September 6, 2023
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The Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card earns cash back at an excellent flat rate on all purchases, so you don’t have to keep track which types of purchases earn a higher rewards rate. Plus, it comes with a lengthy intro APR on balance transfers, making it a powerful tool for paying off high-interest debt.
Looking for a credit card that puts some cash back in your pocket but don’t want to pay an annual fee? Whether you want to earn rewards, take advantage of a 0% intro APR or build credit, there’s a no-annual-fee card that can fill that need.
Based on a review of cards available through LendingTree, as well as from top issuers, we’ve selected several of the best no-annual-fee credit cards so you can find one that offers the most value for your needs.
The Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card is a top-notch cash back credit card. Cardholders earn unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases. Plus, you can earn a $200 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 in purchases in the first 3 months.
If you need to finance a big purchase, take advantage of the 0% intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases. After, a 20.24%, 25.24%, or 29.99% variable APR applies. There’s also a 0% intro APR for 15 months from account opening on qualifying balance transfers, after which a 20.24%, 25.24%, or 29.99% variable APR applies. The balance transfer fee is 3% intro for 120 days from account opening, then up to 5%; min: $5. The card charges a foreign transaction fee of 3%.
Who’s this card best for?
The Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card offers a solid cash back program, a valuable sign-up bonus and an intro APR on purchases and balance transfers.
Your cash back can be redeemed in a variety of ways:
However, if you’re willing to spend time optimizing your spending on two or more cards with elevated rewards rates for your most common spending categories, you may be able to earn more cash back than you would just using this flat-rate card alone.
The Chase Freedom Flex℠ comes with a sign-up bonus that’s both generous and relatively easy to earn: Earn a $200 bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. Plus, earn 5% cash back on grocery store purchases (excluding Target and Walmart) on up to $12,000 spent in the first year..
Plus, it offers exceptional rewards on an ongoing basis. You can earn 5% cash back on up to $1,500 in combined purchases in bonus categories each quarter you activate. Enjoy new 5% categories each quarter! Plus, earn 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®, 3% on dining and drugstores, and 1% on all other purchases. Maxing out the $1,500 spending cap on rotating categories will earn you $75 in cash back per quarter before your earning rate for those categories drops to 1%.
The card also comes with intro APR offers on purchases and balance transfers. Enjoy a 0% Intro APR on Purchases for 15 months, after which a 20.49% - 29.24% variable APR applies. Plus, get a 0% Intro APR on Balance Transfers for 15 months, after which a 20.49% - 29.24% variable APR applies.
There’s a balance transfer fee of either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.
If traveling abroad, know that there’s a foreign transaction fee of 3% of each transaction in U.S. dollars.
Who’s this card best for?
If you spend regularly on dining or drugstores, the Chase Freedom Flex℠ is already a pretty solid card for you. And if your budget often lines up well with the rotating categories, even better. Some past categories have included spending such as gas stations, restaurants and grocery stores.
Finally, the sign-up bonus offers excellent value for what is a comparatively small spending requirement.
In a world where many credit cards have APRs of 20% or higher, the Lake Michigan Credit Union Prime Platinum stands out with a much lower as low as 11.25% (variable).
The card doesn’t have much in the way of features beyond that — there’s no 0% intro APR period and you won’t earn rewards or a sign-up bonus.
However, if you need to carry a balance once in a while, the Lake Michigan Credit Union Prime Platinum is one of the best cards available for such situations.
The card charges a 1% of each transaction in U.S. Dollars foreign transaction fee.
Who’s this card best for?
If you’re looking for a low interest credit card and have excellent/good credit, the Lake Michigan Credit Union Prime Platinum may be a good fit.
You’ll have to join Lake Michigan Credit Union, but membership eligibility is easy to meet. You can qualify based on where you live, work or worship, through a family member who already banks with the credit union or by contributing $5 to the ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis) Foundation.
The Wells Fargo Reflect® Card offers one of the longest interest-free periods on purchases and balance transfers currently available.
Cardholders get a 0% intro APR 21 months from account opening on purchases, after which a 18.24%, 24.74%, 29.99% variable APR applies. And there’s also a 0% intro APR for 21 months from account opening on qualifying balance transfers, after which a 18.24%, 24.74%, 29.99% variable APR applies. The balance transfer fee is 5%; min: $5.
