Low Interest Credit Cards
WalletHub makes it easy to find the best low interest credit card for you.
Credit cards with a low regular APR are best for people who infrequently carry a balance from month to month. If you already have credit card debt or regularly carry a balance, you’ll probably save more with a 0% balance transfer credit card or a card offering 0% on purchases.
To help you make an informed decision, WalletHub’s editors compared 1,000+ credit card offers to find the toplow interest credit cards for different types of applicants.
Here are the best low interest credit cards:
- Discover it® Balance Transfer: Balance Transfer
- Wells Fargo Platinum Visa® Card: 0% Purchases
- Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express: Cash Back
- Green Dot primor® Visa® Gold Secured Credit Card: Bad Credit
- Amazon.com Store Card: Fair Credit
- Citi ThankYou® Preferred Card: Rewards
- NEA® Credit Card: Teachers
- Citi® Double Cash Card – 18 month BT offer: Senior Citizens
- SimplyCash® Plus Business Credit Card from American Express: Business
- Amalgamated Bank of Chicago Union Strong Mastercard® Credit Card: Union Members
We also recommend considering a rewards credit card for everyday purchases that you can pay off by the due date each month. After all, a credit card’s interest rate doesn’t matter if it never comes into play.
On that note, some people assume you should always get a credit card with alow interest rate. But getting a low regular APR usually means sacrificing in other areas, such as rewards or 0% intro rates. So it’s important to figure out which credit card terms will affect you the most and then focus on them. …
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- INTRO OFFER: Discover will match ALL the cash back you've earned at the end of your first year, automatically. There's no signing up. And no limit to how much is matched.
- Earn 5% cash back at different places each quarter like gas stations, grocery stores, restaurants, Amazon.com, or wholesale clubs up to the quarterly maximum each time you activate.
- Plus, earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases - automatically.
- Redeem cash back any amount, any time. Rewards never expire.
- Use your rewards at Amazon.com checkout.
- Receive FREE Social Security number alerts-Discover will monitor thousands of risky websites when you sign up.
- No annual fee.
- See More Details & Reviews About TheDiscover it® Cash Back
Rates & Fees | Terms Apply
- $150 statement credit after you spend $1,000 in purchases on your new Card within the first 3 months.
- 3% cash back at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $6,000 per year in purchases, then 1%).
- 2% cash back at U.S. gas stations and at select U.S. department stores, 1% back on other purchases.
- Cash back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be easily redeemed for statement credits, gift cards, and merchandise.
- Terms Apply.
- Low intro APR: 0% for 15 months on purchases and balance transfers, then a variable rate, currently 14.99% to 25.99%.
- Over 1.5 million more places in the U.S. started accepting American Express® Cards in 2017.
- No annual fee.
- See More Details & Reviews About TheBlue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express
- Unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase - it's automatic
- Earn a $150 Bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening
- No minimum to redeem for cash back
- Cash Back rewards do not expire as long as your account is open
- 0% Intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers, then a variable APR of 16.74-25.49%. Balance transfer fee is 5% of the amount transferred, $5 minimum
- Free credit score, updated weekly with Credit Journey℠
- No annual fee
- See More Details & Reviews About TheChase Freedom Unlimited®
- NEW OFFER: $200 online cash rewards bonus after you spend at least $500 on purchases in the first 90 days of account opening
- Earn 1% cash back on every purchase, 2% at grocery stores and wholesale clubs, and 3% on gas for the first $2,500 in combined grocery/wholesale club/gas purchases each quarter
- No changing categories and no expiration on rewards
- Get a 10% customer bonus every time you redeem your cash back into a Bank of America® checking or savings account
- If you're a Preferred Rewards client, you can increase that bonus to 25% - 75%
- No annual fee
- 0% Introductory APR for 12 billing cycles for purchases AND for any balance transfers made in the first 60 days, then, 15.24% - 25.24% Variable APR. 3% fee (min $10) applies to balance transfers
- Easily add your Mastercard® credit card to any digital wallet for a simple, secure, and convenient way to pay online, in-app, and in-store
- See More Details & Reviews About TheBank of America® Cash Rewards credit card
- NEW OFFER: 0% Introductory APR for 18 billing cycles for purchases and for any balance transfers made in the first 60 days, then, 14.99% - 24.99% Variable APR. 3% fee (min $10) applies to balance transfers
- No annual fee
- No penalty APR. Paying late won't automatically raise your interest rate (APR). Other account pricing and terms apply.
