The best no annual fee credit cards of 2019: Reviewed

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A good credit card without an annual fee is a solid choice for anyone’s wallet. Even though these no annual fee cards are lacking the fancy benefits that come with premium credit cards, they still offer great opportunities to earn rewards and some access to members-only benefits. Likewise, for people who are just starting out building credit or need to re-build credit, responsibly using a card with no annual fee can be a great way to improve your credit score without spending any extra money.

I’m a travel writer who has been writing about credit cards for the last six years and studying card benefits for many years longer, so I know this space well. While some of my favorite credit cards do have annual fees, there are a few that I always have in my wallet without fees.

If you are looking for a no-annual-fee credit card, these five choices could be the best for you.

The best credit cards with no annual fees of 2019

• Best overall: Chase Freedom
• Best for business: SimplyCash® Plus Business Credit Card from American Express
• Best for everyday shopping: Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express
• Best for imperfect credit: Discover It Secured
• Best for membership benefits: PenFed Pathfinder Rewards American Express Card
• Best for introductory APR: Citi Double Cash

How we evaluated

Because I’ve been studying credit cards for years, I know what cards are best for a lot of people. To examine cards that don’t charge an annual fee, I looked at major credit cards that offer flexible and rewarding points or cash back that can easily be redeemed. The best cards were chosen based on the value of rewards (both points and perks), fees, and general accessibility.

Things to know about credit cards

• None of these cards have an annual fee. The downside is that these cards generally offer fewer perks than similar cards with annual fees from the same banks. For example, the Chase Sapphire Preferred card, which has a $95 annual fee, offers more travel perks, like no foreign transaction fees, than the Chase Freedom, which has no annual fee. If you’re set on a card with no annual fee, the cards on this list are the best out there.
• APR rates and credit limits vary based on your individual credit. Credit limits and interest rates for each card are determined based on each cardholder’s personal situation, so we did not take that information into account when evaluating these cards. One thing to remember is that if you pay your card off in full every month, you will not be charged interest.
• Banks have final say on who they accept for a credit card. These recommendations were put together with the assumption that applicants would have average credit or above. That being said, banks decide who they will issue credit cards to using criteria including, but not always limited to, an individual’s credit score when evaluating each applicant.

Best overall: Chase Freedom

The Chase Freedom is a great card all on its own, and comes with a standout sign-up bonus: $150 back if you spend $500 on your card within the first three months. (Think of it as an instant 30% coupon.) The Chase Freedom can start racking up rewards for you now and offers plenty of opportunities to earn points and cash back due to its quarterly rotating categories.

Points: The Chase Freedom card earns at least 1% cash back (or 1 Chase Ultimate Rewards point you can redeem for travel or other offers) on all purchases. However, every quarter you can you can earn 5% back (or 5 Chase Ultimate Rewards points) when you make purchases in certain rotating categories. In the past, these 5X categories have included gas stations, grocery stores, Amazon, department stores, and select streaming services.

Perks: The Chase Freedom offers an introductory 0% APR on purchases and balance transfers for the first 15 months. After the introductory APR period, the interest rate will be increased to 17.24%-25.99% based on your creditworthiness. The Chase Freedom card is also one of the first cards in the US to roll out with contactless payment, or tap to pay. So you don’t have to swipe or insert this card to pay.

Learn more about the Chase Freedom

Best for business: SimplyCash Plus from American Express

The SimplyCash Plus card is our top pick for the best credit cards for freelancers and it’s an excellent choice if you’re looking for a business-focused credit card with no annual fee.

Points: You’ll earn 5% cash back on the first $50,000 you spend at U.S. office supply stores and on wireless telephone services, 3% cash back cash back on the first $50,000 you spend at on the category of your choice, and 1% cash back on all other purchases. The 5% and 3% rates apply to the first $50,000 you spend in these categories each year (then, you’ll earn 1%). Perhaps the best part? Your cash rewards are automatically credited to your account as a statement credit every month, so there are no hoops to jump through to collect your earnings.

Perks: If you use QuickBooks to track your business expenses, you’re in luck. You can connect your credit card account to QuickBooks, which helps you automatically keep track of expenses and payments. This card also has your back with premium add-ons: baggage and travel accident insurance, car rental loss and damage insurance, roadside assistance, purchase protection, and an extended warranty, which protects you if the computer you buy for your work ends up with issues.

Learn more about the SimplyCash Plus from American Express 

Best for Everyday Shopping: Blue Cash Everyday from American Express

The Blue Cash Everyday offers a great sign-up bonus as well as the opportunity to earn points on everyday purchases (hence, the name). If you want a solid, no-annual-fee card that offers rewards you don’t have to monitor to make the most of then this card is for you.