This card charges a 3% foreign transaction fee.
Who’s this card best for?
If you need almost two years of no interest, and you’re not concerned about rewards or a sign-up bonus, the Wells Fargo Reflect® Card is well worth your consideration. Whether you need to finance a big-ticket item or transfer debt from a high-interest card, the Wells Fargo Reflect® Card is a rock star.
Just beware that if you’ve opened a Wells Fargo credit card in the past 15 months, you might not qualify for this card’s intro APRs. And if you’ve opened a Wells Fargo credit card in the past six months, you may not be eligible for the Wells Fargo Reflect® Card.
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The Discover it® Cash Back helps you earn extra rewards on select categories each quarter. Earn 5% cash back on everyday purchases at different places each quarter like Amazon.com, grocery stores, restaurants, and gas stations, up to the quarterly maximum when you activate. Plus, earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases - automatically.
It offers a unique sign-up bonus as well: Unlimited Cashback Match – only from Discover. Discover will automatically match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year! There’s no minimum spending or maximum rewards. You could turn $150 cash back into $300.
The Discover it® Cash Back also offers a longer 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers than many other cards. There’s a 0% Intro APR for 15 months on purchases, then a 17.24% - 28.24% Variable APR. For balance transfers, there’s a 0% Intro APR for 15 months. A 17.24% - 28.24% Variable APR applies after.
Who’s this card best for?
The Discover it® Cash Back is best for people who don’t mind keeping track of rotating bonus categories each quarter. Since the card has a spending cap for the bonus categories, it’s best to pair this card with a flat-rate 2% cash back card like the Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card. That way, when you reach your bonus earning limit, you can continue to earn 2% cash back instead of 1%.
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The Citi Custom Cash® Card comes with a unique rewards program that automatically adapts to your spending: 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. If you max that out each month, that’s $25 per month in cash back at the elevated rate.
Categories eligible for 5% cash back include:
There’s also a valuable sign-up bonus with a relatively easy-to-meet spending target: Earn $200 in cash back after you spend $1500 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. You can get your cash back either as a statement credit to your card or a direct deposit into a bank account.
If you need to finance a big-ticket item, the card offers a 0% intro APR for 15 months on purchases. After, a 19.24% - 29.24% (variable) APR applies.
And there’s a 0% intro APR for 15 months on balance transfers. After, a 19.24% - 29.24% (variable) APR applies. The balance transfer fee is 5% of each balance transfer; $5 minimum. This card charges a 3% foreign transaction fee.
Who’s this card best for?
If you spend heavily in one of the 10 categories where the Citi Custom Cash® Card earns an elevated cash back rate, you may want this card in your wallet.
The card also comes with solid intro APRs on both purchases and balance transfers, which will come in handy for consumers looking to finance an expensive purchase or transfer debt from another credit card.
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When your budget fluctuates, a credit card that lets you change your cash back category monthly can come in handy. With the Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card, you’ll earn Earn 3% cash back in the category of your choice - now with expanded categories, automatic 2% at grocery stores and wholesale clubs (up to $2,500 in combined choice category/grocery store/wholesale club quarterly purchases) and unlimited 1% on all other purchases.. You can select from the following for your 3% category:
If you max out the $2,500 spending cap on purchases eligible for 3% every quarter, you’ll earn $75 in cash back per quarter at the elevated rate. Plus, you can earn a $200 online cash rewards bonus after you make at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening.
There’s a 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for purchases, after which a 18.24% - 28.24% Variable APR applies. And there’s a 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for any balance transfers made in the first 60 days, after which a 18.24% - 28.24% Variable APR on balance transfers applies. The balance transfer fee is 3% of the amount of each transaction. If traveling internationally, beware of this card’s 3% foreign transaction fee.
Who’s this card best for?
The Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card can fill many niches. Perhaps you’re a road warrior who spends heavily on gas while traveling the country. Or maybe you’re a frequent online shopper who loves seeing packages show up on your doorstep.
The great thing about this card is that you can change your choice category as frequently as every month, meaning you can switch things up when you know your spending will be different from one month to the next.