- Access your FICO® Score for free within Online Banking or your Mobile Banking app
- See More Details & Reviews About TheBankAmericard® credit card
- The ONLY card with No Late Fees, No Penalty Rate, and No Annual Fee… EVER
- 0% Intro APR on balance transfers for 21 months from date of first transfer. All transfers must be completed in first 4 months. After that, the variable APR will be 15.99% - 25.99%, based on your creditworthiness
- 0% Intro APR on purchases for 12 months from date of account opening. After that, the variable APR will be 15.99% - 25.99%, based on your creditworthiness
- If you transfer a balance with this offer, after your 0% Intro purchase APR expires, both new purchases and unpaid purchase balances will automatically accrue interest until all balances, including your transferred balance, are paid in full
- There is a balance transfer fee of either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater
- The same great rate for all balances, after the introductory period
- Save time when you call with fast, personal help, 24 hours a day – just say “representative”
- Enjoy the convenience of setting up your own bill payment schedule on any available due date throughout the month
- See More Details & Reviews About TheCiti Simplicity® Card - No Late Fees Ever
- Earn a $150 Bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening
- Earn 5% cash back on up to $1,500 in combined purchases in bonus categories each quarter you activate
- Enjoy new 5% categories each quarter
- Unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases - it's automatic
- Cash Back rewards do not expire as long as your account is open and there is no minimum to redeem for cash back.
- 0% Intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers, then a variable APR of 16.74-25.49%. Balance transfer fee is 5% of the amount transferred, $5 minimum
- Free credit score, updated weekly with Credit Journey℠
- No annual fee
- See More Details & Reviews About TheChase Freedom®
- New! Earn 30K bonus points when you spend $3,000 in purchases in the first 3 months - that's a $300 cash redemption value
- Earn 3X points for eating out and ordering in
- Earn 3X points for gas stations, rideshares and transit
- Earn 3X points for travel including flights, hotels, homestays and car rentals
- Earn 1X points on other purchases
- Select "Apply Now" to learn more about the product features, terms, and conditions
- $0 annual fee
- 0% Intro APR for 12 months on purchases and balance transfers (fees apply), then a 14.49%-26.99% variable APR; balance transfers made within 120 days qualify for the intro rates and fees
- See More Details & Reviews About TheWells Fargo Propel American Express® Card
- Enjoy a one-time bonus of 20,000 miles once you spend $1,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $200 in travel
- Earn 1.25X miles on every purchase, every day and pay no annual fee. Plus earn 10X miles on thousands of hotels; learn more at hotels.com/venture
- Fly any airline, stay at any hotel, anytime
- Travel when you want with no blackout dates
- Miles won't expire for the life of the account and there's no limit to how many you can earn
- Enjoy a low intro APR on purchases for 12 months; 13.74%-23.74% variable APR after that
- No foreign transaction fees
- See More Details & Reviews About TheCapital One® VentureOne® Rewards Credit Card
- Earn 2% cash back on purchases: 1% when you buy plus 1% as you pay
- No categories to track, no caps on cash back, no annual fee*
- Balance Transfers do not earn cash back
- 0% Intro APR on Balance Transfers for 18 months. After that, the variable APR will be 15.49% - 25.49% based on your creditworthiness*
- Click 'Apply Now' to see the applicable balance transfer fee and how making a balance transfer impacts interest on purchases
- See More Details & Reviews About TheCiti® Double Cash Card – 18 month BT offer
WalletHub's Best Low Interest Rate Credit Cards
The best low interest credit card is Wells Fargo Platinum Visa® Card, giving 0% for 18 months on purchases and balance transfers, with a $0 annual fee and a 3% intro for 18 months transfer fee. The Wells Fargo Platinum Card doesn’t have the lowest regular APR: 17.49% - 26.99% Variable. But it does have no interest for a very long time, which gives you a great opportunity to save if you can get out of debt by the time the 0% APR ends.
Still, there are several other excellent options to choose from – with low regular rates, 0% introductory APRs or both. WalletHub’s editors compared 1,000+ offers to find the best low interest credit cards in the most popular categories. You can check out their favorites below.
