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If you’ve lost your job or been out of work for a while, and you’re having trouble finding enough money to pay your vital expenses, one temporary low-cost solution is to get a zero interest credit card. You can use one of these credit cards with a 0% introductory interest rate on purchases to temporarily cover your everyday expenses, or even make a major purchase — such as a refrigerator or engagement ring — and pay it off over time without paying interest. Some 0% interest credit cards come with long introductory periods, while others offer cash back or travel rewards on the items you buy. But with so many options, which card should you choose? Our list of the best zero interest credit cards can help you decide which one best fits your needs. The best 0% interest credit cards of 2022U.S. Bank Visa® Platinum Card: 0% APR for 18 billing cycles (then 18.24%-28.24% variable) CNN Underscored’s comprehensive credit card methodology compares every aspect of credit cards that offer introductory APRs on purchases against our “benchmark credit card” — the Citi® Double Cash Card — to determine which cards can potentially bring you maximum value in addition to lowering your interest rate. So dive into the details of each card with us, and see how they stack up. U.S. Bank Visa Platinum Card18 billing cycles at the introductory rate for both purchases and balance transfers Why it’s great in one sentence: If your top priority is to pay no interest on purchases for as long as possible, the U.S. Bank Visa Platinum Card offers a 0% APR on all purchases for the first 18 billing cycles you have the card. (The APR rises to a variable APR of 18.24% to 28.24% after the introductory period ends.) This card is right for: People who need a lengthy period of paying no interest on their purchases and would like a card that covers their cell phone in case of damage. Highlights:
Sign-up bonus: None. What we like most about the U.S. Bank Visa Platinum: If you need extra time to pay your current bills, 18 billing cycles without interest is exceptional compared to other credit cards, and that long runway enables a peace of mind that you can weather a storm without a looming interest rate hike.  If you need to make a major purchase, you can use the Citi Diamond Preferred card to pay for it with no interest over as long as 18 months. iStockRead CNN Underscored's review of the U.S. Bank Visa Platinum credit card This card also pairs that great introductory interest rate on purchases with an identical offer on balance transfers, so long as they’re made within the first 60 days after you open the card. That means with a high enough credit limit, you can use the U.S. Bank Visa Platinum to consolidate all your credit card debt if you need to. Ongoing cell phone protection is also an added perk on this card. When you pay your cell phone bill with the U.S. Bank Visa Platinum, you’ll be covered for damage or theft to your cell phone up to $600, with a $25 deductible, for up to two claims per 12-month period. You’ll be covered for up to $600 if your cell phone is damaged when you pay your bill with the U.S. Bank Visa Platinum. iStockOne thing that could be better: The U.S. Bank Visa Platinum isn’t a long-term credit card. It doesn’t earn any rewards at all, doesn’t come with a sign-up bonus and doesn’t have any other significant perks. It has no annual fee but charges a 3% foreign transaction fee, so you definitely won’t want to use it overseas. In other words, its utility is limited beyond the introductory rate period, although you might consider using it on an ongoing basis to pay your cell phone bill to get the included cell phone protection. Where it beats our benchmark card: An introductory interest rate on purchases cell phone protection. Where our benchmark card is better: The Citi Double Cash earns easy-to-redeem cash back on all purchases and has a longer four-month period to complete any introductory balance transfers. Learn more and apply now for the U.S. Bank Visa Platinum. Blue Cash Everyday Card from American Express15-month introductory rate, plus rewards at U.S. supermarkets Why it’s great in one sentence: The Blue Cash Everyday card offers a generous introductory interest rate on purchases and balances for 15 months while also earning 3% cash back as a statement credit at U.S. supermarkets (up to $6,000 annually, then 1%), U.S. online retail (up to $6,000 annually, then 1%) and U.S. gas stations, all with no annual fee. This card is right for: People who want to temporarily avoid high interest rates on their purchases, but who also spend a significant amount of their budget at U.S. supermarkets, online retail stores and gas stations. Highlights:
Welcome bonus: Earn up to a $200 bonus in the form of a statement credit — earn $100 back after you spend $2,000 in purchases on your new card within the first six months, plus 20% back when you use your card to check out with PayPal at merchants in the first six months (up to $150 back). What we like most about the Blue Cash Everyday: For many Americans, a significant portion of the monthly family budget goes to supermarket, online shopping and gas station expenses. The Blue Cash Everyday card dials up the bonus cash back on these categories, creating a go-to in your wallet for three routine purchases. The card also pairs its bonus categories with an introductory 0% APR on purchases and balances for the first 15 months, making it a solid choice if you’re trying to make ends meet right now. But you’ll want to make sure your debt is paid off by the end of the intro period, as the rate jumps to a regular variable APR of 17.74% to 28.74% afterward. (Most credit card APR’s like this one are “variable” because they’re tied to the prime rate, so the card’s rate