Writer: Eric Bank
Editor: Lillian Guevara-Castro
Reviewer: Ashley Fricker
Disclosure: When you apply through links on our site, we may earn a referral fee from our partners. For more, see our ad disclosure and review policy.
Is a 0% APR credit card a sensible way to pay for big purchases or a way to save on your next adventure? It depends on how you use the promotion, and some credit cards can give you the best of both worlds.
That’s why you should consider the best 0% APR travel and air miles credit cards if you want to make your next excursion — or big purchase — a little more flexible.
-
Navigate This Article:
Best Travel Cards With 0% APRs
These travel cards offer new cardmembers a 0% intro APR on purchases or balance transfers for a year or longer. If you dream about two weeks in Hawaii with a year or more to repay interest-free, these cards can help make it a reality.
- 25,000 online bonus points after you make at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening – that can be a $250 statement credit toward travel purchases.
- Earn unlimited 1.5 points per $1 spent on everyday purchases, with no annual fee and no foreign transaction fees and your points don’t expire as long as your account remains open.
- Earn 3 points per $1 spent on travel purchases booked through the Bank of America Travel Center.
- Use your card to book your trip how and where you want – you’re not limited to specific websites with blackout dates or restrictions.
- Redeem points for a statement credit to pay for travel or dining purchases, such as flights, hotel stays, car and vacation rentals, baggage fees, and also at restaurants, including takeout.
- 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for purchases, and for any balance transfers made in the first 60 days. After the Intro APR offer ends, a Variable APR that’s currently 17.49% – 27.49% will apply. A 3% Intro balance transfer fee will apply for the first 60 days your account is open. After the Intro balance transfer fee offer ends, the fee for future balance transfers is 5%. Balance transfers may not be used to pay any account provided by Bank of America.
- This offer may not be available elsewhere if you leave this page. You can take advantage of this offer when you apply now.
Additional Disclosure: Bank of America is a CardRates advertiser.
- Intro Offer: Earn a $200 Bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening
- Enjoy 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; 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and 1.5% on all other purchases.
- No minimum to redeem for cash back. You can choose to receive a statement credit or direct deposit into most U.S. checking and savings accounts. Cash Back rewards do not expire as long as your account is open!
- Enjoy 0% Intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers, then a variable APR of 18.99% – 28.49%.
- No annual fee – You won’t have to pay an annual fee for all the great features that come with your Freedom Unlimited® card
- Keep tabs on your credit health, Chase Credit Journey helps you monitor your credit with free access to your latest score, alerts, and more.
- Member FDIC
Additional Disclosure: Non-Monetized. The information related to Chase Freedom Unlimited® was collected by CardRates and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of this product/card. Product details may vary. Please see issuer website for current information. CardRates does not receive commission for this product.
Even better, these cards don’t have any annual fees, allowing you to retain more of your money. Plus, they offer travel rewards you can eventually use to help pay for your next adventure.
Best Miles Cards With 0% APRs
Miles rewards a specific type of travel card. Miles come in two flavors: The first is general-purpose miles that you can use on any airline or eligible travel purchase, just like points you earn with the cards above. The second is frequent-flyer miles that apply to particular air carriers, including cards carrying the Delta, United, or American Airlines logos.
In either case, a 0% intro APR makes the following cards all the more desirable.
- 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 annual fee and no foreign transaction fees
- Earn unlimited 1.25X miles on every purchase, every day
- Miles won’t expire for the life of the account and there’s no limit to how many you can earn
- Earn 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- Use your miles to get reimbursed for any travel purchase—or redeem by booking a trip through Capital One Travel
- Transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Enjoy 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months; 18.49% – 28.49% variable APR after that; balance transfer fee applies
- Top rated mobile app
- UNLIMITED BONUS: Unlimited mile-for-mile match for all new cardmembers. Discover gives you an unlimited match of all the miles you’ve earned at the end of your first year. There’s no signing up, no minimum spending or maximum rewards. Just a mile-for-mile match. You could turn 35,000 miles into 70,000 miles.
- Automatically earn unlimited 1.5x miles on every dollar of every purchase
- No annual fee.
- Turn miles into cash. Or redeem as a statement credit for your travel purchases like airfare, hotels, rideshares, gas stations, restaurants, and more. Redemption rates for these options may vary and are subject to change.