2018’s Best Low Interest Credit Cards:
| Best For... | Card Name | Intro APR | Regular APR | Annual Fee |
| 0% Purchases | Discover it® Balance Transfer | 0% for 6 months | 13.99% - 24.99% (V) | None |
| Balance Transfer | Wells Fargo Platinum Visa® Card | 0% for 18 months | 17.49% - 26.99% Variable | $0 |
| Cash Back | Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express | 0% for 15 months | 14.99% - 25.99% (V) | None |
| Students | BankAmericard® Credit Card for Students | 0% for 15 months | 14.99% - 24.99% (V) | None |
| Bad Credit | Green Dot primor® Visa® Gold Secured Credit Card | Not Offered | 9.99% | $49 |
| Fair Credit | Amazon.com Store Card | 0% for 6 to 24 months (select purchases) | 27.74% (V) | $0 |
| Rewards | Citi ThankYou® Preferred Card | 0% for 15 months | 15.49% - 25.49%* (V) | $0* |
| Teachers | NEA® Credit Card | 0% for 12 months | 14.99% - 24.99% (V) | None |
| Senior Citizens | Citi® Double Cash Card – 18 month BT offer | Not Offered | 15.49% - 25.49%* (V) | $0* |
| Business | SimplyCash® Plus Business Credit Card from American Express | 0% for 15 months | 14.24% - 21.24% (V) | None |
| Union Members | Amalgamated Bank of Chicago Union Strong Mastercard® Credit Card | 0% for 12 months | 11.25% (V) | $0 |
Whenever you carry a balance from month to month, make sure to do so with a purpose (and a credit card calculator). Have a good reason for getting into debt and a plan for repaying what you borrow.
For example, using a 0% credit card for a big-ticket purchase and paying off your balance before regular rates take effect is a great approach. Racking up expensive interest charges simply because you’re spending more than you can afford is not.
Finally, it’s important to note thatthebestlow interest credit cards don’t necessarily have the absolute lowest APRs. Rather, they combine a very low APR with other attractive terms, such as no annual fee or lenient approval requirements.
To get a sense of how low these APRs really are, relative to the rest of the market, check out WalletHub’s latest Credit Card Landscape Report. You will find average credit card rates for the entire market as well as for people with excellent credit, good credit, etc.
Questions & Answers
Comparing low interest credit cards can be tough. But you’ve got the knowledgeable WalletHub community on your side. We encourage everyone to share their knowledge while respecting our content guidelines. Please keep in mind that editorial and user-generated content on this page is not reviewed or otherwise endorsed by any financial institution. In addition, it is not the financial institution’s responsibility to ensure all posts and questions are answered....show moreshow less
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What's the best low APR secured credit card? Reply
The best secured credit card with a low APR is the primor Secured Visa Gold Card or the First Progress Platinum Mastercard, both of which charge 9.99% (fixed for Primor and variable for First Progress). USAA secured cards also are good options if your credit is on the higher end of the bad range and you qualify for the 11.5% (V) APR. But to get a USAA card, either you or a close family member must have served in the U.S. military.
It’s also worth pointing out that carrying a balance on a secured card doesn’t make much sense. On the one hand, you can’t buy anything that you wouldn’t be able to afford without the secured card, since your spending limit is equal to the amount of your deposit. In theory, you could just pay in cash and avoid having to pay interest to the credit card company. On the other hand, you may need a secured card to rebuild damaged credit. So carrying a balance from month to month with a secured card isn’t the best idea, but you shouldn’t throw the baby out with the bath water. There are plenty of cards to help you keep costs down.
Here are the best secured credit cards with a low APR:
- USAA Secured Card Visa Platinum Card: The APR will be between 11.15% (V) and 21.15% (V), depending on your creditworthiness. The annual fee is $35. The minimum deposit is $250. There are no rewards.
- USAA Secured Card American Express Card: The APR is between 11.15% (V) and 21.15% (V), depending on creditworthiness. The annual fee is $35. The annual fee is $250. This card does not offer rewards.
- Navy Federal Credit Union nRewards Secured Credit Card: The APR will be between 10.24% (V) and 18% (V), depending on your creditworthiness. There is no annual fee. The minimum deposit is $500. This card offers rewards.
- OpenSky Secured Visa Credit Card: The APR is 18.64% (V). The annual fee is $35. The minimum deposit is $200. This card does not offer rewards.
- primor Secured Visa Gold Card:The APR is 9.99%. The annual fee is $49. The minimum deposit is $200. This card does not offer rewards.
- primor Secured Visa Classic Card: The APR is 13.99%. The annual fee is $39. The minimum deposit is $200. There are no rewards.
- First Progress Platinum Prestige Mastercard Secured Credit Card: The APR is 9.99% (V) The annual fee is $44. The minimum deposit is $200. This card does not offer rewards.
