As the holidays approach, you’ve got some great options for maximizing your credit cards and making strategic moves. The cards below all come with no annual fee, great welcome bonuses and/or bonus earning, and can get you 0% APR which is perfect for the holidays!
The Chase Freedom cards
- Chase Freedom Flex
- Chase Freedom Unlimited
The Freedom Flex comes with a $200 welcome bonus after you spend $500 in the first three months after account opening. Most would agree, $200 is a pretty solid welcome bonus for a personal card with no annual fee. Learn how to apply here.
You’ll also get 0% intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases. But the Freedom Flex is really going to stand out with its new bonus categories.
The Chase Freedom Flex maintains the rotating 5% quarterly categories but it has additional categories which include:
- 5X on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards
- 3X on dining
- 3X on drugstores
3X on dining is on par with the Chase Sapphire Reserve — a card that comes with a $550 annual fee. Getting 5X on travel through the Chase Travel Portal means you can earn 5X on purchases like airfare which is on par with the Amex Platinum Card, another card with a $550 annual fee.
So in short, these are very competitive bonus categories.
The Chase Freedom Unlimited is going to better for people who don’t want to keep up with multiple bonus categories every quarter and would like to earn a straight cashback rate on all purchases. It will earn the following rates:
- 1.5X on all purchases
- 5X on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards
- 3X on dining
- 3X on drugstores
The Chase Freedom Unlimited is also going to come with a $200 welcome bonus after you spend $500 in the first three months after account opening. You’ll also get 0% intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases. Learn how to apply here.
Also, with both of these cards you can get 5% cash back on grocery store purchases (not including Target® or Walmart® purchases) on up to $12,000 spent in the first year!
Over 5/24?
If you are over 5/24 and still want a good 0% APR card you might want to consider the cards below.
The U.S. Bank Altitude® Go Visa Signature® Card has a 12-month 0% APR benefit, and you’ll also get:
- 25,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 within 90 days of account opening
- 4x points on takeout, food delivery and dining
- 2x points at grocery stores, grocery delivery, gas stations and on streaming services
- $15 credit for annual streaming services like Netflix and Spotify
- No annual fee
Another great option would be the Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card. You’ll be able to earn a $200 cash bonus after you spend $500 on purchases within the first 3 months and also get:
- 3% cash back on dining and entertainment
- 2% at grocery stores
- 1% on all other purchases
This could be a fantastic option for taking advantage of 0% APR because you’ll get a 0% intro APR on purchases for 15 months.
The best 0% APR option for a big balance
Finally, if you want the ultimate 0% APR option then consider going for the the Blue Business Plus Credit Card From American Express. This is another credit card with no annual fee and with a 0% APR period of 12 months. You’ll be able to earn 2X on all purchases up to $50,000 per year and spend which is fantastic.
Since this is a business credit card that does not report to your personal credit report, this means that you could put a large balance on this card and it will not affect your credit score. Since you have 0% APR for a year, this is a great way to pay something off over 12 months without it having any impact on your credit and not paying interest. Learn how to apply!
Daniel Gillaspia is the Founder of UponArriving.com and the credit card app, WalletFlo. He is a former attorney turned travel expert covering destinations along with TSA, airline, and hotel policies. Since 2014, his content has been featured in publications such as National Geographic, Smithsonian Magazine, and CNBC. Read my bio.
