A 0% APR 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 11 months for cards offering 0% purchases. And it’s around 13 months for the average card with 0% on transfers.

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.

Here are some 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.

The best 0% APR rewards card is Amex Cash Magnet. It gives an intro APR of 0% for 15 months on purchases, followed by a regular 13.99% to 23.99% (V) APR. 

Amex Cash Magnet Rewards

• Earn a $200 statement credit for spending $2,000 in the first 6 months.
• Unlimited 1.5% Cash Back on your purchases.
• Amex Offers rewards you at places you like to shop, dine, travel, and more. You can add as many Offers as you’d like to your Card, then just use that Card to pay, and enjoy rewards directly on your statement.
• Cash Back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed for statement credits.

Amex Cash Magnet Fees

Annual Fee: $0

Max Late Fee: $40

This is a great card especially considering that rewards credit cards tend not to offer long 0% periods and 0% cards lack in the rewards department.

Most of the time, though, I would highly recommend to keep separate cards for separate purchases. You can get both a rewards credit card and a 0% card to focus on earning for one and financing for the other.

Some other great options would be:

• Chase Freedom Unlimited 

• Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card

• Blue Cash Everyday Card from American Express

Yes, there are 0% APR credit cards for 21 months. The Wells Fargo Reflect credit card offers 0% for up to 21 months from account opening for purchases and qualifying balance transfers. The Wells Fargo Reflect’s regular APR is 12.99% - 24.99% Variable.

Here are other good 0% APR credit cards:

• U.S. Bank Platinum. This credit card has an intro APR on purchases of 0% for 20 billing cycles and then a regular APR of 14.49% - 24.49%* (V).
• Chase Freedom Unlimited. It has an intro APR for purchases of 0% for 15 months and a regular APR of 14.99% - 23.74% (V) after that.
• Capital One Quicksilver. This credit card has an introductory APR of 0% for 15 months and then a regular APR of 14.99% - 24.99% (V).
• Citi Diamond Preferred. It has an intro APR for purchases of 0% for 12 months and a regular APR of 13.74% - 23.74% (V) after that. 

Ultimately, you can check out our editors’ latest picks for the best 0% APR credit cards and see which one suits your needs.

The longest 0% APR credit card is the Wells Fargo Reflect℠ Card as it offers an introductory purchase APR of 0% for up to 21 months from account opening. That rate is coupled with a balance transfer intro APR of 0% for up to 21 months from account opening on qualifying balance transfers – subject to a balance transfer fee: 3% intro for 120 days, then up to 5% (min $5). Once the introductory periods are over, remaining balances are subject to a regular APR of 12.99% - 24.99% Variable. Given its $0 annual fee, the Wells Fargo Reflect card makes for a great option both for financing larger purchases and transferring pre-existing debt. There are several other options with long 0% intro APRs that are worth your consideration.

Here are the longest 0% APR credit cards:

These cards benefit from $0 annual fees and require good credit or better (a credit score of 700+) for good odds of approval. None of these cards offer rewards, but they’re meant for financing rather than regular spending. You can always adopt the island approach and use a different rewards card for purchases you’ll pay in full each month. All of these cards also require good or excellent credit.

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 18 - 48 months of deferred interest. But those cards are best avoided, because not paying your balance in full by the end of the intro period allows for a high APR to retroactively apply to your entire original purchase amount – as if the low intro rate never existed.

The best way to use a 0% APR credit card is with a clear plan. Interest-free credit cards aren’t always available. So, you can’t just assume that you’ll be able to transfer whatever balance remains at the end of your new card’s 0% intro term to yet another 0% credit card. And exposing much of a balance to a card’s regular interest rate is a costly proposition. The average 0% credit card has a 18% regular APR, according to WalletHub’s latest Credit Card Landscape Report.

Here’s the best way to use a 0% APR credit card:

The first thing to keep in mind is that using a 0% card correctly starts with calculating how long it will take you to repay your debt (without interest). This will tell you how long of a 0% intro period you’ll need and how important each card’s regular APR will be.

The second step is to check your latest credit score, which you can do for free on WalletHub. This will tell you which, if any, zero-interest credit card you can qualify for.

Next, you’ll need to compare whatever eligible offers remain. In doing so, consider all of the various account terms that could affect your overall financing costs. That includes the length of the 0% period, the annual fee, the regular APR and if you’re trying to reduce the cost of existing debt, the balance-transfer fee. And WalletHub’s Credit Card Payoff and Balance Transfer calculators are perfect for the task.

After you find the best 0% APR card for your needs, submit an application and, hopefully, get approved, your focus should shift to making on-time monthly payments and reaching debt freedom as quickly as possible. And the best way to accomplish those goals is to set up automatic monthly payments for your budgeted amount.

Many people assume credit cards with 0% APRs are always around. But they’re actually just limited-time offers. They tend to be plentiful when the economy is strong and scarce when credit card companies believe the risk of nonpayment is too high.

That’s why it’s best to act as if another 0% card will not be available to bail you out. It’s also why you should consider a 0% card’s regular APR if there’s a chance you won’t be debt-free by the end of the intro period. You never really know when the economic tides or issuer policies will shift, after all. And a lot of 0% credit card users learned a costly lesson about not planning for the worst during the Great Recession.

