The Best Low-Interest Credit Cards - Find The Right Card For Your Credit Score

A low-interest credit card offers an attractive combination of low balance transfer APR, intro APR, or regular APR. If you think you might go into credit card debt, having one of these low-interest credit cards could save you hundreds, even thousands on interest payments (and a lot of stress). 

But which is best for you? Do low-interest credit cards still offer rewards? Is there a good low-interest card for small business owners or frequent travelers? 

Let’s investigate low-interest credit cards. 

Overview of the best low-interest credit cards

• Intro APR: 0% for 15 months on purchases and balance transfers.
• Regular APR: 19.74% - 29.74% (Variable).
• Annual fee: $0.
• Rewards: 1.5% cash back on all purchases.
  

The Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card is a solid all-around low-interest card, pairing generous perks and rewards with a generous 0% intro APR for 15 months. 

You’ll get 1.5% cash back on every purchase, every day. I like this simple rewards system for a low-interest card because it disincentivizes unnecessary spending; you’re not enticed to splurge in rotating 5% categories. Plus, Capital One piles on the perks like Extended Warranty protection, Travel Accident Insurance, and a 24/7 Concierge. 

How to use the Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card for low interest

The Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card offers a pretty standard (read: high) regular APR, so it’s best treated as an introductory APR card. New cardholders will earn 0% intro APR for 15 months on purchases and balance transfers (3% balance transfer fee applies). It’s the card to get if you know you’ll be making big purchases in the coming months. 

Examples might be a big move, a home renovation, or finally building that gaming battle station you’ve been envisioning since college. 

Why you might not want to use the Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card

Because its regular APR is so high –19.74% - 29.74% (Variable) – the Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card is not the kind of card you want to load up without a plan to pay it off. Frankly, no card is good for that purpose but this card especially isn’t. 

Plus, the Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card offers no balance transfer incentive so it’s not the right card for paying off old debt. 

Learn more about the Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card or read our full review. 

• Intro APR: 0% for 15 months on purchases and balance transfers. A 3% balance transfer fee applies.
• Regular APR: 19.74% - 29.74% (Variable).
• Annual fee: $0.
• Rewards: 1.25 miles per dollar spent.

The Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card is the low-interest credit card for the frequent traveler. With 0% intro APR for 15 months and 1.25 miles per dollar spent, the Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card helps you avoid debt on new purchases while piling up miles to spend on your next pricey flight or vacation. 

Capital One sweetens the deal with 20,000 bonus miles once you spend $500 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening plus copious travel perks; you’ll get Travel Accident Insurance, Emergency Card Replacement, and a complimentary Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver (read: free rental car insurance). 

How to use the Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card for low interest

The Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card is a bit unique as a travel card. It doesn’t give you 2x or 3x points on travel expenses, just 1.25x miles on all purchases. Therefore, the “strategy” is just to use it for everyday spending and ensuring you book all of your travel through Capital One for maximum point value. 

Booking flights using miles will also help you avoid interest since it’ll reduce the price of flights and keep your balance low.

Why you might not want to use the Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card

Unlike its sibling above, the Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card comes with a balance transfer incentive, but does have a similar regular APR. Therefore, if you’re looking to pay off old debt or plan to carry debt past the intro period, you’ll want to look elsewhere. 

Learn more about the Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card or read our full review. 

• Intro APR: 0% Intro APR on Purchases for 12 months (followed by an APR of 17.99% - 23.99% Variable)
• Regular APR: 17.99% - 23.99% Variable.
• Annual fee: $0.
• Rewards: 5x cash back on office supply stores and on internet, cable and phone services (on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases), 2x cash back at gas stations and restaurants (on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases), 1x back on everything else.

The Ink Business Cash® Credit Card offers a 0% Intro APR on Purchases for 12 months (followed by a competitively low regular APR of 17.99% - 23.99% Variable), and has generous cash back within certain categories. It also offers free cards for your employees, giving us a pretty clear idea of who this card is for. 

However, there are lots of low-interest cards out there for business owners, including three on this list. So what makes the Ink Business Cash® Credit Card special? 

First, it offers a whopping 5x points back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases on office supply stores and on internet, cable and phone services (plus 2x back on travel and restaurants, asl up to the first $25,000 spent).

Plus, its signup bonus of $750 bonus cash back after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months after account opening. is a low threshold among business cards, making it ideal for a small business owner just getting started. 

How to use the Ink Business Cash® Credit Card for low interest

The Ink Business Cash® Credit Card is ideal for the new or established business owner who’s about to make big purchases in its 5x and 2x categories. The “strategy” here is to plan out all of your business expenses, load them up on the card in month one, and take 11 months to pay it off before interest kicks in. 

