The 5 best 0% APR credit cards of August 2025

CNN

3 days ago

CNN Underscored reviews financial products based on their overall value. We may receive a commission through our affiliate partners if you apply and are approved for a product, but our reporting is always independent and objective. This may impact how links appear on this site. This site does not include all financial companies or all available financial offers. Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more.
Credit cards that charge no interest rate for an introductory period can give you peace of mind with the knowledge you have a long time, in some cases almost two years, to pay off purchases without interest. Some cards also allow balance transfers with zero interest for long periods, meaning you can transfer debt you owe on another card and avoid paying interest on it until the end of the intro period.
Those cards are temporary, low-cost solutions, and if you are confident you can pay the balance off before the intro period is over, they can be a great financial tool.
Some 0% interest credit cards also offer cash back or travel rewards for your spending. But with so many options, which card should you choose? Our list of the best credit cards with zero interest on purchases can help you decide which one best fits your needs.
The Citi Diamond Preferred Card makes our list because it offers an impressive 21-month introductory interest rate period on balance transfers. That's the longest no-interest period available, making this card a great choice for individuals with large balances on other credit cards who want to pay no interest for as long as possible.
Its highlights include:
0% interest for 21 months on balance transfers made in the first four months after you open the card (17.24% to 27.99% variable afterward)
0% interest on all purchases for the first 12 months (17.24% to 27.99% variable afterward)
Balance transfer fee of 5% or $5, whichever is greater
No annual fee
The first step to getting out of credit card debt is to stop bleeding interest. The Citi Diamond Preferred comes with a lengthy 21-month introductory period on balance transfers from other cards. The period during which you'll pay 0% interest on any purchases is shorter, at just 12 months, making this a far better card for paying off pre-existing debt than for making new purchases.
Do be aware that the fee for transferring balances is a relatively high 5%. You'll also want to make sure you pay off your entire debt during those 21 months, because when that introductory period ends, the interest rate will jump up to as much as 27.99%, depending on your creditworthiness.
The Citi Diamond Preferred card does come with the ability to check your FICO credit score online for free and allows you to choose your payment due date, which is extremely helpful for those who pay their credit card bills around their paycheck schedule and need maximum flexibility.
But beyond its alluring introductory period for balance transfers, there's no reason to keep the Citi Diamond Preferred in your wallet for the long term. It doesn't earn a welcome bonus, cash back or points, and it imposes — in common with other no-annual-fee, balance-transfer cards — a 3% foreign transaction fee on international purchases.
This is a good card for people who need a long runway to pay off upcoming purchases, as well as paying off debt transferred from other cards. Its 21 months is a generous intro period, but beware that the 5% balance transfer fee can be higher than with other cards. Additionally, the lack of a rewards program or welcome bonus is a notable drawback.
Highlights include:
0% intro APR for 21 months from account opening on purchases and qualifying balance transfers made within the first 120 days (17.24% to variable APR afterward)
Balance transfer fee of 5% (or minimum $5)
Cell phone protection
No annual fee
A notable plus is that the Wells Fargo Reflect offers cell phone protection if you use it to pay your phone bill. You're insured against theft or damage for up to $600 per claim (after a $25 out-of-pocket deductible). Claims are limited to two per year, up to $1,200 total.
If you aren't able to pay off your balance by the end of the introductory period, you can qualify for a relatively low interest rate, depending on your credit score. This contributes to making the card an attractive option if you aren't interested in earning rewards. If you are, there are better options available, albeit with shorter no-interest periods.
Beyond its introductory period, in any case, there's not much reason to keep using the Wells Fargo Reflect, since other credit cards offer either cash back or travel rewards on most if not all of your purchases.
The American Express Blue Cash Everyday card offers a generous introductory 0% APR period on purchases and balance transfers of 15 months (20.24% to 29.24% variable afterward), while also earning 3% cash back as a statement credit at U.S. supermarkets and U.S. gas stations, as well as at U.S. online retailers like Amazon. Cash back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit and at Amazon.com checkout.
That makes this a good card for people who want to temporarily avoid high interest rates, but who also spend a significant amount of their budget at supermarkets and gas stations and want to earn elevated rewards for it.
That elevated 3% rate of rewards applies to up to $6,000 annually, in each of those categories, then the card earns 1%. But for no annual fee (see rates and fees), that's not bad at all.
The card's highlights include:
0% interest on all purchases and balance transfers for the first 15 months (20.24% to 29.24% variable afterward)
Earn $200 cash back as a statement credit after you spend $1,000 in purchases on your new card in your first six months
Earn 3% cash back at U.S. supermarkets, 3% cash back on U.S. online retail purchases, 3% cash back at U.S. gas stations, on eligible purchases for each category on up to $6,000 per year in purchases (then 1%)
Earn 1% cash back on everything else
Car rental loss and damage insurance included
No annual fee
This card is a solid choice if you're trying to make ends meet right now but don't want to forgo rewards. Those rewards are cash back, received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit and at Amazon.com checkout. You'll also find a nice welcome bonus of a $200 statement credit, and even car rental loss and damage insurance, to top off a fairly complete package.
However, you can earn twice as much cash back at U.S. supermarkets if you're willing to forgo a few months of the intro period by getting the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express instead of the Blue Cash Everyday.
