5 ways a 0% APR credit card could actually hurt your credit
A 0 percent intro APR card can hurt your credit in some instances, so use it well.
3 min read
Apr 17, 2024
Nicole Dieker
Contributor, Personal Finance
EXPERTISE
- Personal finance
- Habit formation
EDUCATION
- BA in Music, Theatre Minor, Miami University
- MFA in Theatre, Illinois State University
"The more you know about credit cards, the better equipped you'll be to make choices that work out in your favor – whether you're taking advantage of your credit card grace period to avoid interest charges, using a 0% intro APR credit card to fund a vacation or redeeming your credit card rewards at their maximum value. Credit is a powerful tool, when used wisely – and as a person who's been writing about personal finance for a decade, I hope to provide you with the tools to make as many wise decisions as possible."
— Nicole Dieker
Nicole Dieker has been a full-time freelance writer since 2012 — and a personal finance enthusiast since 2004, when she graduated from college and, looking for financial guidance, found a battered copy of Your Money or Your Life at the public library.
In addition to writing for Bankrate, her work has appeared on CreditCards.com, Vox, Lifehacker, Popular Science, The Penny Hoarder, The Simple Dollar and NBC News. Dieker spent five years as writer and editor for The Billfold, a personal finance blog where people had honest conversations about money. Dieker also teaches writing, freelancing and publishing classes and works one-on-one with authors as a developmental editor and copyeditor.
Nicole Dieker is the author of Frugal and the Beast: And Other Financial Fairy Tales, in which she reworks classic fairy tales to highlight their hidden financial lessons. She also writes the Larkin Day Mystery series.
Find Nicole Dieker beyond Bankrate
- CreditCards.com
- Vox
- Lifehacker
- The Penny Hoarder
- The Simple Dollar
- NBC News
- Popular Science
"The more you know about credit cards, the better equipped you'll be to make choices that work out in your favor – whether you're taking advantage of your credit card grace period to avoid interest charges, using a 0% intro APR credit card to fund a vacation or redeeming your credit card rewards at their maximum value. Credit is a powerful tool, when used wisely – and as a person who's been writing about personal finance for a decade, I hope to provide you with the tools to make as many wise decisions as possible."
— Nicole Dieker
Nicole's latest articles
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Should I freeze my child’s credit?
You can freeze your child’s credit to protect them from potential fraud
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How to unfreeze credit if you lose your PIN
Credit bureaus no longer require PINs to unfreeze credit reports.
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How many balances can you transfer onto a 0% APR card?
You can make multiple transfers on a 0 percent APR card, but there are limits.
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How to help your kids build credit
Parents have many options, from debit cards and prepaid cards to secured credit cards and making their child an authorized user. Which is best?
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Is a perfect credit score worth it?
Luckily, you don’t have to have a perfect credit score to reap the benefits of near-perfect credit.
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What is an excellent credit score?
You can maintain good credit by practicing responsible financial habits, such as making on-time payments, but it takes some credit card savvy to lift your credit score from good to excellent.
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How does a tax lien affect your credit score?
Tax liens no longer appear on credit reports and should have no bearing on your credit score.
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