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A 0 percent APR credit card with an introductory offer on purchases, balance transfers or both can help you temporarily avoid interest charges and potentially save hundreds of dollars. Compare the best 0 percent APR credit cards available from our partners and get expert advice on how to manage debt responsibly. See how it works with our Credit Card Payoff Calculator and Credit Card Balance Transfer Calculator.
| Card name | Intro purchase offer | Intro balance transfer offer | Regular APR (variable) |
|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Bank Visa Platinum Card | 20 billing cycles | 20 billing cycles | 14.49%–24.49% |
| Wells Fargo Reflect Card | Up to 21 months | Up to 21 months (on qualifying transfers) | 12.99%–24.99% |
| Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card | 15 months | 15 months | 14.99%–24.99% |
| Wells Fargo Active Cash Card | 15 months from account opening | 15 months (on qualifying transfers) | 14.99%–24.99% |
| Chase Freedom Unlimited | 15 months | 15 months | 14.99%–23.74% |
| Citi Custom Cash Card | 15 months | 15 months | 13.99%–23.99% |
| Discover it Balance Transfer | 6 months | 18 months | 11.99%–22.99% |
| Citi Diamond Preferred Card | 12 months | 21 months | 13.74%–23.74% |
| Discover it Cash Back | 14 months | 14 months | 11.99%–22.99% |
| Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card | 15 months | 15 months | 14.99%–24.99% |
| Blue Cash Everyday Card from American Express | 0% intro APR for 15 months | N/A | 13.99%–23.99% |
| Citi Simplicity Card | 12 months | 21 months | 14.74%–24.74% |
| Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express | 12 months | N/A | 13.99%–23.99% |
Read our U.S. Bank Visa Platinum Card review.
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Read our full Wells Fargo Reflect Card review.
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Read our full Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card review.
Jump back to offer details.
Read our full Wells Fargo Active Cash Card review.
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Read our full Chase Freedom Unlimited review.
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Read our full Citi Custom Cash Card review.
Jump back to offer details.
Read our full Discover it Balance Transfer review.
Jump back to offer details.
Read our full Citi Diamond Preferred Card review.
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Read our full Discover it Cash Back review.
Jump back to offer details.
Read our full Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card review.
Jump back to offer details.
Read our full Blue Cash Everyday Card from American Express review.
Jump back to offer details.
Read our full Citi Simplicity Card review.
Jump back to offer details.
Read our full Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express review.
Jump back to offer details.
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 annual percentage rate (APR). 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, but the lower the APR, 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.
Want to learn more? Read our full guide on how credit card interest works.
Whether you use it for purchases or balance transfers, even the best 0 percent intro APR credit card isn’t a quick fix or a silver bullet. You’ll still need to hold up your end of the bargain, making regular monthly payments and erasing the debt before the intro offer expires, to reap the full benefits.
Generally, if you’re trying to delay accruing or paying credit card interest, applying for one of the best 0 percent intro APR cards makes sense. Consider one of these cards if you find yourself in the following situations.
There are two types of introductory zero-interest offers.
Some cards have one type of introductory offer while others have both. The offers apply to different kinds of transactions, but both can help you achieve the same goal of temporarily avoiding interest charges.
The longer the 0 percent intro offer, the better. A lengthy 0 percent introductory APR offer will give you more time to take advantage of the zero-interest window as you gradually make payments, whether it’s on a large purchase or on a transferred balance.
Most 0 percent intro APR credit cards require a good or excellent credit score. In most cases, the recommended credit score ranges would be:
Other factors that come into play during the application process include annual income, the number of delinquencies on your credit report and your overall credit history. Make sure to take all factors into account when you apply for a credit card.
Because the intro offer will expire after a few months, it’s worth considering what else the card brings to the table. Although some 0 percent interest cards are short on extras, a good number of them have rewards programs and other benefits. We recommend that you focus on paying down debt while you’re taking advantage of the introductory zero-interest offer. Once you’ve cleared your debt, you can turn your attention to earning rewards.
Want to learn more? Read our full guide to figuring out what is a good APR on a credit card.
Though 0 percent intro APR offers are a great perk, there is a time limit on this benefit. When your 0 percent intro APR offer ends, the card’s regular interest rate will apply to any future balances you carry month to month. For example, if your intro APR period is over and you still have a balance of $200 on your card, your next credit card statement will show that you owe $200 plus any additional charges resulting from the interest you’ve accrued.
Your credit card issuer will lay out what your regular interest rate is and when your intro APR period ends in the fine print of your card details once you’re approved. To avoid interest charges completely after your intro APR period ends, pay off your balance in full before your next statement closing date each month.
If you decide to put a purchase on a credit card, you have two repayment options. You can:
Of course, the problem with the second option is that it could cost you a lot of money. The cost is likely to increase with every partial monthly payment you make. Over time, you’d have to devote more and more money to pay off not just the original purchase (the principal) but also the mounting interest of rolling over unpaid debt from month to month.
A zero-interest credit card offer could help you avoid this kind of cycle by offering a temporary break from your regular APR. Here’s an illustration of how it works, using Bankrate’s Credit Card Payoff Calculator and the average credit card interest rate, which is currently around 16 percent:
| Interest rate | Total principal paid | Total interest paid | Monthly payment | Total cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16% | $3,000 | $266 | $272 | $3,266 |
| 0% intro for 12 months | $3,000 | $0 | $250 | $3,000 |
With the regular credit card, you’d pay $266 in interest in addition to your principal $3,000 balance. Interest would account for 8 percent of your total cost.
Bankrate uses a 5-star scoring system to evaluate the credit cards available from our partners. In selecting the cards featured on this page, we further refine the criteria to focus on qualities that define the best credit cards with 0 percent APR intro offers.
For zero-interest cards, the longer the period without APR, the better. A longer intro period means more time for you to pay for a big purchase or pay off a transferred balance, whichever the case may be, without facing high APR charges. The best 0 percent intro APR offers generally last between 12 to 21 months.
A card's regular APR, sometimes called standard "go-to" APR, refers to the interest rate on a credit card’s outstanding balance after the introductory zero-interest period ends. While you shouldn’t carry a balance on your card, choosing a card with a reasonable go-to APR can help ease the burden if you find yourself in a situation where you have to.
Should you keep this card after it's served its initial purpose? That’s a key question we ask when evaluating credit cards with 0 percent APR intro offers. Several cards on this list have rewards programs and other features that can make them worth keeping even after you’ve paid for a big purchase or paid off transferred debt.
Have more questions for our credit cards editors? Feel free to send us an email, find us on Facebook, or Tweet us @Bankrate.
* See the online application for details about terms and conditions for these offers. Every reasonable effort has been made to maintain accurate information. However all credit card information is presented without warranty. After you click on the offer you desire you will be directed to the credit card issuer's web site where you can review the terms and conditions for your selected offer.
Editorial Disclosure: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed or approved by any advertiser. The information, including card rates and fees, is accurate as of the publish date. All products or services are presented without warranty. Check the bank’s website for the most current information.
