The Best No-Annual-Fee Credit Cards of May 2023

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Many people feel that paying an annual fee for a credit card makes no sense. Why should you pay to spend money? That’s not to say that cards with annual fees are never worth it — for example, it’s possible to get over $2,000 in value in your first year with The Platinum Card® from American Express
, especially if you travel frequently and take advantage of its benefits.

But if you stay close to home — or if you aren’t willing to make an upfront investment to receive fancy benefits like annual statement credits, airport lounge access, or elite status — you can do quite well with a card that doesn’t charge an annual fee. Plenty of cards without an annual fee offer strong rewards, too, so you’re not missing out on points and miles.

Here are our picks for the best no-annual-fee credit cards available right now.

Compare No-Annual-Fee Credit Cards

Best No-Annual-Fee Credit Cards

• Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card: Best for high cash rewards rate
• Chase Freedom Unlimited®: Best if you have a Chase Sapphire card
• Chase Freedom Flex℠
  : Best for earning among the highest cash back — if you work for it
• Citi® Double Cash Card: Best for high cash-back rate with long intro APR
• Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card: Best for 3x earning in great everyday categories
• Citi Custom Cash℠ Card: Best if your spending changes month to month
• Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express: Best for shopping at U.S. supermarkets
• Discover it® Cash Back: Best for getting your first year of cash back matched
• Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card: Best for earning 1.5% cash back everywhere
• Ink Business Cash® Credit Card: Best for small business
• Amex EveryDay® Credit Card from American Express
  : Best for earning Amex points
• American Airlines AAdvantage® MileUp®
  : Best for American Airlines loyalists
• United Gateway℠ Card: Best for United Airlines loyalists
• Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card: Best for Delta Airlines loyalists

Methodology: How We Chose the Best No-Annual-Fee Credit Cards

We’re focused here on the rewards and perks that come with each card. These cards won’t be worth it if you’re paying interest or late fees. When using a credit card, it’s important to pay your balance in full each month, make payments on time, and only spend what you can afford to pay.

We reviewed dozens of no-annual-fee credit cards across all categories — cash back, travel, airline, hotel, and more — and narrowed our focus to cards that offer more than 1 point or mile per dollar on at least one category of purchase. We also looked at welcome bonuses, rewards caps (such as the $1,500 quarterly limit on the Chase Freedom Flex℠ and Discover it® Cash Back), and other fine print.

See the full breakdown of how we rate credit cards »

Why you should trust our recommendations

The Insider credit cards editorial team does not consult with Insider’s business team to push certain credit cards. We honestly examine each credit card and either recommend or discourage readers from opening cards based on their financial situation. Also, if a credit card is subpar, we will tell you plainly.

No-Annual-Fee Credit Card Frequently Asked Questions

Best No-Annual-Fee Card for High Cash Rewards Rate

Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card

If you want to earn the highest cash rewards possible on every purchase without having to keep track of bonus categories, the Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card is a winner. Cardholders earn 2% cash rewards on purchases with no limits, and there’s a solid welcome bonus offer too: $200 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 in purchases in the first three months from account opening.

New cardholders also receive a 0% intro APR on purchases and qualifying balance transfers for 15 months from account opening (then a 19.99%, 24.99%, or 29.99% Variable APR), which is handy if you’ve got upcoming expenses you can’t pay off in full right away.

The card also comes with a decent array of perks, like cell phone protection, travel emergency assistance services, roadside dispatch, and Visa Signature Concierge access. If you’re traveling abroad, it’s best to leave the Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card at home, because it adds foreign transaction fees. 

Wells Fargo Active Cash card review

Best No-Annual-Fee Card if You Have a Chase Sapphire Card

Chase Freedom Unlimited®

The Chase Freedom Unlimited® is another top pick for a no-annual-fee card — especially if there’s a chance that you’ll want to earn more valuable credit card rewards with a premium credit card later on.

That’s because while Chase markets the card as “cash back,” it actually earns Chase Ultimate Rewards® points that you can redeem for cash, gift cards, or travel through the Chase Travel Portal at a rate of 1 cent per point. 

If you decide that you want to maximize the value of those points by purchasing travel with a bonus through Chase, or transfer them to airline and hotel partners, you can open a card like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card or the Chase Sapphire Reserve®, and pool your points from the two cards.

