Editorial disclosure: All reviews are prepared by Bankrate.com staff. Opinions expressed therein are solely those of the reviewer and have not been reviewed or approved by any advertiser. The information, including card rates and fees, presented in the review is accurate as of the date of the review. Check the data at the top of this page and the bank’s website for the most current information.
Some of the offers on this page may have expired.
This page includes information about the Discover it® Balance Transfer product which is no longer offered by Discover.
The information about the Discover it® Balance Transfer, Citi Simplicity® Card, Wells Fargo Platinum Card, Wells Fargo Cash Wise Visa® has been collected independently by Bankrate.com. The card details have not been reviewed or approved by the card issuer.
Your guide to choosing and using the best 0-interest credit cards
Credit cards with 0% introductory APR offers can help you temporarily avoid paying interest on purchases and balance transfers for anywhere from several months to a year or more.
As of January 13, Bankrate estimates the three-month trend for variable credit card interest rates at 16.03 percent. If you’ve ever carried a balance on your credit card, you know how much APR can cost. One possible remedy is a credit card with a 0% intro APR offer.
Below you’ll find more information about limited-time, interest-free credit card offers and how to use them for making a large purchase or transferring a balance while getting a temporary reprieve from interest charges. Keep reading to find out everything you need to know about the best introductory zero-interest cards with the best offers.
Compare Bankrate’s top 0% intro APR credit cards
A closer look at our top no-interest credit cards
Discover it® Cash Back
Best for rotating category cash back
You’ll get a 14-month 0% APR introductory period for purchases and balance transfers before 11.99% – 22.99% variable APR takes effect. However, this card’s standout feature is earning 5 percent cash back in rotating categories on up to $1,500 per quarter, then 1 percent (activation required). In addition, Discover will match the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year owning the card.
How to maximize this card’s long-term value
The introductory APR offers aren’t as long as other top cards in this category, but the long-term value of the Cashback Bonus Program helps compensate. This card offers a good match for those who can align their shopping habits with the card’s rotating categories (and remember to activate each quarter, which is crucial.)
Read our Discover it® Cash Back review.
Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card
Best for 0% APR period and unlimited cash back
This card currently offers a 15-month introductory period for new purchases (then 15.49% – 25.49% variable APR thereafter). Plus, you’ll earn 1.5 percent cash back on all purchases and a $200 bonus after spending $500 within the first 3 months of account opening. If you’re looking for a simple way to earn cash back while you save on interest with an introductory APR offer, you’ve found the right card.
How to maximize this card’s long-term value
Make the Quicksilver your go-to purchase method to keep earning a steady 1.5 percent cash back and keep enjoying the lack of annual fees and foreign transaction fees. You can also take advantage of the Extended Warranty, Travel Accident Insurance and other perks.
Read our Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card review.
Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card
Best for excellent credit
With an outstanding 18-month 0% APR introductory period on balance transfers (14.74% – 24.74% variable APR after the intro offer), the Citi Diamond Preferred is one of the industry’s best options for paying off transferred debt. The combination of the 0% intro offer and the competitive regular APR makes this card an intriguing choice if you want to maintain your excellent credit score while reducing your exposure to high interest charges.
How to maximize this card’s long-term value
The card has no rewards program, but if you’re looking to avoid interest on a big purchase or a balance transfer, rewards are probably not your top priority. Still, the regular variable APR could help excellent-credit consumers save money on interest if they keep the card after they’ve taken advantage of the 0% intro offer.
Read our Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card review.
Bank of America® Cash Rewards credit card
Best for flexible rewards categories
The Bank of America Cash Rewards card currently offers a 0% intro APR period of 12 billing cycles for new purchases, as well as balance transfers made in the first 60 days (then 13.99% – 23.99% variable APR). It also has a choice rewards category that earns 3 percent cash back on one of the following categories such as travel, gas, online shopping, dining, drug stores or home improvement/furnishings and 2 percent on grocery store and wholesale club purchases each quarter (on the first $2,500 in combined choice category/grocery store/wholesale club purchases).
How to maximize this card’s long-term value
Selecting the right choice category based on your spending habits is the key to getting the most out of the rewards program. Travel or gas might be ideal for the summer months, online shopping could be a good bet for the holiday season, and so on.
