Best No Annual Fee Credit Cards from our partners

A no annual fee credit card doesn't carry any membership fees and costs nothing to use, assuming you pay your balance in full by the due date each month. These cards are very popular, not least because they are a great credit-building tool. A no-annual-fee credit card account in good standing will have a positive effect on your credit report every month, as long as you make payments on time and keep the account in good standing.

Being approved for a new credit card shouldn't put you in debt as soon as the account is opened. Card that charges an annual fee could cause you to owe money before you've even made a purchase.

If your card carries no annual fee, you'll never have to worry about leaving enough funds available to accommodate the fee each year, which could put you in danger of going over your credit limit.

Combine a no-interest offer with a no-annual-fee card, and it'll cost you nothing to use your credit card (don't forget to check that it also comes with no application processing fee). Add in cash back rewards, and you'll be getting free money at zero cost! Search out cards that not only give 1% cash back on all your purchases, but also offer a special cash bonus program that gives you up to 5% cash back on select purchases and up to 20% cash back on your yearly cash back.

Here's what else you may want to consider when choosing a no annual fee credit card:

Fees: Annual fee is not the only fee associated with a credit card. The cards may have a bunch of other fees, like foreign transaction fees, balance transfer fees, or late payment fees, which sometimes are rather critical.

Rewards: The best no annual fee card just must have a rewards program. Do not expect high rewards rates though. No annual fee credit cards tend to have lower rewards rates. The average rewards rate is 1.5% on no annual fee credit cards, so look for cards that meet this threshold.

Sign-up bonus: While this may not be of a primary importance to you, it is still good having a nice start-up bonus. Give your preference to the cards that have small spending requirements to increase your chances to qualify for that bonus.

Other perks: If you cannot decide between two no annual fee credit cards, it's high time you considered other perks the cards have to offer, if at all. For example, a benefit like a free credit monitoring service, or price protection may help you to make up your mind.