rises or falls whenever the prime rate itself changes.) You’ll also find a nice — although not as straightforward — welcome bonus on the Blue Cash Everyday where you can earn up to a $250 bonus in the form of a statement credit — earn $100 back after you spend $2,000 in purchases on your new card within the first six months, plus 20% back when you use your card to check out with PayPal at merchants in the first six months (up to $150 back). And the card even has car rental loss and damage insurance, to top off a fairly complete package. And to top it off, despite being a no-annual-fee card, you’ll still have the opportunity to earn statement credits. With this card, you can earn up to $15 per month with Home Chef (with a maximum of $180 per year) and up to $7 per month with the $13.99 subscription plan for The Disney Bundle (with a maximum of $84 per year). Enrollment is required for both of these benefits. Earn 3% at U.S. supermarkets (up to $6,000 a year, then 1%) with the Blue Cash Everyday card. iStockOne thing that could be better: Bonus cash back isn’t earned on purchases outside of the US with the Blue Cash Everyday, and there’s a 2.7% foreign transaction fee on top of that (see rates and fees). However, you can earn twice as much cash back at U.S. supermarkets if you’re willing to forgo a few months of the introductory offer on purchases by getting the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express instead of the Blue Cash Everyday. Both Blue Cash cards currently come with welcome bonuses that can save you money at Amazon. American ExpressWhat’s the difference between the two American Express Blue Cash cards? Although the Blue Cash Preferred normally has a $95 annual fee, it’s currently offering a $0 intro annual fee for the first year (see rates and fees). The card also earns 6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year (then 1%). The downside is that its introductory offer on purchases runs for only 12 months instead of 15 months. Where it beats our benchmark card: Introductory interest rate on purchases and car rental damage coverage. Where our benchmark card is better: The Citi Double Cash has an introductory interest rate on balance transfers, and its cash back can be converted to Citi ThankYou travel points when combined with the Citi Prestige® Card or Citi Premier℠ Card. Learn more about the Blue Cash Everyday card. Chase Freedom Unlimited15-month introductory rate, plus earn 1.5% cash back on all purchases Why it’s great in one sentence: Beyond the generous introductory interest rate on purchases, the Chase Freedom Unlimited comes with three bonus categories and also earns 1.5% cash back on everything else you buy, plus your cash back can be converted to Ultimate Rewards travel points when combined with certain premium Chase credit cards. This card is right for: People who want a card that earns bonus cash back along with having an introductory interest rate on purchases, but who also want the option to convert their cash back to travel rewards down the line. Highlights:
Sign-up bonus: Earn an additional 1.5% cash back on everything you buy on up to $20,000 spent in the first year after opening the account. What we like most about the Chase Freedom Unlimited: This is a card that’s beneficial for the long haul. While you may sign up because of the Chase Freedom Unlimited’s introductory interest rate on purchases, it’ll likely become a staple in your purse or wallet thanks to its 1.5% cash back on everything you buy. Even better, the Chase Freedom Unlimited comes with three permanent bonus categories. Both new and existing card holders earn 5% cash back on travel purchases made via Chase Ultimate Rewards, 3% cash back on dining — including takeout and delivery — and 3% cash back at drugstores. Plus, the Chase Freedom Unlimited grows with you. If you apply for a Chase Sapphire Preferred or Chase Sapphire Reserve® card down the road, you can convert the cash back you earn with the Chase Freedom into Ultimate Rewards points, which can be redeemed for travel at the Chase travel portal, or transferred to Chase’s airline and hotel partners to extract potentially even more value from them. You can transfer rewards earned with the Chase Freedom Unlimited to a Chase Sapphire Preferred or Chase Sapphire Reserve card and get even more value from them. ChaseOne thing that could be better: It’s hard to gripe about the Chase Freedom Unlimited, but you should be mindful of its pesky 3% foreign transaction fee. Also, the card’s 1.5% flat earning rate falls short of some other no-annual-fee cards, which top out at 2%. However, the ability to potentially transfer cash back to points might be worth the tradeoff, especially since Chase Ultimate Rewards is one of the better flexible rewards programs, and the bonus categories further increase the card’s value. Where it beats our benchmark card: Purchase protections and introductory rate on purchases for 15 months. Where our benchmark card is better: The Citi Double Cash offers a higher overall cash back rate and a longer 18-month introductory interest rate on balance transfers. Learn more and apply for the Chase Freedom Unlimited. Citi Rewards+ Card15-month introductory rate, plus rewards round up to the nearest 10 points on each purchase Why it’s great in one sentence: If you use your credit card for a lot of small purchases — meaning under $10 — then the “round up” feature of the Citi Rewards+ will earn you extra rewards, and its introductory offer on new purchases can lower your costs if you have to carry debt. This card is right for: People looking to earn more points for small purchases while also needing to pay for some expenses over time. Highlights:
