Best 0% APR Credit Cards
A 0% intro APR card is a short-term loan at zero interest. You either need to finance a large purchase (appliance, emergency, wedding) or transfer a balance from a high-interest card to buy yourself time to pay it off. The card's job is to save you interest, and the best ones give you 12-18 months to do it.
Rewards still matter — you'll use the card after the intro period ends — but the intro APR term is what you're optimizing for here.
Longest 0% APR on balance transfers
18 months of 0% APR on balance transfers (3% transfer fee applies). After the intro period, you're earning 2% cash back on everything. This is the longest interest-free runway in the no-annual-fee category for moving existing debt.
Learn more at Citi →The math on a balance transfer: if you're carrying $5,000 at 24% APR, you're paying roughly $100/month in interest alone. Moving that balance to the Double Cash at 0% for 18 months saves you $1,800 in interest (minus the $150 transfer fee). Net savings: around $1,650. That's more valuable than any welcome bonus.
Longest 0% APR on new purchases
15 months of 0% APR on both purchases and balance transfers. The $250 welcome bonus after $500 in spend means you earn rewards while financing interest-free. After the intro period, the 1.5%+ earning rate keeps the card useful long-term.
Learn more at Chase →15 months of 0% APR on purchases and balance transfers, with the added Cashback Match that doubles your first year of rewards. If you're financing a purchase and want every dollar of spending to count double in year one, this is the card.
Learn more at Discover →How to use a 0% APR card correctly
Divide the balance by the number of months. If you put $3,000 on a card with 15 months of 0% APR, you need to pay $200/month to clear it before the rate jumps. Set up autopay for that amount immediately. The intro rate is a tool, not a gift — if any balance remains when the rate resets, you'll pay the ongoing APR (typically 18-28%) on whatever's left.
Don't stack new purchases on top of transferred balances. Some cards apply payments to the lowest-APR balance first. If you transfer $5,000 at 0% and then charge $500 in groceries at the ongoing rate, your payments might go toward the 0% balance while the $500 accrues interest. Read your card's payment allocation terms.
Mark the expiration date. Set a calendar reminder for one month before the intro APR period ends. If you can't pay the remaining balance in full, start planning: a second balance transfer card or a personal loan at a lower rate than the card's ongoing APR.
The balance transfer fee matters. A 3% fee on a $10,000 transfer is $300 upfront. That's still far less than the interest you'd pay at 24% APR over 18 months ($3,600), but it's not free. Factor it in.