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Last updatedDecember 2024

Our Best No Annual Fee Credit Cards

December 2024

Written by
Julia Altmann
Senior Writer
author-badge-iconExpertise
Julia Altmann is a content writer specializing in personal finance. She focuses on helping consumers navigate complex financial products, such as credit cards, by creating clear comparison charts. Julia's work is designed to simplify decision-making for readers, enabling them to evaluate their options easily and make informed financial choices.
Reviewed by
Jeanine Skowronski
Editor in Chief
Jeanine Skowronski is a credit card expert, analyst, and multimedia journalist with over 10 years of experience covering business and personal finance. She currently serves as Editor in Chief of Natural Intelligence’s Publisher division and has previously served as Managing Editor at Bankrate and CreditCards.com, the Head of Content at Policygenius, Executive Editor of Credit.com, Deputy Editor at American Banker, Staff Reporter at TheStreet, and a columnist for Inc. Magazine.

A no annual fee credit card offers all the perks of a great credit card without the extra cost. You can enjoy rewards, cash back, or other benefits without worrying about paying a yearly fee. This makes it easier to maximize your savings and get the most out of your card. Apply for a no annual fee credit card today and start benefiting without the added expense.

All Cards Are:
Property lockSafe & Secure
CheckVerified & Vetted
TopTrusted Brands
Our Best
Cash Back
Balance Transfer
Travel
Rewards
No Annual Fee
Low Interest
citi-double-cash-card credit card logo
9.9
BestMoneyscore
Popularity
Based on visits in the past 7 days
10.0
Brand Reputation
Based on web trends
9.7
Features & Benefits
Based on our editorial reviews
10.0
Learn More
on Citi's application
Citi Double Cash® Card
Credit Score
580-850 (Fair to Excellent)
Annual Fee
$0
Regular APR
18.49%-28.49% (Variable)
Summary
Editor's Review
Card Features
Pros & Cons

Rewards Rate:
Earn 2% on every purchase with unlimited 1% cash back when you buy, plus an additional 1% as you pay for those purchases. To earn cash back, pay at least the minimum due on time.
Plus, a special travel offer, earn 5% total cash back on hotel, car rentals, and attractions booked on the Citi Travel℠ portal through 12/31/25

Welcome Bonus: Earn $200 cash back after you spend $1,500 on purchases in the first 6 months of account opening. This bonus offer will be fulfilled as 20,000 ThankYou® Points, which can be redeemed for $200 cash back

Balance Transfer Only Offer: 0% intro APR on Balance Transfers for 18 months. After that, the variable APR will be 18.49%-28.49%, based on your creditworthiness.

See Rates & Fees

Learn more about Citi Double Cash® Card
chase-freedom-unlimited credit card logo
9.3
BestMoneyscore
Popularity
Based on visits in the past 7 days
9.0
Brand Reputation
Based on web trends
9.9
Features & Benefits
Based on our editorial reviews
9.2
Learn More
on chase.com site
Chase Freedom Unlimited®
Credit Score
670-850 (Good to Excellent)
Annual Fee
$0
Regular APR
19.74% - 28.49% Variable
Summary
Editor's Review
Card Features
Pros & Cons

Rewards Rate:
After your first year or $20,000 spent, enjoy 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠
3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service
Unlimited 1.5% cash back on all other purchases

Welcome Bonus: Earn an additional 1.5% cash back on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) — worth up to $300 cash back! Enjoy 6.5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, our premier rewards program that lets you redeem rewards for cash back, travel, gift cards and more; 4.5% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and 3% on all other purchases (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year)

Intro APR: Enjoy 0% Intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers, then a variable APR of 19.74% - 28.49%.

Learn more about Chase Freedom Unlimited® card
blue-cash-everyday-card-from-american-express credit card logo
9.0
BestMoneyscore
Popularity
Based on visits in the past 7 days
8.1
Brand Reputation
Based on web trends
9.8
Features & Benefits
Based on our editorial reviews
10.0
Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express
Credit Score
670-850 (Good to Excellent)
Annual Fee
$0
Regular APR
18.24%-29.24% Variable
Summary
Editor's Review
Card Features
Pros & Cons

Rewards Rate:
3% Cash Back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year in purchases, then 1%
3% Cash Back on U.S. online retail purchases, on up to $6,000 per year, then 1%
3% Cash Back at U.S. gas stations, on up to $6,000 per year, then 1%
(Cash Back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit or at Amazon.com checkout.)