The Chase Freedom Unlimited® earns 5% cash back on travel booked through Chase, 5% back on Lyft rides through March 2025, 3% cash back on dining and at drugstores, and 1.5% back on all other purchases (or 1.5 points per dollar spent). Paired with a Sapphire Reserve, it’s a great card to use for purchases that aren’t made on travel expenses or dining.

The Freedom Unlimited is a fantastic all-around card. However, to get the most value when it’s time to spend your points, you need the Sapphire Reserve or Preferred card, too, so you can pool your points. Otherwise, points are only worth 1 cent each no matter how you use them, and they can’t be transferred to airline or hotel partners.

Chase Freedom Unlimited review

Best No-Annual-Fee Card for Earning Among the Highest Cash Back — If You Work for It

Chase Freedom Flex℠

The Chase Freedom Flex℠ works virtually the same way as the Chase Freedom Unlimited®, earning cash back in the form of Chase Ultimate Rewards points that you can either combine with another card, or redeem for cash or merchandise. 

The key difference is how it earns those rewards. Unlike the Chase Freedom Unlimited® — which earns 1.5% cash back (or 1.5 points per dollar spent) on most purchases, the Chase Freedom Flex℠ earns 5% (or 5x) in rotating categories each quarter (once activated) on up to $1,500 spent in that category. From April 1 to June 30, 2023, the card’s bonus categories are Amazon and Lowe’s.

You’ll also earn 5% cash back on travel purchases made through Chase, 5% on Lyft rides through March 2025, 3% back on dining and drugstores, and 1% back on everything else.

Chase Freedom Flex credit card review 

Best No-Annual-Fee Card for High Cash-Back Rate with Long Intro APR

Citi® Double Cash Card

The Citi® Double Cash Card effectively earns 2% cash back — 1 point per dollar when you make a purchase, and 1 point per dollar when you pay it off. If you’re focused on earning credit card rewards, you should be paying your balance off in full each month, so in that case, you can consider this a 2% cash back card.

This is one of the best 2% cash-back cards and best cash-back cards in general, and it’s simple to use because there are no bonus rewards categories to remember. New cardholders receive a 0% intro APR on balance transfers for 18 months, followed by a 18.99% – 28.99% Variable APR. That’s a good deal if you’re looking to consolidate debt to save on interest.

The Citi® Double Cash Card is also an excellent starter card if you’re new to credit card rewards. You can’t go wrong with redeeming Double Cash rewards for cash back, but if you later want to delve into travel or other redemptions, you have other options for using Citi ThankYou points.

The Double Cash card now earns Citi ThankYou points instead of cash back directly. But you can still redeem your points for cash back (as well as travel, gift cards, and more) and get the same rate of return.

Citi Double Cash card review

Best No-Annual-Fee Card for 3x Earning in Great Everyday Categories

Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card

The Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card, is a great choice if you want to earn a high rate of rewards in a variety of everyday categories without paying an annual fee. You can earn 3x points on travel, dining, gas stations, popular streaming services, transit, and phone plans, and 1 point per dollar on all other purchases with no limits.

The card comes with a decent welcome bonus offer, too: 20,000 bonus points when you spend $1,000 in purchases in the first three months from account opening. That’s worth $200 when redeemed as cash. New cardholders can also save money on interest with a 0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months from account opening, followed by a 19.99%, 24.99%, or 29.99% Variable.

Wells Fargo Autograph credit card review

Best No-Annual-Fee Card if Your Spending Changes Month to Month

Citi Custom Cash℠ Card

The  Citi Custom Cash℠ Card is a great choice if your spending habits tend to change from month to month. Cardholders earn 5% cash back on up to $500 in purchases in the eligible category they spend the most in each billing cycle (then 1%), and 1% on all other purchases.

The qualifying categories include everyday expenses that should appeal to most folks: restaurants, gas stations, grocery stores, select travel, select transit, select streaming services, drugstores, home improvement stores, fitness clubs, and live entertainment.

Although it’s marketed as a cash-back card, the Citi Custom Cash℠ Card actually earns rewards in the form of Citi ThankYou points, which are worth 1 cent apiece for cash back, travel booked through Citi, gift cards, merchandise, and more. And if you have the Citi Premier® Card or Citi Prestige® Card
(no longer available to new applicants), you can pool your rewards and transfer points to airline and hotel partners, including Citi’s newest partners, Choice Privileges and Wyndham Rewards.