Read our Bank of America® Cash Rewards credit card review.
Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express
Best for everyday cash back
The 15-month 0% introductory APR on purchases is a great perk, but that’s not all the card offers (13.99% – 23.99% variable APR thereafter). The Blue Cash Back Everyday® Card provides a generous cash back program that allows you to earn rewards with the purchases you make every day, like gas and groceries. To make it even better, the cash back you earn won’t expire for the length of the account, so the rewards that you earn will always be yours.
How to maximize this card’s long-term value
If you decide on this card for the lengthy introductory APR offer, you’ll want to stick around for the rewards program. This card offers considerable benefits to those who spend a lot on items such as groceries, gas and clothing. Spending $6,000 per year in the U.S. supermarkets category alone punches your ticket for $180 in cash back, and the cash back earnings in the other categories are unlimited.
Read our Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express review.
BankAmericard® credit card
Best for no penalty APR
This card’s introductory offer is 12 billing cycles at 0% APR for both balance transfers (made in the first 60 days) and purchases. The regular APR after the intro offer is 12.99% – 22.99% variable. The card doesn’t charge penalty APR, a feature that could come in handy, although it does charge penalty fees (up to $40 for late payment, up to $29 for returned payment).
How to maximize this card’s long-term value
With no rewards program, the long-term value of this card takes a hit. The best use of the BankAmericard credit card is for temporarily avoiding interest on purchases or balance transfers.
Read our BankAmericard® credit card review.
Chase Freedom Unlimited®
Best for overall versatility
The 15-month introductory period on new purchases (14.99% – 23.74% variable APR thereafter) is solid. Plus, you’ll earn 5 percent on travel purchased through Chase, 3 percent at restaurants and drugstores and 1.5 percent on all other purchases. The higher cash back categories make this much more than a typical 0% intro APR credit card.
How to maximize this card’s long-term value
You’ll need to make travel purchases through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal to earn the 5 percent cash back rate in the travel category. Don’t forget that you can also earn 5 percent cash back on Lyft purchases through March 2022.
Read our Chase Freedom Unlimited® review.
Citi® Double Cash Card
Best for double cash back (1% when you make purchases, 1% when you make payments)
It’s important to note that (1) the Citi Double Cash Card’s intro APR offer is for balance transfers only, not purchases, and (2) balance transfers don’t earn rewards. This card still has a lot of potential for utility and value. Just be sure to make paying off your transferred balance the main priority and focus on earning cash back later.
How to maximize this card’s long-term value
You can earn up to 2 percent cash back with this card — 1 percent when you make purchases, then 1 percent as you pay for them. You might find that this two-part system offers extra motivation to make timely payments in full so that you can reap the full rewards.
Read our Citi® Double Cash Card review.
Alliant Visa® Platinum Credit Card
Best for low balance transfer fee
The Alliant Visa Platinum Credit Card has a balance transfer fee that beats the industry standard. Instead of charging 3 percent of the amount transferred, this card charges 2 percent or $5, whichever is greater. With one large balance transfer or multiple transfers, the low fee could save you a tidy sum.
How to maximize this card’s long-term value
With no rewards program, your best bet for long-term value could come from the checking account benefits that helped Alliant earn Bankrate’s best credit union of 2021 title.
Review for Alliant Visa® Platinum Credit Card coming soon.
Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card
Best for dining and entertainment
If you have a taste for food and fun but the thought of paying high credit card APR gives you heartburn, consider the Capital One SavorOne. The card has an intro offer for purchases: 15 months at 0% APR, followed by 15.49% – 25.49% variable. As a cash back card, it also earns unlimited rewards in the categories of dining and entertainment (3 percent) and grocery stores (2 percent).
How to maximize this card’s long-term value
If you get this card for the 0% intro offer on purchases for 15 months (15.49% – 25.49% variable thereafter), you just might decide to keep it for the rewards program and the lack of an annual fee. The SavorOne has a lot to offer for consumers who make simple pleasures like meals, movies and music a central part of their daily life.
Read our Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card review.
American Express Cash Magnet® Card
Best for payment flexibility
If you’re planning a big purchase but wondering about the best way to pay for it, the American Express Cash Magnet offers some intriguing options. You can avoid credit card APR for 15 months thanks to the introductory 0% offer on purchases, paying 13.99% – 23.99% variable after the intro period expires. Also, you can take advantage of the Plan It® (Plan It® gives the option to select purchases of $100 or more to split up into monthly payments with a fixed fee).
