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Credit card companies often offer a promotional 0% interest rate for a limited time to attract new customers. Once this period ends, your interest rate will depend on your creditworthiness. A 0% introductory APR card can make a big purchase more affordable, letting you enjoy manageable monthly payments without interest charges, as long as you pay off the balance within the promotional period.
Sometimes it is easier to make these big purchases by using a loan or credit cards than dipping into your hard-won savings. Unfortunately, using either method over your savings will result in spending more on an item than it is worth because of interest. Thankfully there are options, especially with credit cards, specifically 0% APR credit cards.
Understanding How 0% APR Works
An Introductory 0% APR is not a fixed deal; it is typically a promotion for signing up and getting approved by a specific credit card issuer. The promotional period will depend on the card issuer, but most fall somewhere between six months and one year. The initial 0% interest period means you can pay off a purchase within that window without owing more than what you paid for the purchase. However, if you do not pay off the balance, you will owe the standard interest rate for the remaining balance beginning the next billing cycle after the end of the promotion.
How To Use a 0% APR Promotion
If you want to make the most of an Introductory 0% APR promotion, do not purchase more than you can afford to pay off within the promotional period. For example, if you want to buy something that costs $1,200 and have a card offering six months 0% APR, you will need to make $200 monthly payments to ensure the balance is paid off by the end of the promotion.
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Best 0% Intro APR Credit Cards
When looking for the best 0% Introductory APR offers, you will need to assess the credit card as a whole, not just for the initial promotion. You will want to look over the different perks and most certainly understand what the APR will be after the initial promotion is over. Additionally, you will want to inspect the terms and conditions of the card to ensure there are no hidden or annual fees that could make the card more of a nuisance than a reliable tool. The following six cards all offer an initial Introductory 0% APR, but each also provide unique additional benefits to the cardholder.
Chase Freedom Flex
- Cash Back
- 5%
- Annual Fee
- $0
The Chase Freedom Flex card offers an introductory APR of 0% for 15 months. While the variable APR increases based on your creditworthiness following the initial promotional window, the 15 months does provide a decent timeframe for paying off or down larger purchases. Additionally, the card offers 5% cash back on travel and other purchases up to $1,500.
- Variable APR: 20.49-29.24%
- Fraud monitoring
- Rewards do not expire
Chase Freedom Unlimited
- Cash Back
- 1.5%
- Annual Fee
- $0
With Chase, earn 3% back on restaurant and drugstore purchases and 5% on travel purchased through Chase. See website for details.
- Variable APR: 19.99-28.74%
- Low introductory APR
- Rewards never expire
Citi Rewards+ Card
- Special Offer
- 5X points
- Annual Fee
- $0
The Citi Rewards+ card, again, offers 15 months of an Introductory 0% APR from the opening of the card. After the promotional period, the variable APR will update, based on your credit worthiness.
- Variable APR: 18.24-28.24%
- Points do not expire
- Special access to purchase tickets to thousands of events
Citi Diamond Preferred Card
- Min. Interest Charge
- $0.50
- Annual Fee
- $0
If you want to make the most of the 0% introductory offer on credit cards, look no further than the Citi Diamond Preferred card. This credit card gives you 0% introductory APR for 21 months on balance transfers and 12 months on purchases. To take advantage of the Citi Diamond Preferred card, you will need a good to excellent FICO® credit score.
- Variable APR: 18.24-28.99%
- ID theft protection
- 24/7 customer service
Blue Cash Everyday Card
- Cash Back
- 3%
- Annual Fee
- $0
The Blue Cash Everyday card gives you $200 back after spending $2,000 in the first six months of account opening. See website for details.
- Variable APR: 18.74-29.74%
- Earn 3% cash back on everyday eligible purchases up to annual limits
- Instead of cash, rewards are distributed through statement credits
Capital One SavorOne Card
- Cash Back
- 5%
- Annual Fee
- $0
The SavorOne Cash Rewards card features an unlimited 3% back on entertainment, dining, eligible streaming services and grocery stores. For other purchases, you get 1% back. See website for details.
- Variable APR: 19.74-29.74%
- Rewards never expire
- 5% cash back on hotel and cars booked through Capital One Travel
If you are looking for an introductory 0% APR credit card, there are plenty of available options. However, many of these cards require good to excellent credit for application approval, creating barriers to success.