7 Best Credit Cards: No Interest for 12+ Months (April 2024)

Fierce competition among credit card companies motivates them to appeal to the masses in several ways. One of their most potent marketing ploys is to offer no-interest borrowing and balance transfers for new cardmembers.

Our experts have identified the best credit cards with no interest for at least one year. This can be especially useful if you want to charge a big-ticket item or consolidate your credit card balances. Read on to learn which cards give you the best interest-free introductions.

0% APR on Purchases | 0% APR on Balance Transfers | FAQs

These cards let new cardmembers stretch out interest-free payments on new purchases for a year or longer. Depending on your credit limit, an introductory offer could save you hundreds of dollars in interest charges.

The Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card markets to new cardmembers by offering over a year of 0% APR on purchases. This no-annual-fee card offers unlimited cash back rewards on all purchases and a one-time cash bonus when you spend a set amount in the first three months from account opening.

The Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card offers new cardmembers a 0% APR on promotional purchases. It has three tiers of unlimited cash back rewards and a one-time cash bonus when you spend the required amount on purchases during the first three months. The card charges no annual fee.

The Bank of America® Cash Rewards Credit Card allows cardholders to choose a category that will yield them an elevated 3% cash back. These categories include online shopping, which provides even more money back for purchases you’re already making. Who doesn’t love free money?

The Discover it® Cash Back card offers an extended introductory APR for new customers. When activated, quarterly bonus categories offer high cash back rates (up to the quarterly maximum) and cash back at a reduced standard rate on all other purchases.

The Discover it® Miles card offers a lengthy introductory period on new purchases. You also earn miles rewards on all purchases with no blackout dates and free Social Security number alerts. Other benefits include a free FICO score and instant account freeze/unfreeze.

The Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card gives new cardmembers an initial 0% APR on purchases. This $0-annual-fee card offers a mileage reward on every dollar you spend on purchases. Furthermore, you get bonus miles when you purchase the required amount in the first three months. Your miles never expire as long as the account remains open.

The Citi Simplicity® Card not only provides an introductory APR offer on purchases, but it also offers new cardmembers one of the longest introductory 0% interest periods on balance transfers on the market. The card charges no annual fee, no late fees, and no penalty rates. You also get $0 liability protection and fast alerts if Citi detects any suspicious activity on your account.

These cards give you a period of at least 12 months to avoid interest on balances transferred from other credit cards. Most charge a one-time fee for each transfer, even in the introductory period. Also, some require you to complete your transfers in the first several months after account opening to get the promotional rate.

The Discover it® Balance Transfer offers the longest introductory period on balance transfers of all Discover cards. You earn bonus cash back, up to a spending cap, on quarterly rotating categories that you activate, plus regular flat-rate cash back on all other purchases. Transferred balances do not earn rewards.

The Citi Double Cash® Card charges an introductory 0% APR on balance transfers you complete within four months of account opening. Transfers must be made within four months of opening the account to qualify for the intro rate, and a fee applies to each transfer.

The Citi Simplicity® Card is another card currently offering a long introductory 0% interest rate on balance transfers, but a balance transfer fee applies. The card charges no annual fee, no late fees, and no penalty rates. Cardholders also get zero liability protection and fast alerts if Citi detects any suspicious activity on their account.

You get an introductory 0% rate for balance transfers and purchases with the Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card. Balance transfers incur a fee and earn no cash back. Purchases earn unlimited cash back, and you get a one-time cash bonus by spending the required amount during the first three months after opening the account. The card charges no annual fee.

The Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card is a tiered rewards card with varying rates of cash back on different purchase categories. You must pay a fee for each balance transfer during the introductory period. Transfers earn no cash back, and the annual fee is $0.

The annual percentage rate, or APR, is the interest rate a credit card charges on unpaid balances. Normally, if you pay your entire card balance by the next due date, you will not face interest charges.

An introductory 0% APR for 12+ months means you won’t have to pay interest on the balance during a promotional period of at least 12 months from account opening. Credit cards sometimes make separate 0% introductory offers for purchases and for balance transfers.

For example, the Citi Simplicity® Card currently offers different promotional periods for balance transfers and purchases.

Many cards charge a balance transfer fee that is the larger of a fixed percentage or cash amount. For example, you may see a fee of 3% of the transferred amount or $5, whichever is greater. None of the cards in this review charge retroactive interest on transferred balances that are not fully paid by the end of the introductory period. However, if you pick a card that is outside of this group, check the fine print before applying.

The best card with introductory 0% interest on purchases is the Chase Freedom Unlimited® (0% Intro APR on Purchases 15 months), and it offers a highly competitive cash back rewards program with no annual fee. When you earn rewards on a card with intro APR offers or just pay your balance in full each month, you’re quite literally earning free money just for using the card.

For balance transfers, the winner is the Citi Simplicity® Card. This card currently has one of the longest introductory interest-free balance transfer periods on the market followed by a competitive ongoing APR thereafter. Balance transfer amounts do not qualify for rewards, however, and a balance transfer fee may apply.

Be sure to review the regular APR for each card that kicks in after the introductory period is over. It’s wise to choose the card with the lowest APR possible, even if you lose a month or two of 0% financing.

In the category of cards with the longest introductory interest-free period for purchases, the winner is the Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card.

Three cards currently offering long 0% introductory APRs on balance transfers: Discover it® Balance Transfer, Citi Double Cash® Card, and Citi Simplicity® Card.

If you like the idea of earning double cash back on purchases, you could consider the Citi Double Cash® Card. Although the card offers no introductory APR on purchases, its double rewards may be the clincher for you.

One way to avoid interest charges is to always use a card that offers a 0% APR to new cardmembers. This involves switching to a new credit card when the introductory period on your current card expires. With so many cards offering a year or more of no interest, there is no shortage of cards from which to choose when the time comes.

If you pick a new card that offers no interest on both purchases and balance transfers, you can move your remaining balance on your old card to the new one. This will extend your 0% APR from the old card, but you will have to pay a fee for the maneuver. Typical transfer fees range from 3% to 5%.

The downside of this strategy is that you will accumulate credit cards over time, cards that you likely won’t use once the introductory period expires. That’s not necessarily a bad thing because your available credit will rise with each new card, thereby lowering your credit utilization ratio and pleasing the credit bureaus.

However, if your available credit grows too large for your income, you may have trouble getting the credit limit you require on your next card. You can close an old account to work around this problem, but that will reduce your average account age, a negative for your credit score.

The other method of avoiding credit card interest is simply to pay your full balance every month. Use the credit card as a convenient alternative to cash and checks, not as a way of financing your lifestyle. You’ll avoid interest charges throughout the year and won’t have to worry about replacing your credit card or transferring balances when the introductory period expires.

You have plenty of choices if you want to avoid paying credit card interest. The cards that offer up to 18 months of interest-free purchases are perfect for financing a big-ticket item.

On the other hand, if the interest on your credit card balances is eating you alive, you can use a card that offers no interest on balance transfers to start climbing out of debt. These cards allow you to apply 100% of your monthly payment to reducing your balance. The only cost is a one-time transfer fee.

Whatever your motivation for seeking an interest-free card, compare all features, including bonuses and rewards, when considering your options.