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13 Best 0 Percent Credit Cards

1. U.S. Bank Visa Platinum Card

Best for long 0% intro APR offer

  • This card is best for: Someone who wants one of the longest windows to avoid interest.
  • This card is not a great choice for: Anyone interested in earning rewards as there is no base rewards program.
  • What makes this card unique? Cardholders who pay their cell phone bill with this card are automatically eligible for cell phone protection, which protects against damage or theft up to $600 (with a $25 deductible).
  • Is the U.S. Bank Visa Platinum Card worth it? Yes, if your goal is to obtain one of the longer intro APR periods on the market. But if you want to earn rewards and access higher long-term value, you’ll do better with a different card.

2. Wells Fargo Reflect Card

Best for longest intro APR

  • This card is best for: Anyone who wants the maximum amount of time to pay off an existing credit card balance or large purchase.
  • This card is not a great choice for: Anyone who can’t transfer a balance within 120 days of account opening as they won’t qualify for the intro rate or the 3 percent balance transfer fee (it’s 5 percent of the transferred balance or $5, whichever is greater, outside of that window).
  • What makes this card unique? If you can meet the terms of the offer by transferring a qualified balance within 120 days and making on-time minimum monthly payments, you’ll qualify for one of the longest promotional interest offers on the market.
  • Is the Wells Fargo Reflect Card worth it? Yes, if you need a lot of time to pay off debt or a large purchase, this card is a top pick for that priority. If you don’t need the extra time and want a card with longer-term value, consider a card that offers promotional interest and base rewards.

3. Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card

Best for dining and entertainment

  • This card is best for: Devotees of food and fun looking to capitalize on generous cash rewards and an introductory APR offer for purchases and balance transfers.
  • This card is not a great choice for: People hoping to offload a high-interest balance with a temporary break from interest since the ongoing APR is relatively high.
  • What makes this card unique? While a lot of other cards offer rewards on dining, the SavorOne also includes entertainment in its 3 percent cash rewards category.
  • Is the Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card worth it? Yes, as this no-annual-fee card has a lot to offer for people who want cash rewards tailored to their enjoyment of simple pleasures like meals, movies and music.

4. Wells Fargo Active Cash Card

Best for 2% cash rewards

  • This card is best for: People who want a card that earns unlimited cash rewards at an outstanding rate.
  • This card is not a great choice for: People who make a lot of international purchases. The card charges a 3 percent foreign transaction fee, which can chip away at its overall value and usefulness.
  • What makes this card unique? Very few cards earn unlimited cash rewards on purchases at this rate, making the Active Cash unique in this sense.
  • Is the Wells Fargo Active Cash Card worth it? Yes, if you commit to using the introductory APR offers responsibly. You can save money on interest while reaping generous cash rewards for the long haul.

5. Chase Freedom Unlimited

Best for cash back in multiple categories

  • This card is best for: Fans of Chase cards who also potentially hold a premium Ultimate Rewards card to combine and boost your rewards.
  • This card is not a great choice for: Anyone who doesn’t want to book travel through Chase’s Ultimate Rewards portal, as that’s the only way to earn boosted rewards rates on travel.
  • What makes this card unique? Benefits that come along with this card include trip cancellation/interruption insurance and a complimentary DashPass subscription (must activate by February 31, 2022).
  • Is the Chase Freedom Unlimited worth it? Yes, especially if you want a rewards card that covers a range of cash back categories from grocery store purchases to travel to drug store purchases. There’s also a host of redemption options available and other notable benefits—all for no annual fee.

6. Citi Custom Cash Card

Best for automatic bonus category

  • This card is best for: People who want to earn generous cash back rates without having to enroll in bonus categories or plan out a spending strategy in advance.
  • This card is not a great choice for: People mainly interested in getting the longest introductory APR offers possible.
  • What makes this card unique? The automatic bonus category adjusts to your spending, not the other way around. It’s an interesting, low-maintenance approach to bonus cash back.
  • Is the Citi Custom Cash Card worth it? It can be, depending on your primary focus. The cash back program outshines the introductory APR offers, but this card is still an intriguing option for people who spend a lot in the eligible bonus categories.

7. Discover it Balance Transfer

Best balance transfer card with rewards

  • This card is best for: Anyone scouting out a card that will hold up long-term value, even after the intro APR offers have ended.
  • This card is not a great choice for: Anyone who may be worried about the desire to earn rewards overshadowing the need to pay down debts before the intro APR offers end.
  • What makes this card unique? You’ll be able to reap the benefits of both a lengthy intro APR on purchases and balance transfers alongside earning a decent rewards rate, which is a bit rare for balance transfer cards.
  • Is the Discover it Balance Transfer worth it? Discover’s Cashback Match™ program, which matches all of the cash back you earn in the first year, makes this card worthwhile on its own.