Welcome bonus: Earn 20,000 bonus points after you spend $1,500 in purchases in your first three months. What we like most about the Citi Rewards+: There are three features of the Citi Rewards+ that make it worthy of consideration. First, the rewards you earn for every purchase made with the card round up to the nearest 10 points. That won’t make a huge difference on expensive items, but a $2 pack of gum earns 10 points instead of 2 points, a 400% improvement. Lots of these little transactions can add up quickly. Second, when you redeem points, you’ll get 10% of your points back on up to 100,000 points every year. That means if you use 2,500 points to redeem for a $25 gift card, you’ll soon see 250 points back in your account to redeem again down the line. Since you can get up to 10,000 points back each year, that’s effectively up to an extra $100 in points to spend on gift cards. And third, although the Citi Rewards+ earns points that can be redeemed for gift cards, cash back or through Citi’s Shop with Points program, if you also have a Citi Premier card, you can move your points to your other card and open up a whole new world of options, including redeeming points for travel down the line or transferring them to Citi’s airline and hotel partners. Move points from the Citi Rewards+ to one of the premium Citi ThankYou cards and redeem them for a future vacation getaway. iStockOne thing that could be better: If you’re not pairing the Citi Rewards+ with one of the premium Citi ThankYou cards, the most value you can get for your points is 1 cent apiece when redeeming for gift cards. If you redeem points for cash back, the value is only 0.5 cents per point, in which case you’d be better off with the flat-rate cash back of our benchmark Citi Double Cash card or one of the other 0% interest cards on our list. Where it beats our benchmark card: Valuable sign-up bonus, 10% points back on redemptions up to 100,000 points per year and 15-month introductory offer on purchases. Where our benchmark card is better: The Citi Double Cash has a longer introductory interest rate period of 18 months on balance transfers. Learn more and apply for the Citi Rewards+ Card. Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards15-month introductory rate, plus earn 3% cash back on food delivery Why it’s great in one sentence: The no-annual-fee Capital One SavorOne card offers an introductory interest rate on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months, plus an outstanding 3% cash back on several everyday categories. This card is right for: People who spend a significant amount on entertainment and dining — including food delivery services — but who also need a long introductory interest period on their purchases. Highlights:
Sign-up bonus: Earn a $200 cash bonus after you spend $500 on purchases within the first three months after opening the account. What we like most about the Capital One SavorOne: Even after you’ve taken advantage of its introductory interest rate period, having a card that earns 3% back on four highly important categories — dining, entertainment, streaming and grocery stores — means that it will remain a useful part of your card arsenal. But more importantly, if you’ve gotten used to having food delivered in the last few years, most food delivery services also code as “dining” on the Capital One SavorOne, meaning if you order from a service like Grubhub or Seamless, in most cases you should get the same 3% cash back that you would if you were physically dining at the restaurant. If you’re using food delivery services, you’ll earn 3% cash back on many of them with the Capital One SavorOne card. GrubhubOne thing that could be better: There’s no cell phone insurance on the Capital One SavorOne card, which is becoming a common feature even on some no-annual-fee credit cards. You can also find cards with somewhat longer introductory periods if you need extra time to carry debt. Where it beats our benchmark card: Introductory rate on purchases for 15 months and no foreign transaction fee. Where our benchmark card is better: The Citi Double Cash has a longer introductory interest rate period of 18 months on balance transfers. Click here for rates and fees of the Blue Cash Everyday card. American Express car rental loss and damage insurance eligibility and benefit levels vary by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Car rental loss and damage coverage underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company and offered through American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc. Looking for a new credit card, but don’t need 0% interest on purchases? Check out CNN Underscored’s list of the best credit cards currently available. What does 0 interest for 18 months mean?A 0% APR on a credit card means that you won't be responsible for paying your card's ongoing interest rate for a certain period of time, typically 15 to 18 months. Depending on the card, the promotional APR will apply to purchases, balance transfers, or both.
Is 0% APR for 15 months good?What does 0% APR mean on a credit card? A 0% APR means that you pay no interest on new purchases, balance transfers or both for a certain period of time after you open the credit card account. The best 0% APR credit cards on the market currently give 15-21 months without interest.
Can you get a 0% APR credit card?A 0% APR credit card offers no interest for a period of time, typically six to 21 months. During the introductory no interest period, you won't incur interest on new purchases, balance transfers or both (it all depends on the card).
How do you get 0% interest?How to Qualify for 0% Financing. Always pay your bills on time.. Pay down your credit card balances.. Avoid closing old credit cards.. Apply for new credit only if you need it.. |
Credit cards with 0 interest for 18 months
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