What are the longest 0% APR credit cards?

Question

You can potentially extend a 0% APR on a credit card by calling the credit card company and asking them if they can extend the promotion. Success could depend on which credit card company it is, your relationship with them, your current account balance, and other factors that the credit card company won’t publicly disclose. There is no exact science to getting an extension on a 0% APR period, and it’s unlikely to work. So it’s important to remember that your mileage may vary.… read full answer

How card issuers determine who gets a 0% APR extension

Think about it from the card issuer’s perspective. Promotional 0% APR periods aren’t a product of a card issuer’s kindness - they’re business decisions. And granting a 0% APR extension is also a business decision.

The current balance on your credit card may play a part in whether or not you’ll receive a 0% APR extension after you ask. If you have been racking up a big balance over the course of a long 0% interest period and you want more time to pay off the debt with no interest, you’re unlikely to fit the criteria for an extension. The card issuer stands to make more money from your high balance by charging interest. That’s why card issuers offer 0% APR periods in the first place.

On the other hand, if your balance is $0 when you call for an extension, you’re more likely to get one. That’s because the issuer will earn more in processing fees from your future purchases than they would by charging you interest on a $0 balance. Plus, the card issuer has another chance that you’ll spend more than you can afford to pay off before the end of the zero-interest period.

Threatening to close your account

Some users in forums online have had success with threatening to cancel their credit card unless the 0% APR promotion is extended. This could be a good idea, because you may get sent to a retention representative who is able to offer an extension or some other promotion.

However, other reports suggest that if your account doesn’t meet certain criteria, the card issuer may simply take your threat as an order to close your account, and send you a bill for the remaining balance on your card. If your account is closed, your credit score could take a hit, and you’ll still owe any balance on the card plus the interest that accrues while you pay it off. This is clearly a risk, so it’s important to weigh out other options before you call with a threat.

Other options for extending a 0% APR period

Consider actually taking your business elsewhere. There are lots of credit card companies out there, and many have 0% APR periods for purchases and balance transfers. Some don’t even have balance transfer fees. If you have a balance on your credit card and your credit is good, consider applying for a balance transfer credit card with a 0% interest period and no transfer fee.

Keep in mind, however, that 0% APR offers won’t always be readily available, and may be less available in an economic downturn, for example. So it’s a risky move to rely on this as a future strategy.

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Answer 1 · 2020-12-16 11:19:07

Joyce Brown, WalletHub Credit Card Analyst

@j.brown • 12/16/20 This answer was first published on 01/16/18 and it was last updated on 12/16/20.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 longest 0% APR credit cards are the Citi Simplicity® Card (0% for 12 months on purchases and 0% for 21 months on balance transfers), the U.S. Bank Visa® Platinum Card (0% for 20 billing cycles on purchases and 0% for 20 billing cycles on balance transfers), and the Wells Fargo Platinum card (0% for 18 months on qualifying balance transfers and 0% for 18 months on purchases). They all have $0 annual fees, but watch out for transfer fees.

A long period of 0% interest can be really helpful if you need to make a big purchase but can’t pay it all off right away. You can avoid interest entirely if you pay in full by the time the intro rate ends. And if you can’t manage that, you’ll at least have a smaller balance when interest kicks in.

It’s important to note that some store cards may offer 0% interest for longer than 21 months, but they use deferred interest. That is, you earn interest on your balance during the 0% period but don’t have to pay that interest if and only if you bring your balance to $0 before the 0% period ends. The JCPenney Credit Card is one example, offering up to 60 months of deferred interest. But those cards are best avoided because there’s a chance you’ll get blindsided by interest charges. So, they’re not really eligible to be in the running for longest 0% APR.

Here are the longest 0% APR credit cards:

Citi Simplicity® Card: 0% for 21 months on balance transfers and 0% for 12 months on purchases. 5% (min $5) transfer fee. $0 annual fee and no late fees. Requires good credit.
U.S. Bank Visa® Platinum Card: 0% for 20 billing cycles on purchases and 0% for 20 billing cycles on balance transfers. 3% (min $5) balance transfer fee. $0* annual fee. Requires with good credit.
Wells Fargo Platinum card: 0% for 18 months on purchases and 0% for 18 months on qualifying balance transfers. 3% intro for 120 days, then up to 5% (min $5) balance transfer fee. $0 annual fee. Requires good credit.
HSBC Gold Credit Card: 0% for 18 months on purchases and 0% for 18 months on balance transfers. 4% (min $10) balance transfer fee. $0 annual fee. Requires good credit.

None of these cards offer rewards, but they’re meant for financing rather than regular spending. And you can use a different card for purchases you’ll pay in full each month. All of these cards also require good or excellent credit.

Answer 2 · 2017-12-09 14:28:34

Daniel Watt, Equipment Eng

@danielw_207 • 12/09/17 This answer was first published on 12/09/17. 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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Several American Express cards offer introductory APR for the first 15 months. I am not sure about other cards.

Answer 3 · 2018-09-25 07:18:15

Phyllis B, Member

@phyllisbach • 09/25/18 This answer was first published on 01/08/18 and it was last updated on 09/25/18.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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Kind of depends on what you're looking to finance. If you just want to have fun and buy stuff, go for Citi Simplicity® Card, 0% for 12 months. If you're thinking of buying something big from a store, maybe check if they've got a store card, some of them have it for longer than that.

Answer 4 · 2017-12-11 13:37:33

Tom Lipkiss, Member

@tom_lipkiss • 12/11/17 This answer was first published on 12/11/17. 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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Citi's got 18 months on the Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card and the Citi Simplicity® Card.

Answer 5 · 2018-03-28 15:19:12

Mila Michaels, Member

@mila_michaels • 03/28/18 This answer was first published on 03/28/18. 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 Simplicity® Card has 0% APR for an intro period of 12 months on purchases and 12 months on qualifying balance transfers. The Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card has a 21 months 0% interest balance transfer offer and 0% on purchases for 12 months. Discover it® Cash Back has a 14 months 0% interest balance transfer offer, and an APR of 0% on purchases for 14 months. And the Citi Double Cash Card has 0% interest for balance transfers for 18 months.

What are the longest 0% APR credit cards?

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