It’s also worth noting that even when 0% APR credit cards are available, their terms still fluctuate over time. For example, the average 0% credit card offer had a 7.29-month intro period at the end of 2010. And that grew to 10.27 months in Q3 2013, before dipping to 9.85 months at the end of 2016. So getting the best 0% credit card deal is part good timing and part opportunism.

Credit card companies generally make money off of fees and interest. So it’s understandably confusing that they would sacrifice the interest part of the equation, if only for a limited time, especially since most 0% cards don’t charge annual fees. But there are three main reasons why banks and credit unions offer 0% APR credit cards:

1. To entice new customers. Zero percent intro rates are eye-catching, and banks can market their other products to new cardholders in order to make money.
2. To encourage more spending. Credit card companies make money from so-called interchange fees every time you make a purchase. And the more debt you rack up, the less likely you are to repay your full balance within the 0% term.
3. To make money from interest. This might seem a bit counterintuitive, but issuers know that many people will carry a balance for longer than their 0% intro rate is available. And that’s when they hit you with a high regular APR. The current average is 17.86%. In other words, credit cards with no interest whatsoever don’t actually exist.

These reasons also help to explain why credit cards don’t have permanent 0% rates. And the fact that issuers offer 0% APRs to make money, not just out of the goodness of their hearts, is why you should always be on the lookout for hidden costs and deals that seem too good to be true.

“If consumers actually routinely borrowed at 0% without paying any fees or interest, it would be difficult for credit card companies to earn a profit on these deals,” said Michael Simkovic, an associate professor at the Seton Hall University School of Law who studies the credit regulations. “Customers just really have to read the fine print, compare the total cost of borrowing the amount they need for the time they need it (including interest and fees) and be very, very careful.”

When a 0% APR period ends, the credit card’s regular APR will kick in. That rate will apply to any unpaid balance remaining on the credit card as well as any new purchases made from that point on. The regular APR that applies when a 0% APR period expires tends to be very high, so it’s best not to leave much of a balance for it to affect.

The only exception to this rule is a 0% interest period with a feature called deferred interest. General-purpose 0% credit cards don’t have it, but some store credit cards do. This isn’t a true 0% APR deal because the interest is still accruing while it’s “deferred,” and it will apply if you don’t pay your balance on schedule. So when the 0% APR ends on a deferred interest financing offer, you’ll be charged interest on the original purchase amount, as accrued from the purchase date, if you have even $1 of your original balance left to pay. Your deferred interest could also return prematurely if you make a late payment, and it’ll likely be a lot more expensive than a late fee. That’s why it’s very important to make on-time payments on deferred interest credit cards, and to pay off the balance before a deferred interest period is over.

Even though a credit card with a true 0% APR period won’t retroactively charge interest on purchases, be smart with these cards. Interest will apply to any balance remaining when the 0% period ends, so plan out your payments to ensure there’s little left at that point. Using a credit card payoff calculator can be a big help.

The best 0% APR travel credit card is Discover it® Miles. It offers a 0% intro APR on purchases for your first 14 months of card membership (11.99% - 22.99% Variable APR after that). That’s about 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. 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.

• Discover it® Miles: 0% purchase intro APR for 14 months.

11.99% - 22.99% Variable APR after that. 1.5 miles per $1 on all purchases. First year’s miles matched. $0 annual fee. 0% foreign transaction fee. Good credit needed.

• Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card: 0% intro APR for 15 months on purchases and balance transfers.

20,000 miles bonus for spending $500 in the first 3 months. 1.25 miles per $1 on all purchases. 14.99% - 24.99% (V) regular APR. $0 annual fee. $0 foreign transaction fees. Good credit needed.

• Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card: 0% purchase intro APR for 15 billing cycles.

25,000 points bonus when you spend $1,000 in the first 90 days. 1.5 points per $1 on all purchases. 25% - 75% additional points if you're a Preferred Rewards member. 13.99% - 23.99% Variable regular APR. $0 annual fee. 0% foreign transaction fees. Excellent credit needed.

• JetBlue Card: 0% balance transfer APR for 12 months (3% (min $5) fee).

10,000 points bonus for spending $1,000 in the first 90 days. 3 points per $1 on JetBlue purchases, 2 at restaurants and grocery stores, 1 everywhere else. Share points with Family Pooling. 50% savings on in-flight purchases. 15.99% - 24.99% (V) regular APR. $0 annual fee. 0% foreign transaction fees. Good credit needed.

• Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express: 0% purchase intro APR for 12 months.

$300 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. 13.99% - 23.99% (V) regular APR. No annual fee the first year, $95 per year after that. 2.7% foreign transaction fee. Good credit needed.

If you’re looking to finance an upcoming trip, Discover it® Miles is probably your best bet, since it’ll give you the longest amount of time before interest kicks in.

Yes, 0% APR is the same as no interest, though only up to a point. While 0% APR means no interest in the short term, the 0% APR on a credit card offer is only an introductory deal that will be replaced by a higher regular APR at the end of the 0% intro period.

With most credit cards, the interest rate that takes effect after a 0% APR ends will only apply to any balance remaining at that point, plus future balances carried from month to month. With some store credit cards, however, the regular rate will retroactively apply to the original purchase amount if you don’t repay what you owe by the end of the 0% promo period.

Finally, if you have a 0% APR offer, understand that it does not excuse you from making payments on your account each month. In fact, you could lose your 0% APR if you fail to pay the minimum amount by the due date.