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Manage Your Money Stress With 4 No-Frills Credit Cards

September 25, 2020

4 min Read

Written by Cynthia Measom

Edited by Megan Feranda

LaylaBird / Getty Images

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Update: Some offers mentioned below may have changed or are no longer available. View current credit card offerings from our partners at CardCritics here or on the issuer’s website.

No matter what type of credit card you’re looking for — rewards, cash back, low interest or no annual fee — there’s a card issuer offering it. The trouble is that not all credit cards are created equal, and if you don’t do your research, you could end up signing up for a card that ends up costing you more than it’s worth, whether that’s due to fees, a high annual percentage rate or some other factor. For people who are interested in a basic credit card that doesn’t include complicated rewards categories or costly annual fees, here are some solid choices.

Capital One Platinum Mastercard

If your credit is average and you’re in the process of improving it, the Capital One Platinum Mastercard could be a good choice. It offers a minimum credit line of $300, with access to a higher credit line after making your first five monthly payments on time. Because this card carries a higher-than-average APR, it’s best for people who are committed to paying off their balance each billing cycle.

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Amex EveryDay^® Credit Card

Enjoy 0% APR for the first 15 months on both purchases and balance transfers with the Amex EveryDay^®Credit Card from American Express. Balance transfers must be completed within the first 60 days of account opening and no balance transfer fees apply. People who are looking for a way to transfer high-interest balances for free can benefit from this card and its 15-month, 0% APR introductory rate.

Other Options: Best Rewards Credit Cards of 2019

HSBC Gold Mastercard

Take advantage of 18 months of interest-free purchases or balance transfers with the HSBC Gold Mastercard. An added bonus is that HSBC takes the stress out of occasional late payments by waiving late fees once every 12 months. And you won’t have to worry about a penalty APR taking effect if you pay late. For the introductory APR, balance transfers must be posted within the first 60 days of account opening and will incur a fee of $10 or 4% per balance transfer — whichever is greater. People who would benefit the most from this credit card are those who are looking for an extended period to pay off balance transfers interest-free and who may have an occasional slip-up when it comes to paying on time.

US Bank Visa Platinum Card

U.S. Bank offers its Visa Platinum cardholders the option to reduce budget woes by allowing them to pick a payment due date that works the best for their budget. Plus, purchases and balance transfers are interest-free for the first 18 months after account opening. Balance transfers must be completed within the first 60 days of account opening and incur a fee of $5 or 3% per balance transfer, whichever is greater. People who would enjoy the flexibility of choosing their payment due date and an interest-free APR for 18 months could benefit from this card.

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Rates and fees are accurate as of Dec. 16, 2019, and are subject to change. This content is not provided by Capital One, American Express, HSBC or U.S. Bank. Any opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the author’s alone and have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by Capital One, American Express, HSBC or U.S. Bank.

Editorial Note: This content is not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser. Opinions expressed here are author’s alone, not those of the bank advertiser, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser. This site may be compensated through the bank advertiser Affiliate Program.