It’s a fresh year and it’s time for change. If you’re paying high interest on credit cards then this post is for you.
Have you ever heard of the term 0% APR and wondered what it means? Before we list the top ten 0% APR cards, we’ll discuss the simple meaning of 0% APR so that you actually get what it means and see how you can benefit from it.
Spill the beans- what does 0% APR mean?
If you’re above the age of two, you know what 0 means. And if you’re above the age of 10, you know what % means. So the 0% is not the difficult part.
Now for the term “APR” it stands for Annual Percentage Rate, and it means the interest rate that you pay on your credit card.
If a person pays 24.99% interest on their credit card, then their credit card APR is 24.99%.
If a credit card has 0% APR then you pay 0% interest.
Hold it. How is that possible?
You’d think these credit card companies are smarter than that. Why would they offer 0% APR? What’s the catch?
The answer is that there is no catch. When a person gets an introductory 0% APR promo, they really don’t pay interest until the promo expires.
Why do the banks offer it?
The answer is a simple one. The way banks make money (lots and lots of it) is by charging interest. A great way to catch a fish (i.e. a customer) is by offering a 0% APR promo.
The idea is to get the people to spend freely and to rack up a bill.
While you’re spending all that money (knowing you have no interest rate) the bank is murmuring prayers. They hope that you won’t be able to pay up the balance when the offer expires and at that point, they’ll start raking it in (from the interest rates applied to your extremely high bill).
But you can outsmart the bank by being a savvy consumer and making sure to pay up the bill before the promo is up or balance transfer it to a new card with a 0% APR promo.
What’s the difference between 0% APR on purchases and balance transfers?
Some cards offer 0% APR on purchases, some offer 0% APR on balance transfers, and some offer 0% APR on both purchases and balance transfers.
Purchases are items you buy and use the card to pay.
Balance transfers are balances that you carry with another credit card that you would like to transfer to the new card in order to get the 0% APR.
Depending on your goals, you need to make sure that the card you choose offers 0% APR on the proper type of transactions. For example, if you are planning to transfer an existing balance from another credit card to the new card, then make sure to apply for a card that offers 0% APR on balance transfers.
Simple question. Would you rather save $900 or lose $900? Anyone with a bit of brains would say they’d rather save. Yet, you have that chance multiple times a month an...
Top 10 Credit Cards For 0% APR
Let’s dive in and get you the top 10 cards with the longest 0% APR period.
21 months of 0% APR
1. Citi Simplicity
Intro 0% APR offer: Intro 0% APR for 21 months on balance transfers from when the first balance transfer is made and intro 0% APR for 12 months on purchases from the date of account opening (after that 14.74% – 24.74% variable)
Annual fee: $0
Credits limits approved for on this card as reported in our credit card database: $500-$11,000, with an average of $4,675
2. Citi Diamond Preferred Card
Intro 0% APR offer: Intro 0% APR for 21 months on balance transfers from when the first balance transfer is made and intro 0% APR for 12 months on purchases from the date of account opening (after that 13.74% – 23.74% variable)
Annual fee: $0
Credits limits approved for on this card as reported in our credit card database: $500-$18,500, with an average of $6,787
3. Wells Fargo Reflect Card
Intro 0% APR offer: Up to 21 months 0% APR. Intro 0% APR for 18 months on purchases and balance transfers. Plus the Intro 0% APR can be extended up to 3 months when you make on-time minimum payments during the introductory and extension periods (after that 12.99% – 24.99% variable)
Annual fee: $0
Credits limits approved for on this card as reported in our credit card database: $12,000-$12,000 with an average of $12,000
20 months of 0% APR
4. U.S. Bank Platinum
Intro 0% APR offer: Intro 0% APR for 20 months on purchases and balance transfers (after that 14.49% – 24.49% variable)
Annual fee: $0
Credits limits approved for on this card as reported in our credit card database: $1,000-$11,200, with an average of $4,508
5. U.S. Bank Business Platinum
Intro 0% APR offer: Intro 0% APR for 20 months on purchases and balance transfers (after that 11.99% – 20.99%. variable)
Annual fee: $0
Credits limits approved for on this card as reported in our credit card database: $700-$25,000, with an average of $11,900
6. NBT Bank Platinum Card
Intro 0% APR offer: Intro 0% APR for 20 months on purchases and balance transfers (after that 13.49% – 23.49% variable)
Annual fee: $0
Credits limits approved for on this card as reported in our credit card database: $0-$0, with an average of $0
18 months of 0% APR
7. Citizens Bank Clear Value
Intro 0% APR offer: Intro 0% APR for 18 months on balance transfers (after that 13.99%-21.99% variable)
Annual fee: $0
Credits limits approved for on this card as reported in our credit card database: $6,000-$25,000, with an average of $12,267
8. HSBC Gold MasterCard
Intro 0% APR offer: Intro 0% APR for 18 months on purchases and balance transfers (after that 13.99% – 23.99% variable)
Annual fee: $0
Credits limits approved for on this card as reported in our credit card database: $6,000-$6,000, with an average of $6,000
9. Citi Double Cash
Intro 0% APR offer: Intro 0% APR for 18 months on balance transfers (after that 13.99% – 23.99% variable)
Annual fee: $0
Credits limits approved for on this card as reported in our credit card database: $500-$22,000, with an average of $6,145
10. Bank AmeriCard
Intro 0% APR offer: Intro 0% APR for 18 months on purchases and balance transfers (after that 12.99% – 22.99% variable)
Annual fee: $0
Credits limits approved for on this card as reported in our credit card database: $1,200-$14,000, with an average of $7,308
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