The Best Credit Cards With No Annual Fees in the Philippines

(SPOT.ph) Credit cards are a pretty tricky thing to keep account of, especially if handling money isn’t exactly your strong suit. We get it. It’s hard enough earning money, all the more figuring out the best way to spend it—in a way that will get you the best possible returns and, of course, credit score. So allow us to help you out in figuring out which credit card works best for you.

One way people like to be savvy with their credit cards is by finding ways to waive  their annual fees. Most banks in the Philippines charge somewhere between P1,000 to P5,000 for this, so not having to pay that is big help. To get out of this charge, some make use of timebound promos from banks, while some banks require you to spend a certain amount of money, some give you the first year at no charge, and sometimes you can just call customer service and try your luck. But there are credit cards that simply have No Annual Fees For Life, or NAFFL, as it’s been dubbed online. Below, we round up the credit cards in the Philippines that are for sure NAFFL.

The best credit cards with no annual fees you can get in the Philippines

AUB Easy and Classic Mastercard

PHOTO BY AUB

For those getting their first credit card or are at the entry level of #Adulting, you may want to check out AUB’s Easy or Classic Master card. What’s great about these two cards is that AUB lets you choose when and how much you want to pay—whether once a month, semi-monthly, or weekly, and based on that, you can also choose your minimum amount due from P250 to P3,000.

Reward points: 1 point for every P50

Monthly Income Requirement: P50,000

Interest charge: 3%

Late payment fees: P250 for weekly payments, P500 for semi-monthly, P1,000 for monthly, or the unpaid minimum amount due if lower

AUB Gold and Platinum Mastercard

PHOTO BY AUB

Now if you want a card with more benefits, specifically the ability to transfer Rewards Points to your Mabuhay Miles Frequent Flyer program, then these are the cards to choose. Plus, the Platinum Mastercard will also get you complimentary airport lounge access. And if you get supplementary cards, you won’t have to pay annual fees for those either.

Reward points: 1 point for every P50

Monthly income requirement: P50,000 for Gold, P100,000 for Platinum

Interest charge: 3%

Late payment fees: P1,000 or the unpaid minimum amount due if lower

Security Bank Wave Master

PHOTO BY Security Bank

Another NAFFL card from Security Bank is the Wave card. This also gets you rebates on online spending minus the automatic installment feature of the previous entry. You can pretty much use it like you would any normal card, with the bonus of a cashback feature. There’s also the lower interest rate of 2.5%.

Reward points: None

Gross annual income requirement: P360,000 for those with existing credit cards, P480,000 for first-time cardholders

Interest charge: 2.5%

Late payment fees: P1,000 or the unpaid minimum amount due if lower

PNB Ze-Lo Mastercard

PHOTO BY PNB

If you’re looking for a first-time card, this fits the bill. It’s got minimal fees—with zero annual fees, zero late payment fees, low interest charge—and a relatively low annual income requirement of P120,000. Plus, you can get a cash advance of up to 30% of your credit limit from the ATM. It’s a pretty great starter card, with the only drawback being that it earns no reward points, meaning that you get no added benefits from using it on the regular.

Reward points: None

Gross annual income requirement: P120,000

Interest charge: 2.5%

Late payment fees: None

Metrobank M Free Mastercard

PHOTO BY Metrobank

This straightforward credit card lets you enjoy the CC life with no annual fee. Plus, you get features like 0% installment programs and even convert your credit limit to cash. Just note that you must be a principal cardholder with another bank for at least nine months to apply for this card.

Reward points: None

Gross annual income requirement: P867,000

Interest charge: 3%

Late payment fees: P1,000 or the unpaid minimum amount due if lower

PSBank Credit Mastercard

PHOTO BY PSBank

Much like the Metrobank M Free Mastercard, this PSBank card lets you convert payments into an installment setup. You can choose from three, six, nine, 12, 18, or even 24 monthly payments. One bonus feature you do get is access to the ‘M TXT facility, allowing you to access your available credit limit, your statement and outstanding balance, all through text.

Reward points: None

Gross annual income requirement: P180,000

Interest charge: 3%

Late payment fees: P1,000 or the unpaid minimum amount due if lower

EastWest Platinum Mastercard

PHOTO BY EastWest

This one’s for the serious credit card users and travelers out there. The EastWest Platinum Mastercard comes with a lot of benefits for frequent flyers, including travel accident and inconvenience insurance of up to P20 million, Priority Pass membership which will give you access to 1,300 airport lounges worldwide, and a low foreign currency conversion fee so you can use it abroad.

Reward points: 1 point for every P40

Gross Annual Income Requirement: P1,800,000

Interest charge: 3%

Late payment fees: P1,000 for monthly or the unpaid minimum amount due if lower

Citi Simplicity+ Visa Card

PHOTO BY Citi

For a no-frills card, you can go with the Citi Simplicity+. You get no annual fees, no late payment fees, and no overlimit fees, either. And if you pay at least the minimum due on or before the due date, you can get 10% back on interest charges. You can also convert your purchases into installment payment terms.

Reward points: None

Gross annual income requirement: P180,000

Interest charge: 3%

Late payment fees: None