- 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months; 17.49% – 26.49% variable APR after that; balance transfer fee applies.
- Terms and conditions apply.
- Earn 10,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 90 days
- Earn 3X points on eligible JetBlue purchases, 2X points at restaurants and grocery stores, and 1X points on all other purchases
- Enjoy 50% inflight savings on cocktails and food purchases
- 0% introductory APR for the first 12 billing cycles following each balance transfer that posts to your account within 45 days of account opening (transfer fee applies), then a variable APR applies
- No foreign transaction fees, no blackout dates, and points never expire
- $0 Annual Fee
As you can see, the mainstream competition for travel cards with 0% promotional APRs is kind of slim. Travel rewards are some of the most valuable you can earn, some of which are valued even higher when transferred to travel partners. This is why they’re rarely coupled with 0% interest rates.
What is a 0% APR Credit Card?
A 0% APR credit card provides interest-free purchases and/or balance transfers to new cardmembers for a set period (typically six to 18 months) after account opening. Along with signup bonuses, 0% financing is a promotion banks and credit unions use to recruit new credit card customers.
Credit cards partition the calendar year into monthly billing cycles. The statement date — the date the card issuer generates your latest billing statement — is the last day of a billing cycle. The statement reports all the cycle’s activity, opening and closing balances, minimum amount due, and payment due date. That due date is usually 21 to 27 days after the statement date, an interval called the grace period.
Your purchases won’t incur interest charges if you pay your entire balance by the due date. You must pay at least the minimum amount due, but you can finance some or all of the remaining balance at the daily interest rate (i.e., the annual percentage rate or APR divided by 365). The card suspends grace periods until you repay your entire balance.
Your interest charges are calculated daily. Typically, the highest APR you’ll encounter is 36%. While there’s no federal cap, some states set their own limits.
A 0% introductory APR acts like an extended grace period, starting when you open your account and typically lasting at least six months. Most cards offer this interest-free timeframe for 12 to 18 months, giving you the chance to spread out your payments without racking up interest charges.
The 0% promotion can provide significant savings. For example, suppose your card’s regular APR on purchases is 26%, but the card offers an 18-month 0% intro APR. If you were to keep an average unpaid balance of $2,000 for the entire period, you would save $43.18 per month (or $777.24 for the intro period) in interest charges.
The following chart illustrates the savings available from a 0% balance transfer offer:
| Amount Transferred | 3% Balance Transfer Fee | Interest Savings Over 12 Months |
|---|---|---|
| $1,000 | $30 | $200 |
| $2,500 | $75 | $500 |
| $5,000 | $150 | $1,000 |
| $7,500 | $225 | $1,500 |
| $10,000 | $300 | $2,000 |
Some cards provide a 0% intro APR for balance transfers, either in conjunction with or instead of the purchase promotion. Balance transfers allow you to consolidate your outstanding credit card balances on one card.
Balance transfers usually don’t offer grace periods unless there’s a 0% introductory APR deal. Each transfer often comes with a fee, typically between 3% and 5%, though some credit union cards might waive these fees.
Many cards impose a deadline on the balance transfers eligible for the 0% rate. For example, a card may offer a 15-month promotional period, but only on balance transfers you complete within the first 90 days after account opening. Any subsequent transfers will incur the card’s regular APR.
The card issuer can terminate a 0% APR promotion early if you don’t pay the monthly minimum on time or if you close the account. You cannot get the promotion if you previously owned the same or a related credit card within a set look-back period.
What Credit Score Do I Need for a Card With a 0% APR?
You need good to excellent credit (i.e., a FICO score of 670 or higher) to qualify for a 0% APR card. FICO is the dominant consumer credit scoring system, with a score range of 300 to 850.
If you’re aiming for a 0% card but your credit isn’t quite there yet, there are steps you can take to improve it. Start by making timely bill payments and gradually reducing your credit card balances. It’s best to keep your CUR below 30% for VantageScore.
Try to avoid applying for multiple credit accounts or loans in the six months leading up to applying for a 0% interest card. Too many applications in a short timeframe can hurt your credit score.
Here is a look at the factors FICO uses to determine your credit score:
| FICO Score Factor | Percentage of Your Score |
|---|---|
| Payment History | 35% |
| Amounts Owed | 30% |
| Credit History | 15% |
| Credit Mix | 10% |
| New Credit | 10% |
Keep your old credit card accounts open and try to use them at least once a year. This can increase your average account age, which is a key factor in your FICO score. These steps can significantly improve your credit score.
