Best 0% APR Credit Cards

All information about the U.S. Bank Visa® Platinum Card has been collected independently by CreditCards.com. The issuer did not provide the content, nor is it responsible for its accuracy.

Comparing Zero Interest Credit Card Offers

Here, we show you how to choose the best 0 interest card for your purposes, whether you are refurbishing your home in the spring or planning to travel in the summer. And there’s more to share, like how to compare two zero interest cards and how interest works. But first, here is more on our favorite 0% intro APR cards.

• Which credit card has the longest 0% intro APR offer?
• Best no interest credit cards of 2021
• Summary of 0% interest credit card offers
• Methodology
• Intro to 0% APR credit cards
• How do I choose a credit card with no interest?
• How higher interest rates can cost you more money
• How do I avoid interest charges with a 0% intro APR credit card?

Which credit card has the longest 0% intro APR offer?

There are 2 types of 0% intro APR offers: balance transfers and purchases. In recent months, balance transfer offers have all but dried up, but there are still excellent opportunities out there. Purchase offers are more common and we had no trouble finding superior purchase offers for you.

• Long balance transfer offer. The U.S. Bank Visa® Platinum Card offers 0% intro APR for 20 billing cycles on balance transfers. Then it’s 13.99%-23.99% variable. If you’re looking for a product with a superior BT offer and rewards, the Citi® Double Cash Card is stellar, with an introductory 18 months at 0%, then it’s 13.99%-23.99% variable. The advantage to the Double Cash is that it offers rewards, while the Platinum doesn’t.
• Long purchase offer. Again, the U.S. Bank Platinum Visa offers 0% intro APR for 20 billing cycles on purchases, making it top-notch. Looking for a purchase offer in the CreditCards.com lineup? Consider the Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card, with 0% intro APR on purchases for 18 months, then it’s 14.74%-24.74% variable. (The Diamond Preferred also offers 18 months with no interest on balance transfers, then 14.74%-24.74% variable.)

Best no interest credit cards of 2021

Discover it® Cash Back: Best for rotating category rewards

Not only will you earn 5% cash back on the first $1,500 you spend in rotating bonus categories each quarter (upon activation, then 1%), you can match your cash back at the end of your first year. The Q1 2021 categories include groceries, CVS and Walgreens. Also, take advantage of a 0% intro APR for 14 months on new purchases and balance transfers (11.99%-22.99% variable after that).

Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card: Best for balance transfer

If paying off debt is your top priority and you have the excellent credit needed to qualify, the Citi Diamond Preferred Card could be a lifesaver. The card comes with an extremely long introductory APR offer: 0% for 18 months on balance transfers and purchases, after which your APR is a relatively low 14.74%-24.74% (variable). The fees are minimal with this card, including no annual fee. Unfortunately, there are no rewards, points or miles to be earned for everyday spending.

Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express: Best for good credit

Good to excellent credit is required to qualify, but if you make the cut, this no annual fee card should offer terrific long-term value. That means you’ll need a FICO Score of at least 670 out of a range of 300-850 to even be considered for this card. You’ll enjoy an impressive cash back rewards program, and there’s a 0% intro APR on purchases (15 months, then 13.99%-23.99% variable), although not so on balance transfers.

Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card: Best for no annual fee

This no annual fee card has a longish 0% intro APR on purchases of 15 months, which means you pay off purchases without paying interest throughout 2021; it’s 15.49%-25.49% variable after that. However, there’s no 0% intro APR on balance transfers. Earn $200 after a $500 spend within the first 3 months, and earn 1.5% cash back on all purchases.

Bank of America® Cash Rewards credit card: Best for flexible cash back categories

Choose one of 6 valuable categories each calendar month for 3% cash back: gas, online shopping, dining, travel, drug stores or home improvement/furnishings. Plus, you’ll also earn 2% cash back at grocery stores and wholesale clubs (up to the first $2,500 in combined choice category/grocery store/wholesale club purchases each quarter, then earn 1%). New cardholders can take advantage of a 0% introductory APR on purchases and for any balance transfers made in the first 60 days for 12 billing cycles (after that it’s 13.99%-23.99% variable).

Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card: Best for dining purchases

Just wow. The SavorOne offers 3% cash back on dining and entertainment, as well as 2% cash back at grocery stores. It’s 1% cash back on everything else. There’s a 0% intro APR offer on purchases for 15 months (then it’s 15.49%-25.49% variable), but not so with balance transfers.

Citi® Double Cash Card: Best for cash back

One of our favorite flat-rate cash back cards, the Citi Double Cash Card is ideal for rewards-savvy applicants with excellent credit. Also, you’ll pay 0% interest for the first 18 months on balance transfers, after which the APR is 13.99%-23.99% (variable), although no such luck with 0% intro APR on purchases.

BankAmericard® credit card: Best for low ongoing APR

With this card, you’ll have 12 billing cycles to take advantage of a 0% introductory APR on both balance transfers made within the first 60 days and purchases. After that, your regular APR ranges from 12.99%-22.99% variable. The low regular APR and lack of an annual fee make this card more valuable than the average 0% APR card.

Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express: Best for welcome offer

The Blue Cash Preferred’s welcome offer is one of the best among cash back cards – earn $250 after a $1,000 spend within the first 3 months. If you’re looking to get 0% intro APR on new purchases, this card has a 12-month offer (then it’s 13.99%-23.99% variable). However, there’s no 0% intro APR on balance transfers.

Alliant Visa® Platinum Rewards Credit Card: Best for flat-rate rewards

If you’re looking for rewards as well as 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers, this card is a keeper. Earn 2X points on all purchases, as well as earn 5,000 points with a qualifying spend. Also, earn 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 12 months, then it’s 13.24%-23.24% variable.

