Best 0% Intro APR Credit Cards

A 0% introductory APR is a deadline, not a discount. It only saves money if you finish paying the balance before the promo ends. As of October 6, 2026, five major issuers list roughly 21 months of interest-free time on at least one side of the card, usually with a $0 annual fee and a balance transfer fee charged on the amount you move.

Terms as of October 6, 2026. Every intro length, transfer window, annual fee, transfer fee and post-intro APR range on this page was checked against the issuer’s own card page on October 6, 2026. Card offers can vary by channel and by applicant, and they can change without notice. Confirm the pricing and terms shown to you before you apply. This page is general information, not financial advice. Some links on Money 8020 are affiliate or partner links; see our advertiser and affiliate disclosure.

Quick answer: which 0% card is best?

• Longest overall runway: Wells Fargo Reflect®, 0% for 21 months on purchases and qualifying balance transfers, with 120 days to make the transfer.
• Lowest APR once the promo ends: BankAmericard®, 0% for 21 billing cycles, then 15.24% to 26.24% variable, with no penalty APR.
• Cheapest transfer fee: Citi® Diamond Preferred® and Citi Simplicity®, both at an intro 3% ($5 minimum) for transfers in the first 4 months.
• 0% plus rewards you keep using: Chase Freedom Unlimited® and Discover it® Cash Back, each 0% for 15 months.

How we ranked these cards

We ranked on five things, in this order:

1. Length of the 0% period, and whether it covers purchases, balance transfers or both.
2. The transfer window, meaning how many days after opening the account a transfer still qualifies.
3. The balance transfer fee, where the issuer publishes it on the card page.
4. The post-intro APR range, because any balance you do not finish paying off moves to that rate.
5. What the card is worth after the promo, such as rewards, no penalty APR or no late fees.

All card terms come from each issuer’s own card page, loaded October 6, 2026. The interest-rate context comes from the Federal Reserve’s G.19 Consumer Credit release dated September 8, 2026. We do not use aggregator roundups for any figure on this page.

Comparison table: 0% intro APR cards (October 6, 2026)

Sources: each issuer’s card page, checked October 6, 2026. “Billing cycles” and “months” are counted differently by each issuer; read your own offer for the exact end date.

Balance transfer fees compared

The dollar column is simple arithmetic on the listed percentage. A fee is usually added to the transferred balance on day one, so it is the main cost of a 0% transfer.

1. Wells Fargo Reflect®: best overall

Wells Fargo lists a 0% intro APR for 21 months from account opening on purchases and qualifying balance transfers, then a 17.74%, 24.24% or 28.49% variable APR. Balance transfers made within 120 days from account opening qualify for the intro rate, and the annual fee is $0.

That 120-day window is the reason Reflect ranks first. Most rivals give you 60 days or 4 months to move a balance, which can be tight if you are waiting on a statement or a new credit limit. Reflect also adds cell phone protection of up to $600 per claim (with a $25 deductible) when you pay your phone bill with the card.

The trade-offs: Wells Fargo says a balance transfer fee typically applies but lists the amount only in its Important Credit Terms, there are no ongoing rewards, and there is a 3% foreign currency conversion fee. Reflect is a payoff tool. See the full Wells Fargo Reflect review.

2. BankAmericard®: best low post-intro APR

Bank of America lists 0% intro APR for your first 21 billing cycles for purchases and for any balance transfers made within 60 days of opening the account. After that, a variable APR that’s currently 15.24% to 26.24% applies. There is no annual fee and a 5% fee on all balance transfers.

Two things set it apart. Its post-intro range starts lower than any other card here, which matters if you think some balance may be left when the promo ends. And it has no penalty APR, so paying late won’t automatically raise your rate (other account pricing and terms still apply). The trade-off is the 5% transfer fee and no rewards. See the full BankAmericard review.

3. U.S. Bank Shield® Visa®: best with travel cash back

U.S. Bank lists a 0% intro APR on purchases and on balance transfers made within 60 days of account opening, valid for the first 21 billing cycles. After that, the APR is variable, currently 17.24% to 28.24%. The annual fee is $0 and the balance transfer fee is 5% of each transfer ($5 minimum).

Shield keeps earning after the promo. It pays 4% cash back on prepaid air, hotel and car reservations booked in the U.S. Bank Travel Center and a $20 annual statement credit after 11 consecutive months of purchases. That small rewards layer is why it ranks above cards with similar intro terms and no rewards. See the full U.S. Bank Shield Visa review.

4. Citi® Diamond Preferred®: best for a balance transfer only

Citi lists 0% for 21 months on balance transfers completed within 4 months of account opening, and 0% for 12 months on purchases. After each intro ends, the variable APR is 16.74% to 27.49%. The intro balance transfer fee is 3% of each transfer ($5 minimum) for transfers in the first 4 months, then 5%.

That 3% fee is the lowest we found, and on a large balance it is a real saving. On a $10,000 transfer, 3% is $300 versus $500 at 5%. The catch is the split intro. Citi notes that once the 12-month purchase intro ends, interest is charged on new purchases unless you pay the entire balance, including the transfer, in full each month. Move the balance, then stop using the card for new spending. There is also a penalty APR up to 29.99% if you pay late. See the full Citi Diamond Preferred review.

5. Chase Slate®: best Chase 0% card

Chase lists 0% intro APR for 21 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers, a $0 annual fee, and a variable APR of 18.49% to 28.49% after the intro. Chase says a balance transfer fee applies and lists it in its pricing and terms.

