Best No Annual Fee Credit Cards of November 2023
The best no annual fee credit cards offer an appealing blend of cost-efficiency and valuable rewards for a variety of users. These cards are particularly attractive for those who prefer to minimize expenses while still enjoying the perks of a credit card. With no annual fee, cardholders can benefit from rewards like cashback on everyday purchases, travel points, and exclusive discounts without worrying about an annual cost offsetting these benefits.
These cards often come with additional features like introductory 0% APR periods, rewards on grocery and gas purchases, and various forms of purchase protection. They are ideal for budget-conscious consumers, students, or anyone looking to build or maintain their credit score without the burden of additional fees. Their wide-ranging rewards and benefits make them a practical choice for everyday use, providing financial flexibility and savings opportunities without the overhead of an annual fee.
| Credit Card | Our Rating | Annual Fee | Rewards Rate | Intro Offer | Learn More |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card |
5.0/5 | $0 | 1x-5x Points | $200 ` | Apply Now |
 Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card |
4.7/5 | $0 | 2x-5x Miles | 1x-3x | Apply Now |
 Chase Freedom Flex℠ |
4.9/5 | $0 | 1.5%-5% | $200 | Apply Now |
 Ink Business Cash® Credit Card |
5.0/5 | $0 | 1%-5% | $900 | Apply Now |
 Citi Double Cash® Card |
4.5/5 | $0 | 1.5%-5% | $200 | Apply Now |
 Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card |
5.0/5 | $0 | 1%-10% | $200 | Apply Now |
 U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card |
5.0/5 | $0 | 1.5%-5% | $200 | Apply Now |
Our pick for
Flat-rate cash back
Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card
ANNUAL FEE
$0
REWARDS RATE
2%
INTRO OFFER
$200
CREDIT SCORE
690-850
The $0-annual-fee Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card offers an excellent rewards rate on everything you buy, as well as a bundle of other goodies not often found on cards like it.
You’ll earn 2% cash back on all purchases, among the best rates on the market for products in its class. But the card also features a generous sign-up bonus: Earn a $200 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 in purchases in the first 3 months. On top of that, it also offers a 0% intro APR on Purchases for 15 months and 0% intro APR on Balance Transfers 15 months from account opening on qualifying balance transfers, and then the ongoing APR of 20.24%, 25.24%, or 29.99% Variable APR.
You can find higher cash-back rates in specific, popular spending categories, if you’re OK with keeping track of tiered or rotating reward structures. And like many cash-back cards, this one’s not ideal for traveling abroad, thanks to its foreign transaction fee.
- Select “Apply Now” to take advantage of this specific offer and learn more about product features, terms and conditions.
- Earn a $200 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 in purchases in the first 3 months.
- Earn unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases.
- 0% intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and qualifying balance transfers, then a 20.24%, 25.24%, or 29.99% variable APR; balance transfers made within 120 days qualify for the intro rate and fee of 3% then a BT fee of up to 5%, min: $5.
- $0 annual fee.
- No categories to track or remember and cash rewards don’t expire as long as your account remains open.
- Enjoy a premium collection of benefits at a selection of the world’s most intriguing and prestigious hotel properties with Visa Signature Concierge.
- Get up to $600 of cell phone protection against damage or theft when you pay your monthly cell phone bill with your eligible Wells Fargo card (subject to a $25 deductible).
Our pick for
Bonus rewards + no annual fee
Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card
ANNUAL FEE
$0
REWARDS RATE
1x-3x
INTRO OFFER
30,000 Points
CREDIT SCORE
690-850
The Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card offers so much value, it’s hard to believe there’s no annual fee. Start with a great bonus offer, then earn extra rewards in a host of common spending categories.
The card earns unlimited 3 points per dollar spent on travel, dining, gas stations, transit, popular streaming services and phone plans. Other spending earns 1 point per dollar. The bonus offer is outstanding for a $0-annual-fee card, and you even get a introductory APR period.
You don’t get the perks of a dedicated airline or hotel card, and there’s no option to transfer points to airline or hotel programs.
- Select “Apply Now” to take advantage of this specific offer and learn more about product features, terms and conditions.