Points: The Blue Cash Everyday card offers a $150 bonus after you open the card and spend at least $1,000 on purchases within the first 3 months. On the first $6,000 you spend at U.S. supermarkets, you’ll earn 3% cash back at U.S. supermarkets (and then you’ll earn 1%). You’ll also earn 2% back at U.S. gas stations and select U.S. department stores, and 1% back on all other purchases. Cash back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed for statement credits, gift cards, and merchandise.

Perks: The Blue Cash Everyday card offers an introductory 0% APR period on purchases and balance transfers for the first 15 months. After the introductory period, the APR will increase to a variable 15.24% to 26.24%.

Learn more about the Blue Cash Everyday from American Express

Best for Imperfect Credit: Discover It Secured

If you’ve made some mistakes with credit cards in the past, you might be having a hard time getting approved for traditional credit cards. And many secured credit cards don’t offer great rewards or perks. The Discover It Secured card is a great option if you need to rebuild your credit but still want to earn rewards. You’ll have to put a security deposit equal to your credit line down when you get approved for this card, but that deposit is fully refundable when you close the account in good standing or convert it to an unsecured card.

Points: As far as earning points goes, you’ll get 2% back at gas stations and restaurants on up to $1,000 in combined purchases each quarter with the Discover It Secured card. You’ll also earn 1% cash back on all other purchases.

Perks: The Discover It Secured card comes with two great perks to help you build your credit back up. First, you’ll get access to your FICO Credit Score for free on monthly statements, the mobile app, and online, so you can monitor any changes to your score. You’ll also have the ability to activate free Social Security number alerts, where Discover will alert you if your SSN is found on any of thousands of Dark Web sites.

Learn more about the Discover It Secured

Best for Membership Benefits: PenFed Pathfinder Rewards American Express

Most no-annual-fee credit cards don’t offer much when it comes to additional perks of having the card, but the PenFed Pathfinder Rewards American Express card is a great exception to the rule. In order to get this card, you’ll have to be a member of PenFed Credit Union, which is free to employees and household members of many military, government, and defense organizations. But, anyone can join by becoming a member of a military support organization with a one-time $17 fee.

Points: The PenFed Pathfinder Rewards American Express card offers 4 points per dollar spent on travel purchases for PedFed Honors Advantage members, or 3 points per dollar spent on travel for non-members. In order to be a PenFed Honors Advantage member you’ll have to open a free PenFed Access America Checking Account or have a military service background (active duty, reserve, honorably discharged, retired). All other purchases earn 1.5 points per dollar spent. Rewards can be redeemed for gift cards, travel, and merchandise.

Perks: The PenFed Pathfinder Rewards card really stands out when it comes to additional perks offered by the card. The APR for purchases and cash advances is between 12.99% to 17.99% when you open your account, based on your creditworthiness and varying with the prime rate, which is lower than many other no annual fee cards out there. This card does offer a 12-month introductory 0% APR for balance transfers, which jumps up to 12.99% to 17.99% after that first year. This card also offers a $100 annual air travel credit that can go toward covering baggage fees, lounge access, or onboard food and beverages. And you’ll get a $100 Global Entry or $85 TSA PreCheck application fee credit when you pay for the application with your card. Also, this card also doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees, so it’s a great option if you plan to travel abroad

Learn more about the PenFed Pathfinder Rewards American Express Card

Best for introductory APR: Citi Double Cash

Who can argue about cold hard cash that can still be used for anything you want? This card is one of the simplest cards out there that offers a great rewards rate. And like all of the other cards on this list, it doesn’t have an annual fee.

Points: The Citi Double Cash card is simple and straightforward, while still being very rewarding. It offers 1% back on every purchase when you make your purchase and 1% back when you pay off your balance. Assuming you do both, the Citi Double Cash card ends up being a 2% cash back card. Your rewards can be redeemed as a statement credit and used for whatever your heart desires.

Perks: Most cards that don’t have annual fees lack much in the way of additional perks, and the Citi Double Cash doesn’t really stand out here. But, it does offer one of the best 0% APR periods for balance transfers available. You’ll get an introductory 0% APR period on balance transfers for 18 months, but you have to complete the balance transfer within 4 months of opening the account. After the introductory APR period, the APR will increase to 15.74-25.74%, based on your creditworthiness.

Learn more about the Citi Double Cash

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Other top credit card options

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• The best travel credit cards
• The best gas cards
• The best credit cards for cruises
• The best hotel credit cards

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