MoneyGeek experts looked at several of the best low-interest-rate credit cards to find the top cards available. We compared cards based on their interest rates, rewards programs, and initial bonus offers. We looked for cards that offered 0% introductory APR offers as well.
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On This Page:- Best Low-Interest-Rate Credit Cards in 2022
- Quick Tips for Comparing 0% Interest Cards
- MoneyGeek’s Quick Guide to Low-Interest-Rate Credit Cards
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Low interest rates are available on nearly any type of loan. Credit cards, mortgages, auto loans and student loans all have significant differences in interest rates. Still, with an excellent credit score and due diligence, you can find a product that fits your needs and gives you the low interest rate you desire.
Best Low-Interest-Rate Credit Cards in 2022
A credit card with 0% interest on balance transfers or new purchases can be seen as nearly an interest-free loan. It is quite popular to put a large purchase or transfer an old credit card balance to one of these cards, to utilize an interest-free loan.
Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card - Best for balance transfers The Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card comes with an intro 0% APR offer on balance transfers for 21 months from the date of the first transfer. However, you need to pay balance transfer fees and must complete your balance transfers within four months from account opening. Its 0% APR offer on purchases lasts for 12 months from account opening. This card does not charge any annual fees.
Citi Simplicity® Card - Perfect for balance transfers The Citi Simplicity® Card’s 0% APR offer extends to 21 months for balance transfers and 12 months for purchases. You need to carry out your balance transfers within four months of account opening to take advantage of the offer, and you need to pay balance transfer fees. This card comes with no annual fees.
U.S. Bank Visa® Platinum Card - Ideal for purchases and balance transfers The no-annual-fee U.S. Bank Visa® Platinum Card comes with a 0% APR offer on purchases and balance transfers for the first 20 billing cycles. However, the offer only applies to balances transferred within 60 days of account opening, and you’re required to pay balance transfer fees. This card offers complimentary cell phone protection.
Wells Fargo Autograph Visa Card - Great for purchases and earning rewards The Wells Fargo Autograph Visa Card comes with an intro APR offer on purchases for 12 months but not on balance transfers. It’s also worth noting that not only will you be charged the regular APR for balance transfers, but you’ll also have to pay a balance transfer fee. You earn 3X points per dollar on restaurant, travel, transit, gas, phone plan and popular streaming service purchases. All other purchases earn 1X points per dollar. Additional benefits come in the form of cell phone protection, roadside dispatch and auto rental collision damage waiver. This card does not charge any annual fees.
Wells Fargo Reflect® Card - Perfect for balance transfers and purchases The Wells Fargo Reflect® Card comes with an intro 0% APR offer on purchases and balance transfers for 18 months. The bank extends the offer by three months if you make all your payments on time, taking the total to 21 months. You get 120 days to carry out balance transfers to take advantage of the offer. While you need to pay balance transfer fees for each balance transfer you carry out, you pay no annual fees. Added benefits include complimentary roadside dispatch and cell phone protection.
Citi® Double Cash Card - Best for balance transfers and cash back The Citi® Double Cash Card’s intro 0% APR offer applies on balance transfers for 18 months. You need to complete the transfer process within four months from account opening, and you’ll need to pay a balance transfer fee. This no-annual-fee card lets you earn up to 2% cash back on all purchases. You earn 1% when you make purchases and an additional 1% when you make your payments.
Chase Slate Edge℠ - Great for balance transfers and purchases The no-annual-fee Chase Slate Edge℠ Card comes with a 0% APR offer on purchases and balance transfers for 18 months. Using this card to transfer balances requires that you pay balance transfer fees. If you spend at least $1,000 each year and make all your payments on time, you get the ability to lower your regular APR by 2% every year until it reaches a predetermined minimum threshold. Making your payments on time and spending at least $500 within the first six months qualifies you for an automatic higher credit limit review.