Welcome Bonus: Earn a $200 statement credit after you spend $2,000 in purchases on your new Card within the first 6 months

Intro APR: Enjoy 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months from the date of account opening. After that, 18.24% to 29.24% variable APR.

Terms Apply, See Rates & Fees

Learn more about Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express
bank-of-america-unlimited-cash-rewards-credit-card credit card logo
9.1
BestMoneyscore
Popularity
Based on visits in the past 7 days
8.4
Brand Reputation
Based on web trends
9.8
Features & Benefits
Based on our editorial reviews
9.6
Learn More
on Bank of America's application
Bank of America® Unlimited Cash Rewards credit card
Credit Score
670+
Annual Fee
$0
Regular APR
18.49% - 28.49% variable
Summary
Editor's Review
Card Features
Pros & Cons

Rewards Rate:
Unlimited 1.5% for every $1 you spend on all purchases

Welcome Bonus: Online $200 cash rewards bonus after making at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of your account opening

Intro APR: 0% for 15 billing cycles for purchases and qualifying balance transfers then, a variable APR of 18.49% - 28.49%

Learn more about Bank of America® Unlimited Cash Rewards credit card
citi-custom-cash-card credit card logo
9.3
BestMoneyscore
Popularity
Based on visits in the past 7 days
8.7
Brand Reputation
Based on web trends
9.7
Features & Benefits
Based on our editorial reviews
10.0
Learn More
on Citi's application
Citi Custom Cash® Card
Credit Score
670-850 (Good to Excellent)
Annual Fee
$0
Regular APR
18.49%-28.49% (Variable)
Summary
Editor's Review
Card Features
Pros & Cons

Rewards Rate:
Earn 5% cash back on purchases in your top eligible spend category each billing cycle, up to the first $500 spent, 1% cash back thereafter. Also, earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases.

Welcome Bonus: Earn $200 cash back after you spend $1,500 on purchases in the first 6 months of account opening. This bonus offer will be fulfilled as 20,000 ThankYou® Points, which can be redeemed for $200 cash back

Intro APR: 0% Intro APR on balance transfers and purchases for 15 months. After that, the variable APR will be 18.49%-28.49%, based on your creditworthiness.

See Rates & Fees

Learn more about Citi Custom Cash® Card
citi-rewards-card credit card logo
8.7
BestMoneyscore
Popularity
Based on visits in the past 7 days
7.8
Brand Reputation
Based on web trends
9.7
Features & Benefits
Based on our editorial reviews
9.3
Learn More
on Citi's application
Citi Rewards+® Card
Credit Score
690-850 (Good to Excellent)
Annual Fee
$0
Regular APR
17.99%-27.99% (Variable)
Summary
Editor's Review
Card Features
Pros & Cons

Rewards Rate:
Earn 2X ThankYou® Points at supermarkets and gas stations for the first $6,000 per year and then 1X Points thereafter
Earn 1X ThankYou® Points on all other purchases
Plus, as a special offer, earn a total of 5 ThankYou® Points per $1 spent on hotel, car rentals and attractions booked on CitiTravel.com through December 31, 2025

Welcome Bonus: Earn 20,000 bonus points after you spend $1,500 in purchases with your card within 3 months of account opening; redeemable for $200 in gift cards at thankyou.com

Intro APR: 0% Intro APR on balance transfers for 15 months from date of first transfer and on purchases from date of account opening. After that, the variable APR will be 17.99%-27.99%, based on your creditworthiness. There is an intro balance transfer fee of 3% of each transfer (minimum $5) completed within the first 4 months of account opening. After that, your fee will be 5% of each transfer (minimum $5).

