What are the best 0% APR travel credit cards?

Question

A 0% APR (also known as zero interest) means that you pay no interest on new purchases and/or balance transfers for a certain period of time. The best 0% APR credit cards give 15-18 months without interest. But the average 0% APR intro period is about 12 months for cards offering 0% purchases. And it’s around 13 months for the average card with 0% on transfers.… read full answer

A 0% APR does not keep you away from monthly payments, nor does it completely remove interest out of the equation. You still have to make monthly minimum payments to keep your 0% APR. And if you don’t pay off your balance by the end of the 0% intro period, you’ll have to pay interest on whatever balance remains. The penalty is even worse with many retailers’ 0% financing offers. If you don’t pay off your full balance in time, interest will retroactively apply to your entire original balance – as if the 0% APR was never there.

There are a few other things you should keep in mind when thinking about 0% APRs, too.

0% APR Key Takeaways

You pay no interest on your purchases and/or balance transfers for the duration of the introductory APR period, which depends on the card.

0% APRs make debt cheaper to pay off, which helps you get out of debt faster.

A 0% APR does not free you from the responsibility of making monthly payments. You must pay at least your monthly minimum to avoid being classified as late. Late payments damage your credit score.

0% credit cards tend to have fairly high regular APRs. So, you should strive to bring your balance to zero by the end of the 0% APR period, when regular rates take effect.

It’s also important to note that you won’t only find 0% APRs on credit cards. You may see auto loans with them, for example. Just be sure to always read the terms in detail before signing. You don’t want to end up with deferred interest instead of a true 0% APR.

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Answer 1 · 2022-02-23 19:39:37

Kendall Morris, Credit Cards Moderator

@kendallmorris • 02/23/22 This answer was first published on 01/29/21 and it was last updated on 02/23/22.For the most current information about a financial product, you should always check and confirm accuracy with the offering financial institution. Editorial and user-generated content is not provided, reviewed or endorsed by any company.

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One of the best 0% APR travel credit cards is Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card. It offers a 0% intro APR on purchases for your first 15 months of card membership. And it also gives a reduced intro rate on balance transfers, with a 0% APR for 15 months. The card’s regular APR is 16.49% - 26.49% (V). That’s about one of the longest introductory period you’ll see on a travel card, which focus more on rewards than financing.

That said, there are other travel cards with 0% APRs on purchases. Some have 0% balance transfers, too, like the Chase Freedom Unlimited®. Other cards, like Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express, aren’t necessarily focused on travel but combine great rewards with 0% APRs and thus could be useful.

Here are some of the best 0% APR travel credit cards:

Winner Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card

0% intro APR for 15 months on purchases and balance transfers. 16.49% - 26.49% (V) regular APR. 3% balance transfer fee.

Initial bonus of 20,000 miles for spending $500 in the first 3 months. 5 miles per $1 spent on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, and 1.25 miles per $1 on all other purchases. $0 annual fee. $0 foreign transaction fees. At least good credit needed.

No Annual Fee Chase Freedom Unlimited®

0% intro APR for 15 months on purchases and balance transfers. 15.74% - 24.49% (V) regular APR. Either $5 or 3% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater in the first 60 days (5%, min $5 after) balance transfer fee.

5% cash back on travel through Chase, 3% back at restaurants and drugstores, and 1.5% back on all other purchases (plus an additional 1.5% cash back on everything, up to $20,000 spent the first year). $0 annual fee. 3% of each transaction in U.S. dollars foreign transaction fees. At least good credit needed.

Travel Rewards Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card

0% purchase intro APR for 15 billing cycles. 14.74% - 24.74% Variable regular APR.

25,000 points for spending $1,000 in the first 90 days. 1.5 points per $1 spent on all purchases. $0 annual fee. 0% foreign transaction fees. Excellent credit needed.

Airline Rewards JetBlue Card

0% balance transfer APR for 12 months. 5% (min $5) balance transfer fee.

10,000 points after spending $1,000 in the first 90 days. 3 points per $1 spent on JetBlue purchases, 2 points per $1 spent at restaurants and grocery stores, and 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases. $0 annual fee. 0% foreign transaction fees. At least good credit needed.

Cash Back Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express

0% intro purchase APR for 12 months. 15.49% - 25.49% (V) regular APR.

$350 statement credit for spending $3,000 in the first 6 months. 6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets (up to $6,000 spent per year), 6% back on select U.S. streaming subscriptions, 3% back at U.S. gas stations and on transit, and 1% back on all other purchases, earned as statement credits. $95 annual fee. 2.7% foreign transaction fees. At least good credit needed.

If you’re looking to finance an upcoming trip, the Capital One VentureOne is probably your best bet, since it’ll give you a long amount of time before interest kicks in.

Answer 2 · 2019-11-19 17:32:06

Adam Farley, Member

@adam_farley • 11/19/19 This answer was first published on 01/28/18 and it was last updated on 11/19/19.For the most current information about a financial product, you should always check and confirm accuracy with the offering financial institution. Editorial and user-generated content is not provided, reviewed or endorsed by any company.

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If you’re looking for the longest 0% APR period, the Citi Simplicity® Card is one of your best options, offering 12 months. Unfortunately, it does not offer any rewards. Cards designed for travel rewards rarely offer intro 0% APR, with the exception of the Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card which manages to combine the best of both worlds. 0% APR for 15 months and miles equivalent of 1.25 miles / $1 on all purchases, not to mention the 20,000 miles initial bonus. You can check it out here: https://wallethub.com/d/capital-one-ventureone-379c.

Answer 3 · 2018-07-15 20:25:18

casinocard, Member

@casinocard • 07/15/18 This answer was first published on 07/16/18 and it was last updated on 07/15/18.For the most current information about a financial product, you should always check and confirm accuracy with the offering financial institution. Editorial and user-generated content is not provided, reviewed or endorsed by any company.

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I have a Citi Simplicity® Card. Great card if you travel a lot, 12 months 0%, great customer service.

Answer 4 · 2018-06-04 20:25:38

Inga Berry, Member

@inga_berry • 06/04/18 This answer was first published on 06/05/18 and it was last updated on 06/04/18.For the most current information about a financial product, you should always check and confirm accuracy with the offering financial institution. Editorial and user-generated content is not provided, reviewed or endorsed by any company.

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The Citi Rewards+® Card is a good card. I'm not really sure it's a travel credit card per se, but it earns you points for purchases, and double points for dining out and entertainment. The 0% intro APR lasts for 15 months.

Answer 5 · 2018-05-30 20:26:04

Kevin Pebb, Member

@kevin_pebb • 05/30/18 This answer was first published on 05/31/18 and it was last updated on 05/30/18.For the most current information about a financial product, you should always check and confirm accuracy with the offering financial institution. Editorial and user-generated content is not provided, reviewed or endorsed by any company.

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I've got a Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card from BoA. It's better than Discover it® Miles, in my opinion, especially due to those signup bonus points.

What are the best 0% APR travel credit cards?

Kendall Morris, Credit Cards Moderator

Here are some of the best 0% APR travel credit cards:

2022's Best 0% APR Credit Cards

Adam Farley, Member

casinocard, Member

People also ask

What does 0% APR mean?

0% APR Key Takeaways

Should I get a 0% APR credit card?

You should get a 0% APR credit card if:

You have good credit or better

You’re planning a big purchase or balance transfer

You have a plan for paying off the balance before the intro period is over

The credit card is not a store credit card

Inga Berry, Member

Kevin Pebb, Member

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