Chase Freedom Unlimited - Great for purchases, balance transfers and cash back The no-annual-fee Chase Freedom Unlimited Card comes with a 0% APR offer on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months. Balance transfer fees apply. You can earn up to 5% cash back on category-based spending. Bonus categories include travel, dining and drugstore purchases. You also stand to earn a spend-based welcome bonus.
Chase Freedom Flex℠ - Perfect for balance transfers, purchases and cash back The Chase Freedom Flex℠ card charges no annual fees. It comes with a 0% APR offer on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months. You need to pay balance transfer fees when transferring balances from other cards. This card offers 5% cash back on different quarterly bonus categories and up to 5% cash back on bonus categories that stay the same at all times. A spend-based welcome bonus is also there for the taking.
Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card - Best for purchases, balance transfers and cash back You pay no annual fees to use the Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card. Its 0% APR offer on purchases and balance transfers stays in place for 15 months. All purchases you make using this card come with 2% cash back. Meeting a simple spend-based requirement earns you a welcome bonus. This card also offers complimentary cell phone protection.
Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card
Best balance transfer card for immediate transfers
- ExcellentCredit Needed
- 0% APR on new purchasesAPR Offer
- 12 monthsAPR Offer Duration
- 0% Intro APR on balance transfersBalance Transfer Offer
- 15.99% – 26.74%APR
A good no annual fee card for balance transfers
- Good-ExcellentCredit Needed
- $0Annual Fee
- 14.74% - 24.74%APR
- 12 monthsAPR Offer Duration
- 21 monthsBalance Transfer Duration
U.S. Bank Visa® Platinum Card
An excellent balance transfer card with no annual fees and an extended intro APR offer
- Good-ExcellentCredit Needed
- 0% APR on new purchasesAPR Offer
- 18 billing cyclesAPR Offer Duration
- 0% Intro APR on balance transfersBalance Transfer Offer
- 18.24% – 28.24% (Variable)APR
Wells Fargo Business Platinum Credit Card
A good no-annual-fee business credit card for earning cash back/reward points
- Good – ExcellentCredit Needed
- $0Annual Fee
- 1.5% Cash BackRewards Rate
- 7.99% – 17.99%APR
Wells Fargo Reflect® Card
A good no annual fee card with a lengthy 0% APR offer
- Good-ExcellentCredit Needed
- $0Annual Fee
- 18 monthsBalance Transfer Duration
- 18 monthsAPR Offer Duration
A great no-annual-fee card that offers up to 2% cash back
- ExcellentCredit Needed
- $0Annual Fee
- 2% Cash Back*Rewards Rate
- 2xRewards Rate on Gas
- 2xRewards Rate on Groceries
A good no annual fee card with a 0% intro APR offer
- Fair-ExcellentCredit Needed
- $0Annual Fee
- 14.99% - 23.74%APR
- 18 monthsBalance Transfer Duration
- 18 monthsAPR Offer Duration
An excellent no-annual-fee card that lets you earn unlimited cash back
- ExcellentCredit Needed
- $0Annual Fee
- 1.5–5% Cash BackRewards Rate
- 3xRewards Rate on Dining
- 5xRewards Rate on Air Travel
An easy-to-use cash back card with quarterly rotating bonus categories
- Good-ExcellentCredit Needed
- $0Annual Fee
- 1–5% Cash Back*Rewards Rate
- 5xRewards Rate on Air Travel
- 3xRewards Rate on Dining
Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card
A great no annual fee cash back card with a 0% APR offer
- Good-ExcellentCredit Needed
- $0Annual Fee
- 2% Cash BackRewards Rate
- 2xRewards Rate on Gas
- 2xRewards Rate on Groceries
Quick Tips for Comparing 0% Interest Cards
For those interested in reducing the amount they pay in credit card interest, the best way to avoid interest altogether is to pay your credit card balance in full. While that isn’t always possible, the next best thing is to consider a credit card with zero interest or low interest rates.
- Creditworthiness required: Qualifying for most low-interest credit cards requires that you have good to excellent creditworthiness. This means you should have a FICO score of 670 or higher.
