Top 0% APR Credit Cards for 2024: Save on Purchases

It’s best to avoid carrying a balance on a credit card for any reason. Unlike paying for a purchase with cash or a debit card, credit card purchases are typically subject to costly, compounding interest charges.

But some cards do offer 0% APR on purchases for a limited promotional period, typically lasting around 12-15 months. Carrying a balance on one of these cards might make sense in some circumstances, for instance, if you need to make a major purchase — like a home improvement, appliance, or car part — and you don’t have enough money in your emergency fund to cover it. Just make sure you have a clear plan to pay the card balance off in its entirety before the promotional period ends, lest you get hit with the card’s regular (likely high) purchase APR the minute the promo expires.

(Some of these cards offer 0% balance transfers, too, but there are cards that may be even better for balance transfers than those listed here.)

Overview: Best Credit Cards Offering a 0% APR on Purchases

In-depth Analysis of the Best 0% APR Credit Cards

For anyone looking to crush old credit card debt while avoiding new debt, the Citi Custom Cash℠ Card is a standout card not to miss with no annual fee, 0% APR on both old and new purchases plus a $200 welcome bonus when you spend $750 in the first three months of account opening. 

On top of that, you’ll get 5% cash back not in some predetermined, rotating categories, but whichever category you happen to spend the most in each billing cycle. On everything else, you’ll get unlimited 1% cash back. 

All things considered, the Citi Custom Cash℠ Card is a superb choice for anyone looking to maximize their cash back rewards while paying off old debt and avoiding interest on new debt. 

Some highlights of the Citi Custom Cash℠ Card include: 

• $0 annual fee.
• 0% for 15 months on purchases & 0% for 15 months on balance transfers (standard APR is 16.24% - 26.24% (Variable).
• $200 cash bonus when you spend $750 within the first 3 months after account opening. 
• 5% cash back on up to $500 worth of purchases in your top spending category (travel, groceries, etc.) each billing cycle.
• 1% unlimited cash back on everything else.

Learn more about the Citi Custom Cash℠ Card

If travel is a big expense for you, take a look at the Chase Freedom Unlimited®.

But there’s a handy little insider hack that can increase that perk. If you have a Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, you can transfer those rewards and boost your earnings to 25% when you spend them through Chase Ultimate Rewards^®. Chase Sapphire Reserve® cardholders can transfer them for 50% more.

Plus no annual fee which is a huge incentive always!

Other highlights for the Chase Freedom Unlimited® include:

• 0% Intro APR on Purchases for 15 months and 0% Intro APR on Balance Transfers for 15 months. Then, the APR rate ranges between 17.24% - 25.99% Variable.
• Intro Offer: Earn an additional 1.5% cash back on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) – worth up to $300 cash back!
• 5% cash back on travel booked through Chase Ultimate Rewards®.
• 3% cash back on dining, including takeout and eligible delivery services.
• 3% cash back on drugstore purchases.
• 1.5% unlimited cash back on all other purchases.

Learn more about the Chase Freedom Unlimited® or read our full review. 

Citi Rewards+® Card

Between the 0% APR on balance transfers and new purchases for 15 months — then an ongoing APR of 15.74% - 25.74% (Variable) — and a unique rewards structure, the Citi Rewards+® Card has a lot to offer, including:

• Automatic roundup to 10 points per purchase (i.e. a $2 cup of joe becomes 10 ThankYou® Points, worth $0.05 in cash back or $0.10 in travel/gift cards).
• Earn 5 Thankyou® Points back at restaurants (annual spend limit of $6,000) and 1 point after.
• Redeem 100,000 ThankYou® Points in a year and get 10,000 back instantly.

Learn more about the Citi Rewards+® Card. 

Chase Freedom Flex℠

Another credit card offering an introductory 0% Intro APR on Purchases for 15 months is the Chase Freedom Flex℠.

The $0 annual fee Chase Freedom Flex℠ offers:

• $200 bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in your first three months from account opening.
• 0% Intro APR on Purchases for 15 months and on Balance Transfers.
• 5% cash back on up to $1,500 in combined purchases in bonus categories each quarter you activate.
• 5% cash back on travel booked through Chase Ultimate Rewards®.
• 3% cash back on dining and drug store purchases.
• Unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases.