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The Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card is a great option for you if you find yourself at restaurants, sporting events or concerts often.
You can earn 3% Cash Back on dining and at grocery stores (excluding superstores like Walmart® and Target®); 3% Cash Back on popular streaming services and entertainment; 8% Cash Back on Capital One Entertainment purchases; 1% Cash Back on all other purchases.
Plus, earn $200 Cash Back after you spend $500 on purchases within 3 months from account opening.
This card doesn’t have rotating categories, so there’s no need to activate anything on a quarterly basis. Its elevated earning rate on dining, entertainment and select grocery stores is also unlimited, so there’s no earning cap unlike other cards.
It has a long APR of 0% intro on purchases for 15 months, then a 19.99% - 29.99% (Variable) APR. There’s also an APR of 0% intro on balance transfers for 15 months. After that, a 19.99% - 29.99% (Variable) APR applies.
Who’s this card best for?
If you spend a lot on food or entertainment, then the Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card could be a good fit for you if you’re looking for a cash back card. If you spend a lot on dining but prefer travel rewards, then the American Express® Gold Card might be a better fit. Just be aware that the American Express® Gold Card has a steep $250 annual fee.
To see rates & fees for American Express® Gold Card please click here.
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The Discover it® Student Cash Back offers a high cash back rate in a variety of spending categories that change every quarter. You’ll earn 5% cash back on everyday purchases at different places each quarter like Amazon.com, grocery stores, restaurants, and gas stations, up to the quarterly maximum when you activate. Plus, earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases – automatically.
There’s a $1,500 spending cap on the 5% rate each quarter, after which you’ll earn just 1% on all purchases. Also, you must activate the new categories every quarter — Discover typically sends reminders.
Rewards can be redeemed as statement credits, deposits into a bank account, gift cards, charitable donations and more.
There’s also a sign-up bonus for new cardmembers: Unlimited Cashback Match – only from Discover. Discover will automatically match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year! So you could turn $50 cash back into $100. Or turn $100 into $200. There’s no minimum spending or maximum rewards. Just a dollar-for-dollar match.
Plus, if you need to finance a large purchase over a few months, there is a 0% Intro APR for 6 months on purchases from the date of account opening. After, a 18.24% - 27.24% Variable APR applies.
Who’s this card best for?
The Discover it® Student Cash Back is designed for college students looking to establish and build their credit through responsible card usage. And because Discover provides access to your FICO® Score, which is updated monthly, you can easily track your progress in building credit.
You can also sign up for alerts in case there are inquiries on your credit report (indicating that you’ve applied for credit or someone else has applied for credit using your information) or if your Social Security number is found on the Dark Web.
Last but not least, the card earns cash back at a generous rate for those willing to activate a new category every quarter. Here are Discover’s rotating categories for 2023 so far:
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The Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card earns 1.25 Miles per dollar on every purchase, every day; 5 Miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel.
Redeem miles for past travel purchases, to book new travel or transfer them to a variety of travel partners.
Plus, you can earn a bonus of 20,000 miles once you spend $500 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $200 in travel. And if you need to finance a big purchase, you’ll appreciate the APR of 0% intro on purchases for 15 months, after which a 19.99% - 29.99% (variable) APR applies.
As befits a travel card, you don’t have to worry about a foreign transaction fee; this card charges none.
If you’re carrying a balance on another card, take advantage of this card’s intro APR: 0% intro on balance transfers for 15 months. After, a 19.99% - 29.99% (variable) APR applies. The balance transfer fee is 3% for the first 15 months. No fee for amounts transferred at the Transfer APR.
Who’s this card best for?
The Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card doesn’t come with the premium benefits you may find on more expensive travel cards. But for the occasional traveler who wants to earn miles for a $0 annual fee, this card is a fine choice. You’ve got flexibility in how you use your miles, and you can rest easy knowing the miles you earn won’t expire for the life of the account.
Many hotel credit cards come with a stiff annual fee. The Hilton Honors American Express Card, however, offers excellent value with a $0 annual fee. You can earn 80,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after you spend $1,000 in purchases on the Card in the first 3 months of Card Membership.