- Annual fees: Some of the best low-interest cards do away with annual fees. However, you might need to pay annual fees if you’re looking for a card that also offers higher-than-usual rewards or travel benefits.
- Foreign transaction fees: You need to pay attention to this aspect if you plan to use your card outside of the U.S. While some low-interest cards charge this fee, you can find several cards that do not.
- Payment flexibility: Some low-interest cards let you pay for your purchases over time through plans that charge fixed monthly fees and no interest. The Chase Slate Edge℠ credit card makes for a perfect example.
- Introductory APR: The duration of the intro APR offer may vary from one card to the next. For example, the Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card’s intro 0% APR offer applies for 21 months on balance transfers but only for 12 months on purchases. The U.S. Bank Visa® Platinum Card, on the other hand, comes with a 0% APR offer for the first 20 billing cycles on both purchases and balance transfers. >>MORE: APR vs. APY
- Ongoing APR: This aspect requires your attention if you plan to maintain revolving balances once the promo period ends. Bear in mind that any outstanding balance from your balance transfers starts accruing interest at the end of the intro APR period.
- Rewards: Not all low-interest-rate credit cards offer rewards or cash back. Moreover, while you may find cards that offer the same rewards-earning rate across all purchases, there are others that offer higher-than-usual rates on bonus categories.
- Sign-up offers: Depending on the card you select, you may earn a welcome bonus. For example, you might earn $200 as a cash reward by spending $1,000 within the first three months.
- Added perks: Added perks typically come at a cost, usually in the form of an annual fee. While $0 fraud liability is a staple across most consumer cards, you might not expect much else from most no-annual-fee low-interest cards. Some of the other benefits that cards on this page may offer include cell phone protection and roadside dispatch
Other Credit Cards with Low Fees
MoneyGeek’s Quick Guide to Low-Interest-Rate Credit Cards
A low-interest-rate credit card is an excellent product to have in your wallet to give yourself spending flexibility. In addition, using your credit card responsibly and ensuring your statement is paid on time each month can quickly improve your credit score.
However, just because a card has a low-interest rate doesn’t mean that any extra money out of your pocket is a good thing. When looking for a low-interest credit card, be sure to read the terms and conditions of each credit card carefully.
If the card advertises an APR over 12%, that would be considered a high-interest rate. Anything below 10% is regarded as a low-interest credit card.
>>MORE: WHAT IS A GOOD APR FOR A CREDIT CARD?If you have a large purchase coming up, or revolving credit card debt, consider sitting down and running the numbers of how much interest you would accrue with a low-interest-rate credit card. Interest rates are important, but what you’ll spend in interest overall is just as crucial to consider.
Here are a few benefits to having a low-interest credit card.
- Short-Term Lending: If you are running into financial difficulty and need to make a purchase, a low-interest credit card is an excellent product to do that. If you go this route, be sure to pay your bill off as quickly as possible. The faster it’s paid, the less interest you’ll accrue.
- Rewards Programs: Typically, credit cards with 0% introductory APR offers don’t offer robust rewards for your spending. Low-interest credit cards will likely offer either travel rewards or cash back to incentivize spending.
How Do Low-Interest-Rate Credit Cards Work?
Low-interest-rate credit cards are simple products. The credit card issuer offers you flexible spending and repayment terms while you pay them an interest rate for the service.
The benefit of using a low-interest-rate credit card is that you have flexibility with how much you pay back over time without unreasonably high interest rates. This strategy is typically good for a large purchase — such as a TV or appliance — that you plan to pay off relatively quickly. Once your monthly balance is calculated, you’ll be charged interest on the amount not paid off.
For example, let’s say you have a $1,000 balance on a low-interest credit card, and you only pay $100 per month at a 9% interest rate. Your total amount of interest you will pay is $36 over 11 months. For many, this interest rate is nominal compared to the overall balance.
