The best credit cards with no annual fee

59 cards in the catalogue charge nothing to carry. American Express Blue Business Plus earns the most of them in a year: about $1,058.

Ranked by what each card earns in a year once its annual fee is paid — every rate converted to dollars with a dated point valuation, spending caps honoured, and rotating categories not credited. Priced on an illustrative household spending $2,205 a month on a card — the assumption, in full. Credits and perks are not priced: they are worth their face value only if you would have spent that money anyway.

#	Card	Annual fee	A year, after the fee
1	Blue Business Plus American Express, Points, most from Groceries	none	$1,058
2	Bilt Mastercard Bilt, Points, most from Restaurants & Bars	none	$715
3	Autograph Wells Fargo, Points, most from Restaurants & Bars	none	$690
4	Amex EveryDay American Express, Points, most from Groceries	none	$649
5	VentureOne Rewards Capital One, Points, most from Groceries	none	$595
6	Active Cash Wells Fargo, Cash back, most from Groceries	none	$529
7	Apple Card Goldman Sachs, Cash back, most from Groceries	none	$529
8	Bilt Blue Card Bilt, Points, most from Groceries	none	$529
9	Blue Business Cash American Express, Cash back, most from Groceries	none	$529
10	Business Essentials Visa U.S. Bank, Cash back, most from Groceries	none	$529
11	Double Cash Citi, Points, most from Groceries	none	$529
12	Fidelity Rewards Visa Signature Fidelity, Cash back, most from Groceries	none	$529
13	Smartly Visa Signature U.S. Bank, Cash back, most from Groceries	none	$529
14	SoFi Unlimited 2% SoFi, Cash back, most from Groceries	none	$529
15	Custom Cash Citi, Points, most from Groceries	none	$505
16	Altitude Connect U.S. Bank, Cash back, most from Groceries	none	$493
17	More Rewards American Express Navy Federal, Cash back, most from Groceries	none	$493
18	Cash+ Visa Signature U.S. Bank, Cash back, most from Restaurants & Bars	none	$481
19	Savor Capital One, Cash back, most from Groceries	none	$478
20	AAdvantage MileUp Citi, Airline, most from Groceries	none	$471
21	Strata Citi, Points, most from Groceries	none	$469
22	Freedom Unlimited Chase, Points, most from Restaurants & Bars	none	$458
23	Blue Cash Everyday American Express, Cash back, most from Groceries	none	$457
24	Altitude Go U.S. Bank, Cash back, most from Restaurants & Bars	none	$455
25	Sam's Club Mastercard Sam's Club / Synchrony, Cash back, most from Restaurants & Bars	none	$451
26	Costco Anywhere Visa Citi, Cash back, most from Restaurants & Bars	none	$433
27	Costco Anywhere Visa Business Citi, Cash back, most from Restaurants & Bars	none	$433
28	Hilton Honors Card American Express, Hotel, most from Groceries	none	$409
29	Triple Cash Rewards Visa Business U.S. Bank, Cash back, most from Restaurants & Bars	none	$401
30	Enjoy Cash Truist, Cash back, most from Groceries	none	$398
31	Business Advantage Travel Rewards Bank of America, Cash back, most from Groceries	none	$397
32	Business Advantage Unlimited Cash Rewards Bank of America, Cash back, most from Groceries	none	$397
33	cashRewards Navy Federal, Cash back, most from Groceries	none	$397
34	Discover it Miles Discover, Cash back, most from Groceries	none	$397
35	Freedom Rise Chase, Points, most from Groceries	none	$397
36	Ink Business Unlimited Chase, Points, most from Groceries	none	$397
37	OnePay CashRewards Mastercard OnePay / Synchrony, Cash back, most from Groceries	none	$397
38	PayPal Cashback Mastercard PayPal / Synchrony, Cash back, most from Groceries	none	$397
39	Quicksilver Capital One, Cash back, most from Groceries	none	$397
40	Travel Rewards Bank of America, Cash back, most from Groceries	none	$397
41	Unlimited Cash Rewards Bank of America, Cash back, most from Groceries	none	$397
42	Customized Cash Rewards Bank of America, Cash back, most from Groceries	none	$397
43	DoorDash Rewards Mastercard Chase, Cash back, most from Groceries	none	$397
44	Ink Business Cash Chase, Points, most from Restaurants & Bars	none	$376
45	IHG One Rewards Traveler Chase, Hotel, most from Groceries	none	$364
46	Delta SkyMiles Blue American Express, Airline, most from Restaurants & Bars	none	$361
47	Venmo Visa Credit Card Venmo / Synchrony, Cash back, most from Restaurants & Bars	none	$358
48	Freedom Flex Chase, Points, most from Restaurants & Bars	none	$346
49	United Gateway Chase, Airline, most from Groceries	none	$343
50	Business Advantage Customized Cash Rewards Bank of America, Cash back, most from Restaurants & Bars	none	$337
51	Instacart Mastercard Chase, Cash back, most from Restaurants & Bars	none	$323
52	Amazon Visa Amazon / Chase, Cash back, most from Restaurants & Bars	none	$322
53	Prime Visa Amazon / Chase, Cash back, most from Restaurants & Bars	none	$322
54	Discover it Chrome Discover, Cash back, most from Restaurants & Bars	none	$305
55	Attune Wells Fargo, Cash back, most from Groceries	none	$283
56	Discover it Cash Back Discover, Cash back, most from Groceries	none	$265
57	Freedom Chase, Points, most from Groceries	none	$265
58	Marriott Bonvoy Bold Chase, Hotel, most from Groceries	none	$254
59	Target Circle Card Target, Cash back	none	$0