While some of the best credit cards charge exorbitant annual fees in exchange for high-value perks, many options have yearly costs below $100. You don’t need to pay an arm and a leg to benefit from spectacular perks and generous reward rates.
Keep reading to learn which sub-$100 credit cards we recommend.
Our top picks for the best low annual fee credit cards
Earn 5X points on Chase Travel℠ purchases, 3X points on dining, online grocery purchases, and select streaming services, and 1X points on other purchases.
Earn 5X miles per dollar on hotel stays or rental cars booked through Capital One’s portal and 2X miles on all other purchases.
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Earn 6% cash back on up to $6,000 spent at U.S. supermarkets each year (then 1% back), 6% cash back on select U.S. streaming services, 3% cash back at U.S. gas stations and on transit, and 1% cash back on other eligible purchases. Cash back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit or at Amazon.com checkout.
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Earn 2X miles on United® purchases, dining at restaurants, and hotels you book directly. Earn 1X miles on all other purchases.
Earn 3 points per $1 on the first $150,000 spent in combined purchases in select categories each anniversary year, and earn 1 point per $1 on all other purchases.
Enjoy 6.5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 4.5% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery services, and 3% on all other purchases (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year). After your first year or $20,000 spent, enjoy 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and 1.5% cash back on all other purchases.
Paying an annual fee on a credit card may be worth it. Typically, paid-fee cards have higher reward rates and more generous perks than their no-annual-fee counterparts. If you can maximize the rewards on a paid-fee card, their benefits can far outweigh the cost of the fee.
The main factor to consider when paying an annual fee on a credit card is whether you can get enough value to cover the fee and more. So, for example, if you have a card with a $95 annual fee and 6% back on groceries and another rewards card with no annual fee and 3% back on groceries, here’s how they’d stack up:
If you spent $1,000 on groceries per year (approximately $83 per month):
| Annual fee | Reward rate on groceries | Rewards earned on $1,000 spent on groceries per year | Rewards minus annual fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| $95 | 6% back | $60 | -$35 |
| $0 | 3% back | $30 | $30 |
The no-annual-fee card nets you a higher reward amount at the end of the year than the paid-fee card, even with double the reward rate. Paying an annual fee would likely not be worth it in this example.
Now, let’s suppose you spend $4,000 on groceries per year (approx. $333 per month):
| Annual fee | Reward rate on groceries | Rewards earned on $4,000 spent on groceries per year | Rewards minus annual fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| $95 | 6% back | $240 | $145 |
| $0 | 3% back | $120 | $120 |
In this example, the paid-fee card nets a higher reward sum than the no-fee card. Paying an annual fee would likely be worth it in this case.
▶︎ See our picks: Best credit cards for groceries
There are other factors to consider when deciding whether an annual fee is worth it, like statement credits, credit card welcome offers, and additional bonus categories, but the logic is the same. Make sure you can get more value from the paid-fee card after subtracting the annual fee than you would with a no-fee card.
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For rates and fees of the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express, please visit this page.
The best low-fee credit card depends on your spending habits, but the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express are two of our top choices.
The best travel credit card with less than a $100 annual fee is either the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card or the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card, both with $95 annual fees.
If you’d prefer not to track credit card rewards to be sure they outweigh a yearly cost, a no-annual-fee card may be best. However, paying an annual fee often gives you access to more benefits that may be worth it.
Jaiden Hart serves as a credit card writer and content manager at LA Times Compare. Beginning her career as an intern on the Compare team, she has since amassed considerable expertise and passion in the credit card industry.
Jaiden’s primary objective is to simplify the process of choosing and managing a credit card through engaging and honest content so individuals can more effectively maximize their benefits and meet their financial goals.
* Opinions expressed here are those of the LA Times Compare Cards Team and have not been reviewed or approved by any advertiser or entities included within this content. See our editorial policy for more details.
All products or services are presented in this content without warranty. The information, including card details such as rates and fees, is accurate at the time of publish. Please visit each bank's website directly for the most current information.
