A no frills credit card is a cheap, basic credit card that doesn't earn you points on your spending or offer any perks like travel insurance.
These cards keep it simple with a low or $0 annual fee and a low interest rate. They offer a cheap way to spend money that's more flexible than a debit card.
There's no exact definition of a no frills credit card and there are actually multiple types of cheap, simple cards on offer.
4 types of no frills credit cards
Even though these cards are basic, there are a few different types of cards you can choose from.
No annual fee credit cards. If you don't spend much or only have a credit card for emergencies, a no annual fee card could help you reduce your yearly costs. These cards offer an ongoing $0 annual fee or waived annual fee in the first year. Whereas a credit card with more features and benefits could have an annual fee between $200 and $400.
Low interest rate credit cards. These cards charge low purchase interest rates typically ranging from 8.99% p.a. to 14.99% p.a. (compared to rewards and frequent flyer cards that have rates of around 20%). These cards save you money if you carry a balance each month (in other words, you don't repay your spending in full each month). This saves you on interest charges.
0% purchase rate offers. Some credit cards also offer 0% interest on purchases for a promotional period, typically between 6 and 14 months. While these credit cards aren't always no frills options, the introductory 0% interest rate does give you a way to save on upcoming expenses or big ticket items. Just be aware that a higher, ongoing purchase rate will apply if you don't pay off the balance during the interest-free period. These cards are a good deal in the short term, but not as competitive once the 0% offer ends.
No interest, flat fee credit cards. If you want a credit card but don't like the idea of paying interest, these credit cards offer no interest and charge a monthly fee instead. This fee ranges from $10 to $22 depending on the card and your credit limit, and is usually waived if you pay off the full balance by the due date on your statement or haven't used the card at all. Apart from the monthly fee, these cards have very few other costs and offer low credit limits and basic features. Because they don't charge interest ever, they're often compared to buy now pay later (BNPL) services.
Our expert says: Different no frills cards for different thrills
"If you don't use your card very often, don't spend much and always pay it back, a no annual fee credit card may be your cheapest option. But if you need the card to cover monthly expenses and you know you can't always pay the card off in full, a card with a lower interest rate (or even a flat fee or no rate card) could save you more."
Lower fees. No frills credit cards typically charge low or $0 annual fee, which helps you cut down on yearly credit card costs.
Low interest rates. Choosing a no frills, low rate card can help you save on interest charges if you carry a balance.
Simple features. No frills credit cards don't have any bells and whistles, which can make it easier to use and manage the account.
Build credit. A basic credit card is a great choice for your first credit card, when you may not have much credit history yet. You can pay the card off on time and build credit history.
Cons
Limited features. No frills credit cards don't offer rewards points, complimentary insurance or other extras.
Less potential value for money. If you are a big spender and frequent traveller who always pays off your monthly account balance in full, you’ll probably get more value from using a frequent flyer credit card.
Limited spending. While a low credit limit could help curb your spending, it could be a problem in times of emergency or when you want to make a large purchase.
Is a no frills credit card right for me?
If you only want to spend money you've already got and don't need to worry about debt, you could just stick with your bank account's debit card. There's no card fees or interest charges to worry about. And no debt.
If you earn decent money and have a lot of expenses, a rewards or frequent flyer credit card could earn you enough points to outweigh the higher annual fee. As long as you pay it back on time to avoid hefty interest charges.
No frills credit cards are really for people who need a little more flexibility than a debit card but don't need the full bells and whistles of a more expensive card.
Amy is an experienced journalist with over 16 years of experience, contributing to major publications like Money Magazine, The Sydney Morning Herald, and ABC News Australia. Specialising in personal finance, she frequently appeared in media outlets and on radio. Amy holds a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Drama from Griffith University and earned RG146 certifications in Tier 1 Generic Knowledge and Tier 2 General Advice Deposit Products, ensuring her expertise is grounded in current financial regulations. Amy was Finder's Senior Writer for Credit Cards from 2016 to 2024.
See full bio
Amy's expertise
Amy
has written
471
Finder guides across topics including:
Richard Whitten is Finder’s Senior Money Editor, with over eight years of experience in home loans, property, credit cards and personal finance. His insights appear in top media outlets like Yahoo Finance, Money Magazine, and the Herald Sun, and he frequently offers expert commentary on television and radio, helping Australians navigate mortgages and property ownership. Richard started his career in education and textbook publishing in South Korea. He holds multiple industry certifications, including a Certificate IV in Mortgage Broking (RG 206) and Tier 1 and Tier 2 certifications (RG 146), as well as a Bachelor of Education from the University of Sydney and a Graduate Certificate in Communications from Deakin University.