Additionally, cardholders earn points at a generous rate for numerous common spending categories: Earn 7X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for each dollar of eligible purchases charged directly with hotels and resorts within the Hilton portfolio, 5X Hilton Honors Bonus Points at U.S. restaurants, U.S. supermarkets, and U.S. gas stations AND 3X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for all other eligible purchases on your Card.
There’s no intro APR; the regular APR is 20.99%-29.99% variable. Don’t worry about a foreign transaction fee, because the Hilton Honors American Express Card charges none.
Who’s this card best for?
Hilton is one of the largest hotel chains and has more than 6,800 properties worldwide. If your preferred home away from home is often in the Hilton family, the Hilton Honors American Express Card offers a chance to rack up Hilton Honors points. Plus, it conveys automatic Hilton Honors Silver status, with the chance to earn Hilton Honors Gold status by spending $20,000 on eligible purchases in a calendar year (enrollment required).
To see rates & fees for Hilton Honors American Express Card please click here.
The $0-annual-fee Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card lets cardholders earn 2X Miles per dollar spent on Delta purchases and at restaurants worldwide, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S. Earn 1X Mile on all other eligible purchases.
There’s also a welcome offer with a relatively low spending requirement: Earn 10,000 bonus miles after you spend $1,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months.
The card’s APR is 20.99%-29.99% variable, and as for foreign transaction fees — there are none.
Who’s this card best for?
The Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card is the lowest in a line of co-branded Delta Amex cards, and doesn’t come with some of the premium perks the others do (such as a free checked bag or priority boarding). However, it’s also the only one with a $0 annual fee. In short, this card is good for the casual Delta flyer who wants to earn miles but doesn’t want to pay an annual fee.
Plus, the card offers a 20% savings in the form of a statement credit on eligible Delta in-flight purchases.
To see rates & fees for Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card please click here.
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For consumers with poor/limited credit, the Discover it® Secured Credit Card allows you to build credit history and earn cash back. It’s a secured card, meaning you must submit a security deposit that will serve as your credit limit. The security deposit can range from $200 to $2,500.
Purchases made with the card earn 2% cash back at gas stations and restaurants on up to $1,000 in combined purchases each quarter. 1% unlimited cash back on all other purchases - automatically.
Rewards can be redeemed as statement credits, electronic deposits into other accounts, gift cards and charitable donations, and you can also pay with your cash back bonus at select merchants.
There’s also a sign-up bonus for new cardmembers. Discover will match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year.
Finally, after seven months of having your card, Discover begins conducting monthly reviews to see if you qualify to get your deposit refunded and graduate to an unsecured card. Note that your behavior across all your credit products — not just those with Discover — is considered.
Who’s this card best for?
Whether you’ve struggled with credit in the past or are new to credit and want to get off to a great start, the Discover it® Secured Credit Card can help you on your journey.
It’s a secured credit card, meaning you must submit a security deposit (a minimum of $200 up to $2,500) equal to the amount of your credit line. In the event you don’t pay off what you charge to the card, Discover will use the deposit to recoup that loss. In other respects, secured cards function just like regular credit cards — also known as unsecured cards, simply meaning no deposit is required.
A great feature of the Discover it® Secured Credit Card is that it earns cash back. And, unlike some unsecured cards for people with bad credit, the Discover it® Secured Credit Card doesn’t hit applicants with expensive fees and confusing terms. It’s consistently one of our top card choices for building credit.
The Ink Business Cash® Credit Card is a great card for businesses that spend at office supply stores and on internet, cable and phone services. Not only will you enjoy a higher rate on these purchases than with competing cards, but you will also get a solid intro period for new purchases, allowing you to take time to pay off new transactions without accruing interest — all great features for a $0 annual fee.
Cardholders earn 5% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at office supply stores and on internet, cable and phone services each account anniversary year. Earn 2% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at gas stations and restaurants each account anniversary year. Earn 1% cash back on all other card purchases with no limit to the amount you can earn. Redemption options include cash back, gift cards, travel and more.
If your business has a big purchase coming up, take advantage of the 0% Intro APR on Purchases for 12 months. After, a 18.49% to 24.49% Variable APR applies.