Slate is the pick if you already bank with Chase and want the longest Chase consumer 0% window. It includes free credit score monitoring through Chase Credit Journey and a complimentary DashPass membership when first activated by December 31, 2027, but no ongoing rewards. See the full Chase Slate review.

6. Citi Simplicity®: best for no late fees

Citi lists 0% for 18 months from account opening on purchases and on balance transfers, then 17.74% to 28.49% variable. All transfers must be completed in the first 4 months, with the same intro 3% transfer fee ($5 minimum) as Diamond Preferred, then 5%.

Simplicity has three fewer months than the leaders, but Citi says it has no late fees and no penalty rate. If you worry that one missed payment could derail a payoff plan, that safety net may be worth the shorter runway. There is no rewards program and a 3% foreign purchase fee. See the full Citi Simplicity review.

7. Chase Freedom Unlimited®: best 0% card with ongoing cash back

Chase lists 0% intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers, then 18.49% to 27.99% variable. The card earns 5% on travel purchased through Chase Travel, 3% on dining and drugstores, and 1.5% on all other purchases, with a $0 annual fee and a $200 bonus after $500 in purchases in the first 3 months.

Fifteen months is six months shorter than the leaders, so it ranks lower for pure payoff time. It moves up if you plan to keep the card for everyday spending once the promo ends and you pay in full from then on. See the full Chase Freedom Unlimited review.

8. Discover it® Cash Back: best for first-year Cashback Match

Discover lists 0% intro APR for 15 months on purchases and balance transfers, then 17.74% to 26.74% variable, and says a balance transfer fee applies. The card earns 5% cash back on rotating quarterly categories up to the quarterly maximum when you activate, and 1% on other purchases, with no annual fee.

At the end of your first year, Discover automatically matches all the cash back you earned, with no limit. That makes it a strong pick for new purchases you can pay off within 15 months, less so for a large existing balance. See the full Discover it Cash Back review.

What a 0% transfer can save you

Here is what carrying a balance costs at the Federal Reserve’s average rate compared with moving it to a 0% card. G.19 shows commercial bank cards charged 22.15% on accounts assessed interest in Q2 2026. The interest figures below assume the balance is paid off in equal monthly payments over 21 months at that rate. Fees are the listed percentage of the balance. They are rough estimates for illustration only, not quotes.

Even at a 5% fee, a 0% card can cost far less than revolving at average APRs, as long as you clear the balance before the promo ends. If you can only pay the minimum, the math gets much worse, because whatever is left moves to the card’s regular APR.

How to use a 0% intro without getting burned

• Count the fee first. Divide the transfer fee by the number of interest-free months to see the real monthly cost. A 5% fee over 21 months is a little under 0.25% a month.
• Divide the balance by the months. Set an automatic payment big enough to reach zero one or two months before the intro ends.
• Move the balance inside the window. Reflect allows 120 days, Citi allows 4 months, and BankAmericard and Shield allow 60 days. A transfer that posts late may get the regular APR from the start.
• Don’t run the old card back up. A transfer only helps if the old card stays near zero.
• Pay on time. A late payment can bring late fees and, on most cards, a penalty APR. BankAmericard and Citi Simplicity are the exceptions here on penalty pricing.
• Know where your payments go. The CFPB’s Regulation Z, section 1026.53, requires issuers to apply payments above the minimum to the highest-rate balance first, but the minimum payment itself can go to the lowest-rate balance. Mixing new full-rate purchases with a 0% transfer can cost you.

For more, see the Federal Reserve’s G.19 release for current rate data, our balance transfer cards hub, our average credit card debt statistics, and our best cash back credit cards if you want a rewards card for spending after the promo.

Who should skip a 0% card

• You need cash, not a card. Intro rates usually do not cover cash advances. Citi lists a 29.99% variable cash advance APR on Simplicity, for example.
• You cannot pay the balance down in time. If the balance will still be there in month 22, compare the post-intro APR, not the intro.
• You are about to apply for a mortgage or auto loan. A new account and hard inquiry can affect your score at a bad moment.

Methodology and limits

We cite only issuer pages and federal regulators on this ranking. We do not cite aggregator sites or our own pages as sources. Wells Fargo, Chase and Discover did not show a dollar amount for their balance transfer fee on the card page we loaded, so we say a fee applies rather than guess. Approval, credit limits and the exact offer you receive are up to the issuer. This is not a recommendation to take on new debt.

Sources

• Wells Fargo Reflect® Card, Wells Fargo, checked October 6, 2026
• BankAmericard® Credit Card, Bank of America, checked October 6, 2026
• U.S. Bank Shield® Visa® Card, U.S. Bank, checked October 6, 2026
• Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card, Citi, checked October 6, 2026
• Citi Simplicity® Card, Citi, checked October 6, 2026
• Chase Slate® Credit Card, Chase, checked October 6, 2026
• Chase Freedom Unlimited®, Chase, checked October 6, 2026
• Discover it® Cash Back, Discover, checked October 6, 2026
• Regulation Z, 12 CFR 1026.53, allocation of payments, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
• G.19 Consumer Credit, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, release dated September 8, 2026

Still building a score before a 0% offer makes sense? See best secured credit cards.

If you are still in school and want a $0-fee starter first, see best student credit cards.