How to maximize this card’s long-term value
The card earns unlimited 1.5 percent cash back and doesn’t charge an annual fee, both of which increase its value along with the American Express Member Benefits. Be aware that Plan It® applies only to eligible purchases of $100 or more, and your ability to create plans is based on your creditworthiness and other factors.
Read our American Express Cash Magnet® Card review.
Citi Simplicity® Card
Best for long balance transfer offer
The Citi Simplicity Card is a very useful option for transferring or consolidating debt. With an intro 0% APR period of 18 months on balance transfers (14.74% – 24.74% variable APR thereafter), you could save thousands of dollars by temporarily avoiding interest as you pay off debt. This card also does not charge a late fee, although you don’t want to make it a habit to pay late because of the impact on your credit score.
How to maximize this card’s long-term value
This one’s a bit tricky, since the Simplicity card doesn’t have a rewards program. Your best bet for long-term value is probably Citi® Identity Theft Solutions. Keep the card active by making an occasional purchase with it and you can enjoy that extra layer of protection against identity theft.
Read our Citi Simplicity® Card review.
Wells Fargo Platinum card
Best for personal finance management
The main reason to get a zero-interest credit card is to pay off a big purchase or a balance transfer during the introductory period and avoid paying APR. The Wells Fargo Platinum can help you reach that goal thanks to its 18-month intro 0% APR offer on qualifying balance transfers (16.49% – 24.49% variable APR after), but it can also help you pursue the larger goal of better financial health with the My Money Map system.
How to maximize this card’s long-term value
Although this card doesn’t offer a rewards program, using the My Money Map resources to improve your spending and budgeting habits could prove rewarding in the long run. You also get up to $600 protection on your cell phone against covered damage or theft (a $25 deductible applies) when you pay your monthly cellphone bill with the card, and the Wells Fargo Platinum doesn’t charge an annual fee.
Read our Wells Fargo Platinum card review.
Discover it® Balance Transfer
Best for overall balance transfer value
Few cards can match the intro offer for balance transfers: see terms, then see terms variable (see terms; up to see terms on future balance transfers, see terms*). Fewer still combine that kind of balance transfer offer with a rewards program that earns 5% cash back on rotating bonus categories up to $1,500 each quarter after activation and 1% back on everything else. However, we don’t recommend the Discover it Balance Transfer for paying off a big purchase. The introductory see terms for purchases is just see terms, after which variable APR goes to the regular see terms.
How to maximize this card’s long-term value
Much like the Discover it Cash Back, the rewards program holds the key to this card’s long-term value. The potential earnings in bonus categories make the Discover it Balance Transfer well worth considering for a long engagement after the intro APR period ends. The card also features Discover’s Cashback Match™, a dollar-for-dollar match of the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year.
Read our Discover it® Balance Transfer review.
U.S. Bank Visa® Platinum Card
Best 0% APR intro offer on purchases
If you want the maximum zero-interest window to pay for a big purchase, the U.S. Bank Visa Platinum might be your best bet. The card offers an introductory 0% for 20 billing cycles on purchases with 13.99% – 23.99% variable APR after. Most competitors have introductory purchase offers lasting no longer than 18 months.
How to maximize this card’s long-term value
With no rewards program, this card’s signature perk is its cellphone coverage. Use the card to pay your cellular bill every month and you’ll be covered for up to $600 worth of damage or theft per claim for up to two claims per year, with a $25 deductible.
Read our U.S. Bank Visa® Platinum Card review.
What is an introductory 0 APR credit card?
Using a credit card can be a lot more convenient than paying cash or writing a check. However, the convenience of credit cards sometimes comes with a price — the potential for steep interest charges. If you don’t pay your monthly statement on time and in full, you’ll probably face the additional cost of credit card APR.
What is credit card APR? APR (annual percentage rate) determines how much interest applies to your credit card account for transactions in a particular billing cycle, including purchases, cash advances and balance transfers. You can avoid APR by keeping your credit card balance paid off every month. The credit card issuer determines your APR based on your credit score and other factors.