A secured credit card with a low APR isn’t the best option for financing. You’ll need an unsecured card for bad credit if you actually need to borrow money. But a secured card with a low APR is better than one with a high APR if you don’t need to borrow but may wind up carrying a balance from month to month because of temporary cash flow issues.
Can you negotiate a lower credit card interest rate? Reply
Hi! Yes! It is definitely worth calling and asking them. You may need to make more than one call until you get a person who has the authority to make that change, but it can't hurt to call and ask. I'd do a bit of research first to see what the interest ranges are that the credit card company operates in so that you know where you might fall. You could also send an email or letter to ask.
You also might want to see if there is a format or form provided online by your credit card company to request a lowered interest rate – that site will provide specific information to help you succeed in your request.
I feel as if it never hurts to ask for discounts and good deals. Many of us shy about doing this - I often am - but if you can get your courage up and try, you may be successful. Good luck to you!
What is the highest credit card interest rate? Reply
The highest credit card interest rate in recent memory was 79.9% on a card offered by First Premier Bank in 2010. That offer’s not available anymore. The current highest credit card interest rate is 36%. That’s on the new First Premier Credit Card. The next highest credit card interest rate seems to be 29.99%, charged by the Total Visa Credit Card and the First Access Visa. These rates are very high when you consider that the average interest rate is only around 19%.
Legally, there actually is no highest credit card interest rate that’s possible. Credit card companies are allowed to charge any interest rate. But they must clearly state what that rate is in the card’s terms and conditions. And companies that would like to charge outrageous interest rates are limited by what people are actually willing to pay. You should always make sure you know a card’s interest rate before applying. Otherwise, it may come as a nasty surprise.
Here are the highest credit card interest rates:
- Highest historical credit card interest rate: 79.9% on the old First Premier Bank Credit Card. This card is no longer available. It was for people with bad credit.
- Highest current credit card interest rate: 36% on the new First Premier Bank Credit Card. The card is unsecured and for bad credit. It has an annual fee of $75 - $125 for the first year and $45 - $49 after. Plus, there’s a $95 one-time processing fee.
- High current credit card interest rate: 29.99% on the Total Visa. The card is for bad credit. It has an annual fee of $75 for the first year and $48 after. It has an $89 one-time processing fee.
- High current credit card interest rate: 29.99% on the First Access Visa. This card is for bad credit. It has an annual fee of $75 for the first year and $48 after. It has an $89 one-time processing fee.
As you can see, the highest credit card interest rates are found on cards for people with bad credit. The better your credit is, the better your chance of getting a lower interest rate. But don’t forget that no matter how high or low your interest rate is, it will never affect you unless you carry a balance between months. If you always pay off your bill in full, you’ll never pay any interest unless you take out a cash advance. So if you don’t spend beyond your means, interest rates shouldn’t be a huge consideration when you’re picking a credit card.
But if you’re not confident about your ability to pay in full, you should prioritize low interest rates in your search. Many cards will even offer you 0% interest for a number of months to start. But you’ll usually need at least good credit to get a 0% intro APR.
What are the best low interest credit cards with airline miles? Reply
There are quite a few cards that give you miles. Cap One's Venture and Venture One, Discover it Miles, Citi AAdvantage Platinum to name just a few. As far as low interest rate, you can't really know what APR you're going to get before your get approved.
All of these cards have a range of interest rates, depending on your credit worthiness. If your score is awesome, you can go as low as 13.5%, maybe even lower. If not, you'll get a higher one.
Are there any low APR credit cards for no credit? Reply
Featured Credit Cards
Ask the Experts
To get the low-down on low interest credit cards, we asked a panel of personal finance experts to share their thoughts on the following questions. Meet our panel and see what they had to say, below.
- Does the definition of a “low interest” credit card change over time?
- Does it ever make sense to get a credit card with a low regular APR? (vs. a 0% credit card or paying in full)
- Compared to loans, does any credit card really have a low interest rate?
- If rates are so low in general, why aren’t credit card interest rates lower?
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Amy J. N. Yurko
Assistant Professor of Accounting at Duquesne University
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Rachel C. Sykes
CFA, Assistant Professor, Framingham State University
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Alex Young
Assistant Professor at Hofstra University
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Fan Chen
Assistant Professor of Finance at Merrimack College
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Mark W. Hendrickson
Adjunct Professor at Grove City College
Read More
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E. Ann Gabriel
Associate Professor at College of Business, Ohio University
Read More
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