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Best Credit Cards With No Annual Fee
WalletHub makes it easy to find the best credit card with no annual fee for you.
No annual fee credit cards are available with rewards, 0% intro APRs and other money saving features. No annual fee credit card offers are also available to people of all credit levels – from bad credit to excellent credit… show more… show more Â
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4 Best Credit Cards With No Annual Fee (August 2022)
NO ANNUAL FEE CREDIT CARDS
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Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card

- $200 initial bonus
- 1.5% cash back on all purchases
- No annual fee
- 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers
- Potential for a very high interest rate
- Balance transfer fee
- Requires good/excellent credit
Wells Fargo Reflect® Card Wells Fargo Reflect® Card
- No membership fees
- 0% intro APR on purchases
- 0% intro APR on qualifying balance transfers
- Reports to the three major credit bureaus
- No rewards
- No rewards bonus
- Balance transfer fee
- Foreign fee
Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card

- 20,000 miles initial bonus
- Unlimited 1.25 miles per $1 on every purchase
- Miles are redeemable for any travel-related expense on your bill
- 0% intro APRs
- No annual fee
- Balance transfer fee
- Potential for a very high regular APR
Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express

- $0 annual fee
- $200 statement credit initial bonus offer
- High rewards rate
- Spending caps on rewards
- 2.7% foreign transaction fee
- Balance transfer fee
Discover it® Cash Back Discover it® Cash Back
- Rewards earned in the first year get doubled
- Up to 5% cash back
- No annual fee
- 0% intro rates for 15 months
- Potential for a very high regular APR
- Bonus reward categories rotate, require quarterly signup and limit earnings
- Balance transfer fee
Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card

- $200 initial bonus
- High rewards rate
- $0 annual fee
- 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers
- High regular APR
- Balance transfer fee
- Requires good/excellent credit
Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card
- $200 cash rewards bonus
- $0 annual fee
- 2% cash rewards on purchases
- 0% introductory APR
- High regular APR
- Foreign transaction fee
- Balance transfer fee
Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card

- 25,000 points initial bonus ($250 in travel)
- 1.5 points / $1 spent
- No annual fee or foreign transaction fees
- User-friendly travel rewards redemption
- Very high regular APR
- Requires excellent credit
My GM Rewards Cardâ„¢ My GM Rewards Cardâ„¢
- No membership fees
- 0% intro APR on purchases
- High rewards rate
- 15,000 points initial rewards bonus
- No intro APR on balance transfers
- Requires good/excellent credit
Citi Custom Cashâ„ Card Citi Custom Cashâ„ Card

- $200 initial bonus
- $0 annual fee
- Up to 5% cash back
- 0% introductory APRs
- Bonus rewards limit
- High regular APR
- Foreign transaction fee
Best Credit Cards With No Annual Fee

Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card
The Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card is the best credit card with no annual fee because it offers cash rewards at an above-average rate on all purchases and is well-rounded overall.
Why We Like It: Wells Fargo Active Cash has a $0 annual fee and offers 2% cash rewards on all purchases, plus an initial bonus of $200 cash rewards after spending $1,000 in the first 3 months. For context, the average cash rewards card offers about 1% back on purchases.
Wells Fargo Active Cash can even save you some money on interest early on with its introductory APR of 0% for 15 months from account opening on purchases and qualifying balance transfers. It does require good credit for approval, though.
What We Don’t Like: This card has a high interest rate after its introductory APR promotion expires – at 17.24% - 27.24% Variable. You also need above-average credit to qualify.
Who Should Get It: Apply for the Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card if you have good credit or better and want a highly rewarding credit card that’s easy to manage.
Alternatives to Consider: Chase Freedom Unlimited® is another rewards card with no annual fee that’s a really good all-around option.
Discover it® Secured Credit Card
Discover it® Secured Credit Card is the best credit card with $0 annual fee for bad credit, especially if you want rewards.
Why We Like It: The Discover it® Secured Credit Card gives 2% cash back on the first $1,000 that you spend at restaurants and gas stations each quarter, along with 1% cash back on all other purchases. The cherry on top is a cash-back match at the end of the first year.
What We Don’t Like: You have to place a refundable security deposit of at least $200, for a credit limit equal to what you put down. But you wouldn’t be able to get a low fee or rewards without such a deposit.
Who Should Get It: Apply for the Discover it® Secured Credit Card if you’re building or rebuilding credit and want to get a card with high approval odds without sacrificing great terms.
Alternatives to Consider: The Secured Sable ONE Credit Card has rewards similar to the Discover it® Secured Credit Card, and there’s no credit check when you apply.
Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card
The Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card is one of the best all-around credit cards with no annual fee, especially if you want bonus rewards.
Why We Like It: In addition to a $0 annual fee, a $0 foreign transaction fee and 0% introductory APRs on purchases and balance transfers, this card offers great cash back rewards. Capital One SavorOne cardholders who spend $500 within 3 months of opening an account get a bonus of $200. All cardholders also earn 1 - 5% cash back in rewards on purchases. Dining, entertainment, popular streaming services and grocery store purchases get bonus rewards.
What We Don’t Like: This card has a high regular APR and its minimum rewards rate is average.
Who Should Get It: Apply for the Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card if you have good credit or better and spend a lot on dining, entertainment, streaming services and groceries.
Alternatives to Consider: The Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card is worth considering if you’re a big spender. It has an annual fee but gives better rewards.
Petal® 2 Visa® Credit Card
The Petal 2 Visa Credit Card is the best credit card with no annual fee for people with fair credit, or even no credit.
Why We Like It: The key things you need to know are that it has no annual fee, no foreign transaction fee, and rewards of 1 - 1.5% cash back. The more on-time monthly payments you have in a row, the more you’ll earn in rewards. Applicants with limited-to-no credit history shouldn’t have too much trouble getting approved, either. As a result, the Petal 2 Visa Card can help you build credit inexpensively if used responsibly, and it’s an elite starter credit card.
What We Don’t Like: It takes months of good behavior to get a truly competitive rewards rate, and carrying a balance from month to month would be quite expensive.
Who Should Get It: Apply for the Petal 2 Visa Credit Card if you have limited-to-fair credit, plan to pay the bill on time every month and want to earn cash back rewards.
Alternatives to Consider: The Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards Credit Card is a good rewards card for limited credit or better, but it charges an annual fee.
Discover it® Miles
The Discover it® Miles card is the best travel credit card with no annual fee.
Why We Like It: Discover it® Miles gives 1.5 miles per $1 spent on purchases and doubles whatever you earn the first year as an anniversary bonus. Discover it® Miles also has a 0% foreign transaction fee to go along with its $0 annual fee, and it makes rewards redemption easy.
What We Don’t Like: This card isn’t nearly as rewarding after you earn its first-anniversary bonus. It also has a high regular APR.
Who Should Get It: Apply for Discover it® Miles if you have good credit and plan to spend a lot in the coming 12 months.
Alternatives to Consider: The Chase Freedom Unlimited® and the Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card are both good options for travel rewards with no annual fee.
Chase Freedom Unlimited®
The Chase Freedom Unlimited® card is one of the best all-around credit cards with no annual fee.
Why We Like It: Chase Freedom Unlimited® rewards cardholders with 1.5 - 5% cash back, plus an extra 1.5% cash back on everything, up to $20,000 spent in the first year. New cardholders also enjoy introductory APRs of 0% for 15 months on purchases and balance transfers.
What We Don’t Like: This card does not have a low APR after the introductory promotional rate expires - 16.49% - 25.24% (V). You also need to book travel through Chase to get bonus rewards, which limits your ability to comparison-shop.
Who Should Get It: Apply for Chase Freedom Unlimited® if you have good credit or better and the card’s bonus rewards categories match up well with your spending habits.