How does credit card interest work? Any unpaid credit card balance that you carry over past the grace period is subject to APR. Issuers typically use a formula that takes the sum of your balances at the end of each day, divides it by the number of days in that billing cycle and then multiplies that result by your APR. With the interest compounding daily, the cost of interest can grow slowly but steadily.
Fortunately, credit cards with introductory no-interest offers could provide a solution.
A credit card with a 0% APR introductory offer isn’t really an interest-free credit card. It’s a way to help you reduce your exposure to credit card APR for a limited period of time. To meet that goal, you’ll need to pay off your large purchase or transferred balance before the zero-percent intro rate expires and the regular APR takes effect. Some of these cards also let you transfer a balance from a high-interest credit account.
Whether it’s a big purchase or a big balance, this type of credit card could help you temporarily avoid credit card APR.
How to choose the right zero-interest credit card
The type of no-interest credit card you should get depends on what you want to do with it, immediately and in the long run.
Zero-interest APR for purchases
If you have a large purchase planned, getting a credit card with a zero-interest APR offer ahead of time can truly pay off. Putting your big-ticket item on the 0% intro APR credit card instead of your regular card means a chance to avoid paying interest for the length of the intro period. The choice between 0% interest and the average 16 percent interest should be an easy one.
The longer the 0% intro offer on purchases, the better. It will give you more time to take advantage of the zero-interest window as you gradually make the payments.
Learn more with Bankrate: What does 0 percent APR mean?
Zero-interest APR for balance transfers
Results of a recent Bankrate.com survey found that 16 percent of Americans have more debt than they did just a few months ago. One possible remedy for debt involves transferring it to a 0% APR credit card with an introductory balance transfer offer. If you pay off the debt before the introductory zero-interest offer expires, you could save money that would otherwise go to paying interest charges.
Just like a purchase offer, a longer balance transfer offer gives you more time to pay off the debt you’ve transferred plus smaller monthly payments. Some balance transfer credit cards work with more than just credit card debt. In addition to credit card balances, you might be able to transfer debt from personal loans, student loans and other types of credit accounts.
Learn more with Bankrate: What is a balance transfer credit card?
Long-term value
Although some 0% interest cards are short on extras, a good number of them have rewards programs that earn cash back, travel miles or multi-purpose points. We recommend that you focus on paying 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.
Alternatives to a 0% interest credit card
Sometimes a 0% intro APR credit card might not be your best option. If you want to make a purchase you know you won’t be able to pay off within the introductory offer period, consider a personal loan. Getting approved for a balance transfer card with bad credit can be difficult. You might be eligible only for a low-interest introductory offer rather than a zero-interest offer.
How much could you save with a 0% intro APR offer?
If you decide to put a big purchase on a credit card, you have another decision to make when the next bill comes due. You can:
- Pay off the entire monthly balance, including the large purchase, and face no APR charges.
- Make a partial payment on the monthly balance and pay APR on whatever amount is left over.
Of course, the problem with option B 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 paying off not just the original purchase but also the mounting interest of rolling over unpaid debt from month to month.
You can contact your credit card issuer to ask for a lower interest rate. However, this strategy might be a longshot unless you’re a longtime customer with an established history of paying off your balance on time and in full.
A zero-interest credit card offer could help you avoid this kind of cycle by offering a temporary break from APR. Here’s an illustration of how it works, using Bankrate’s Credit Card Payoff Calculator:
A $3,000 purchase with your regular credit card
The average credit card interest rate is about 16 percent. If you were to isolate $3,000 spent on a vacation, for example, and pay it off in equal installments over a year’s time on your regular credit card, the payment schedule would look like this:
| Total Principal Paid |
Total Interest Paid |
Monthly Payment |
Total Cost |
| $3,000 |
$266 |
$272 |
$3,266 |
In addition to the $3,000, you’d also pay $266 in interest. Interest (in the form of APR) would account for 8 percent of your total cost.
A $3,000 purchase with a 0% intro APR credit card
In the second scenario, you get a new credit card with a 12-month zero interest offer and use that card to pay for your $3,000 vacation. The payment schedule (also one year of equal installments) would look like this:
| Total Principal Paid |
Total Interest Paid |
Monthly Payment |
Total Cost |
| $3,000 |
$0 |
$250 |
$3,000 |
As long as you paid off the entire $3,000 before the 12-month offer expires, you wouldn’t be on the hook for the $288 in APR charges. Your monthly payment would be $24 less, too.
