USA Advisor Credit Cards Best 0% Credit Cards Advertiser Disclosure Best 0% APR Credit Cards Of December 2021 Robin Saks Frankel Forbes Advisor Staff Updated: Dec 2, 2021, 12:32pm Editorial Note: We earn a commission from partner links on Forbes Advisor. Commissions do not affect our editors' opinions or evaluations. Credit cards are known for charging higher interest rates than many other financial products, but some cards offer a 0% APR period. This can help you reduce interest costs on long-term debt and potentially even score an “interest-free loan” on a large purchase you hope to make. Some 0% APR cards let you avoid interest payments on purchases and balance transfers, but others only extend their offers to one or the other. 0% APR cards also can lack features compared to other cards. Read more Show Summary FEATURED PARTNER OFFER FEATURED PARTNER OFFER Chase Slate Edge℠ 3.3 Apply Now On Chase's Secure Website Welcome Bonus $100 bonus Annual Fee $0 Regular APR 14.99 - 23.74% Variable Credit Score Excellent/Good Credit (700 - 749) Pros & Cons Card Details Best 0% APR Credit Cards Of 2021 BEST OVERALL Chase Freedom Flex℠ 5.0 Apply Now On Chase's Secure Website Up to 5X Reward Rate Earn 5% cash back on eligible purchases in rotating categories, 5% on Chase travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®, 3%Read More Welcome Bonus $200 bonus Annual Fee $0 Regular APR 14.99% - 24.74% Variable Credit Score Excellent, Good (700 - 749) Why We Picked It Pros & Cons Card Details BEST FOR FINANCING LARGE PURCHASES U.S. Bank Visa® Platinum Card Rates & Fees Apply Now On U.S. Bank's Secure Website N/A N/A Welcome Bonus N/A Annual Fee $0* Regular APR 14.49% - 24.49%* (Variable) Credit Score Good/Excellent (700 - 749) Why We Picked It Pros & Cons Card Details BEST FOR BALANCE TRANSFER WINDOW Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card 4.3 Apply Now On Citibank's Secure Website Welcome Bonus N/A Annual Fee $0 Regular APR 13.74% - 23.74% (Variable) Credit Score Excellent, Good (700 - 749) Why We Picked It Pros & Cons Card Details BEST FOR FLEXIBLE REWARDS Chase Freedom Unlimited® 2.8 Apply Now On Chase's Secure Website Up to 5X Reward Rate Earn 5% on Chase travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®, 3% on dining and drugstores and 1.5% on all otherRead More Welcome Bonus $200 bonus Annual Fee $0 Regular APR 14.99% - 24.74% Variable Credit Score Excellent/Good (700 - 749) Why We Picked It Pros & Cons Card Details BEST FOR ROTATING CATEGORIES Discover it® Cash Back Rates & Fees 3.6 Apply Now On Discover's Secure Website Up to 5% Reward Rate Earn 5% cash back on everyday purchases at different places each quarter like Amazon.com, grocery stores, restaurants, gas stations andRead More Welcome Bonus Cashback Match™ Annual Fee $0 Regular APR 11.99% - 22.99% Variable Credit Score Excellent/Good (700 - 749) Why We Picked It Pros & Cons Card Details BEST FOR WELCOME BONUS Discover it® chrome Rates & Fees 2.2 Apply Now On Discover's Secure Website Up to 2% Reward Rate Earn cash back on your next road trip with 2% cash back at Gas Stations and Restaurants on up toRead More Welcome Bonus Cashback Match™ Annual Fee $0 Regular APR 11.99% - 22.99% Variable Credit Score Excellent/Good (700 - 749) Why We Picked It Pros & Cons Card Details BEST FOR SUPERMARKET SPENDING Amex EveryDay® Credit Card * 3.3 Up to 2x Reward Rate Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points at US supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year (then 1X); Earn 2X points atRead More Welcome Bonus 10,000 points Annual Fee $0 Regular APR 12.99% - 23.99% Variable APR on purchases Credit Score Good/Excellent (700 - 749) Why We Picked It Pros & Cons Card Details BEST FOR LOW ONGOING INTEREST HSBC Gold Mastercard® credit card * 4.5 Welcome Bonus Annual Fee $0 Regular APR 13.99% - 23.99% Variable APR on purchases and balance transfers Credit Score Good/Excellent (700 - 749) Why We Picked It Pros & Cons Card Details BEST FOR CELL PHONE INSURANCE Wells Fargo Reflect℠ Card Rates & Fees 4.4 Apply Now On Wells Fargo's Secure Website N/A N/A Welcome Bonus N/A Annual Fee $0 Regular APR 12.99%-24.99% Variable APR Credit Score Excellent, Good (700 - 749) Why We Picked It Pros & Cons Card Details BEST FOR LATE PAYMENT FORGIVENESS Citi Simplicity® Card 4.3 Apply Now On Citibank's Secure Website Welcome Bonus N/A Annual Fee $0 Regular APR 14.74% - 