8. Citi Diamond Preferred Card

Best for excellent credit

  • This card is best for: Anyone who values function over flash. This card’s main selling point is the length of the introductory offers.
  • This card is not a great choice for: Consumers with good, but not great, credit scores. An excellent credit score above (above 740 or so) improves your chances of approval and getting a competitive regular APR.
  • What makes this card unique? The 0 percent introductory APR on balance transfers completed within the first four months of account opening for 21 months (then 13.74 to 23.74 percent variable APR) is one of the longest currently on the market.
  • Is the Citi Diamond Preferred Card worth it? It depends. This card doesn’t have sign-up bonuses or rewards programs, but it can help you temporarily avoid credit card interest with the intro APR offers, and the balance transfer offer is particularly noteworthy, given its length.

9. Discover it Cash Back

Best for rotating category cash back

  • This card is best for: People who are open to a compromise between cash back earnings and the length of the introductory APR offers.
  • This card is not a great choice for: Anyone who prefers to earn their cash back with minimal effort. Taking full advantage of the rotating bonus categories requires enrolling every quarter and targeting your purchases toward the current categories.
  • What makes this card unique? Discover Cashback Match. As a welcome offer, Discover will match the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year owning the card.
  • Is the Discover it Cash Back worth it? This card is worth it because it is among the highest-rated cards available from Bankrate’s credit card partners. The introductory APR offers aren’t as long as other top cards in this category, but the long-term value of the cash back program helps make up for that.

10. Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card

Best for 1.5% cash back

  • This card is best for: People wanting a simple way to earn unlimited cash back while they enjoy a temporary break from interest with an introductory APR offer on purchases.
  • This card is not a great choice for: People who make the length of the intro offer their primary concern. The Quicksilver offers a 0 percent intro APR on purchases for 15 months (then 14.99 to 24.99 percent variable APR), but other cash back cards highlighted on this page have equally long or longer terms.
  • What makes this card unique? You’ll earn a $200 sign-up bonus after spending just $500 within the first 3 months of opening your account—a good proportional relationship between the bonus and how much you have to spend to earn it.
  • Is the Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card worth it? Yes. Even without the introductory offer, the Quicksilver is among Bankrate’s highest-rated cash back cards. The chance to temporarily avoid interest on new purchases is icing on the cake.

11. Blue Cash Everyday Card from American Express

Best for cash back on everyday purchases

  • This card is best for: Heads of households who spend a lot of money keeping the pantry stocked, the gas tank full and the kids outfitted, but are also in the market for an introductory zero-interest offer.
  • This card is not a great choice for: People who want a balance transfer that helps them temporarily avoid interest. The card currently does not have an intro offer on balance transfers.
  • What makes this card unique? The American Express brand is often associated with luxury travel and business, but the Blue Cash Everyday is a no annual fee card that rewards family-friendly purchases.
  • Is the Blue Cash Everyday Card from American Express worth it? The rewards rates, the introductory offer and the lack of an annual fee make this card a worthy candidate to add to your financial family.

12. Citi Simplicity Card

Best for no late fee

  • This card is best for: Someone who wants to transfer a balance to a card with a lengthy promotional APR that also offers a break from late fees and annual fees.
  • This card is not a great choice for: Short-term debt managers looking for long-term utility. Since the card doesn’t have a rewards program, its main value lies in the introductory APR offers.
  • What makes this card unique? The promotional APR on balance transfers (0 percent intro interest for 21 months, then 14.74 to 24.74 percent variable APR, if you transfer the balance within four months of account opening) is one of the longest on the market.
  • Is the Citi Simplicity Card worth it? This card is worth it so long as you meet the terms. You’ll get an extra-long promotional APR on balance transfers, and the card also offers a long-ish promotional APR on purchases. Since it doesn’t have a rewards program, your best bet for long-term value is probably the extra layer of protection provided by Citi® Quick Lock and Citi® Identity Theft Solutions.

13. Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express

Best for families

  • This card is best for: Families who need some time to pay off a large purchase but want to ultimately earn rewards with their credit card.
  • This card is not a great choice for: People who are looking for a zero-interest balance transfer credit card as there is currently no promotional APR on balance transfers. If you need extra time to pay off a large charge, there are cards on the market that offer longer promotional APRs on purchases.
  • What makes this card unique? The rewards program is truly best-in-class, offering an industry-leading 6 percent cash back on U.S. supermarket purchases (up to $6,000 in purchases per year, then 1 percent).
  • Is the Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express worth it? Yes, because the rewards program is top-notch. So long as you can pay off your purchase within a 12-month time period, you should find long-term value with the Blue Cash Preferred.

What is a 0% intro APR credit card?

They go by different names—0 percent APR credit cards, zero-interest credit cards, introductory APR credit cards—but they all have the same purpose: to provide a temporary break from interest charges as you steadily pay off large credit card purchases or balance transfers.

Interest is essentially the cost of borrowing money; it doesn’t take effect if you keep your balance paid off in full every month, but a balance that remains unpaid past the grace period of a billing cycle will accrue interest in accordance with your APR (annual percentage rate). Even worse, a penalty APR could apply if you have a late payment that’s more than 60 days overdue. Your APR for purchases may be different from your APR for balance transfers. The lower your APRs, the better.

The good news is that you could use a 0 percent intro APR credit card to temporarily avoid the cost of interest charges during the introductory period before the regular rate takes effect. A 0 percent intro offer may apply to new purchases, balance transfers or both.

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