CNBC’s best 0% APR credit cards of 2024

Credit cards can offer enticing rewards and benefits but often come with a catch: Credit cards usually charge sky-high interest rates compared to other lines of credit. As long as you pay your credit card bill in full each month, this doesn’t matter since you won’t incur interest charges — but that’s not always possible.

Carrying a balance on your card may negate any potential rewards and propel you into a cycle of debt. If you think you’ll need more time to pay off your balance, you might want to consider signing up for a credit card with a no-interest offer.

0% intro APR credit cards offer no interest on new purchases and balance transfers for some time, typically ranging from six to 21 months. CNBC Select rounded up the credit cards with 2024’s best introductory 0% APR periods so you can maximize your savings. Keep in mind that introductory and regular APRs change over time. The offers listed in this article are based on what was available at the time of publication. (Read more about our methodology below.)

Who’s this card for? The Citi Simplicity® Card is a great option for someone looking to consolidate existing credit card debt from other cards. Cardholders have four months to complete balance transfers (longer than the typical 60 to 90 days). The only drawback is that it does not offer cash back or any other type of rewards.

Wells Fargo Reflect® Card

Who’s this card for? The Wells Fargo Reflect® Card is ideal for someone looking to either pay off large purchases over time or consolidate existing debt. This card doesn’t offer any sort of spending rewards, but it does offer cell phone protection.

Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card

Who’s this card for? The Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card is another great option for financing large purchases or transferring existing credit card debt. Unfortunately, it doesn’t earn rewards.

U.S. Bank Visa® Platinum Card

Who’s this card for? The U.S. Bank Visa® Platinum Card is useful for those looking to transfer existing credit card debt or finance new purchases at a great rate. The card doesn’t come with any spending rewards, but it has a solid cell phone coverage benefit and no annual fee.

Who’s this for: The Citi Double Cash® Card is a generous cash-back credit card to use on daily expenses that also comes with a great balance transfer offer. As you spend on the card, you will earn 2% cash back — 1% when you make a purchase and an additional 1% when you pay your credit card bill.

Perks include a complimentary Uber One membership through Nov. 14, 2024 and access to presale and VIP tickets for concerts, sports games and exclusive events through Capital One Entertainment. In addition, you can earn an easy one-time cash bonus of $200 by spending $500 on purchases within the first three months from account opening.

Chase Freedom Flex℠

Who’s this card for? The Chase Freedom Flex℠ is a terrific option for someone looking for a card with rotating spending categories, as well as interest-free financing.

Cardholders earn up to 5% cash back on travel purchases through Chase Ultimate Rewards® and 3% on drugstore purchases and dining. However, the real value of this card is spending within Chase’s quarterly 5% cash-back categories, so if you regularly spend in different categories, this card may be a good fit.

As a bonus, new cardholders can currently $200 cash back after spending $500 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.

Chase Freedom Unlimited®

Who’s this card for? The Chase Freedom Unlimited® is another great cashback card with interest-free features and is similar to the Freedom Flex card above.

However, the main difference is that this card doesn’t offer the rotating cash-back categories. Instead, you’ll earn 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®, 3% on drugstore purchases and on dining and a flat 1.5% on all other purchases.

The card also has a slightly different welcome bonus: Earn unlimited matched cash back. At the end of your first year, Chase will automatically match all the cash back you earned.

American Express Cash Magnet® Card

Who’s this card for? The American Express Cash Magnet® Card is a solid cashback card for someone looking for simplicity, as well as a 0% intro APR period.

As you spend on the card, you’ll earn 1.5% cash back on all purchases. New cardholders also have the opportunity to earn a $200 bonus after spending $2,000 in purchases within the first six months of card membership.

Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express

Who’s this card for? Depending on your spending habits, it might make more sense to get the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express. The Blue Cash Everyday Card is similar to the Cash Magnet Card above, with the main difference being the earning rates.

As you spend on the card, you’ll earn as follows:

• 3% cash back at U.S. supermarkets (up to $6,000 per year in purchases, then 1%)
• 3% at U.S. gas stations (up to $6,000 per year in purchases, then 1%)
• 3% on U.S. online retail purchases (up to $6,000 per year, then 1%)
• 1% on all other purchases

The welcome bonus for the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express offers a $200 statement credit after you spend $2,000 in purchases on your new card within the first 6 months.

Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card

Who’s this card for? The Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card is a great choice for earning cash rewards on your everyday purchases, as well as interest-free financing.

As you spend on the card, you will earn 2% cash rewards on all eligible purchases. The card also comes with a $200 cash rewards bonus after you spend $500 in the first three months.