Finally, you will receive the following sign-up bonus: Earn $900 bonus cash back after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening But if you’re planning a trip abroad, be aware that the card charges a foreign transaction fee of 3% of each transaction in U.S. dollars.
Who’s this card best for?
The Ink Business Cash® Credit Card can help offset the cost of everyday business expenses. You can use your points to redeem for cash through an account statement credit or electronic deposit into an eligible checking or savings account, for gift cards or for travel. When you use points to redeem for gift cards and travel, each point is worth $0.01, which means that 100 points equals $1 in redemption value.
Plus, if you need to finance a large purchase, you’ll enjoy the 0% intro APR and valuable sign-up bonus.
| Credit Cards | Our Ratings | Welcome Offer | Intro Purchase APR | Regular APR | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card
Review Coming Soon
|
Cash back
|
Earn a $200 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 in purchases in the first 3 months | 0% intro APR for 15 months from account opening | 20.24%, 25.24%, or 29.99% variable APR | Review Coming Soon |
|
Chase Freedom Flex℠
|
High sign-up bonus
|
Earn a $200 bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. Plus, earn 5% cash back on grocery store purchases (excluding Target and Walmart) on up to $12,000 spent in the first year. | 0% Intro APR on Purchases for 15 months | 20.49% - 29.24% Variable | |
|
Lake Michigan Credit Union Prime Platinum
|
Low interest rate
|
N/A | N/A | as low as 11.25% (variable) | |
|
Wells Fargo Reflect® Card
|
Long intro APR
|
N/A | 0% intro APR 21 months from account opening | 18.24%, 24.74%, 29.99% variable APR | |
|
Discover it® Cash Back
Apply Now
on Discover's secure site Rates & Fees |
Rotating bonus category
|
Unlimited Cashback Match – only from Discover. Discover will automatically match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year! There’s no minimum spending or maximum rewards. You could turn $150 cash back into $300. | 0% Intro APR for 15 months | 17.24% - 28.24% Variable APR |
Apply Now
on Discover's secure site Rates & Fees |
|
Citi Custom Cash® Card
Apply Now
on Citibank's secure site Rates & Fees |
Top spending category Rewards
|
Earn $200 in cash back after you spend $1500 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. | 0% intro APR for 15 months on purchases | 19.24% - 29.24% (Variable) |
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on Citibank's secure site Rates & Fees |
|
Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card
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on Bank Of America's secure site |
Choose your cash back category
|
$200 online cash rewards bonus after you make at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening | 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for purchases | 18.24% - 28.24% Variable APR |
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on Bank Of America's secure site |
|
Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card
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on Capital One's secure site Rates & Fees |
Dining and entertainment rewards
|
$200 Cash Back after you spend $500 on purchases within 3 months from account opening | 0% intro on purchases for 15 months | 19.99% - 29.99% (Variable) |
Apply Now
on Capital One's secure site Rates & Fees |
|
Discover it® Student Cash Back
Apply Now
on Discover's secure site Rates & Fees |
Student
|
Unlimited Cashback Match – only from Discover. Discover will automatically match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year! So you could turn $50 cash back into $100. Or turn $100 into $200. There’s no minimum spending or maximum rewards. Just a dollar-for-dollar match. | 0% Intro APR for 6 months on purchases | 18.24% - 27.24% Variable APR |
Apply Now
on Discover's secure site Rates & Fees |
|
Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card
Apply Now
on Capital One's secure site Rates & Fees |
Travel
|
Earn a bonus of 20,000 miles once you spend $500 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $200 in travel | 0% intro on purchases for 15 months | 19.99% - 29.99% (Variable) |
Apply Now
on Capital One's secure site Rates & Fees |
Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card
|
Earning airline miles
|
Earn 10,000 bonus miles after you spend $1,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months. | N/A | 20.99%-29.99% Variable | |
Hilton Honors American Express Card
|
Hotel
|
Earn 80,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after you spend $1,000 in purchases on the Card in the first 3 months of Card Membership. | N/A | 20.99%-29.99% Variable | |
|
Discover it® Secured Credit Card
Apply Now
on Discover's secure site Rates & Fees |
Build credit
|
Discover will match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year. | N/A | 28.24% Variable APR |
Apply Now
on Discover's secure site Rates & Fees |
|
Ink Business Cash® Credit Card
|
Small business
|
Earn $900 bonus cash back after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening | 0% Intro APR on Purchases for 12 months | 18.49% to 24.49% Variable |
In many cases, yes. If your issuer offers cards with an annual fee and cards with no annual fee, you may be able to request a product change from the former to the latter. You may also hear product changes called “downgrading” or “upgrading” depending on whether the new card is considered more or less premium than the original.