24.74% (Variable) Credit Score Excellent, Good (700 - 749) Why We Picked It Pros & Cons Card Details Here's a summary of the Best 0% APR Credit Cards CREDIT CARD Chase Freedom Flex℠ U.S. Bank Visa® Platinum Card Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card Chase Freedom Unlimited® Discover it® Cash Back Discover it® chrome Amex EveryDay® Credit Card HSBC Gold Mastercard® credit card Wells Fargo Reflect℠ Card Citi Simplicity® Card BEST FOR CREDIT SCORE ANNUAL FEE WELCOME BONUS Best Overall Excellent, Good $0 $200 bonus Best for Financing Large Purchases Good/Excellent $0* N/A Best for Balance Transfer Window Excellent, Good $0 N/A Best for Flexible Rewards Excellent/Good $0 $200 bonus Best for Rotating Categories Excellent/Good $0 Cashback Match™ Best for Welcome Bonus Excellent/Good $0 Cashback Match™ Best For Supermarket Spending Good/Excellent $0 10,000 points Best for Low Ongoing Interest Good/Excellent $0 Best for Cell Phone Insurance Excellent, Good $0 N/A Best for Late Payment Forgiveness Excellent, Good $0 N/A Methodology Not all 0% APR cards are created equally. To generate our list of top picks for 0% APR credit cards, Forbes Advisor reviewed dozens of 0% APR credit cards across a broad spectrum of issuers. We weighed a number of factors including the length of a card’s 0% APR offer, any welcome bonuses and any credit card fees as part of ownership and/or ability to transfer a balance from another card. We also considered the usefulness of the card beyond the intro APR period including if it earned rewards on purchases. The Best 0% APR Credit Cards Chase Freedom Flex℠ [ jump to details ] The Chase Freedom Flex℠ has the brawn to handle just about all of your credit card spending needs without an over-inflated price tag. The card has an annual fee of $0, yet comes with a pumped-up earnings structure that covers a wide swath of expenses plus a meaty rewards structure to boot. Intro APR Offer: Get a 0% intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers, then a variable APR of 14.99 - 24.74% applies. Intro balance transfer fee of either $5 or 3% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater in the first 60 days, after that either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater applies Annual Fee: $0 Welcome Offer: $200 bonus after spending $500 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening and 5% cash back on grocery store purchases (not including Target® or Walmart® purchases) on up to $12,000 spent in the first year Balance Transfer Fee: Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater. Rewards: 5% cash back on eligible purchases in rotating categories, 5% on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®, 3% on dining and drugstores, and 1% on all other purchases Other Benefits and Drawbacks: The card’s benefits give it staying power in your wallet long after the introductory offer. But other cards offer longer 0% APR periods, which may be more valuable to you in the short term. Read our full review of the Chase Freedom Flex Card. U.S. Bank Visa® Platinum Card [ jump to details ] If you’re looking for one of the longest runways possible to pay off a big purchase or pay down existing debt, the U.S. Bank Visa® Platinum Card is one of the top options available. The extra-lengthy 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers is the main event and the biggest reason you should consider this card. Intro APR Offer: Get a 0%* for 20 billing cycles on purchases* as well as on eligible balance transfers (followed by the standard variable APR of 14.49% – 24.49%) Annual Fee: $0* Welcome Offer: N/A Balance Transfer Fee: Either 3% of the amount of each transfer or $5 minimum, whichever is greater Rewards: None Other Benefits and Drawbacks: Although there are no rewards for spending on this card, if you pay your monthly cell phone bill with the card you’ll get insurance for your primary phone and any additional lines for damage or theft up to $600 with a $25 deductible for up to two claims ($1,200) per 12-month period. Read our full review of the U.S. Bank Visa Platinum Card. Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card [ jump to details ] The Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card offers a nice long stretch of introductory interest to help you tackle your debt or pay down a big purchase. Unlike the 60-day window offered on many other intro APR cards, you’ll have four months from opening your account to make a balance transfer. Intro APR Offer: 0% intro APR for 21 months on eligible balance transfers from the date of the first transfer and 0% intro APR for 12 months on purchases from date of account opening. After that the variable APR will be 13.74% - 23.74% based on your creditworthiness. Balance transfers must be completed within 4 months of account opening. There is a balance transfer fee of either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater. Annual Fee: $0 Welcome Offer: N/A Balance Transfer Fee: Balance transfer fee applies with this offer 5% of each balance transfer; $5 minimum. Rewards: None. Benefits and Drawbacks: There aren’t many bells or whistles with this card beyond the introductory APR period but you will get special ticket access to presales and exclusive events through Citi Entertainment. Read our full review of the Citi Diamond Preferred Card. Chase Freedom Unlimited® [ jump to details ] The Chase Freedom Unlimited has powerful points-earning potential. This all-around workhorse of a card notches above-average earnings on select travel purchases, dining and drugstores plus solid 1.5% earnings on all other areas of spending, all for an annual fee of $0. Intro APR offer: 0% introductory APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers, then a variable APR of 14.99% - 24.74% applies Annual Fee: $0 Welcome Offer: $200 bonus after spending $500 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. Also, earn 5% cash back on grocery store purchases (not including Target® or Walmart® purchases) on up to $12,000 spent in the first year Balance Transfer Fee: Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater. Rewards: Earn 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®, 3% cash back on eligible dining and drugstores and 1.5% on all other purchases. Benefits and Drawbacks: Rewards earned on the card can be redeemed for straight cash back, travel, merchandise or pooled with another premium Chase Ultimate Rewards®-earning card for potential greater value when used for travel. Read our full review of the Chase Freedom Unlimited. Discover it® Cash Back [ jump to details ] If you have the tolerance to track changing quarterly categories, the Discover it® Cash Back card can earn generous rewards in areas most people are likely to find appealing. Past examples include supermarkets, gas stations and warehouse clubs. That gives this card staying power beyond the intro 0% offer on purchases and balance transfers. Intro APR Offer: 0% introductory APR for 14 months on purchases and eligible balance transfers. Then, a standard rate of 11.99% - 22.99% variable applies. Annual Fee: $0 Welcome Offer: Discover will automatically match all the cash back earned at the end of the first year as a cardmember. There's no minimum spending or maximum rewards. Balance Transfer Fee: 3% intro balance transfer fee, up to 5% fee on future balance transfers (see terms)*. Rewards: Earn 5% cash back on everyday purchases at different places each quarter up to a quarterly maximum of $1,500 in spending when activated. Plus, earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases – automatically. Other Benefits and Drawbacks: If you typically spend above and beyond the quarterly maximums, another card might yield better returns. The cashback match at the end of the first year could be a lucrative bonus, but it’s only a one-time reward. Read our full review of the Discover it® Cash Back Card. Discover it® chrome [ jump to details ] The Discover it® chrome was designed for consumers whose biggest areas of spending are gas stations and restaurants and can make good use of the 0% intro offer on purchases and balance transfers. Discover cards all offer their own twist on a welcome bonus as well: You’ll automatically get an unlimited dollar-for-dollar match of all the cash back you earned at the end of your first year as a cardholder. Depending on how much you spend, this can be much more valuable than a traditional welcome bonus. Intro APR Offer: 0% intro APR for 14 months on purchases, then a standard APR of 11.99% - 22.99% variable on purchases and balance transfers applies Annual Fee: $0 Welcome Offer: unlimited Cashback Match - only from Discover. Discover will automatically match all the cash back earned at the end of the first year Balance Transfer Fee: 