Also, check your three credit reports for mistakes that hurt your credit score. Copies of all three credit reports are free at AnnualCreditReport.com, and you can access them as often as weekly. You can attempt to fix the errors yourself or hire a credit repair company to do the work for you. Your score should quickly rise after you remove incorrect, unverifiable, or outdated derogatory information from your credit report.
Boosting your credit score with positive actions might take a while, often six months or more. You can also explore services like Experian Boost or RentReport to enhance your score. Here are some other strategies if your credit isn’t quite where you want it yet:
- Recruit a cosigner: A cosigner is someone with good credit and willing to share responsibility for your credit card payments. A cosigner gives you access to a high-quality credit card beyond your reach. Paying your bills on time is vital, as you don’t want to jeopardize your relationship with a cosigner.
- Get a secured card: In most cases, your credit score is only of secondary importance when you apply for a secured card. Your deposit acts as collateral for your credit line, easing default concerns. Using a secured card is a proven method of building credit when you consistently pay on time. Secured credit cards report your activity to all three major credit bureaus, allowing your timely payments to boost your score over time.
If you have a 0% intro APR balance transfer card and don’t pay off the entire balance before the introductory period ends, think about getting another 0% balance transfer card to move the remaining balance.
What Happens to My Old Credit Card After a Balance Transfer?
The issuer typically keeps your credit card account active after the balance transfers to another card unless you request a closure. That credit card with a $0 balance can also be a boon for your credit score if you take a responsible approach.
Taking advantage of a 0% APR deal on a balance transfer card and paying it off within the specified period can allow you to avoid plenty of additional interest. In addition, keeping your old card open could give your credit utilization ratio (CUR, equal to your credit balances divided by your total available credit) a big boost.
Keeping your old card open can actually help your credit score because it impacts your amounts owed and credit history FICO categories. But it only helps if you stop using it.
But this only works if you can avoid racking up charges on your old card. If you are tempted to use it, try putting it in a drawer and removing it from any online accounts where you store its information, i.e. Apple Pay, Google Pay, or Amazon. If that still doesn’t keep you from wanting to splurge, you may want to consider closing the account.
What Are the Differences Between a Travel Card and an Air Miles Card?
Travel cards provide rewards (points or miles) you can redeem for travel on any airline. Air miles cards are a type of travel credit card offering reward miles that may be general purpose or tied to a specific airline or brand. Both card types provide significant travel-related benefits, even those with no annual fee.
Travel Cards
Travel cards offer points, miles, or cash back you can use on any airline. The cards offer bonus reward rates (sometimes as high as 5x or more) for travel-related purchases, including airline trips, hotels, and car rentals. The rewards you earn are especially valuable when you redeem them for travel expenses, such as airline tickets, hotel stays, rental cars, restaurant meals, and entertainment events.
Some travel cards restrict your rewards usage to paying for past travel expenses retroactively. Others, however, allow you to redeem your rewards for upcoming travel costs.
For example, Chase Sapphire cards increase the value of your Chase Ultimate Reward points when you redeem them through Chase Travel. Similar arrangements apply to Capital One, Citibank, and American Express travel cards.
Travel cards offer many benefits, which we will describe later on.
Air Miles Cards
These cards offer two types of reward miles:
- General-purpose credit card miles: Similar to reward points, you can use these credit card miles on any airline. You may be able to redeem them for other purposes as well. The miles have a set dollar value if you cash them in. The Discover it® Miles card is an example of a general-purpose miles card.
- Frequent flyer miles: Co-branded airline credit cards offer the carrier’s (and its partners’) frequent flyer miles, identical to those you earn on flights. These airline miles are less versatile than general-purpose miles but may be more valuable. Unfortunately, it’s impossible to predict the dollar value of these miles because you can’t cash them in, and changes in frequent flyer programs often alter mile values. The JetBlue Card exemplifies this type of travel card.
Some travelers own multiple co-branded air miles cards to ensure they earn the maximum airline rewards regardless of the carrier.
What Benefits Do Travel Cards Offer?
Travel cards may offer numerous benefits, including:
- Travel insurance: Travel cards may offer various insurance policies, including those for accidents, flight interruptions and cancellations, lost luggage, and rental car collision damage.
