Credit Cards With No Annual Fee the First Year
Cards that waive the first-year fee
These cards charge $0 the first year, then the standard annual fee after. Paired with a welcome bonus you can earn in that first year, it is a low-risk way to try a card before it costs you anything. This list is generated from our card data and updates as offers change.
How to play a first-year-free card
Treat year one as a no-risk trial. Put the welcome-bonus spending on the card, use the perks, and set a calendar reminder about eleven months in. Before the annual fee posts, run your real numbers through the calculator and ask whether the rewards and credits clear the fee for you.
If they do, keep it. If they do not, you can often downgrade to a no-fee version of the same card or cancel before the fee hits, having paid nothing for a year of rewards and a welcome bonus.
Judge the ongoing fee, not just year one
A waived first year is a nice perk, but it is not a reason on its own to keep a card long term. The honest question is whether the card earns its keep every year after the free one. Weigh the ongoing fee against the rewards and credits you will actually use, the same way you would judge any annual-fee card.
Frequently asked questions
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