3% intro balance transfer fee, up to 5% fee on future balance transfers (see terms)* Rewards: Earn 2% cash back at gas stations and restaurants on up to $1,000 in combined purchases each quarter. Plus, earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases. Other Benefits and Drawbacks: If you typically spend more than $1,000 per quarter on gas and dining, the rewards structure of this card might be too limiting for you. The 1% earnings on all other purchases can be easily bested by other rewards cards. Read our full review of the Discover it® chrome. Amex EveryDay® Credit Card * [ jump to details ] The Amex EveryDay® Credit Card* offers a respectable 2 Membership Rewards points per dollar at US supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year in purchases (then 1X), 2 points per dollar when using the card to book trips through American Express Travel and 1 point for every eligible dollar on everything else. Plus, use the card 20 or more times on purchases in a billing period and earn 20% extra points on those purchases. Intro APR Offer: Get a 0% Intro APR on purchases for 15 months, then a standard APR of 12.99% - 23.99% Variable APR on purchases applies. Annual Fee: $0 Welcome Offer: 10,000 Membership Rewards Points after spending $1,000 in qualifying purchases within the first 3 months of card membership Balance Transfer Fee: See Terms Rewards: Earn 2 Membership Rewards points per dollar at US supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year in purchases (then 1X), 2 points per dollar when using the card to book trips through American Express Travel and 1 point for every eligible dollar on everything else. Plus, use the card 20 or more times on purchases in a billing period and earn 20% extra points on those purchases. Other Benefits and Drawbacks: Comes with secondary car rental coverage and global assistance services, a nice set of features for a no annual fee card. But other cards may offer higher rewards both on grocery purchases and all other spending so this card may be best for someone to use as part of an overall rewards maximizing strategy. Read our full review of the Amex EveryDay® Credit Card. HSBC Gold Mastercard® credit card * [ jump to details ] For those who qualify for the lower end of the HSBC Gold Mastercard’s APR range, the card could be a good pick for someone who typically carries a balance, even after the 0% promotional period expires. Intro APR Offer: 0.00% Intro APR for 18 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers (followed by the standard variable APR of 13.99% – 23.99%) Annual Fee: $0 Welcome Offer: Balance Transfer Fee: Either $10 or 4%, whichever is greater, will apply on each balance transfer and credit card check Rewards: None Other Benefits and Drawbacks: You get one pass every calendar year for a late or missed payment, after which you’ll be charged a late fee of up to $39. However, you should still be aware of credit score impacts of a late payment. As a Mastercard, it does offer some travel protections including secondary car rental insurance and travel accident insurance. Read our full review of the HSBC Gold Mastercard. Wells Fargo Reflect℠ Card [ jump to details ] If you’re looking for a card with a lengthy introductory APR offer, the Wells Fargo Reflect℠ Card may deliver. New cardholders will get over a year and a half with 0% introductory APR on purchases and qualifying balance transfers, plus if you pay your monthly cell phone bill with this card, you’ll get cell phone protection for up to $600 in covered claims when you pay a $25 deductible too. Cardholders can make up to two claims per year. Intro APR Offer: 0% intro APR for 18 months from account opening on purchases and qualifying balance transfers. An extension of up to 3 months of additional introductory APR will be apply with on-time minimum payments during the introductory and extension periods. An introductory balance transfer fee of either $5 or 3% of the amount of each balance transfer, whichever is greater, for 120 days from account opening applies. After that, up to 5% for each balance transfer, with a minimum of $5. Annual Fee: $0 Welcome Offer: This card does not offer a welcome bonus Rewards: This card does not offer rewards Other Benefits and Drawbacks: Although it doesn’t offer rewards on your purchases, if you pay your cell phone bill with the card you’ll get the cell phone insurance which