- Limited time offer: Earn 30,000 bonus points when you spend $1,500 in purchases in the first 3 months – that’s a $300 cash redemption value.
- Earn unlimited 3X points on the things that really add up – like restaurants, travel, gas stations, transit, popular streaming services, and phone plans. Plus, earn 1X points on other purchases.
- $0 annual fee.
- 0% intro APR for 12 months from account opening on purchases. 20.24%, 25.24%, or 29.99% variable APR thereafter.
- Get up to $600 of cell phone protection against damage or theft when you pay your monthly cell phone bill with your eligible Wells Fargo card (subject to a $25 deductible).
- Redeem your rewards points for travel, gift cards, or statement credits. Or shop at millions of online stores and redeem your rewards when you check out with PayPal.
- Enjoy a premium collection of benefits at a selection of the world’s most intriguing and prestigious hotel properties with Visa Signature Concierge.
Our pick for
Bonus category cash back
Chase Freedom Flex℠
ANNUAL FEE
$0
REWARDS RATE
1.5%-5%
INTRO OFFER
$200
CREDIT SCORE
690-850
The Chase Freedom Flex℠ is technically a cash-back card, but the whopping 5% rewards rate for travel booked through Chase makes it a darn good travel card as well.
This card earns 5% cash back in bonus categories that change every three months (on up to $1,500 per quarter in spending, then 1%); 5% on travel booked through Chase; 3% cash back at restaurants and drugstores; and 1% on other purchases. New cardholders can snag this sign-up bonus: Earn a $200 Bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening. Finally, if you have one of Chase’s Sapphire cards, you can transfer your rewards to it for greater value and flexibility.
Activating and tracking the bonus categories can be a hassle. For an option that does away with the 5% categories in exchange for a higher ongoing rate on “everything else,” check the Chase Freedom Unlimited®. Also, since this is a cash-back card, it doesn’t offer any travel-specific perks. And it charges a foreign transaction fee, so it’s not the best choice for international travel.
- Earn a $200 Bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening.
- 5% cash back on up to $1,500 in combined purchases in bonus categories each quarter you activate. Enjoy new 5% categories each quarter!
- 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®, our premier rewards program that lets you redeem rewards for cash back, travel, gift cards and more
- 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases.
- No minimum to redeem for cash back. You can choose to receive a statement credit or direct deposit into most U.S. checking and savings accounts. Cash Back rewards do not expire as long as your account is open!
- 0% Intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers, then a variable APR of 20.49%-29.24%.
- No annual fee – You won’t have to pay an annual fee for all the great features that come with your Freedom Flex℠ card
- Keep tabs on your credit health – Chase Credit Journey helps you monitor your credit with free access to your latest score, real-time alerts, and more.
- Member FDIC
Our pick for
Small business
Ink Business Cash® Credit Card
ANNUAL FEE
$0
REWARDS RATE
1%-5%
INTRO OFFER
$900
CREDIT SCORE
690-850
Pros
- No annual fee
- Intro APR period
- New cardholder bonus offer
Cons
- Requires good/excellent credit
- Low rate outside bonus categories
- Spending caps on bonus rewards
- Earn $900 bonus cash back after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening
- Earn 5% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at office supply stores and on internet, cable and phone services each account anniversary year
- Earn 2% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at gas stations and restaurants each account anniversary year. Earn 1% cash back on all other purchases
- Round-the-clock monitoring for unusual credit card purchases
- With Zero Liability you won’t be held responsible for unauthorized charges made with your card or account information.
- No Annual Fee
- Redeem rewards for cash back, gift cards, travel and more through Chase Ultimate Rewards®.
- 0% introductory APR for 12 months on purchases
- Member FDIC
Our pick for
Flat-rate cash back
Citi Double Cash® Card
ANNUAL FEE
$0
REWARDS RATE
1.5%-5%
INTRO OFFER
$200
CREDIT SCORE
630-850
The stalwart Citi Double Cash® Card gets high marks for pure value and simplicity: 2% cash back on every purchase — 1% when you make it and 1% when you pay it off.
There are no bonus categories to track or spending limits to be mindful of. The combined 2% rate on all purchases is probably the best you’re going to do on a card with a $0 annual fee.
