The best rewards credit cards with no annual fee give you the ability to earn higher-than-usual rewards without needing to overcome a yearly fee. Several of the top cards come with sizable welcome bonus offers too.
MoneyGeek's Take
Best Rewards Credit Cards for No Annual Fee in 2023
This article is part of our larger series on Best Rewards Credit Cards

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The top no-annual-fee rewards credit cards typically offer high reward rates on spending across specific categories such as travel, dining, groceries and gas. Some also come with higher-than-standard reward rates on all purchases. A number of these cards give you the means to earn spend-based welcome bonuses in the form of cash back, points or miles.
If you favor using a particular airline or group of hotels, you might benefit from getting a co-branded rewards credit card. Examples of cards from this segment that make the cut include the Hilton Honors American Express Card and the IHG® Rewards Traveler Credit Card.
If you plan to use your no-annual-fee rewards credit card outside of the U.S., look for ones that do not charge foreign transaction fees. Other factors to consider when selecting a card that works well for you include APRs and added benefits.

This article is part of our larger series on
Best Rewards Credit Cards
MoneyGeek’s Take: Top 5 Rewards Credit Cards With No Annual Fee
Quick Summary
Upon going through our list of the best rewards credit cards with no annual fee, you’ll notice that reward rates vary based on the card you get and the bonus categories on offer. We have taken this into account and also have paid attention to APRs, welcome offers and foreign transaction fees to make our selections. To view more options, scroll further down the page.
- Hilton Honors American Express Card
- 3–7 Points per $1*Rewards Rate
- 20.99% – 29.99% VariableAPR
- $0Annual Fee
- Good–ExcellentRecommended Credit
- Chase Freedom Unlimited
- 1.5–5% Cash BackRewards Rate
- 20.49% – 29.24% VariableAPR
- $0Annual Fee
- ExcellentRecommended Credit
- Citi® Double Cash Card
- 0% Intro APR (then variable APR)Balance Transfer Offer
- 18 monthsBalance Transfer Duration
- 19.24% – 29.24% VariableAPR
- $5 or 3% whichever is greater; $5 or 5% after first four months*Balance Transfer Fee
- Good–ExcellentRecommended Credit
- Chase Freedom Flex℠
- 1–5% Cash Back*Rewards Rate
- 20.49% – 29.24% VariableAPR
- $0Annual Fee
- Good–ExcellentRecommended Credit
- IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card
- 1–2 Points per $1Rewards Rate
- 21.49% – 28.49% VariableAPR
- $0Annual Fee
- Good–ExcellentRecommended Credit
Summary of the Best Rewards Cards for No Annual Fee
Find out how all the top cards from this category fare against each other based on aspects such as APRs, welcome offers and reward rates by going through this no-annual-fee rewards card comparison table.
- Credit CardBest ForAvg. Reward RateAnnual FeeCredit Needed
- Hilton Honors American Express CardA good travel rewards card for people who are casual guests at Hilton hotels and resorts3–7 Points per $1*$0
- Chase Freedom UnlimitedAn excellent no-annual-fee card that lets you earn unlimited cash back1.5–5% Cash Back$0
- Citi® Double Cash CardA great no-annual-fee card that offers up to 2% cash back
- Chase Freedom Flex℠An easy-to-use cash back card with quarterly rotating bonus categories1–5% Cash Back*$0
- IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit CardGreat card for earning points fast for IHG loyalists1–2 Points per $1$0
No-fee does not mean no-frills. Many cards today offer attractive benefits and rewards without having to pay an annual fee to use them. -- Lee Huffman, credit card expert at BaldThoughts.com.
How to Compare Rewards Credit Cards & Intro Offers
Given the significant number of good no-annual-fee rewards credit cards to choose from, paying attention to different factors is important when making a selection.
Co-branded or not
If you are a frequent flyer or regularly use any particular group of hotels, you may benefit from getting a co-branded no-annual-fee rewards credit card. Some of the top options include the Amex Hilton Honors Card, the IHG® Rewards Traveler Credit Card, the United Gateway Card and the American Airlines AAdvantage MileUp℠ Card.
Rewards rate
Depending on the card you get, you might stand to earn higher rewards on category-based spending. For instance, the Chase Freedom Unlimited Card offers 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards. You earn 3% cash back on dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery services, and on drugstore purchases. All other purchases come with 1.5% cash back. The Citi® Double Cash Card, on the other hand, lets you earn up to 2% cash back on all purchases — 1% when you make purchases and an additional 1% when you make your payments on time.
Welcome offer
Several of the top cards from this category come with welcome offers. For example, the Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card offers a one-time early spend cash bonus of $200 if you spend at least $500 on purchases in the first three months.
APR
Not all cards from this segment come with similar APRs. Pay particular attention to this aspect if you plan to maintain revolving balances in your account from one billing cycle to the next. In such a scenario, you might be better off getting a low APR card. Some no-annual-fee rewards cards also come with time-based 0% APR offers.
Foreign transaction fees
If you use a credit card with foreign transaction fees outside of the U.S., expect to pay up to 3% extra on each international transaction. Some of the rewards cards with no annual fees that waive foreign transaction fees include the Amex Hilton Honors Card, the Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card and the Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi.
Added perks
Features and perks tend to vary from one no-annual-fee rewards card to the next. Some of the card-specific benefits you may get include free additional cards, $0 fraud liability, purchase protection, extended warranty and basic travel insurance coverage.
Editorial Disclosure: Opinions, reviews, analyses and recommendations are the author’s alone and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. Learn more about our editorial policies and expert editorial team.
Advertiser Disclosure: MoneyGeek has partnered with CardRatings.com and CreditCards.com for our coverage of credit card products. MoneyGeek, CardRatings and CreditCards.com may receive a commission from card issuers. To ensure thorough comparisons and reviews, MoneyGeek features products from both paid partners and unaffiliated card issuers that are not paid partners.