- Signup bonuses: New cardmembers may qualify for a bonanza of travel points by spending the required amount on eligible purchases during an introductory period (usually three months). Typically, the spending requirement ranges from $500 to $5,000.
- Access to airport lounges: The more expensive travel cards usually provide access to specific airport lounges for free or at reduced prices.
- Travel credits and reimbursements: You may be eligible for travel credits such as TSA PreCheck and Global Entry reimbursements, anniversary travel credits, checked bags, hotel stays, Uber rides, etc.
- No foreign transaction fees: You can save 3% to 5% on your international purchases when your card waives foreign transaction fees. Even travel cards with $0 annual fees may offer this perk.
Naturally, the travel cards in this review offer a 0% introductory APR, a feature that can finance trips large and small.
Are Air Miles Better Than Cash Back?
Cash back is incredibly versatile, but sometimes air miles can be even more valuable. The tricky part is that frequent flyer air miles values can fluctuate due to program changes. Here are some factors to consider:
- The reward ratio: The ratio specifies how many miles you get for each dollar you spend on travel.
- The reward program: Each airline determines how many frequent flyer miles you must redeem for a specific flight, departure date and time, destination, cabin, and seat. Rewards programs may also offer seat upgrades and inflight perks. Airlines often update their frequent flyer programs, changing the miles you need for a given flight.
- Complicated reward schemes: Some frequent flyer programs are ridiculously complex, requiring two or more types of miles to unlock the best deals. For example, one program tracks separate “qualifying miles” that influence the value of its travel miles.
Cash travel cards provide cashback rewards that can be used for past travel expenses. These cards might also offer the flexibility to redeem cashback in other forms, including cash itself. On the other hand, co-branded miles cards usually don’t let you convert your rewards into cash.
Are Air Miles Credit Cards Worth It?
Travel points and general-purpose (GP) miles tend to offer more value than frequent-flyer miles from co-branded travel cards. You can often transfer these travel points and GP miles to partner programs, sometimes on a straightforward 1:1 basis.
Before you apply for an air miles credit card, think about your travel habits and how you like to use rewards. Besides earning miles, many cards come with perks like free checked bags, priority boarding, TSA PreCheck and Global Entry reimbursements, and lounge access for a more comfortable trip.
Here are some example travel redemption values (and cash back values) for some of the most popular points programs:
| Points Program | Travel Value | Cash Back Value |
|---|---|---|
| Chase Ultimate Rewards | 1 to 1.5 cents/point | 1 cent/point cash back or statement credit |
| American Express Membership Rewards | 0.75 to 1 cent/point | 0.6 cents/point statement credit |
| Citi ThankYou® Points | 1 cent/point | 0.5-1 cent/point statement credit |
If you prefer to maintain rewards flexibility, you want to pay special attention to the issuer’s air miles redemption policies. Some may offer similar redemption values across a wide range of options, but others may limit your air miles value when it comes to redeeming them in certain categories (such as statement credit or gift cards).
You may be surprised to learn that air miles tend to have more value when you redeem them for business-class and first-class flights. If you often fly for your company, you may want to consider getting a business credit card, such as the The Business Platinum Card®. Another good business card is the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business Card.
How Do I Get The Most Value Out of My Travel Rewards?
It’s vital to know all the perks and rewards of a travel card before signing up. Articles like this one can help you compare different cards, enabling you to pick the one that strikes the perfect balance between benefits and costs.
Specific tips to maximize the value of your travel rewards include:
- Know redemption values: The values of points and miles usually depend on how you redeem them. For example, Chase Ultimate Reward points are worth 50% more when you redeem them for Chase Travel bookings than when you use the points for cash back.
- Maximize welcome bonuses: Enjoy generous signup bonuses and 0% intro APRs. These reduce the net price of travel and other purchases, which can make a big difference on big-ticket items. For example, a 100,000-point signup bonus and 18-month 0% APR could save you thousands of dollars if you’re contemplating a world cruise.
- Consider owning multiple cards: You may want to own several co-branded air miles cards if you often fly without loyalty to any particular carrier. Hotel cards can be very valuable if you favor a specific chain, as they may offer free stays, room upgrades, and other perks.
- Juggle your credit lines: If you have multiple cards from the same issuer, you can move part of your credit lines around to where they will do the most good. For example, suppose you have a travel and a cash back card from the same issuer, each with a $10,000 credit limit. You may want to move $7,500 from the cash card to the travel card to finance more expensive trips and receive better travel rewards.
