2017 RANKING & REVIEWS
TOP RANKING BEST NO ANNUAL FEE CREDIT CARDS
Save Money by Using Credit Cards with No Annual Fee
Choosing which credit card to use is a huge decision that should not be taken lightly. You want to limit interest rates and fees while boosting customer service and perks. Undoubtedly, one of the best places to start on this journey is to look for the best credit cards with no annual fee.
If you do not choose to go with a no annual fee credit card, some annual fees can be upwards of $450 simply for using that credit card. Sure, many of these options come with perks; however, for the average person, spending that amount of money each year is not worth any sort of perk.
It is important to pay close attention to what rewards or perks you will receive by choosing a credit card with an annual fee. If the cashback amount, travel points, and reward perks will not end up exceeding the amount you pay each year, it is better to choose one of the no fee credit cards.
Luckily choosing one of the best credit cards with no annual fee does not mean you have to forfeit a great experience or even cashback perks and rewards. In fact, some credit cards with no annual fees are the most highly rated credit cards you can find.
See Also: Top Cards & Best Ways to Apply for Credit Cards with Bad Credit or No Credit
Finding Great No Annual Fee Credit Cards
To keep your costs to the utmost minimum, choosing one of the best no annual fee credit cards is a great idea. However, beyond simply looking for the perk of kicking an annual fee to the curb, it is also a great idea to look at other factors in your credit cards with no annual fee, such as:
- Best rewards credit cards with no annual fee
- Best cashback credit cards with no annual fee
- Best credit cards with low interest rates and no annual fees
- Best credit cards with no annual fee and great customer satisfaction
- Best no fee credit cards with fraud protection
We have taken all these points into consideration for you and now present you with our list of top credit cards with no annual fees.
AdvisoryHQ’s List of the Top 6 Best Credit Cards with No Annual Fee
List is sorted alphabetically (click any of the credit card names below to go directly to the detailed review section for that credit card):
- BB&T Bright® Card
- Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express
- Citi Diamond Preferred® Card
- PNC CORE VISA®
- U.S. Bank Platinum Visa® Card
- Wells Fargo Rewards® Card
Top 6 Best No Fee Credit Cards | Brief Comparison & Ranking
No Annual Fee | Annual | Introductory | APR |
BB&T Bright® Card | NONE | 0% for 15 months | 8.40% |
Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express | NONE | 0% for 12 months | 13.24% |
Citi Diamond Preferred® Card | NONE | 0% for 21 months | 12.24% |
PNC CORE VISA® | NONE | 0% for 15 months | 10.24% |
U.S. Bank Platinum Visa® Card | NONE | 0% for 12 months | 10.24% |
Wells Fargo Rewards® Card | NONE | 0% for 15 months | 12.40% |
Table: Top 6 Best Credit Cards with No Annual Fee | Above list is sorted alphabetically
Is Choosing No Annual Fee Credit Cards the Only Important Aspect of Saving Money?
While you can save money by choosing credit cards with no annual fee, you should also keep some other factors in mind.
If you are the type of person who pays your entire credit card balance off each month, you can choose any of the best no fee credit cards and focus on matters of customer satisfaction and the best rewards credit card with no annual fee.
However, if you are the type of person who carries a balance on your credit card (or could potentially carry a balance in the future), you will want to choose one of the credit cards with no annual fee and low APR. Saving some money on the best no fee credit cards will not matter that much if you are paying extremely high APR rates each month.
As you can see from the chart above, APR rates vary greatly in the world of the best no fee credit cards. That is why we have also highlighted a few credit cards with low APR and no annual fees.
Don’t Miss: Top Best Gas Credit Cards for Bad Credit, Poor, Fair, & No Credit | Ranking & Reviews
Do You Need a Good Credit Score for the Best No Fee Credit Cards?
As you will see in our list of the six best credit cards with no annual fee, they all require from good to excellent credit scores. Cafe Credit shares its credit score ranges in case you are not sure what category your credit score lands you in:
- Excellent: 800–850
- Very Good: 750–799
- Good: 700–749
- Fair: 650–699
- Poor: 600–649
- Very Bad: 300–599
While having a good to great credit score will give you some of the best credit cards with no annual fee and some of the lower annual percentage rates (APRs), you do not necessarily need to have a good credit score to find no fee credit cards.
All-in-One Change Management Tools
Top Rated Toolkit for Change Managers.
Get Your Change Management Tool Today...
AdvisoryHQ’s Selection Methodology
What methodology does AdvisoryHQ use in selecting and finalizing the credit cards, financial products, firms, services, and products that are ranked on its various top rated lists?
Please click here “AdvisoryHQ’s Ranking Methodologies” for a detailed review of AdvisoryHQ’s selection methodologies for ranking top rated credit cards, financial accounts, firms, products, and services.
Detailed Review – Top Ranking Best No Annual Fee Credit Cards
Below, please find the detailed review of each credit card on our list of credit cards with no annual fee. We have highlighted some of the factors that allowed these no fee credit cards to score so high in our selection ranking.
BB&T Bright® Card Review
The Bright® Card from the bank BB&T is first up with our list of the best no annual fee credit cards. The highlight is that Bright is one of the credit cards with low interest rates and no annual fees. As you can see from the chart above, the long introductory 0% APR is followed by an extremely low APR range, even down to single digits.
While it does not offer cash back or traditional rewards, BB&T’s Bright® Card does offer travel and emergency assistance services. And since this is one of the best credit cards with no annual fee and low APR, that small interest rate is a huge reward in and of itself.