See full bio
Richard's expertise
Richard
has written
779
Finder guides across topics including:
Can i rent a car with my Visa Platinum No Frills Credit Card
Finder
SarahJune 27, 2025Finder
Hi Phyllis, You can generally use any visa or mastercard when renting a hire car, so this should be fine. Just make sure you have enough credit cover any bond they might hold.
Compare credit cards that give you an outcome within 60 seconds of when you submit your application online and find out how to increase your chances of getting this type of "instant" credit card approval.
Compare the best Qantas frequent flyer credit cards based on bonus point offers, points per $1 spent, rates, fees and other features so you can find a card that works for you.
When you apply for a credit card online, you could receive a response within 60 seconds. Find out how you to find a card that you're eligible for and increase your chances of approval.
Find out how you can keep your overseas spending costs down by comparing credit cards with no foreign transaction fees and no currency conversion fees.
Important information about this website
Finder is a comparison service. We do not compare every product or every provider in the market.
We make money through commercial arrangements with some of the providers on this site. Products marked 'Sponsored', 'Promoted', 'Featured' or 'Advertisement' appear as a result of a commercial arrangement.
Our editorial content, product reviews and any 'Top Pick' designations are prepared independently of these commercial arrangements.
The default order of products in our tables can be influenced by commercial arrangements. You can re-sort or filter using the controls above each table.
Some content on this site may be generated or supported by AI tools. You should verify details directly with the provider.
Finder is one of Australia's leading comparison websites. We are committed to our readers and stand by our editorial principles.
Our comparison service does not include every product or every provider in the market. Some product issuers offer their products under multiple brands or through associated companies. Where we can, we identify the underlying issuer so you can compare like with like, but you should always check with the provider directly to confirm which brand you are dealing with.
Finder is a comparison website and an intermediary. We are not a product issuer and we do not provide personal financial or credit advice. When you click a link to a product, or apply for a product through our site, you deal directly with the product issuer. We may receive a referral fee, commission or other payment from the issuer if you click through, apply or take out a product. We describe these arrangements in more detail under 'How we make money' below.
Product features, fees, terms and eligibility criteria are set by the product issuer and may change. We rely on information supplied by issuers when we present product details on our site. Before you apply for or take out any product, you should confirm the details directly with the issuer.
We earn revenue from Finder in four principal ways:
Referral fees and commissions. When you click a product link, complete an enquiry form or apply for a product through our site, we may receive a referral fee, commission or other payment from the product issuer. We may also receive payment based on the volume of leads or conversions we send to an issuer.
Sponsored placements. Products marked 'Sponsored', 'Promoted', 'Featured' or 'Advertisement' appear as a result of a commercial arrangement between Finder and the issuer. These labels always indicate a paid placement. We do not use them for editorial choices.
Display advertising. Banner advertising, newsletter advertising and similar display ads on our site are paid by advertisers.
Content sponsorship. Some articles, videos and social media posts are sponsored by an issuer and are clearly labelled as such.
Our editorial opinions, product reviews and any 'Top Pick' designations are prepared independently of these commercial arrangements. A 'Top Pick' is an editorial choice made by our writers and editors based on the criteria described on each comparison page. A 'Top Pick' is not a personal recommendation and does not mean the product is appropriate for your circumstances.
If you would like to know whether we have a commercial arrangement with a specific product issuer, please contact us.
When products are grouped in a table or list, the default order can be influenced by commercial arrangements we have with product issuers. In some categories, sponsored or featured products appear in the top positions of the table by default, and are always labelled as such.
Other factors that influence default order include price, fees and features, and (where relevant) our editorial view of the product.
You can re-sort every comparison table using the controls above the table. You can filter by product features that matter to you. The order you see after re-sorting or filtering is not influenced by commercial arrangements.
Some content on this site is generated or supported by artificial intelligence tools, including our AI-powered assistant FinderBot. AI-generated content may contain errors. Please verify important information directly with the product issuer before making a financial decision. For more information about FinderBot, see the FinderBot Terms of Use and FinderBot Privacy Collection Notice.
Please read our website terms of use and privacy policy for more information about our services and our approach to privacy.
We update our data regularly, but information can change between updates. Confirm details with the provider you're interested in before making a decision.
Our goal is to create the best possible product, and your thoughts, ideas and suggestions play a major role in helping us identify opportunities to improve.
Can i rent a car with my Visa Platinum No Frills Credit Card
Hi Phyllis, You can generally use any visa or mastercard when renting a hire car, so this should be fine. Just make sure you have enough credit cover any bond they might hold.