Bank of America® Unlimited Cash Rewards Credit Card

Who’s this card for? The Bank of America® Unlimited Cash Rewards Credit Card is another solid option for someone looking for simple cash-back options as well as favorable financing options.

As you spend on the card, you will earn 1.5% cash back on all purchases. Additionally, you can earn a $200 online cash rewards bonus after spending $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days from account opening.

You’ll need to come up with a plan to pay off credit card debt. The amount you need to pay each month to have a zero balance at the end of the intro period depends on the length of the intro period.

For example, if you have a $4,500 balance on the Chase Freedom Flex, which offers an intro APR period of no interest for the first 15 months on balance transfers and purchases (after, 20.49% – 29.24% variable APR), you’ll need to pay $300 each month to pay off your old balance before the intro period ends.

But if you have the U.S. Bank Visa® Platinum Card, with 0% intro APR for 18 months on balance transfers (then 18.74% – 29.74% variable APR), the monthly payment decreases to $250. Balance transfers must be completed within 4 months of account opening.

Pay off your balance in full

It’s very important to pay off any transferred debt or lingering new purchase balances before the intro 0% APR period ends. If you don’t, expect to be hit with the regular purchase APR. And if you have a store card, you could be hit with a bill for all the interest you accrued since the date you made your purchase or transfer (known as deferred interest). None of the cards on this list charge cardholders deferred interest.

1. If you plan on making large purchases, such as a new iPhone or workout equipment, and need more time to pay them off, a 0% APR card can help you pay over time with no interest charges.
2. If you have debt on a high-interest card, completing a balance transfer to a card with no interest for up to 20 months can help you pay it off faster and cheaper.
3. If you fall into both categories, a card with no interest on new purchases and balance transfers can help you pay off large expenses and old debt at the same time.

Remember that you’ll need to make minimum payments on your balance and pay it off in full before the intro period ends to avoid interest.

• Are you carrying debt from a high interest credit card? Then you should consider a balance transfer credit card with up to 20 months of no interest.
• Do you plan on making a large purchase? A 0% APR card can provide you with a lengthy intro period that allows you to pay off debt for over a year with no interest.
• Do you carry a balance month to month? A low interest credit card offers a relatively consistent APR every month, compared to 0% APR cards that typically charge high-interest rates after the intro period ends.

After you determined which credit card you want to apply for, compare cards by these key factors:

• Length of intro APR period: Cards can have intro periods anywhere from three months to 20 months. Many popular rewards cards offer no interest for 15 months, and non-rewards cards can have 18- and 21-month intro 0% APR periods. For new purchases or lingering debt, the longer the better, but if you’re completing a balance transfer, consider the cost of any balance transfer fees before applying.
• Regular APR: Credit cards offering intro 0% APRs tend to have higher regular APRs than low-interest cards. Consider the regular APR before settling on a card if you think you may carry a balance once the intro 0% APR period ends.
• Balance transfer fee: Many balance transfer cards charge a fee per transfer. This fee can be outweighed by the amount you save in interest, but make sure to do the math. If you want to avoid fees, check out the best no-fee balance transfer credit cards.
• Annual fee: Most 0% APR cards and low interest cards have no annual fee, but some may. Make sure to review the annual fees associated with the cards.
• Rewards and added perks: The best 0% APR cards also offer cash back, points and miles, in addition to added perks, such as purchase protection and exclusive entertainment access. While these are nice benefits, paying off debt should be your primary goal.

At CNBC Select, our mission is to provide our readers with high-quality service journalism and comprehensive consumer advice so they can make informed decisions with their money. Every credit card review is based on rigorous reporting by our team of expert writers and editors with extensive knowledge of credit card products. While CNBC Select earns a commission from affiliate partners on many offers and links, we create all our content without input from our commercial team or any outside third parties, and we pride ourselves on our journalistic standards and ethics. See our methodology for more information on how we choose the best 0% APR credit cards.

To determine which 0% APR credit cards will put the most money back in your pocket, CNBC Select evaluated hundreds of the most popular credit cards offered by major banks, financial companies and credit unions that allow anyone to join. We compared each card on a range of features, including cash-back rewards, annual fees, welcome bonuses, introductory and standard APRs, balance transfer fee and foreign transaction fees, as well as factors such as required credit and customer reviews when available. We also considered additional perks, the application process and how easy it is for the consumer to redeem rewards.

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Information about the Bank of America® Unlimited Cash Rewards Card, Amex EveryDay® Credit Card, American Express Cash Magnet® Card has been collected independently by Select and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuers of the cards prior to publication.

For rates and fees of the Amex EveryDay® Credit Card, click here.

For rates and fees of the American Express Cash Magnet® Card, click here.

For rates and fees of the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express, click here.