Discover cards are currently not available on CNBC Select and links have been redirected to our credit card marketplace. You can also check out our best credit cards list for other options.
If you've ever missed a credit card payment, you may have been hit with a late fee. These penalties can run up to $41, putting a serious dent in your wallet if you make a habit of not paying on time.
Late fees are avoidable, but if you're distracted or facing financial hardship, it's easy to miss the deadline.
CNBC Select has named cards with no late fees in a breaks down what credit cards have no late fees, so you can have peace of mind that you won't incur a fee as high as $41 for late payments.
Best credit cards with no late fees
- Discover it® Cash Back (none the first time you pay late; after that, up to $41)
- Discover it® Miles (none the first time you pay late; after that, up to $41)
- Discover it® Student Cash Back (none the first time you pay late; after that, up to $41)
- Citi Simplicity® Card
- Apple Card (no late fees whatsoever)
- Petal® 2 "Cash Back, No Fees" Visa® Credit Card (no late fees whatsoever*)
Credit cards that waive the first late fee
In addition to waiving the first late fee, Discover cards don't charge a penalty APR or foreign transaction fee.
Information about Discover cards has been collected independently by CNBC Select and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer prior to publication.
Information about Discover cards has been collected independently by CNBC Select and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer prior to publication.
Information about Discover cards has been collected independently by CNBC Select and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer prior to publication.
Credit cards with no late fees
These cards don't have any late fees and many have eliminated other common card charges, including annual fees.
The Citi Simplicity® Card may not earn rewards, but it can still save you money due to its amazing intro-APR offers.
- One of the longest intro APR offers for balance transfers
- No annual fee
- No rewards
- No welcome bonus
Apple Card
Rewards
3% cash back on goods or services purchased directly from Apple (including Apple retail stores, the Apple online store, the App Store, iTunes, Apple Music and other Apple-owned properties) on Uber and UberEats, at Walgreens and Duane Reade stores, on the Walgreens app and on Walgreens.com, in T-Mobile stores, at Nike, at Exxon and Mobil stations and at Panera Bread, 2% cash back on Apple Pay purchases and 1% cash back on all other purchases
Welcome bonus
None
Annual fee
$0
Intro APR
None
Regular APR
19.24% to 29.49% variable
Balance transfer fee
None
Foreign transaction fee
None
Credit needed
N/A
Terms apply.
Pros
- No annual fee
- 3% cash back on goods or services purchased directly from Apple, on Uber and UberEats, at Walgreens and Duane Reade stores, on the Walgreens app and on Walgreens.com and in T-Mobile stores and at Nike
- No fee charged on purchases made outside the U.S.
Cons
- Apple Pay isn’t accepted everywhere
- Purchases with the physical card only earn 1% cash back
- No special financing offers or welcome bonus
Petal® 2 "Cash Back, No Fees" Visa® Credit Card
Rewards
1% cash back on eligible purchases right away and up to 1.5% cash back on eligible purchases after making 12 on-time monthly payments; 2% to 10% cash back at select merchants
Welcome bonus
None
Annual fee
$0
Intro APR
None
Regular APR
28.24% - 30.24% variable
Balance transfer fee
N/A
Foreign transaction fee
None
Credit needed
Fair, Good, No Credit
Terms apply.
Pros
- No credit history required (if you do have a credit history, that does factor into the credit decision)
- No fees
- Generous cash-back rewards of up to 1.5% cash back on eligible purchases after making 12 on-time monthly payments
Cons
- No special financing offers
- No welcome bonus
Find the best credit card for you by reviewing offers in our credit card marketplace or get personalized offers via CardMatch™.
Why trust CNBC Select?
At CNBC Select, our mission is to provide our readers with high-quality service journalism and comprehensive consumer advice so they can make informed financial decisions. Every credit card review is based on rigorous reporting by our team of expert writers and editors with extensive knowledge of credit card products. While CNBC Select earns a commission from affiliate partners on many offers and links, we create all our content without input from our commercial team or any outside third parties, and we pride ourselves on our journalistic standards and ethics. See our methodology for more information on how we choose the best credit cards with no late fees.
Our methodology
To determine which credit cards offer the best value, CNBC Select analyzed popular credit cards available in the U.S. We compared each card on a range of features, including rewards, welcome bonus, introductory and standard APR, balance transfer fee and foreign transaction fees, as well as factors such as required credit and customer reviews when available. We also considered additional perks, the application process and how easy it is for the consumer to redeem points.
Select teamed up with location intelligence firm Esri. The company's data development team provided the most up-to-date and comprehensive consumer spending data based on the 2019 Consumer Expenditure Surveys from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. You can read more about their methodology here.
Esri's data team created a sample annual budget of approximately $22,126 in retail spending. The budget includes six main categories: groceries ($5,174), gas ($2,218), dining out ($3,675), travel ($2,244), utilities ($4,862) and general purchases ($3,953). General purchases include items such as housekeeping supplies, clothing, personal care products, prescription drugs and vitamins, and other vehicle expenses.
Select used this budget to estimate how much the average consumer would save over the course of a year, two years and five years, assuming they would attempt to maximize their rewards potential by earning all welcome bonuses offered and using the card for all applicable purchases. All rewards total estimations are net the annual fee.
While the five-year estimates we've included are derived from a budget similar to the average American's spending, you may earn a higher or lower return depending on your shopping habits.
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Read more
Information about the Apple Card has been collected independently by Select and has not been reviewed or provided by the card issuers prior to publication.
Petal 2 Visa Credit Card issued by WebBank.
For rates and fees of the Discover it® Cash Back, click here.
For rates and fees of the Discover it® Miles, click here.
For rates and fees of the Discover it® Student Cash Back, click here.