How to avoid paying credit card interest
A credit card is a type of loan, and virtually every loan involves interest. It’s possible to avoid paying credit card interest, but only under a few well-defined conditions.
- Paying your statement in full and on time. Keeping up with your monthly payments so that no money carries over into the next billing cycle is the simplest, most effective way to keep from paying credit card interest.
- Using a 0% interest intro offer. A zero-interest card can help you avoid paying interest on purchases and balance transfers, but only as long as the introductory offer lasts. When the offer runs out, the card’s regular APR applies.
- Using a grace period. Most credit card issuers offer a grace period that provides a temporary reprieve from interest for a short period of time after a billing cycle ends. However, the key word is “temporary.” The typical grace period is 21 days.
What’s the best 0% intro APR credit card?
Even though no single choice will be a perfect fit for everyone, the U.S. Bank Visa Platinum Card has the edge over many other options.
The card’s current offer for new purchases and balance transfers is 20 billing cycles at 0% introductory APR, 13.99% – 23.99% variable APR after. Many competitors vying for best 0% APR credit card have introductory offers lasting 18 months. Having an extra two billing cycles could give you more cushion when you’re trying to pay off a big purchase or a transferred balance while avoiding interest. Also, the U.S. Bank Visa Platinum’s regular APR range (13.99% – 23.99% variable) is lower than those of many other 0% APR cards.
However, some of its competitors offer things that the U.S. Bank Visa Platinum doesn’t: welcome offers and rewards programs. One example is the Discover it® Cash Back. Its introductory offer for purchases and balance transfers (14 months at 0% APR,11.99% – 22.99% variable APR after) is significantly shorter, but it does have a cash back program that includes rotating bonus categories. You earn 5% cash back in the rotating categories on up to $1,500 in purchases per quarter followed by 1% (enrollment required), as well as unlimited 1% on all other purchases.
While the introductory offers are the key feature of 0% intro APR credit cards, they aren’t the only feature. You might also consider the card’s long-term value, in which rewards programs and welcome offers play a big part.
CardSmart: A zero-percent intro offer in action
In December 2019, a consumer named Carol emailed me for advice. She was considering a 0% intro APR credit card to pay for some upcoming dental work that would cost $8,000.
Using some basic math and Bankrate’s Credit Card Payoff Calculator, I was able to simulate what would happen if she got a credit card with a 12-month zero percent introductory offer to pay for the procedure. Then I compared that outcome with another where she used a regular credit card with a typical APR, which at that time was 18 percent.
Long story short, it looked like Carol could avoid several hundred dollars in interest charges with a 0% intro APR offer:
| Interest rate |
Balance |
Term |
Interest cost |
Average monthly payment |
| 0% intro APR |
$8,000 |
12 months |
$0 |
$667 |
| 18% APR |
$8,000 |
12 months |
$801 |
$733 |
The takeaways
- If she paid off the balance in full before the end of that 12-month promotional period, Carol wouldn’t owe any additional money in interest.
- If she were to put $8,000 on a regular card with 18 percent APR and pay off the balance in 12 months, she would face $801 in interest charges over time.
- Her average monthly payment with a regular card would be $733 instead of $667, or about 10 percent higher.
I exchanged a few emails with Carol over the course of a week. She wound up getting a 0% APR card with a 12-month intro offer and made a plan to pay off the cost of her dental work on schedule to avoid interest.
If you have a question about using a zero-interest APR offer to save money like Carol, please email me at bbridges@bankrate.com.
How we chose our best zero-interest credit cards
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% APR intro offers.
Length of the introductory offer
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.
Regular variable APR
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.
Long-term value
Should you keep this card after it’s served the initial purpose? That’s a key question we ask when evaluating credit cards with 0% 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.
Senior Editor Barry Bridges has been writing about credit cards, loans, mortgages and other personal finance products for Bankrate since 2018. His work has also appeared on websites including Nasdaq.com, Zillow.com and The Simple Dollar. He was previously an award-winning newspaper journalist in his native North Carolina. Send your questions about credit cards (and fantasy baseball) to bbridges@bankrate.com.
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