The value in this card is all in the rewards rate, so there’s no 0% period for purchases. Higher cash back percentages can be had on different cards for specific categories.
- Earn $200 cash back after you spend $1,500 on purchases in the first 6 months of account opening. This bonus offer will be fulfilled as 20,000 ThankYou® Points, which can be redeemed for $200 cash back.
- Earn 2% on every purchase with unlimited 1% cash back when you buy, plus an additional 1% as you pay for those purchases. To earn cash back, pay at least the minimum due on time. Plus, for a limited time, earn 5% total cash back on hotel, car rentals and attractions booked on the Citi Travel℠ portal through 12/31/24.
- Balance Transfer Only Offer: 0% intro APR on Balance Transfers for 18 months. After that, the variable APR will be 19.24% – 29.24%, based on your creditworthiness.
- Balance Transfers do not earn cash back. Intro APR does not apply to purchases.
- If you transfer a balance, interest will be charged on your purchases unless you pay your entire balance (including balance transfers) by the due date each month.
- There is an intro balance transfer fee of 3% of each transfer (minimum $5) completed within the first 4 months of account opening. After that, your fee will be 5% of each transfer (minimum $5).
Our pick for
Dining and entertainment rewards
Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card
ANNUAL FEE
$0
REWARDS RATE
1%-10%
INTRO OFFER
$200
CREDIT SCORE
720-850
For foodies, the $0-annual-fee Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card offers an irresistible (and hard-to-find) combo: high rates on dining AND at grocery stores.
You’ll earn 8% back on Capital One Entertainment purchases and 3% back on dining, grocery stores, eligible streaming services and entertainment. All other purchases earn 1% back. There’s also a generous sign-up bonus, not to mention an intro APR offer. That’s a lot of value packed into a card with a $0 annual fee.
If your spending is more concentrated in one food category over the other — dining out or cooking at home — you might do better with a card that specializes in one of those areas.
- Earn a one-time $200 cash bonus after you spend $500 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening
- Earn unlimited 3% cash back on dining, entertainment, popular streaming services and at grocery stores (excluding superstores like Walmart® and Target®), plus 1% on all other purchases
- Earn 10% cash back on purchases made through Uber & Uber Eats, plus complimentary Uber One membership statement credits through 11/14/2024
- Earn 8% cash back on Capital One Entertainment purchases
- Earn unlimited 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you’ll get Capital One’s best prices on thousands of trip options. Terms apply
- No rotating categories or sign-ups needed to earn cash rewards; plus cash back won’t expire for the life of the account and there’s no limit to how much you can earn
- 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months; 19.99% – 29.99% variable APR after that; 3% fee on the amounts transferred within the first 15 months
- No foreign transaction fee
- No annual fee
Our pick for
Customizable rewards: Wide selection of categories
U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card
ANNUAL FEE
$0
REWARDS RATE
1.5%-5%
INTRO OFFER
$200
CREDIT SCORE
690-850
The unique rewards system on the U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card makes it a potentially lucrative option for people who don’t mind (or who even enjoy) actively managing their credit card accounts.
A rotating category card with a twist: You pick your bonus categories. You earn 5% cash back in two categories you choose, on up to $2,000 per quarter in combined spending (then 1%); unlimited 2% cash back in an “everyday” category of your choice; and 1% elsewhere. There’s a good sign-up bonus, and the annual fee is $0.
Rotating category cards involve work, and this one adds an extra layer of effort because you have to pick your categories each quarter. Forget to do so, and you’ll earn only 1%. Further, the 5% categories tend to be more specialized than on comparable cards, so you might have trouble maxing out bonus rewards.
- $200 bonus after spending $1,000 in eligible purchases within the first 120 days of account opening.
- 5% cash back on your first $2,000 in combined eligible purchases each quarter on two categories you choose
- 5% cash back on prepaid air, hotel and car reservations booked directly in the Rewards Center
- 2% cash back on one everyday category, like Gas Stations/EV Charging Stations, Grocery Stores or Restaurants
- 1% cash back on all other eligible purchases
- 0% Intro APR on balance transfers for the first 18 billing cycles. After that, a variable APR currently 19.49% – 29.49%
- No Annual Fee
- Terms and conditions apply.