Alternatives to Consider: The Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card is another really good all-around credit card offer.
Bank of America® Travel Rewards Credit Card for Students
The Bank of America® Travel Rewards Credit Card for Students is one of the best student credit cards with no annual fee.
Why We Like It: It offers an initial rewards bonus of 25,000 points, in return for spending $1,000 within 90 days of opening an account. It also gives 1.5 - 3 points per $1 in rewards on purchases, with travel booked through Bank of America earning the top rate.
Plus, this card does not charge either annual fees or foreign transaction fees, and it is available to students with limited or no credit.
What We Don’t Like: If you don’t pay the bill in full every month when the regular APR is in effect, interest charges will get quite costly.
Who Should Get It: Apply for the Bank of America® Travel Rewards Credit Card for Students if you’re a college student with limited credit who would like to do some traveling in the fairly near future.
Alternatives to Consider: There are lots of good options to consider among WalletHub’s editors’ picks for the best student credit cards.
Final Thoughts
WalletHub’s editors compared more than 900 credit cards with no annual fees to identify the top options in the most popular categories. There are lots of really good offers, as you can see.
For your convenience, we’ll recap our editor’s picks for the best free credit cards that you can apply for right now, below.
Best Credit Cards with No Annual Fee Comparison
Credit Card | Best For | Annual Fee |
Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card | Cash Back | $0 |
Discover it® Secured Credit Card | Bad Credit | $0 |
Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card | No Foreign Transaction Fee | $0 |
Petal® 2 Visa® Credit Card | Fair Credit | $0 |
Discover it® Miles | Travel | $0 |
Bank of America® Travel Rewards Credit Card for Students | College Students | $0 |
Chase Freedom Unlimited® | All-Around | $0 |
How to Find The Best No Annual Fee Card For Your Needs
Finding the best no annual fee credit card for your needs doesn’t have to be complicated. You just need to know your credit score and how you plan to use your new card. The lower your credit score is, the more important it is for you to get a no annual fee credit card. After all, low-cost credit improvement should be your top priority. And a no annual fee credit card can be completely free to use, as long as you pay any balance owed by the due date every month and avoid actions that will trigger any one-off fees that your card may charge. The best “free” credit cards also eliminate other potential costs, adding 0% introductory APRs and $0 foreign transaction fees to the mix.
Still, things aren’t so clear cut for people with good or excellent credit. Many of the best rewards credit cards charge annual fees, at least beginning the second year your account is open, but their generous benefits can more than make up for the cost if you use your card regularly.
Trying to choose the best no annual fee credit card also is a bit like picking a single greatest movie of all time. You might be able to whittle your list down to five or 10 favorites, but some classics are going to be left out when you pare things down to one choice. It’s tough even with one genre – say, the best comedies or the best no annual fee credit cards with cash back rewards – let alone overall.
The answer can change based on who you are and what you’re in the mood for.
If you want an initial bonus, the best no annual fee credit card is the Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card because it gives people with good or excellent credit $200 for spending $500 within 3 months of opening an account. Similarly, the best credit card with no annual fee and travel rewards is Capital One VentureOne, offering a bonus worth $200 in travel for spending $500 in the first 3 months.
Methodology for Selecting the Best No Annual Fee Credit Cards
To identify the market’s best credit cards with no annual fee, WalletHub’s editors regularly compare more than 1,500 credit card offers. In addition to annual fees, we consider cards’ rewards, interest rates, approval requirements, and secondary benefits in order to pick the best no annual fee credit cards in the most popular usage categories. Selections range from the best rewards credit cards with no annual fee to the best credit cards with no annual fee for building credit.
WalletHub’s editors update their selections for the best credit cards with no annual fees when warranted, based on changes to existing offers, new offers being introduced, and cards being discontinued.
Why People Trust WalletHub
Unlike other sites that only recommend cards from their advertising partners, WalletHub editors focus on finding the best cards.
Best No Annual Fee Credit Cards FAQ
Comparing no annual fee 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 more
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Ph.D., CFA, Professor of Finance, Department of Economics and Finance, University of Arkansas at Little Rock
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CFA, CFP®, Adjunct Professor of Finance, Knauss School of Business, University of San Diego
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Instructional Associate Professor, Texas A&M University, Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, Department of Economics
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Ph.D., Professor of Finance, Editor-in-Chief, Accounting and Finance Research, College of Business, Delaware State University
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Professor of Finance, The University of Tennessee at Martin
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Associate Professor, Department of Finance, DePaul University - Driehaus College of Business
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