Lots of credit cards now charge an annual fee or a balance transfer fee, but it is still possible to find no fee credit cards.
Credit cards with no fees are common in many cases, for example 0% purchase cards almost never charge a fee for owning them or using them - but there are two big exceptions.
If you're looking for a card with added perks - for example a rewards card, air miles card, or a travel credit card - then you might well find an annual fee attached to it.
Secondly, if you're looking to make a balance transfer or money transfer then you'll likely find cards that charge a fee for doing this.
The good news is that there are fee-free reward cards available if you know where to look, while 0% balance transfer cards with no fee are also available.
They generally offer shorter 0% periods or slightly less generous rewards than their fee-charging versions - but if you're transferring a smaller balance or only using the card occasionally, they might be better value.
A fee-free credit card is very simple – which is why they're very popular. When you apply for the card there's no charge, and if you pay your credit balance off each month you will not be charged any interest either
They could be the best credit card for you if you want a straightforward, low-cost credit card that you don’t have to worry about, or you need one to keep tucked away for emergencies and big purchases.
A zero fee credit card is cheap and simple and might be the best option if you want to keep your costs down.
Even though no fee free credit cards don’t charge you an annual fee, you will still pay costs if you go over your credit limit, don’t clear your bill before interest is charged or miss or make late payments.
In the vast majority of cases there are also fees levied for using the card to make cash withdrawals, or make "cash like" transactions such as buying shares. Fees may also be charged if you use the card overseas.
Most will charge you an interest rate on the outstanding balance on your card, although this depends on the type of credit card you choose.
No-annual fee doesn't mean the card is entirely free to use - so make sure you keep up with payments.”
A zero fee credit card would best suit someone who wants a simple credit card, would like to keep their costs down, or who uses their credit card only occasionally.
A no annual fee credit card might not suit someone who often has a high amount of outstanding debt on their card. That's because no annual fee credit cards often charge higher interest rates.
You can use our interactive comparison tool at the top of this page to compare credit cards with no annual fees.
You can filter the search criteria based on Popularity, Longest balance transfer period, Lowest APR or Longest Purchase Period.
You can also use our card-finder tool to get results tailored to you, letting you know which cards you are most likely to be accepted for.
Use our comparison tool to find the best zero fee credit card that suits you best, and then click Apply.
Some credit card providers offer a free credit card eligibility check before you make a formal application.
This allows you to see whether you are likely to be approved for the card without the application appearing on your credit reference file.
When you’re considering a fee free credit card, it would be worth looking at credit cards that allow you to transfer your balance from your current credit card to another, without paying a fee.
There are many credit card companies that offer this option and it means you don’t have to pay to transfer your balance.
As long keep on top of your repayments, you’ll be able clear your debt without the hefty interest you might have been paying before.
Typically, a no-annual fee card is a simple no-nonsense credit card that just does exactly what it says on the tin.
However, there are better credit card rewards attached to cards that do charge an annual fee, this is the trade-off of having a cheaper card.
But that doesn't mean you have to pay to own a rewards card - many supermarket no annual fee credit cards still offer retail point schemes that can help you save on your grocery shopping, for example.
When you’re considering a fee free credit card, it would be worth looking at credit cards that allow you to transfer your balance from your current credit card to another, without paying a fee.
There are many credit card companies that offer this option and it means you don’t have to pay to transfer your balance.
As long keep on top of your repayments, you’ll be able clear your debt without the hefty interest you might have been paying before.
Typically, a no-annual fee card is a simple no-nonsense credit card that just does exactly what it says on the tin.
However, there are better credit card rewards attached to cards that do charge an annual fee, this is the trade-off of having a cheaper card.
But that doesn't mean you have to pay to own a rewards card - many supermarket no annual fee credit cards still offer retail point schemes that can help you save on your grocery shopping, for example.
The interest rates for a standard credit card with no annual fee are likely as good as those with a fee.
This is also true for 0% purchase cards.
However, when it comes to rewards cards, you're likely to see better offers if you pay a fee.
When it comes to balance transfer cards, you're likely to see longer 0% interest periods when you pay a fee.
With or without an annual fee, getting the best interest rates depends on your credit score.
A credit card for those with bad credit can charge ongoing interest as high as 35% whereas with good credit can typically be found around 20%.
Your credit score matters more than the fee for ongoing interest charges.”
Most credit card providers charge a balance transfer fee of around 3% when you move your debt from one card to another. This varies between cards and providers.
As the fee is worked out as a percentage, the cost of the transfer fee will rise with the amount you transfer.
APR stands for "annual percentage rate" - it's the interest rate charged on money borrowed on your credit card.
It reflects the costs you'll pay over the course of a year and includes any standard fees associated with the card.
So if you borrow £100 at 20% APR you'll pay £20 interest on that loan over a year.
In most cases you can avoid paying interest by paying off your credit card balance in full by the due date of every billing cycle.
Yes, but that doesn't mean you'll pay nothing to borrow.
First, there may well be a fee attached to a credit card balance transfer or money transfer.
Secondly, if you don't clear your debt withing the 0% period you'll be charged interest on any money remaining on the account at the end of it.
No. The act of transferring a balance to a new credit card doesn’t damage your credit score.
However, there are two things that might negatively affect your credit worthiness if you're not careful.
Firstly, applying for a new credit card is always recorded on your credit history. This means that if you have an application rejected, or there are multiple applications over a short period of time, other lenders might be nervous.
However, card finder and eligibility checker tools don’t show up on your credit score, so it makes sense to use one to ensure you only apply for cards you’ll qualify for.
Secondly, lenders look at something called your "total available credit" before making a decision. This is worked out by adding up all your credit card and overdraft limits.
A new card adds to this total, but unless you've already got a large number of cards with high credit limits - for example equal to your annual salary – it’s unlikely to be a problem.
When we use the term ‘most popular or ‘popularity’ on Uswitch in reference to credit cards, these cards are ranked by the number of clicks they have received on the site in the past 30 days.
The most clicked on cards are at the top, with the least at the bottom. This reflects how popular they are with visitors to Uswitch.com. Consequently, this is a good table to look at if you’re interested in seeing which cards most people think are worth getting.
We compare over 100 credit cards from all of the major banks and credit card providers.
However, we do not compare all the credit cards that are available in the UK.
This is because some credit card providers have offers that are only available exclusively through their own website or branch, or through other comparison websites - in the same way some credit cards are exclusively available through Uswitch.
There are also many credit cards that are only available to people in member organisations and clubs.
Our best deals on a range of credit card categories by use:
Our top credit cards by type, most popular deals and business cards
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