Why you might not want to use the Ink Business Cash® Credit Card Credit Card

Needless to say, if you’re not a business owner you probably won’t be interested in this card’s 5x categories. Nor are you likely to spend $7,500 in three months to score the signup bonus. 

If you are a business owner, this card only makes sense if you plan to load up on its 5x and 2x categories. If not, consider one of the Ink cards below. 

Learn more about the Ink Business Cash® Credit Card or read our full review.

• Intro APR: N/A.
• Regular APR: 20.74% - 25.74% Variable.
• Annual fee: $95.
• Rewards: 3x points on travel, shipping purchases, Internet, cable and phone services, and on advertising purchases made with social media sites and search engines (on the first $150,000 spent in combined purchases), 1x points on all purchases.

The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card is the ideal low-interest business card for someone who spends a lot on travel, shipping, and/or online advertising. It seems perfectly positioned to help someone who’s running an online shop through eBay, Etsy, or their own site. 

That said, there is a sign-up bonus of 100,000 bonus points after you spend $15,000 on purchases in the first 3 months after account opening. That's $1,000 cash back or $1,250 toward travel rewards when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®.

If you run a successful online store or frequently travel, the 3x on shipping might pay for itself. 

How to use the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card for low interest

The key to maximizing the value of your Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card is to ensure all of your business expenses within the 3x categories are charged to this card. Plus, you’ll want to redeem all or most of your points for travel to maximize their value. 

If you think you’ll come close to spending $15,000 within three months, consider frontloading a few of your annual expenses so you can cross that line and earn $1,250 in travel. 

Why you might not want to use the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

This card’s $95 annual fee, combined with its enormous spending requirement to earn a signup bonus, effectively shut out many small business owners with operating costs well under $5,000 monthly. If that’s you, consider one of the other two Ink cards on this list. 

Also, if you’re still trying to pay off old business debt, consider a balance transfer card instead. 

Learn more about the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card or read our full review.

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Citi Rewards+® Card

• Intro APR: 0% intro for 15 months on Purchases and a 0% intro for 15 months on Balance Transfers.
• Regular APR: 18.49% - 28.49% (Variable).
• Annual fee: $0.
• Rewards: Earn 2X ThankYou® Points at supermarkets and gas stations (up to $6,000 per year) and 1X ThankYou® Points on all other purchases

The Citi Rewards+® Card offers 0% intro for 15 months on Purchases and 0% intro for 15 months on Balance Transfers. An ongoing APR of 18.49% - 28.49% (Variable) applies thereafter. An intro balance transfer fee of 3% applies per transfer (minimum $5) when completed within the first 4 months of account opening. A balance transfer fee of 5% of each transfer ($5 minimum) applies if completed after 4 months of account opening.. That means that you can put old debt and new debt on this card without accruing new interest for over a year (as long as you make your minimum payments).

Plus, the Citi Rewards+® Card offers rewards on top of that. Earning 2X ThankYou® Points at supermarkets and gas stations (up to $6,000 per year) will earn you a nice trickle of points on essentials, and its funky roundup system will net you a few extra bucks per month. 

How to use the Citi Rewards+® Card for low interest

The Citi Rewards+® Card is, first and foremost, a balance transfer card. Balance transfers must be completed within four months of account opening and comes with an intro balance transfer fee of 3% or $5 (whichever is greater). A balance transfer fee of 5% of each transfer ($5 minimum) applies if completed after 4 months of account opening..

Once you’ve transferred a balance and begun making new purchases, make 100% sure you can keep up with minimum monthly payments. 

Why you might not want to use the Citi Rewards+® Card

The Citi Rewards+® Card is an excellent balance transfer card, a good low-interest card, and a weak rewards card. Its points roundup system only amounts to a few extra bucks per month, and overall it can’t compete with low-interest rewards cards offering 1.5% on everything or 5 points within rotating categories. 

So if you don’t need to do a balance transfer, consider a more “rewarding” card. 

Learn more about the Citi Rewards+® Card. 

Summary of the best low-interest credit cards

That covers my top picks for low-interest credit cards. How do they stack up with each other? 

How I came up with this list

To create this list, I vetted several top-rated low-interest credit cards from reputable banks and financial institutions. In order to make this list, the cards had to score above average in most of the following categories.

APR

Does the card offer a long 0% introductory APR period? Is its regular APR below the industry average (~20%)? Does the card offer some sort of balance transfer incentive? Above all else, these three pillars define a solid low-interest credit card. 

Signup bonus

Does the card offer a nice cash bonus for signing up? Moreover, is the amount you need to spend within three months within reason for the card’s target market? A statement bonus for signing up is an underrated feature of a low-interest card since it helps you stave off debt and keep your balance low. 