- Don’t pay for benefits you won’t use: The better travel credit cards assess three-digit annual fees to fund all their excellent benefits. But why pay for benefits you won’t use? For example, if you don’t like airport lounges, you may be able to save several hundred dollars a year by getting a less expensive travel card.
It’s crucial that you never miss a payment due date. Missing it can lead to a penalty fee, an early end to your 0% APR, and possibly a penalty APR.
Get the Travel Card That Fits Your Needs
We’ve reviewed the top 0% APR travel and air miles credit cards, perfect for travelers looking to fund a big trip. These cards not only offer a range of rewards and benefits but also provide extended interest-free periods for new cardmembers.
Be sure to read the credit card agreement closely before choosing a card. Doing so will help you avoid overlooking any of the perks available and any costs or limitations lurking under the covers.
Advertiser Disclosure
CardRates.com is a free online resource that offers valuable content and comparison services to users. To keep this resource 100% free, we receive compensation for referrals for many of the offers listed on the site. Along with key review factors, this compensation may impact how and where products appear across CardRates.com (including, for example, the order in which they appear). CardRates.com does not include the entire universe of available offers. Editorial opinions expressed on the site are strictly our own and are not provided, endorsed, or approved by advertisers.
Editorial Note: Our site content is not provided or commissioned by any credit card issuer(s). Opinions expressed on CardRates.com are the author's alone, not those of any credit card issuer, and have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by credit card issuers. Every reasonable effort has been made to maintain accurate information; however, all credit card offer details, including information about rewards, signup bonuses, introductory offers, and other terms and conditions, is presented without warranty. Clicking on any offer on CardRates.com will direct you to the issuer's website, where you can review the current terms and conditions of the offer.
About the Author
![11 Highest-Limit Air Miles Credit Cards[updated_month_year before=" (" after=")"]](https://www.cardrates.com/images/uploads/2023/08/Highest-Limit-Air-Miles-Credit-Cards.jpg?width=158&height=120&fit=crop "11 Highest-Limit Air Miles Credit Cards[updated_month_year before=\" (\" after=\")\"]")
![5 Best Credit Cards With Air Miles & Cash Back[updated_month_year before=" (" after=")"]](https://www.cardrates.com/images/uploads/2023/10/Best-Credit-Cards-With-Air-Miles-Cash-Back.jpg?width=158&height=120&fit=crop "5 Best Credit Cards With Air Miles & Cash Back[updated_month_year before=\" (\" after=\")\"]")
![9 Best Air Miles Credit Cards for Business[updated_month_year before=" (" after=")"]](https://www.cardrates.com/images/uploads/2020/12/shutterstock_1054148699.jpg?width=158&height=120&fit=crop "9 Best Air Miles Credit Cards for Business[updated_month_year before=\" (\" after=\")\"]")
![5 Best Air Miles Credit Cards: No Annual Fee[updated_month_year before=" (" after=")"]](https://www.cardrates.com/images/uploads/2021/09/Best-Air-Miles-Credit-Cards-With-No-Annual-Fee.jpg?width=158&height=120&fit=crop "5 Best Air Miles Credit Cards: No Annual Fee[updated_month_year before=\" (\" after=\")\"]")
![What is Credit Card APR? 9 Best 0% APR Cards[updated_month_year before=" (" after=")"]](https://www.cardrates.com/images/uploads/2017/05/what-is-apr.jpg?width=158&height=120&fit=crop "What is Credit Card APR? 9 Best 0% APR Cards[updated_month_year before=\" (\" after=\")\"]")
![What is a Good Credit Card APR? 5 Best Low APR Cards[updated_month_year before=" (" after=")"]](https://www.cardrates.com/images/uploads/2017/11/good-apr2.png?width=158&height=120&fit=crop "What is a Good Credit Card APR? 5 Best Low APR Cards[updated_month_year before=\" (\" after=\")\"]")
![15 Best Travel Credit Cards With Bonus Miles[updated_month_year before=" (" after=")"]](https://www.cardrates.com/images/uploads/2023/10/Best-Travel-Credit-Cards-With-Bonus-Miles.jpg?width=158&height=120&fit=crop "15 Best Travel Credit Cards With Bonus Miles[updated_month_year before=\" (\" after=\")\"]")