However, with that same $1,000 balance on a card with an 18% interest rate, paying $100 per month will cost you $75 over 11 months. That’s double the interest accrued on a low-interest credit card.
Low-Interest-Rate vs. Regular Credit Cards
It can be challenging to decipher the differences between low-interest-rate credit cards and regular credit cards. The standard interest rate for many credit cards will hover around 18%, which is high. At that interest rate, it’s not advised to have a revolving balance. Additionally, it’s rare to see a credit card ever advertised as “low interest.”
The chart below can help you distinguish between low interest rates, somewhat high interest rates, high interest rates and extremely high interest rates.
>>MORE: HOW DOES CREDIT CARD INTEREST WORK?Credit Card Rate
APR
Low-Interest
0-9%
Somewhat High-Interest
10-14%
High-Interest
15-18%
Extremely High-Interest
19%+
How to Make the Most Out of Low-Interest Rates or Offers
A low-interest credit card is a great tool to utilize when you need short-term financing for a purchase.
If you regularly carry balances on your credit card, it’s best to strategically have them on low-interest credit cards to avoid spending more money on interest than necessary. Additionally, you may also qualify for a 0% introductory APR where you can transfer your balance to a card that won’t accrue any interest for a select period.
Keep in mind that if you’re a loyal and on-time paying customer, a credit card issuer may lower your interest rate if you ask. Issuers spend millions of dollars in advertising to get your business, so it benefits them to lower your interest rate rather than lose your business.
If paying interest is a regular occurrence for you, think about getting a low-interest rate credit card to pay down your debt. Given that many credit cards come with APRs of around 18%, transferring such debt to a card with a low interest rate or even an introductory 0% APR rate can save you a significant amount of money each month.
A low-interest-rate credit card can be a convenient way to make a large purchase without accruing excessive interest. For example, you could use the Simmons Rewards Visa Signature® Card to make the purchase and benefit through its modest variable purchase APR. Alternatively, you may transfer a balance from an existing card to make use of its 0% APR offer on balance transfers for 12 months.
Carrying a balance on a credit card is usually best avoided. However, paying some interest can be a small cost for much-needed financial flexibility. In such a case, a credit card with a 9% APR and a $2,000 revolving balance only accumulates $15 per month in interest if you pay $150 each month.
How to Reduce Your Interest Payments
The best way to reduce your interest payments is to bring down your outstanding balances as quickly as possible. To do this, you need to pay more than the minimum monthly payment, and ideally, as much as possible. Negotiating with your card’s issuer for a lower interest rate is an option, although there’s no guarantee that this will happen. You may also think about consolidating debt from multiple cards and moving it to a balance transfer card.
How Much You Will Pay With Your Current Credit Card
How Much You Will Pay When You Transfer Your Balance
Current outstanding balance: $13,000
Regular APR: 18.49%
Monthly payment: $650
Time required to pay off the balance: 25 months
Total amount to pay: $15,660.80Balance transfer amount: $13,000
Balance transfer fee: 3%
Intro APR: 0% for 20 months
Regular APR: 16.49%
Monthly payment: $650
Time required to pay off the balance: 20 months
Total amount to pay: $13,394.30Total savings: $2,266.50
How We Rank Low-Interest-Rate Credit Cards
Our lists of the best credit cards are based on publicly available data from card issuers and other reputable sources like the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau.
We review each card's fees, interest rates, rewards, benefits and more to assign a rating for each feature. These ratings are stack ranked and weighted for each card category to determine our top selections for each type of user.
Because card details change regularly, we revisit our data each month to update our ratings, recommendations and other card information as needed. Learn more about our data collection and ranking process.
Top Rating Criteria for Low-Interest-Rate Cards
On-Going APR
0% APR Offers
Balancer Transfer Offers
Expert Advice For Finding the Right Card
We’ve asked financial experts from around the country a few important questions about low-interest credit cards and how they work to help you with the decision-making process.