is a standard feature on Wells Fargo consumer credit cards. Read our full Wells Fargo Reflect℠ Card review. Citi Simplicity® Card [ jump to details ] TheCiti Simplicity® Card aims to keep its introductory APR offer easy. The card charges no late fees, no penalty rate and no annual fee. It also doesn’t earn any rewards so it’s ideally best used as a tool in your debt payoff plan. Intro APR Offer: 0% intro APR for 21 months on balance transfers from date of first transfer and 0% intro APR for 12 months on purchases from date of account opening. After that the variable APR will be 14.74% - 24.74%, based on your creditworthiness. Balance transfers must be completed within 4 months of account opening. There is a balance transfer fee of either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater Annual Fee: $0 Welcome Offer: This card does not offer a welcome bonus Balance Transfer Fee: Balance transfer fee applies with this offer 5% of each balance transfer; $5 minimum Rewards: None. Benefits and Drawbacks: The Citi Simplicity comes with Citi perks including the ability to choose your own due date and the ability to skip endless hold music by saying “representative.” But beyond the introductory period, there isn’t much incentive to use this card as it doesn’t earn rewards or offer other valuable benefits. How to Pick a 0% APR Credit Card Look for the longest 0% APR offer available. More importantly, make sure that the offer you’re considering is long enough so you can pay off all or most of your debt without any interest. Check for fees. If you believe you could pay off all your debt in a fairly short amount of time, it’s worth it to consider 0% APR credit cards that don’t charge a balance transfer fee. Consider which perks you want. Ask yourself if you’re interested in any other credit card perks you can qualify for, such as a free FICO score on your statement each month. Consider your spending style. If your goal is earning rewards on your purchases while avoiding interest, it can help to think about the type of purchases you planned to make. Some cards offer more rewards in specific bonus categories, so you should choose a card that will give you the most bang for your buck. Look at the ongoing variable APR. While balance transfer credit cards can help you save on interest, remember that your card’s APR will eventually reset to the regular ongoing APR. Frequently Asked Questions What does purchase APR mean? What does 0 APR mean? What is the best credit card with no interest? What is an intro APR? What is a purchase interest charge? Find The Best Credit Card Best Credit Cards Of 2021 Best Balance Transfer Credit Cards Best Cash Back Credit Cards Best First Credit Cards To Build Credit Best Secured Credit Cards Best Business Credit Cards Information provided on Forbes Advisor is for educational purposes only. Your financial situation is unique and the products and services we review may not be right for your circumstances. We do not offer financial advice, advisory or brokerage services, nor do we recommend or advise individuals or to buy or sell particular stocks or securities. Performance information may have changed since the time of publication. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Forbes Advisor adheres to strict editorial integrity standards. To the best of our knowledge, all content is accurate as of the date posted, though offers contained herein may no longer be available. The opinions expressed are the author’s alone and have not been provided, approved, or otherwise endorsed by our partners. Robin Saks Frankel Forbes Advisor Staff Robin Saks Frankel is a credit cards and personal finance writer for Forbes Advisor. Previously, she covered credit cards and related content at other national web publications including NerdWallet, Bankrate and HerMoney. She's been featured as a personal finance expert in outlets including CNBC, Business Insider, CBS Marketplace, and has appeared on or contributed to Fox News, CBS Radio, ABC Radio, NPR, International Business Times and NBC, ABC and CBS TV affiliates nationwide. Follow her on Twitter at @robinsaks. Was this article helpful? SHARE YOUR FEEDBACK © 2021 Forbes Media LLC. All Rights Reserved. AdChoices Privacy Statement Terms and Conditions About Us Send Us Feedback Jobs At Forbes Reprints & Permissions Forbes Press Room Forbes Quote of the Day Advertise Cookie Preferences