Note that issuers can impose restrictions on what product changes they’ll allow, such as requiring your account to be open for a certain amount of time, disallowing changes to a particular card or requiring changes to be kept within the same “family” of cards (those earning cash back vs. those earning points, for example).
Typically, a product change keeps your existing account information and does not require a hard inquiry. But you generally can’t earn a sign-up bonus through a product change, where you might if opening a new card.
In some cases, paying an annual fee might be worth it for a card with premium benefits and rewards.
For example, the Chase Sapphire Reserve® is a top travel credit card, and charges a commensurate $550 annual fee. That fee gets you, among other things, airport lounge access with a Priority Pass™ Select membership (enrollment required), a $300 annual travel credit and the ability to transfer points 1:1 to various travel partners.
It may also be worth paying an annual fee for the right credit-building card.
We typically recommend avoiding credit cards with expensive annual fees targeted at people with subprime credit — but there are a few solid cards with reasonable annual fees meant to help people with poor or fair credit improve their credit scores. For example, the OpenSky® Secured Visa® Credit Card is a secured card requiring a $200 minimum security deposit and charging a $35 annual fee. But unlike most credit cards, it doesn’t require a credit check to apply, making it ideal for people with poor/limited credit who want to rebuild.
Some credit cards charge an annual fee, which is assessed yearly on your card anniversary date and added to your balance. Typically, cards that charge an annual fee fall into two categories:
Yes. In fact, some of the best rewards and cash back cards charge no annual fee.
There are numerous types of credit cards with no annual fee, including cash back cards, cards earning points or miles, 0% intro APR cards and cards meant to build credit (such as secured cards).
Some cards automatically come with a $0 annual fee for the first year, with the fee kicking in the second year.
In some situations, it may also be possible to call your issuer and ask for your annual fee to be waived — especially if you can show that you aren’t going to get much value from the card during the year, such as in the case of consumers who had a travel card but weren’t able to travel during the coronavirus pandemic.
If your issuer won’t waive your annual fee, consider asking for a product change to a card with no annual fee instead.
If you have a poor credit score and are looking for a card with no annual fee, a secured card is likely to be your best bet. With a secured card, you submit a deposit to the issuer in the amount of your desired credit limit, and this protects the issuer if you don’t pay off what you charge to the card.
The Discover it® Secured Credit Card is a strong choice for a secured card with which to rebuild your credit score. It requires a $200 minimum deposit and charges a $0 annual fee. Plus, Discover begins monthly reviews after seven months, evaluating whether you qualify to graduate to an unsecured card and get your deposit back.
In selecting the best credit cards with no annual fee, we evaluated factors including rewards programs, APRs and accessibility to consumers with varying levels of credit.
Some of the rewards cards on this list earn cash back, while others earn points or miles; which is best will depend on how you intend to use the card.
In addition, many of the cards here offer a chance for new cardmembers to earn a sign-up bonus, which was weighed as a positive factor.
Some of the cards on the list offer 0% intro APR periods, making them good choices for consumers looking to pay off debt without incurring interest for a certain amount of time.
Finally, useful features such as extended warranty or rental car protection were evaluated as well.
To see rates & fees for Hilton Honors American Express Card please click here.
To see rates & fees for Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card please click here.
To see rates & fees for American Express® Gold Card please click here.
For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the above benefits are provided by Visa® or Mastercard® and may vary by product. See the respective Guide to Benefits for details, as terms and exclusions apply
The information related to Chase Freedom Flex℠, Chase Sapphire Reserve® and Ink Business Cash® Credit Card has been collected by LendingTree and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of this card prior to publication. Terms apply.
The above offers and/or promotions may have since changed, expired, or is no longer available. Check the Issuers’ website for more details.