Citi Custom Cash card review

Best No-Annual-Fee Card for Shopping at U.S. Supermarkets

Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express

Recently, the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express updated its earning rates to include U.S. online retail purchases, making it one of the best cards for online shopping. Plus, you can now earn 3% cash back at US gas stations (was 2% back) up to spending limits.

It’s currently offering a welcome bonus of $200 statement credit after you spend $2,000 in purchases on your new card in the first six months of card membership.

Cardholders earn: 

• 3% cash back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 each calendar year (then 1% back)
• 3% back at U.S. gas stations on up to $6,000 each calendar year in purchases (then 1% back)
• 3% back on U.S. online retail purchases on up to $6,000 each calendar year (then 1% back)
• 1% cash back on everything else

Cash back is received in the form of Reward Dollars which can later be redeemed as statement credits.

Keep in mind that your cash back rewards are capped at $6,000 per category each year (then 1% back). So if easily spend more than the $6,000 cap in the bonus categories, you might want to consider a different cash-back rewards card with a higher limit. 

There’s also a “Preferred” version of the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express — the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express earns a bigger 6% back on the first $6,000 spent at U.S. supermarkets per calendar year (and 1% after), 6% back on select U.S. streaming services, 3% back at U.S. gas stations and on transit including taxis, rideshares, parking, and tolls, and 1% cash back on everything else (cash back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as statement credits).

The higher-earning rate on the Preferred makes it worth paying the annual fee — however, the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express is still a great option if you’re opposed to that.

Blue Cash Everyday Amex card review

Best No-Annual-Fee Card for Getting Your First Year of Cash Back Matched

Discover it® Cash Back

The Discover it® Cash Back works similarly to the Chase Freedom Flex℠: It offers 5% cash back on up to $1,500 spent each quarter in rotating bonus categories (then 1% back) and 1% cash back on everything else (from April 1 to June 30, 2023, you can earn 5% cash back at Restaurants and Wholesale Clubs on up to $1,500 in purchases after enrollment, then 1%).

It doesn’t offer the same bonus categories as the Chase Freedom Flex℠, though, although sometimes they overlap. 

The Discover it® Cash Back is compelling for one other reason: Discover will match all your cash back at the end of your first cardmember year. So if you earned $500 in cash back in your first year, Discover would match that $500 for a total of $1,000 in cash back. This awesome feature is available on all Discover credit cards — and all Discover cards have no annual fee.

Discover it Cash Back card review 

Best No-Annual-Fee Card for Earning 1.5% Cash Back Everywhere

Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card

The Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card has no annual fee and earns 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 1.5% cash back on every other purchase you make. In this regard, it’s most similar to the Chase Freedom Unlimited®.

There are also no foreign transaction fees, and the card has a solid welcome offer: one-time $200 cash bonus once you spend $500 on purchases within three months of account opening.

You can even use your cash back earned with the Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card to pay for purchases on Amazon or eligible PayPal purchases. You can also redeem it as a statement credit, check, automatic redemption, or gift cards. 

You’ll also get a solid 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months (3% fee on the amounts transferred within the first 15 months) (then a 19.74% – 29.74% Variable APR).

The Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card (along with the Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards Credit Card and the Capital One Quicksilver Secured Cash Rewards Credit Card) currently offers cardholders six months of Uber One monthly membership (through November 14, 2024). 

Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards credit card review 

Best No-Annual-Fee Card for Small Business

Ink Business Cash® Credit Card

The Ink Business Cash® Credit Card is another solid Chase entry, although this one is a business credit card — anyone with just about any kind of small business can qualify, whether you have a brick-and-mortar space with employees, or you’re a freelancer, or even someone with a small side gig.

New cardholders of both the Ink Business Cash® Credit Card and the Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card can earn $750 bonus cash back after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.

Just like with the Chase Freedom cards, you can pool the “cash” you earn with points from a Chase travel card, effectively converting your cash into (potentially) more valuable points. Alternatively, you can reap the rewards in the form of cash instead.

The Ink Business Cash® Credit Card earns 5% cash back (or 5x points) on the first $25,000 in combined purchases at office supply stores and on internet, cable, and phone services each cardholder year. It earns 5% back (or 5x points) on Lyft rides through March 2025, 2% back (or 2x points) on the first $25,000 in purchases at gas stations and restaurants each year, and 1% (or 1x points) on everything else with no cap.