Discover it® chrome: Best for gas spending

You can earn 2% cash back at gas stations and restaurants for up to $1,000 each quarter, earning you up to $20 a quarter or $80 for the year. Then it’s 1% cash back. You can match your cash back at the end of your first year. So, that $80 becomes $160 at the end of your first year. Also, the 0% intro APR is 14 months on purchases and balance transfers, which becomes a low 11.99%-22.99% variable after that.

Chase Freedom Unlimited®: Best for 0% intro APR with rewards

The sign-up bonus on this card has dramatically improved in recent months to $200 after a super-low $500 spend within the first 3 months. Needless to say, the spend is one of the lowest around for what you get. While there’s no 0% intro APR offer on balance transfers, you can get 0% intro APR for 15 months on purchases, then it’s 14.99%-23.74% variable.

Alliant Visa® Platinum Credit Card: Best for fraud protection

First off, this no annual fee card comes with a $0 fraud liability guarantee and an EMV chip for enhanced protection. While there are no rewards, you can get 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 12 months, then it’s 10.24%-22.24% variable.

Summary of 0% intro APR Credit Card Offers

Research methodology

0% intro APR credit cards analyzed: 1,002
Criteria used: 0% intro APR period for purchases, 0% intro APR period for balance transfers, balance transfer fee, regular APR, other rates and fees, rewards rates, extra benefits and features, customer service, credit needed, ease of application, security

What are 0 interest credit cards and how do they work?

An introductory zero interest credit card is a product that allows you to pay down debt without paying interest for a set amount of time. They usually require good or excellent credit and often have no annual fee.

But how do 0 interest offers work?

• If you’re approved and it’s a balance transfer card, you’ll have the opportunity to transfer balances from older cards, although there’s usually a balance transfer fee involved.
• If it’s a card with an intro 0% purchase offer, you can make purchases within a set amount of time and not pay interest until the offer ends.

Note that once the offer ends, if you still have a balance, you will start paying interest until you pay off the debt. Want to avoid paying interest? Pay off your debt before that offer ends.

When looking for an intro 0 percent card, you’ll have options – according to our January 2020 survey, there were 90 cards offering deals on balance transfers. Surprisingly enough, two-thirds of consumers we polled said they had never applied for a credit card to pay 0% on a new purchase.

How do I choose a credit card with no interest?

Now we understand why it’s worth your while to get a credit card with zero introductory interest, but how do you choose one? Credit scores, length of offer, annual fee – all of these factor into which you choose.

• Credit score – The bulk of cards with high-quality balance transfer and purchase offers require good or excellent credit. There are exceptions, but the offers may not include a term with 0% or they may have a short offer. For example, the Discover it® Student Cash Back offers 0% intro APR for 6 months on purchases and 10.99% for 6 months on balance transfers (then it’s 12.99%-21.99% variable).
• Balance transfer fee – Most cards that allow balance transfers charge a fee, which is usually 3% or a set dollar amount, whichever is greater. A precious few cards sometimes waive this fee, which can save you hundreds of dollars, depending on your balance. But there’s a tradeoff, because you may not get rewards or a lengthy offer. For example, the Navy Federal Credit Union Platinum card offers no balance transfer fee but no rewards to speak of.
• Length of offer – When you are looking for rewards in an intro 0% credit card, the 0% offer is often lower than a card that exclusively offers an introductory 0% on balance transfers and/or purchases. An exception is the Citi® Double Cash Card, which has strong rewards, as well as an 18-month 0% intro APR offer on balance transfers (then it’s 13.99%-23.99% variable).
• Annual fee – Most cards with a 0% intro offer have no annual fee, although there are a few that do, so check before committing. For example, the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express has a 12-month 0% intro APR offer on purchases (then it’s 13.99%-23.99% variable) and a $95 annual fee.

How higher interest rates can cost you more money

We’ve talked about how 0% intro APR credit cards work, but we still need to address the impact of interest rates on your wallet.

Most credit cards have a variable rate. (You can consider a good APR rate to be one that is below the national average, which is currently about 16%.) The rate you are given by the card issuer depends in part on your creditworthiness. The higher the rate, the more you’ll pay in interest charges and the longer it can take you to pay off the debt.

• Say you owe $5,000 and you are assigned a 14% interest rate. If you pay down $300 each month, it will take you 19 months and you will pay $593 in interest.
• Now, take that same $5,000 but with 27% interest. If you pay the same $300 each month, it will take you 22 months and it will cost you $1,338 in interest.

Obviously, an intro 0 interest card offer means that you can at least delay the interest charges, and if you are diligent, you can avoid interest charges altogether. More on that in a bit. In the meantime, use CreditCard’s.com’s payoff calculator to find out how much you are paying in interest.

How do I avoid interest charges with a 0% intro APR credit card?

You’ve been accepted for a card with an introductory interest-free offer. Yay for that! Now comes the work.

Best intentions can fail without a plan, and paying off card debt is no exception. You’ll need to change some habits and develop new ones to make this work.

• Budget. If you don’t already have one, make one. You need to know how your money comes in and goes out. Don’t forget to budget for fun and for emergencies (no, that new mega-sized TV isn’t an emergency).
• Calculate. Figure out how much you have to pay toward the debt to avoid paying interest. Don’t forget to factor in any balance transfer fee. Will you still have to pay after the offer ends? That’s OK, just stay on target until the debt is paid off.
• Avoid spending. Don’t be tempted by that shiny object chasing you around the internet by way of ads. Keep your use of the new card to a minimum until the debt is paid off. If it’s a rewards card with a sign-up bonus, assess whether you are capable of paying off the required spend quickly.
• Plan. Think about what you’ll do with the card once you’ve wiped out the debt. Maybe you want to use it to build credit. Or you might want to use it for rewards.