Best Low Interest and 0% Credit Cards of 2018

The interest-free period on the Citi Simplicity^® Card - No Late Fees Ever is nice and long: 0% on Purchases and Balance Transfers for 18 months, and then the ongoing APR of 15.74% - 25.74% Variable APR. Citi's pledge to never charge fees or a penalty annual percentage rate on late payments is unusual and a nice break for the chronically forgetful.

The Capital One® Quicksilver® Card - 0% Intro APR for 15 Months recently gave its 0% intro APR period a healthy bump. Whereas the card once gave you 0% for nine months, now you get 0% on Purchases and Balance Transfers for 15 months, and then the ongoing APR of 14.74% - 24.74% Variable APR. This card pays 1.5% cash back on every purchase and offers a tidy sign-up bonus: One-time $150 cash bonus after you spend $500 on purchases within 3 months from account opening. It's also a good traveling companion, as it charges no foreign transaction fees.

The Chase Freedom® gives you a little of everything. In addition to a $0 annual fee and a long 0% intro APR period on purchases and balance transfers, it offers a nifty sign-up bonus: Earn a $150 Bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening. You get 5% cash back on up to $1,500 per quarter in spending on rotating bonus categories that have included such things as gas stations, supermarkets and restaurants. All other spending earns 1% back.

The Discover it® Balance Transfer combines a lengthy 0% period on balance transfers with 5% cash-back rewards on rotating bonus categories (on up to $1,500 in spending per quarter) and 1% back on all other spending. There's also an unusual bonus, which Discover describes as: "Discover will match ALL the cash back you've earned at the end of your first year, automatically. There's no signing up. And no limit to how much is matched." No foreign transaction fee is unusual for this category. Discover won’t charge a fee for your first late payment or raise your APR for paying late.

Offering 2% cash back — 1% when you make a purchase and 1% when you pay it off — the Citi^® Double Cash Card – $150 Cash Back Offer provides easy rewards to go with its solid interest-free period and $0 annual fee. Plus, there's a good cash sign-up bonus: Earn $150 cash back bonus after $500 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening. This is an excellent card that doesn't require excellent credit: You can qualify with good credit.

The U.S. Bank Visa® Platinum Card has quietly become one of the top cards in the 0% game. In May 2018, the issuer extended the introductory APR period. You now get 0% on Purchases for 20 billing cycles and 0% on Balance Transfers for 20 months, and then the ongoing APR of 11.74% - 23.74% Variable APR.

Citi ThankYou^® Preferred Card is one of the few cards that gives you bonus rewards for dining (including bars) and "entertainment," a broad category that includes movie theaters, live music, amusement parks and more. You start with an introductory APR of 0% on Purchases and Balance Transfers for 15 months, and then the ongoing APR of 15.24% - 25.24% Variable APR. You get 2 points per $1 spent on dining and entertainment and 1 point per dollar on all other spending.

The card has an annual fee of $0, charges no foreign transaction fees and has an ongoing interest rate lower than what you'll find on a lot of other cards with a 0% intro period. Though we don't generally recommend getting cash advances from a credit card, the Barclaycard Ring® Mastercard® makes advances less taxing, with a $3 flat fee per advance. For balance transfers, this card offers an interesting choice between a 0% intro APR period or a $0 transfer fee. The APR is 0% on Balance Transfers for 12 months on balance transfers made within 45 days of account opening, and then the ongoing APR of 13.74% Variable APR. Transfers in the first 45 days incur a balance transfer fee of 3% (minimum $5). After 45 days, there is no transfer fee.

While many cards have interest rates that float above 20%, the Lake Michigan Credit Prime Platinum Card boasts one of the lowest APRs on any card — as low as the prime rate plus 3%.

If your credit is good enough, the USAA® Rate Advantage Visa Platinum® Card offers a very low ongoing rate. The ongoing APR is 8.65% - 25.65% Variable APR. There are no foreign transaction fees, and the card is backed by USAA's well-regarded customer service.

This is a secured card for bad credit, yet it has a lower interest rate than many unsecured cards for people with good credit. The ongoing APR is 13.25% Variable APR. The card has no annual fee, balance transfer fees, cash advance fees or foreign transaction fees.