Writer: Amber Brooks
Editor: Lillian Guevara-Castro
Reviewer: Ashley Fricker
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No-fee credit cards offer a small reprieve from the fees we are hit with nearly every day. In the article below, we’ll take a look at some of the best no-fee cards available today, including options for a range of credit scores.
For me, one of the most frustrating things about moving to a new apartment (besides hauling my couches around while my brothers complain) is all the fees that get tacked on. “There’s a cleaning fee,” my old apartment complex tells me, so I pay that. “There’s an early move-in fee,” my new apartment complex explains, so I pay that too, using a debit card, which adds another fee.
Then, there’s the dog fee, the turning-on-your-power fee, the security fee, the paperwork fee, the shipping-and-handling fee, the we-just-want-your-money fee, and, sure, I’m making some of those up, but only because I lost track of all the bogus fees I paid by the end of my move.
Fees just make it that much harder to budget and save your money. When it comes to credit cards, all the different fees can be confusing and overwhelming. To save you some time and frustration, we’ve listed the 14 best no-fee credit cards available.
Annual Fee | Balance Transfer Fee | Foreign Transaction Fee | Bad Credit | Prepaid
Best “No Annual Fee” Credit Cards
Thanks to the Credit CARD Act of 2009, issuers must be transparent about credit card fees and can’t pile on hidden clauses meant to siphon away your money. This means that anyone can easily find out what annual fee, if any, is attached to any given card.
If you don’t want to pay an annual fee, you can try any of the following five top-rated credit cards:
Additional Disclosure: Bank of America is a CardRates advertiser.
- INTRO OFFER: Unlimited Cashback Match for all new cardmembers. 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.
- Earn 5% cash back on everyday purchases at different places you shop each quarter like grocery stores, restaurants, gas stations, and more, up to the quarterly maximum when you activate. Plus, earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases.
- Redeem cash back for any amount. No annual fee.
- Get a 0% intro APR for 15 months on purchases and balance transfers. Then 17.49% to 26.49% Standard Variable Purchase APR applies, based on credit worthiness.
- Terms and conditions apply.
- 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
- 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.
- 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, earn 5% total cash back on hotel, car rentals and attractions booked with Citi Travel.
- Balance Transfer Only Offer: 0% intro APR on Balance Transfers for 18 months. After that, the variable APR will be 17.49% - 27.49%, based on your creditworthiness.
- Balance Transfers do not earn cash back. Intro APR does not apply to purchases.
- If you transfer a balance, interest will be charged on your purchases unless you pay your entire balance (including balance transfers) by the due date each month.
- 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).
Additional Disclosure: Citi 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.
Sometimes an annual fee is on a card to balance out the rewards and perks associated with it, but other times it’s an unnecessary cost. The reasons why credit card companies charge annual fees will vary, but it’s simple enough to avoid them altogether and get a “no annual fee” credit card.
Best “No Foreign Transaction Fee” Credit Cards
When you’re traveling abroad, the last thing you need is foreign transaction fees eating up money you could be spending on souvenirs. You should be giving your hard-earned cash to tourist traps, not banks.
To travel without unnecessary and costly complications, check out the following three travel rewards cards with no foreign transaction fees:
Additional Disclosure: Citi is a CardRates advertiser.
- Earn a one-time $200 cash bonus after you spend $500 on purchases within 3 months from account opening
- Earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase, every day
- $0 annual fee and no foreign transaction fees
- Earn unlimited 5% cash back on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- No rotating categories or sign-ups needed to earn cash rewards; plus, cash back won't expire for the life of the account and there's no limit to how much you can earn
- 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
These are some excellent credit cards to take with you on your travels, not just because you skip foreign transaction fees, but also because of the miles and cash back deals you can earn abroad by using these travel-friendly credit cards.
Best “Bad Credit” Cards with No Fees
Usually people assume bad credit will mean high annual fees. This is not always the case, especially if you’re willing to make a deposit with a secured card. Below, we’ve listed three cards for people with less-than-perfect credit that have no annual fees.
Chime is a financial technology company, not a bank. Banking services provided by The Bancorp Bank, N.A. or Stride Bank, N.A., Members FDIC. The secured Chime Visa® Credit Card is issued by The Bancorp Bank, N.A. or Stride Bank, N.A. pursuant to a license from Visa U.S.A. Inc. and may be used everywhere Visa credit cards are accepted. Please see the back of your Card for its issuing bank.
*Money added to Chime CardTM will be held in a secured deposit account as collateral for your Chime Card, and you can spend up to this amount. You can use money deposited in your Secured Deposit Account to pay off your charges at the end of every month.
**Out-of-network ATM withdrawal and over the counter advance fees may apply.
***With a qualifying direct deposit, earn 2% cash back on category of choice on eligible secured Chime Visa® Credit Card purchases.
****On-time payment history may have a positive impact on your credit score. Late payment may negatively impact your credit score. Results may vary.
+ See more cards for bad credit
Best “Prepaid” Cards with No Fees
Prepaid cards are not like traditional credit cards because cardholders must put up the funds toward their balance, just like a debit card. These cards are paid for in advance and typically come with perks like no credit checks and no risk of overdraft. We’ve picked out two of our top prepaid cards with no monthly or transactional fees attached.
*Terms and conditions apply. GO2bank™ cards are issued by Green Dot Bank, Member FDIC, pursuant to a license from Visa U.S.A., Inc. Visa is a registered trademark of Visa International Service Association. Overdraft fees may apply. Click Apply Now to learn more.
¹Out-of-network ATM withdrawal and over the counter advance fees may apply.
²Early access to direct deposit funds depends on the timing of the submission of the payment file from the payer. We generally make these funds available on the day the payment file is received, which may be up to 2 days earlier than the scheduled payment date.
³Chime SpotMe is an optional service that requires a single deposit of $200 or more in qualifying direct deposits to the Chime Checking Account at least once every 34 days. All qualifying members will be allowed to overdraw their account up to $20 on debit card purchases and cash withdrawals initially, but may be later eligible for a higher limit of up to $200 or more based on member’s Chime Account history, direct deposit frequency and amount, spending activity and other risk-based factors. Your limit will be displayed to you within the Chime mobile app. You will receive notice of any changes to your limit. Your limit may change at any time, at Chime’s discretion. Although there are no overdraft fees, there may be out-of-network or third-party fees associated with ATM transactions. SpotMe won’t cover non-debit card transactions, including ACH transfers, Pay Anyone transfers, or Chime Checkbook transactions. See Terms and Conditions.
Say Goodbye to Hidden Costs with a “No Fee” Credit Card
Whether you’re moving to a new place, building credit, or just trying to make ends meet, fees can be a real drag on your finances. Getting a no-fee credit card is a smart way to avoid unnecessary spending and save money.
You can take control of your budget by choosing a credit card that charges no annual fees, foreign transaction fees — or by getting a prepaid credit card with no fees. Even people with bad credit have options to get a credit card without putting down a deposit.
Our list of the 14 best no-fee credit cards is a great place to find a valuable deal on your next line of credit. Choose wisely!
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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.
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