Best No Annual Fee Credit Cards#1 Highlights:
- One of the best credit cards with low interest rates and no annual fees
- No liability with unauthorized purchases
- 24/7 online banking
- Option for those with good, great or excellent credit
Related: Top Best Credit Card Companies | Ranking & Reviews | Best Card Providers
Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express Review
Among our best no fee credit cards, the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express is undoubtedly one of the best cashback credit cards with no annual fee. The initial cashback deal is simple: get $300 when you spend $1000 in 3 months. There are also regular cashback perks:
- 3% from U.S. supermarkets
- 2% on U.S. gas stations
- 2% on select U.S. department stores
- 1% on other purchases
Also, as a best rewards credit card with no annual fee, you can get perks such as card member-only entertainment access, extended warranties, roadside assistance, travel accident insurance or car rental loss/damage insurance.
Best No Annual Fee Credit Cards#2 Highlights:
- One of the best cashback credit cards with no annual fee
- One of the best rewards credit cards with no annual fee
- Easy online access for banking and tracking cashback rewards
- Option for those with good, great or excellent credit
Citi Diamond Preferred® Card Review
Next up for the best no fee credit cards, the Citi Diamond Preferred® Card from Citibank is one of the best credit cards with no annual fee and a low APR introductory rate. With this credit card, you actually receive 0% interest for 21 months.
This low introductory APR is good for both purchases and balance transfers. However, keep in mind that balance transfers do come with a one-time fee of either $5 or 3%, depending on which is greater. This feature helps turn Citi Diamond Preferred® into one of the best credit cards with no annual fee.
Best No Annual Fee Credit Cards#3 Highlights:
- One of the best credit cards with no annual fee and a ow APR introductory rate
- Access to Citi Identity Theft Solutions
- Access to Citi Private Pass: Opportunities to purchase special entertainment options
- Option for those with good, great or excellent credit
PNC CORE VISA® Review
When it comes to credit cards with no annual fees, the PNC Core Visa® card is one of the better credit cards with low APR and no annual fees. You can benefit from 0% APR for 15 months, then the range of APR stays under 21%, going even as low as 10.24%.
This is one of the best no fee credit cards that stays simple and straightforward with no frills.
Best No Annual Fee Credit Cards#4 Highlights:
- One of the better credit cards with low interest rates and no annual fees
- Easy integration with the popular VirtualWallet
- Online banking ease
- PNC security and protection from identity fraud with no liability
- Travel and/or emergency protection
- Option for those with good, great or excellent credit
Popular Article: Top Best HSBC Credit Card Promotions | Reviews | HSBC Dining, Travel, Hotel, & Other Promos Cards
U.S. Bank Platinum Visa® Card Review
In line with PNC’s Core Visa, the U.S. Bank Platinum Visa® Card offers one of the better options for credit cards with low APR and no annual fees. Its lowest APR point is 10.24%, just like PNC’s Core. Its highest APR point, however, is slightly more, at 21.24%.
While this is one of the no fee credit cards without cash back or many rewards (other than auto rental insurance), U.S. Bank’s Platinum Visa® Card is one of the more solid options for credit cards with no annual fees. It is rated highly on Credio as well.
Best No Annual Fee Credit Cards#5 Highlights:
- One of the better credit cards with low interest rates and no annual fees
- No fraud liability & fraud protection
- Online banking ease
- Access FlexControl: U.S. Bank’s tool to avoid interest/late fees
- Option for those with good, great or excellent credit
Free Wealth & Finance Software - Get Yours Now ►
Wells Fargo Rewards® Card Review
Wells Fargo Rewards® Card is the best rewards credit card with no annual fee on this list – and possibly at all. As one of the best credit cards with no annual fee, you can earn points for travel perks, brand names, online auctions, gift cards, and even more. Points add up like this:
- 5 points: Every dollar on grocery, gas or drugstore for 6 months
- 1 point: Every other dollar purchased with your card
- Extra points: Deals with select stores
Other rewards include: travel, free credit score, 24/7 roadside assistance.
Best No Annual Fee Credit Cards#6 Highlights:
- Flexible rewards points
- No fraud liability on “promptly reported” unauthorized transactions
- Free access to FICO credit score
- Option for those with good, great or excellent credit
Read More: Top Best Store Credit Cards | Ranking | Best Department Store & Retail Cards (Reviews)
Conclusion – Top 6 Best Credit Cards with No Annual Fees
Now that you have seen the overview of some of the best no annual fee credit cards available to you in 2017, it is now time to decide which options work best for you and your particular finances.
Perhaps you already know you will be carrying a balance and want to focus on the credit cards with no annual fee and low APR. Or maybe you are not as worried about the APR but want one of the best cashback credit cards with no annual fee or best rewards credit card with no annual fee.
Or you could just want one of the simple, straightforward credit cards with no annual fees and no frills. No matter what you want, take the time to click on these links and learn more about all the details of all these no annual fee credit cards.
Choose one of the best no fee credit cards for 2017, a great year to start saving your money wisely. Removing unnecessary annual fees from your financial obligations is a great way to get started.
AdvisoryHQ (AHQ) Disclaimer:
Reasonable efforts have been made by AdvisoryHQ to present accurate information, however all info is presented without warranty. Review AdvisoryHQ’s Terms for details. Also review each firm’s site for the most updated data, rates and info.
Note: Firms and products, including the one(s) reviewed above, may be AdvisoryHQ's affiliates. Click to view AdvisoryHQ's advertiser disclosures.