Learn more about Chase Freedom Flex℠ or read our full review. 

Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card

The no annual fee Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card offers 0% for 12 months on Purchases and 0% for 21 months on Balance Transfers. This makes the card an excellent choice if debt consolidation is one of your top priorities.

Once the introductory rate has ended, you’ll pay a variable APR of 15.99% - 25.99% (Variable), based on your creditworthiness. There’s no annual fee, so you can put that extra money toward payments.

The Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card is a great pick if you have an excellent credit score, but also a lot of high-interest debt.

Learn more about the Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card or read our full review.

Discover it® Cash Back

The no annual fee Discover it® Cash Back offers a 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months and gives you unlimited 1% cash back on all purchases and 5% cash back, up to $1,500 quarterly maximums, on rotating categories that change each quarter.

Quarterly activation is required to receive the bonus cash back.

Rotating categories for April, May, and June 2022

You’ll earn 5% cash back bonus on up to $1,500 in purchases at:

• Gas stations.
• Target.

Another perk: If you’re going to make a large purchase, the Discover it® Cash Back will match the cash back rewards that you earn in your first year. For example, if you earn $200 cash back in your first year, you’ll get a bonus of an additional $200 for a total of $400 cash back.

That’s definitely an incentive in my book!

Read our full review to learn more about the Discover it® Cash Back. 

Summary of the Best 0% APR Credit Cards

*5% cash back categories have a $1,500 max spend and require quarterly activation

How 0% APR Credit Cards Work

Credit card companies use promotional interest rates (also called “teaser” rates or introductory rates) to attract new customers. The premise is simple: For a designated period of time (usually between six months and 18 months), any charges on the card will not accrue interest as long as you make timely minimum payments.

(Often, these promotional 0% APRs apply to balance transfers, too, but here let’s focus on using the 0% credit cards for new purchases).

Let’s say you charge $5,000 to a credit card with the intention of repaying the balance over a year. Ordinarily, at a 15% APR, you would pay $416 in interest paying the card off in 12 payments of $451.

With a 0% introductory APR, you could make minimum payments as low as $100 each month and not pay any interest in the first year. Of course, you would then need to have the cash to pay the entire balance before the promotional APR expires—otherwise interest would begin to accrue at the card’s regular APR.

The Pros and Cons of 0% Credit Cards for Purchases

Pros of Making Purchases with 0% Credit Cards

• Make a major purchase with a temporary interest reprieve. You could make a significant purchase with your credit card, such as a home improvement project, and it won’t cost you a dime of interest as long as you repay the balance before the promotional interest rate expires.
• Earn extra money through cash back and sign-up bonuses. Some credit cards offer not only a low intro APR, but also cash back on your purchases and a bonus for spending a certain amount on the card in the first few months. So if you can pay off your purchase before the intro 0% APR expires, you’ll actually earn money for having purchased something you were going to buy anyway.

Cons of Making Purchases with 0% Credit Cards

• It’s still a financial risk. There’s the chance you’ll have trouble making payments and actually not be able to pay the card off before the 0% period comes to an end, costing you interest after all.
• The 0% rate is conditional. Miss a payment — even by just a day — and the bank may nullify the 0% promotional rate.
• There are credit implications. You’ll typically need very good credit to be approved for a new card. And taking on a sizable credit card balance will increase your credit utilization, which may hurt your credit score until the balance is paid off.

Summary

If you have no other credit card debt, a solid credit score, and an emergency fund big enough to last for several months’ expenses, you might be in a good position to use a 0% purchase APR promotion. But think about what purchase(s) you plan to make with the card.

• Are the purchases absolutely necessary? For example, did your refrigerator die, or do you just want a new fridge because you’re tired of the old one? Does your pet have a veterinary emergency?
• Are the purchases investments in yourself, your career, your business, or your home?

If you can answer yes to the above, you can feel pretty good about using a 0% credit card as a tool for buying something interest free and then paying off the balance over the course of the card’s promotion length. If not, you may want to reevaluate why you’re willing to take on debt to buy things that aren’t entirely necessary.

Read more:

• The Best Credit Cards of 2022
• Best Low-Interest Credit Cards