Rewards

Does the low-interest card offer rewards at all? And if so, will they amount to serious cash back for the cardholder without having to change up regular spending habits? Like a signup bonus, cash back rewards are an important feature of a low-interest card since an extra ~$30-$50 per month can be all it takes to keep you out of debt. 

Perks

Does the low-interest card offer serious perks that can save the cardholder real money, potentially keeping them out of debt? Examples include travel insurance, auto liability damage waiver, and more. 

Customer service

Last but certainly not least, is the credit card backed by reputable and readily available customer service? A strong customer support team could pay off for a low-interest cardholder if there are ever concerns or disputes over interest rates or overdrafts. 

What is a low-interest credit card?

A low-interest credit card offers an attractive mix of low introductory APR, regular APR, and balance transfer APR: typically two out of three.

A quick recap of APR

What’s the difference between APR and interest, you ask? Well, your interest rate is just the percentage of your loan amount you’ll pay back to the lender. The APR is your interest rate plus any fees associated with your loan, still represented as a percentage. 

As a concept, APR was introduced to protect consumers from hidden fees and to simplify the loan process. 

Let’s say you open a card offering 0% APR for 12 months. This means that as long as you make your minimum payments each month, you won’t accrue interest on your balance for 12 months. 

However, once the introductory APR period is over you’ll start accruing interest at the regular rate, which is typically pretty high for credit cards (~15% – 30%). 

A quick recap of balance transfers

As the name implies, a balance transfer is when you transfer your old credit card debt onto your new card. Most cards will let you do this, but you’ll be subject to high fees and high interest on your new balance. 

Some cards, however, have begun offering 0% APR on balance transfers to help new cardholders pay off old debt. 

In summary, low-interest cards aren’t just those that offer low regular APRs – they holistically help you avoid interest by offering low balance transfer and/or intro APR, also. 

Why you should (or shouldn’t) use a low-interest credit card

You should use a low-interest credit card if…

A low-interest credit card is ideal if you’re looking to pay off future debt. 

For example, if you’re planning a big move and know you’ll be buying lots of furniture and facing unseen expenses, you might consider getting a low-interest credit card.

A low-interest card may also be a good idea if you’re looking to pay off old debt and avoid new debt. 

To illustrate, maybe you just graduated and got your first job. You’re excited for the steady income, but you have credit card debt left over from college that’s accruing interest. Plus, a big chunk of your paycheck is going to rent, student loans, and car payments, so it’ll take you a while to pay off your old card. 

In that case, a balance transfer card makes a lot of sense. 

You shouldn’t use a low-interest credit card if…

Conversely, here are three reasons you shouldn’t open a low-interest credit card. 

First, you shouldn’t see a low-interest card as a cheaper way to buy and finance things you don’t need. They’re tools for avoiding and erasing debt, not creating more. 

Second, you may not even qualify for a low-interest credit card if your credit score is below 700. Banks see low-interest rates as a “privilege” for cardholders they trust with excellent credit. 

Lastly, if you’re primarily looking to pay off your old credit card debt, a 0% APR on new purchases may not be much of an incentive to you. You’re better off checking out cards with the strongest balance transfer incentives. 

Most important features of a low-interest credit card

When browsing your options for low-interest credit cards, what kinds of features should you look for? 

Intro APR

First and foremost, you’ll want a card with a low introductory APR. The cards in this list offer 0% APR for 12 to 15 months, meaning as long as you make minimum monthly payments you won’t accrue interest on new purchases. 

Regular APR

Second, you’ll want to keep an eye on your regular APR. The cards on this list offer regular APR as low as 13.24% with qualifying credit, which is half of what many other cards offer. 

Annual fee

If you’re looking to avoid debt, you’ll want to pick a card with no annual fee (or one with a strong enough signup bonus to pay off its fee). 

Credit score required

Most cards offering low interest will require a score of 700 or higher to apply. If you need to bump up your numbers a bit, visit MU30’s guide. 

Signup bonus

Lastly, it’s worth noting if your card has a signup bonus. You shouldn’t overspend to reach it, but a ~$250-$750 signup bonus is a nice way to keep your balance low. 

For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the above benefits are provided by Visa® or Mastercard® and may vary by product. See the respective Guide to Benefits for details, as terms and exclusions apply.

Summary

Choosing the right low-interest credit card can help you save hundreds, even thousands on both old and new interest. While there are plenty of rewards cards that offer better points and perks, it’s much more important to protect your debt from ballooning interest. 

Read more:

• Best Credit Cards For Young Adults & First Timers (January 2021)
• Best 0% APR Credit Cards – Pay No Interest On Purchases