What are the best credit cards with no late fees?

The best credit card with no late fees is the Petal® 2 Visa® Credit Card. It offers 1% cash back on all eligible purchases, up to 1.25% back after 6 months of on-time payments, and 1.5% cash back after 12 consecutive months of paying on time. The Petal 2 Card has a $0 annual fee and requires limited credit for approval.

Best Credit Cards with No Late Fees in 2026

Generally, late fees can be steep. So, getting a credit card with no late fees might seem like a good idea. But it would be better to focus on paying your credit card bill on time – and preferably in full – every month, instead. That’s because late credit card payments can also get reported to the credit bureaus, which could impact your credit score. 

Key Things to Know About Late Credit Card Payments

What happens when you pay late:

When you don’t pay your balance by the due date, you will lose your grace period. So, you will accrue interest on new purchases as soon as you make them from that point on. Also, repeated late payments could lead to your regular APR being revoked and replaced with a higher penalty APR.

Credit score impact:

A missed payment stays on your credit report for 7 years, though your credit score should gradually bounce back, depending on the rest of your financial picture. You can check your credit score and get daily updates for free on WalletHub. However, a payment that’s 30 days late – meaning you’ve missed two due dates – could have a significant impact on your credit score. That’s true even if you have excellent credit and you’ve never missed a payment in your life.

What to do in case of a late payment:

If you accidentally pay less than the minimum required payment or you miss your credit card due date entirely, you can always ask customer service to waive the late fee by calling the number you see on the back of your card. According to a WalletHub survey, nearly 9 in 10 people who’ve tried to get a credit card late fee waived have been successful. It is much more likely to work if you have a great payment history with the issuer, but there’s no harm in asking either way.

Ultimately, instead of searching for a card with no late fees, it’s better to focus on never missing a payment. Setting up autopay is easy, and as long as you pay the minimum amount required by the due date, you won’t get hit with a late fee. Issuers will usually waive the first late fee anyway if you call and ask, but it is not guaranteed.