- In what way can making a large purchase on a low-interest credit card hurt a cardholder’s credit score?
- What can people do to increase their odds of getting lower APRs on their credit cards?
- Is it possible to get a lower interest rate on an existing card? If so, how can one go about making it happen?
Malcolm Robinson
Professor of Economics at Thomas More University
John Drea
Ruth Badger Pixley Professor of Social Sciences and Professor of Business at Illinois College
Steven J. Welch
Associate Professor of Finance and Chair of the Department of Accounting & Finance at at College of Saint Benedict/Saint John's University
Haibo (Stephen) Yao
Assistant Professor of Insurance & Risk Management at the University of Central Arkansas
Drew Gold
Associate Professor at Saint Leo University
Debora Almirall
Instructor of Finance at the Labovitz School of Business and Economics at the University of Minnesota
Brian Blank
Assistant Professor of Finance at Mississippi State University
Dr. Dima Leshchinskii
Associate Professor of Finance at Menlo College
Carlo Silvesti
Adjunct Professor of Accounting, Gwynedd Mercy University
Chris Tamm
Associate Professor of Finance, Director - Institute for Financial Planning & Analysis at Illinois State University
Seddik Meziani
Professor of Finance at Montclair State University and ETF Author and Speaker
Dr. Mary Sasmaz
Assistant Professor at Baldwin Wallace University
Matthew Imes
Assistant Professor of Finance at Stetson University
Martha Cruz Zuniga
Clinical Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Economics at The Catholic University of America
Lawrence Chui
Associate Professor of Accounting at the University of St. Thomas, Opus College of Business
Ariel Belasen
Professor of Economics and Finance at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
Scott Lail
Assistant Professor of Accounting at Wingate University
Mauricio Rodriguez
Professor at the Neeley School of Business at Texas Christian University
Jennifer Bethel
Professor of Finance at Babson College
Priya Raghubir
Professor of Marketing at New York University Stern School of Business
Richard M. Proctor
Associate Professor of Finance at University of Siena
Dr. Arun Upadhyay
Associate Professor - Department of Finance at Florida International University
Henry McKoy
Faculty Member and Director of Entrepreneurship, School of Business; Managing Director of the Eagle Angel Network at North Carolina Central University
Dr. Corey Cole
Assistant Professor of Finance at Eastern New Mexico University
Robert H. Scott III, Ph.D
Professor in the Department of Economics, Finance and Real Estate at Monmouth University
Prasenjit Ghosh
Assistant Professor of Ag Business at the University of Southern Indiana
Robert Bergman
Professor of Marketing at Lewis University
Jaime Peters
Assistant Dean & Assistant Professor of Finance at Maryville University
Keith Johnson
Vice President and Executive Director of The Regency Foundation at Cairn University
Dr. Brock Zehr
Associate Professor Business & Economics at Huntington University
Dan Horne
Michael A. Ruane Professor of Marketing at Providence College School of Business
Dr. Jeff Jones
Head of the Finance and General Business Department at Missouri State University
Scott E. Hein, Ph.D.