The Blue Cash Preferred has a $95 annual fee, but no annual fee for the first year (see rates and fees). The card earns 6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year (then 1%). That great 6% earning rate applies to select U.S streaming subscriptions, while transit and U.S. gas stations earn 3% also up to $6,000 in each of those categories (then 1%). The downside is that the introductory period on purchases and balance transfers runs for only 12 months instead of 15.
This is a good choice for people who want a card that earns bonus cash back along with having an introductory 0% APR period, but who also want the option to convert their cash back to travel rewards down the line.
Highlights include:
0% interest on all purchases and balance transfers for the first 15 months (18.99% to 28.49% variable afterward)
Earn $200 bonus cash back after you spend $500 on purchases in your first three months after opening the account
Earn 5% cash back on travel purchases made through Chase Travel℠, 3% on dining including takeout and eligible delivery services, and 3% at drugstores
Earn 1.5% cash back on all other purchases
Cash back can be transferred to airline and hotel travel programs when combined with select Chase Ultimate Rewards cards, such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
No annual fee
This is a card that's beneficial for the long haul. While you may sign up because of the Chase Freedom Unlimited's introductory interest rate on purchases and balance transfers, it'll likely become a staple in your wallet thanks to its 1.5% cash back on everything you buy. You'll earn way more than that on some important spending categories like dining and drugstores, where the card earns an excellent 3%. If you book travel, such as flights, hotels and car rentals, on the Chase Travel portal, the rewards leap to 5%.
If you apply for a Chase Sapphire Preferred or Chase Sapphire Reserve® down the road, you can convert the cash back you earn with the Chase Freedom Unlimited into Ultimate Rewards points. Those points can be redeemed for travel on the Chase travel portal or transferred to Chase's airline and hotel partners to extract potentially even more value from them.
It's hard to gripe about the Chase Freedom Unlimited, but you should be mindful of its pesky 3% foreign transaction fee. Also, the card's 1.5% flat earning rate on categories without bonus rewards falls short of some other no-annual-fee cards, like the Citi Double Cash, which earns 2% on every purchase.
However, the ability to potentially transfer cash back to points might be worth the tradeoff, especially since Chase Ultimate Rewards is one of the better flexible rewards programs.
The Citi Double Cash does not have an intro 0% APR period on purchases, just on balance transfers, on which you'll have 18 months without interest to pay off your pre-existing credit card debt. But it offers an excellent value proposition thanks to its rewards rate: You'll earn 2% on every purchase (1% when you buy and the other 1% when you pay). That's the reason it can earn a permanent place in your wallet as a general-spending workhorse.
0% interest on all balance transfers for the first 18 months (18.24% to 28.24% variable APR afterward)
$200 cash back after spending $1,500 on purchases in the first six months
Earn 2% cash back on every purchase
Earn 5% total cash back on hotels, car rentals and attractions bought on the Citi Travel portal
No annual fee
The rewards you earn on the Citi Double Cash are technically in the form of Citi's ThankYou points, but you can still redeem them for a statement credit, a deposit to your bank account or a check, all for the value of 1 cent per point.
If you pair the Double Cash with a Citi card that charges an annual fee, like the Citi Strata Premier or Citi Strata Elite, you'll also be able to transfer points to Citi's many partners at a 1:1 ratio, including to American Airlines and other major carriers. This way, you can get even more value from them, potentially more than 2 cents per point.
If you use the card for balance transfers, you'll pay an introductory balance transfer fee of 3% of each transfer (minimum $5) completed within the first four months of account opening. That's at the low end of fees for balance transfers. After that, your fee will be 5% of each transfer (minimum $5).
The Citi Double Cash also has foreign transaction fees, but this isn't a travel card meant to go abroad with you. It's a daily driver that gives you more rewards on general spending than its direct competitors and plenty of value as a long-term credit card beyond its no-interest promo period.
The following FAQs have been answered by CNN Underscored senior money editor and credit card expert Alberto Riva.
Which credit card has the longest 0% APR?
Which credit card has the longest 0% APR?
Several cards have 21-month 0% APR periods. The Citi Diamond Preferred has a 21-month no-interest intro period on balance transfers; the Wells Fargo Reflect offers a 21-month intro period on both balance transfers and purchases.
What's the difference between a 0% credit card and a low-interest card?
What's the difference between a 0% credit card and a low-interest card?
With a credit card offering a 0% APR for a given time, you won't pay any interest for the duration of the intro period (as long as you make a small minimum payment in each billing cycle). A low-interest card does not have a 0% APR intro period, but it will charge a relatively low interest rate on any balance carried.
Do 0% APR cards hurt your credit score?
Do 0% APR cards hurt your credit score?
Not necessarily. Applying for any credit card will cause a dip in your credit score, but that's only temporary. A 0% APR card may also encourage running up a large balance, which raises your credit utilization ratio (the amount of your credit that you are actually using). This typically lowers your credit score until the utilization ratio goes down again.
More importantly, any balances you carry on a 0% APR card after the intro period is over will incur a large interest rate, which can be well over 20%. This may cause your balance to grow even more, which raises that credit utilization ratio and damages your score further. Eventually, this growing amount of debt may become unmanageable. To counter this risk, always have a plan to pay off your debt by the end of the 0% APR intro period, and don't treat a 0% APR card as free money. The goods and services you buy with it, or the balances you transfer to it, will have to be paid eventually.
CNN Underscored's team of expert editors and contributors carefully reviews credit cards, travel rewards and loyalty programs to help readers navigate changes and make informed financial decisions. For this story, senior money editor and credit card expert Alberto Riva applied his years of industry knowledge and personal experience to ensure every detail is accurate and actionable. Our recommendations are grounded in real-world value, not hype, and backed by thorough analysis, expert insight and a commitment to clarity and transparency.
Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.