See Rates & Fees

Learn more about Citi Rewards+® Card
capital-one-quicksilver-cash-rewards-credit-card credit card logo
8.7
BestMoneyscore
Popularity
Based on visits in the past 7 days
7.5
Brand Reputation
Based on web trends
9.8
Features & Benefits
Based on our editorial reviews
10.0
Learn More
on creditcards.com site
Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card
Credit Score
670-850 (Good to Excellent)
Annual Fee
$0
Regular APR
19.49% - 29.49% (Variable)
Summary
Editor's Review
Card Features
Pros & Cons

Rewards Rate:
5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
1.5% cash back on every purchase you make

Welcome Bonus: $200 when you spend $500 within the first 3 months

Intro APR: 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months; 19.49% - 29.49% variable APR after that; balance transfer fee applies

Learn more about Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card

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BestMoney Total Score
Our product scores consist of a combination of the following 3 components:
Popularity
BestMoney measures user engagement based on the number of clicks each listed brand received in the past 7 days. The number of clicks to each brand will be measured against other brands listed in the same query. Therefore, the higher the share of clicks a brand receives in any specific query, the higher the Click Trend Score. BestMoney accepts advertising compensation from companies, which impacts their (and/or their products’) position, and in some cases, may also affect their Click Trend Score.
Brand Reputation
Semrush is a trusted and comprehensive tool that offers insights about online visibility and performance. The BestMoney Total Score will consist of the brand's reputation from Semrush. The brand reputation is based on Semrush's analysis of clickstream data, which includes user behavior, search patterns, and engagement, to accurately measure each brand's prominence, credibility, and trustworthiness. If a brand does not have a Semrush score, the BestMoney Total Score will be based solely on the Click Trend Score and Products & Features Score (read below).
Features & Benefits
BestMoney’s editorial team researches and reviews financial products based on factors such as: range of products and services offered, ease-of-use, online accessibility, customer service, special awards, and more. Each brand is then given a score based on the offerings in each parameter. The specific parameters which we use to evaluate the score of each product can be found on its review page.
Editorial Reviews
Citi Double Cash® Card
Citi Double Cash® Card
Read Review
View all reviews

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Everything You Need to Know About Applying for a No Annual Fee Credit Card Online

In the age of maximizing financial returns, the trend of the best credit cards with no annual fee is gaining traction. With online platforms facilitating easy comparisons and applications, you can now find the best cash back credit cards with no annual fee or the best travel credit cards with no annual fee without ever leaving your home. If this is the year you aim to save more, starting with the best credit cards with no annual fee can be a smart choice.

How to Choose the Right No Annual Fee Credit Card for You

With a myriad of options, making an informed choice can seem daunting. Here’s a guide to selecting the best no annual fee credit cards tailored to your needs:

Purpose: Are you seeking cash back, travel perks, or other rewards? For instance, if you love traveling but hate fees, the best credit cards for travel with no annual fee should be on your radar.

Reward Rates: Just because it's fee-free doesn’t mean you should compromise on returns. The highest cash back credit card with no annual fee can offer substantial savings.

Additional Perks: Some cards, like the best credit card for airline miles with no annual fee, come with added benefits like free checked bags or priority boarding.

No Annual Fee Credit Cards 101

As you delve into the world of the best credit cards with no annual fee, keep these points in mind:

True Savings: Annual fees can sometimes offset the benefits of a card. With no annual fee, you can ensure your rewards truly benefit you.

Diverse Options: From the best credit card rewards with no annual fee to travel credit cards with no annual fee, there’s something for everyone.

Credit Score Impact: As with any card, pay off your balances on time. While you're saving on fees, maintaining a good credit score is paramount.

FAQs

Do no annual fee cards offer competitive rewards?

Absolutely! Many best no annual fee credit cards provide competitive rewards, such as cash back or travel perks.

Can I upgrade my no annual fee card to a premium card in the future?

Yes, many issuers allow upgrading. If you start with a credit card with no annual fee and wish to explore premium options later, you can often switch.

Are there any hidden charges to watch out for?

While you might be avoiding annual fees, always read the fine print for other potential fees like late payments or foreign transaction fees.

Diving into the realm of the best credit cards with no annual fee can lead to genuine savings and rewards. With diligent research and mindful spending, a fee-free financial future may await.