which means they’re cards you’ll likely want in your wallet long after the 0% interest period is over. Check out our list of the best 0% APR credit cards from our partners below to find the right one for your needs.

How to choose the right 0% intro APR credit card

For potential cardholders with good or excellent credit, you have a wide catalog of 0% intro APR offers to choose from. Most importantly, you should take a look at what card is best suited for your lifestyle.

Your APR, or annual percentage rate, is your card’s interest rate stated as a yearly percentage. With an intro APR offer you get a predetermined amount of time where you won’t be charged any interest on your purchases and/or balance transfers, allowing you a window to strategically manage your money. The most typical usage of a 0% intro APR card is to make a large purchase or to tackle some existing debt, so it’s crucial to know your goal ahead of time.

Spreading the Cost of a Large Purchase

These 0% intro APR cards are useful because they give you the chance to make a large purchase and avoid being charged high interest rates during your time chipping away at your balance. If you’re looking to use your card to make a big one-time purchase like fixing or replacing a major home appliance, there are several factors to look at. Specifically, you’ll want to heavily consider the length of the promotional period, the ongoing APR percentage (APR post-promotional period), as well as some other less important features. You should budget your purchase ahead of time to see if you can fully pay off the amount before the end of the intro period, otherwise you’ll likely owe interest on the outstanding amount You can avoid these charges by completely paying off your balance or by executing a balance transfer to relocate the amount to another card.

Paying Down High-Interest Debt

For people looking to apply for a 0% intro APR card for debt relief, the most important thing to consider is whether the introductory period applies to balance transfers as well as your purchases. The typical credit card will charge you anywhere from 3% to 5% on balance transfers, but with the right card you can completely avoid that cost. A common strategy is to consolidate your outstanding debts into the same 0% intro APR card account to avoid paying interest charges across all accounts.

3 Things to Consider

In addition to achieving your ultimate financial goal with one of these credit cards, there are a few other things to pay attention to when weighing your options.

• The length of promotional periods can vary greatly, so take a look at that first to determine if the card can meet your needs. Some 0% intro APR cards have extraordinarily high interest rates after your time is up, making the ongoing APR a must-know. The best cards for long-term use will have a long intro period (some as high as 21 months) and a reasonable interest rate afterward.
• You’ll also want to consider the cost of the annual fee when choosing your card. While most 0% intro APR cards will come without an annual fee, you should decide whether the card’s benefits are worth the price if you’re forced to pay one.
• Finally, take a look at the other features of the cards to see if they’re the right fit for you. You may be interested in earning cash back, want incentives to hold the card beyond the promotional period or are looking for more niche perks, so it’s best to look into the details of each card as you narrow your search.