Emeritus Professor of Finance at Rawls College of Business, Texas Tech University
Joseph K. Grant
Professor at Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University
Dr. Francisca Marie Beer
Professor of Accounting and Finance at California State University, San Bernardino
Lawrence J. White
Professor of Economics, Stern School of Business, New York University
Dr. Randal Ice
Barnabas Professor of Finance at the University of Central Oklahoma
Suzanne Fogel
Associate Dean and Associate Professor of Marketing at DePaul University
Dr. Jukka Laitamaki
Clinical Professor at New York University School of Professional Studies
Xavier Garza-Gomez
Professor of Finance at the University of Houston-Victoria
Gregory Germain
Professor at Syracuse University College of Law
Dr. Sahar Milani
Associate Professor of Economics at St. Lawrence University
Michael Bond
Adjunct Lecturer in Finance at the Eller College of Management
Andrea Francis
Professor of Accounting at LaGuardia Community College
Dr. Scott Thorne
Instructor in Marketing at Southeast Missouri State University
Dr. Julie Heath
Executive Director of the Alpaugh Family Economics Center at the University of Cincinnati
Andrew Macdonald, CFA, CFP
Adjunct Professor of Finance, Knauss School of Business, University of San Diego
Cristian Tiu
Chair and Associate Professor of Finance at the University at Buffalo
Wei-Chung Wang
Professor of Business and Economics and Associate Provost at Juniata College
Suman Banerjee
Associate Professor of Finance, School of Business at Stevens Institute of Technology
Kathryn Morrison
Instructor at the School of Health & Consumer Sciences at South Dakota State University
Jim Connell, DBA
Associate Professor of Finance in the Stephens College of Business at the University of Montevallo
Dr. Jack McCann
Course Lead and Graduate Faculty in HRM at Purdue University Global
Wooyang Kim, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Marketing at Minnesota State University Moorhead
Elizabeth Minton
Associate Professor of Marketing at the University of Wyoming
Masud Chand
Professor at Wichita State University
Mark S. Rosenbaum, Ph.D.
Dean of the College of Business at Hawai‘i Pacific University
Mathew S. Isaac, Ph.D.
Professor of Marketing, Albers School of Business and Economics at Seattle University
Mr. D. Scott Emge
Executive in Residence - Finance, Sellinger School of Business at Loyola University Maryland
Paul Goebel
Director of the Student Money Management Center at the University of North Texas
Robert Murphy
Associate Professor at Boston College
Shawn Tysiak
Senior Lecturer of Finance at the University of Toledo
Dr. Geoffrey Ngene
Associate Professor of Financial Economics at the Stetson-Hatcher School of Business at Mercer University
Seung Hee Choi
Chair and Professor of Finance at The College of New Jersey
George Haloulakos, CFA
CFA Charterholder and Finance Instructor at UC San Diego
Brian Starr
Assistant Professor of Economics at Lubbock Christian University
Dr. Leo Chan
Associate Professor of Finance Economics at Utah Valley University
Dr. Eric R. Kushins
Assistant Professor of Management at Campbell School of Business
Thomas J. Norman
Professor at California State University - Dominguez Hills
Catalin Stefanescu
Professorial Lecturer at the Kogod School of Business at American University
Dr. Abigail Hall Blanco
Associate Professor of Economics at Bellarmine’s Rubel School of Business
Dr. Kwamie Dunbar
Associate Professor of Finance at Simmons University
Breagin Riley
Clinical Assistant Professor of Marketing at UNC
Latha Ramchand
Executive Vice Chancellor, Provost at the University of Missouri
Stephanie Black, PhD
Associate Professor at Texas A&M University – San Antonio
John Gironda
Assistant Professor of Marketing, University of North Carolina Wilmington
Dr. Susanne L. Toney
Associate Professor of Economics at Hampton University
Linda M. Hooks
Professor of Economics and Head of the Economics Department at Washington and Lee University
Jared Watson
Assistant Professor of Marketing at New York University Stern School of Business
FAQs About Low-Interest-Rate Credit Cards
Low-interest credit cards can seem to be too good to be true, but they aren't. Low-interest options are an excellent choice for those who want purchasing power at a relatively small cost.
Here are a few of the most commonly asked questions about low-interest-rate credit cards.
Low-interest-rate credit cards are a great way to lower your expenses each month. The best way to save money is to avoid accruing interest altogether. When that isn’t an option, paying lower interest on your balances is always better.
Remember that as a customer of the credit card companies, they want to work with you. If you’re struggling to pay off credit card debt, or simply need your interest rates lowered, don’t hesitate to give customer service a call. It could help you out more than you think.
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*Rates, fees or bonuses may vary or include specific stipulations. The content on this page is accurate as of the posting/last updated date; however, some of the offers mentioned may have
expired. We recommend visiting the card issuer’s website for the most up-to-date information available.
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