Best Credit Cards with No Annual Fee

According to our analysis of the market, the following cards stand out as objectively the best for certain purposes. The best card for you will depend on your individual situation and spending patterns. Please use the information in this guide to help you learn about differences between cards and narrow your choices.

Best Free Credit Cards for Cash Back Rewards

These rewards cards offer cashback for no annual fee. If you're a big spender, a paid card like the £25 per year Platinum Cashback Card by American Express might reap higher rewards for you.

Best Free Cashback Credit Card, Overall: Platinum Cashback Everyday by American Express

Apply Now

Apply Now

Consider this if you don't an easy and rewarding cashback card.

more details less details

• Purchase Rate (variable)
  • 31%

• 0% on Purchases for up to
  • n/a

• 0% on Balance Transfers for up to
  • n/a

• Initial Balance Transfer Fee
  • n/a

• FX Fee
  • 2.99%

• Cash Fee
  • 3% (min £3)

The Platinum Cashback Everyday card from American Express is a great cashback card for those looking for a simple rewards card that takes minimal effort to manage. Amex cashback is delivered to cardholders automatically at the end of each year with the card, as a statement credit that effectively reduces the balance and what you owe. The Platinum Cashback Everyday card offers long-term cashback rates of 0.5% up to £10,000 of annual spend and 1% beyond; addition value is created by a three-month intro period of 5% cashback (rewards capped at £100 in this period). This card can work well for those spending less than £10,000 a year. Those spending more may prefer the paid sister card, the Platinum Cashback Card. Keep in mind the £3,000 spending threshold that must be met in order to receive any cashback at all.

John Lewis & Waitrose: Partnership Card

Apply Now

Apply Now

Consider this if you shop at Waitrose or John Lewis, and also want solid out-of-store rewards.

more details less details

• Purchase Rate (variable)
  • 27.9%

• 0% on Purchases for up to
  • 6 months

• 0% on Balance Transfers for up to
  • 6 months

• Initial Balance Transfer Fee
  • 5% (min £5)

• FX Fee
  • 2.75%

• Cash Fee
  • 3% (min £3)

Loyal John Lewis and Waitrose shoppers can do quite well with the Partnership Card, earning approximately 1.25% in store and 0.25% on all other spending. Rewards come as vouchers which can be used at John Lewis or Waitrose, expire in two years and are sent out to cardholders three times a year (i.e., in February, June, and October). If you find that a significant amount of your budget is spent at John Lewis and Waitrose, and you don't want to pay an annual fee, then this could be the card for you. It all depends on your individual situation.

Best Free No Transaction Fee Travel Credit Cards with No Annual Fee

If you're looking for a credit card to use overseas, there are a number of free cards with no annual fee that also charge no foreign transactions fees.

Halifax Clarity Credit Card

Apply Now

Apply Now

Consider this if you don't want to pay fees when you use your card abroad.

more details less details

• Purchase Rate (variable)
  • 22.9%

• 0% on Purchases for up to
  • n/a

• 0% on Balance Transfers for up to
  • n/a

• Initial Balance Transfer Fee
  • 3%

• FX Fee
  • none

• Cash Fee
  • none

The Halifax Clarity Credit Card is a solid card to use abroad because you won't need to pay a fee for non-sterling transactions (e.g., purchases and cash withdrawals). While ATM withdrawals won't incur a fee, they will be charged interest from the date of a withdrawal. The interest rate on cash withdrawals on this card is lower than average, at 18.9% variable APR. Since interest charges on cash transactions start accruing immediately, it's best to pay back any ATM withdrawals as soon as possible.

Summary

Best Travel Rewards Credit Cards with No Annual Fee

Best Free Air Miles Credit Card with No Annual Fee: British Airways American Express Card

Apply Now

Apply Now

Consider this if you want a free air rewards card.

more details less details

• Purchase Rate (variable)
  • 31%

• 0% on Purchases for up to
  • n/a

• 0% on Balance Transfers for up to
  • n/a

• Initial Balance Transfer Fee
  • 3%

• FX Fee
  • 2.99%

• Cash Fee
  • 3% (min £3)

With few air miles credit cards left in the UK, the British Airways American Express Card stands out for earning airline rewards with no annual fee, creating the potential for both short-term and long-term value for loyal BA flyers. Cardholders can earn 5,000 Avios (reached after spending £1,000 in the first three months). Besides this decent welcome bonus and Avios earning power of 1 Avios/£1 spent, cardholders can earn a Companion Voucher in every year they hold the card by spending £12k annually. One hard-to-value perk is the Companion Voucher—keep in mind that vouchers earned on the card are good for one year. If you spend more than £50k per year on the card, we think you'll get more value from the £250 per year BA Premium Plus Card.

How Do Free Credit Cards Work?

Credit cards with no annual fee are good choices for most people with modest budgets. Free cards are good for those with smaller spending habits and are also good as a secondary card, enabling you to extract extra value out of a particular area of your budget, e.g., groceries, fuel or dining. Depending on your needs, you can also find free cards to use overseas when you travel, which don't charge FX fees on non-sterling transactions.

When it comes to rewards cards, you'll tend to get a higher rewards rate from a paid card, but you might need annual spending of thousands or tens of thousands of pounds a year just to make up for the annual fee. Issuers are able to offer higher rewards on paid cards because the annual fee provides more revenues for the company to then pay out through a rewards program. Paid cards usually only make sense if your spending is focused on a particular area (e.g., Asda shopping or if you're a frequent BA flier).

Summary of Best Credit Cards with No Annual Fee

Here is a summary of some of the best UK credit cards with no annual fee. This list is by no means exhaustive, and we are not recommending any in particular. There may be other credit cards out there that would suit your needs better.

When to Pick a No Annual Fee Card

As anyone would expect, credit cards with an annual fee tend to offer more rewards per pound spent than free rewards credit cards. This really makes perfect sense, since the issuer has fewer profits to package and disperse as rewards on a free card. To help you make the decision between a free card and a paid card, we will discuss some important factors to consider.

Free Cards as Supplemental Cards

Most consumers carry more than one credit card in their wallet. By doing so, a consumer can use the most appropriate card for any given situation. If you have not already employed this strategy, we are not recommending that you rush to apply to multiple cards - this can be damaging to your credit rating. But having a few cards that offer bonus rewards on the largest areas of your budget can be an effective long-term strategy to keep in mind. If you do this, stay on top on minimum spend requirements and any annual fees, as they can add up. With this in mind, you can see how cards with no annual fee are attractive as supplemental cards. Free cards can offer extra earning power on select categories, with no annual fee to claw back.

Best Practices For Supplemental No Annual Fee Cards

Having a rewards credit card or two can be useful in the right circumstances, but only if you stay on top of the various due dates on your cards. Missing a payment will cost you much more in fees and charges than you can earn in rewards. In fact, a rewards card only makes sense if you can pay off the whole balance every month to avoid interest charges that would wipe out any earned rewards.

If you change your phone number, or any other contact information, be sure to let the credit card company know. This will help you track all of your credit cards, so issuers can continue to send you text messages reminding you to pay your bill, perhaps, or that you're approaching you credit limit. Many students, in particular, fall into the trap of changing phones and forgetting to update their contact info with their credit card issuer. This is important because missed payments or exceeding the credit limit can be very damaging to your credit rating, as well as costing you a significant amount in default fees and interest charges. Regular updates from your issuers will help with card management, but they need to have your up-to-date contact information.