Chase Ink Business Cash credit card review

Best No-Annual-Fee Card for Earning Amex Points

Amex EveryDay® Credit Card from American Express

American Express Membership Rewards is Amex’s in-house rewards program, and the Amex EveryDay® Credit Card from American Express is the best no-fee card that earns them. You can redeem Amex points for travel, merchandise, statement credits, gift cards, and more. However, the best option is to transfer them to an Amex airline or hotel partner.

The Amex EveryDay® Credit Card from American Express earns 2x points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $6,000 of purchases per year, then 1x after that) and at Amex Travel, and 1x on everything else. It also offers a 20% bonus on points earned in a billing period when you make 20 or more purchases during that period.

Like most Amex cards, the Amex EveryDay® Credit Card from American Express features a few travel and purchase protections, as well as access to the Amex Offers program.

While most people will be better off with a version of the card that has an annual fee, the Amex EveryDay® Preferred Credit Card
, the regular Amex EveryDay® Credit Card from American Express is still a strong option — especially since there’s no annual fee.

Amex EveryDay credit card review

Best for Delta, American, and United Airline Loyalists: No-Annual-Fee Airline Cards

• Delta: Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card
• American Airlines: American Airlines AAdvantage® MileUp®
• United: United Gateway℠ Card

Most airline credit cards that are worth having come with an annual fee — although many of them will waive it for the first year. Those cards tend to come with useful benefits for people who fly with the airline, like priority boarding or free checked bags. You can learn more in our guide to the best airline credit cards.

However, if you’re interested in earning frequent flyer miles with a particular airline through your spending, but don’t care about those perks and want to avoid the fee, you have a couple of options. 

If you’re a Delta flyer, you can go for the Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card which offers 2 Delta SkyMiles on every eligible dollar spent with Delta and at restaurants worldwide, and 1 mile per dollar on everything else. It also gets you a 20% discount — in the form of a statement credit — on Delta inflight purchases like food or drinks.

American loyalists can consider the American Airlines AAdvantage® MileUp®. This card offers 2x AAdvantage miles on every dollar spent at grocery stores and with American Airlines, and 1 mile per dollar on everything else. 

United’s United Gateway℠ Card, with an annual fee of $0, earns 2x miles on United purchases, gas, public transit, rideshare services, and taxis, and 1x miles on everything else.

Other No-Annual-Fee Credit Cards We Considered

There are many other no-annual-fee credit cards that don’t appear on this list. Here’s an overview of the cards we considered that didn’t make the final cut.

• Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card — This card earns 10% cash back on purchases made through Uber & Uber Eats, plus complimentary Uber One membership statement credits through November 14, 2024, and 8% cash back on Capital One Entertainment purchases. This card also earns 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, 3% cash back on dining, entertainment, streaming services, and grocery stores, and 1% back on all other purchases. 
• Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card — You’ll earn 1.25 miles per dollar on every purchase, which is better than the standard rate of 1 point/mile per dollar on credit cards, but not by much.
• Citi Rewards+® Card
  — This card is unique in that it rounds up to the nearest 10 points on all your purchases. It also earns 5x points on hotel, car rentals, and attractions (excluding air travel) booked on the Citi Travel℠ portal (offer ends June 30, 2024), 2x points at supermarkets and gas stations (on up to $6,000 per year, then 1 point per dollar) and 1x point on all other purchases. Cards like the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express have the potential to earn you more rewards, but if you already have a Citi credit card and want to boost your Citi points balance, this card is worth a look. Plus, this card currently offers an increased welcome bonus of 25,000 bonus points after spending $1,500 in purchases in three months from account opening. 
• AT&T Points Plus℠ Card
  — This is the newest Citi credit card and it earns valuable Citi ThankYou points. With this card, you’ll earn 3x at gas stations, 2x at grocery stores (including delivery services), and 1x on everything else.  Plus, you can earn up to $240 in annual statement credits when you use this card to pay for your AT&T wireless bill and meet monthly spending thresholds.
• Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card — With this card, you’ll earn 1.5 points per dollar on every purchase. That’s not a bad return on spending, but this card — and other Bank of America cards —  are most rewarding if you’re already a Bank of America customer and have enough money in qualifying counts to qualify for the Preferred Rewards program, which gets you bonus credit card rewards.
• Bank of America® Unlimited Cash Rewards Credit Card — This BoA card offers an unlimited 1.5% cash back on all purchases, and also offers up to 75% more rewards if you’re a Preferred Rewards member.