While I truly believe that credit card annual fees are often worth it, I know many people are looking for cards without them. Here are my top recommendations for cards with no annual fee.
Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card
Earn $750 bonus cash back after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. This card is marketed as a cash-back card, which is why you see the offer listed as $750 cash back instead of 75,000 points, but it actually earns my favorite points – Ultimate Rewards®. You can make these points flexible (aka – able to transfer to travel partners) by combining them with a Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, a Chase Sapphire Reserve®, or an Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card.
This is one of my favorite cards because it earns 1.5% on all purchases, and since it’s a business card, it doesn’t count against your 5/24 number.
FYI, you don’t need a registered business to qualify for business cards. Any small side hustle counts. Learn more about getting business cards in this article.
Ink Business Cash® Credit Card
Earn $350 when you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first three months and an additional $400 when you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first six months after account opening.
Like the Ink Unlimited, this card is marketed as a cash-back card, but actually earns Ultimate Rewards®. To make them flexible, you can combine them with one of the cards I mentioned above.
This card earns 5% on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at office supply stores and on internet, cable and phone services each account anniversary year. It also earns 2% on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at gas stations and restaurants each account anniversary year. It also will not count against 5/24.
Related: All About Chase Ink Business Cards
Chase Freedom Unlimited®
This card doesn’t have a traditional welcome offer. Instead, for the first year, you’ll earn an extra 1.5% on everything you buy – up to $20,000 spent – worth up to $300 cash back. This means you’ll earn 6.5% on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 4.5% on dining and drugstores, and 3% on all other purchases.
This is a great catch-all card if you’re looking for a no-annual-fee card with a solid return on your spending. Like the previous two cards, it’s advertised as cash-back but it actually earns Ultimate Rewards®. Similarly, you will need one of the three cards I mentioned at the beginning to make the points flexible.
Chase Freedom Flex®
Earn $200 bonus cash back after you spend $500 on purchases in your first three months from account opening. Like the other cards, the bonus is given as Ultimate Rewards® and needs an additional card to make them flexible.
Here are the earning categories:
- Earn 5% cash back on up to $1,500 in combined purchases in bonus categories, which rotate each quarter. These categories have to be activated each quarter. Past categories have included, gas, grocery stores, Amazon, PayPal, and more.
- Earn 5% back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠
- Earn 3% back on dining at restaurants (including takeout and eligible delivery services) and drugstore purchases
- Earn 1% back on all other purchases
💳 LEARN HOW TO APPLY (click the link then choose the light blue Freedom Flex card)
Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card
Earn 20,000 bonus miles once you spend $500 on purchases within the first three months from account opening. This card is the no-fee version of the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card and the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card (my favorite premium card). The VentureOne earns 1.25 miles per dollar on every purchase and 5 miles per dollar on hotel and rental car bookings through Capital One Travel.
Related: All About Capital One Miles
Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express
Earn a $250 statement credit after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on your new card within the first six months. The card has an introductory $0 fee for the first year, then it’s $95 per year (rates & fees). Amex tends to have higher annual fees than the other banks, so this is a great option for no fee/a low fee.
This card is a very popular choice for spending on groceries and gas because it earns 6% back (up to $6,000) at U.S. supermarkets and 3% back at U.S. gas stations. Other spending categories include:
- 6% back on select U.S. streaming subscriptions
- 3% back on transit including taxis/rideshare, parking, tolls, trains, buses and more
- 1% back on everything else
If you’re ready to grab a card with an annual fee, or none of these look like a good fit for you, be sure to check out my best offers page!
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Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.