How would you like a free credit card? You would get access to increased spending power and the convenience and security of using a card, but you wouldn’t have to worry about fees and interest. Sound too good to be true? That’s because it technically is.

Let’s take a look as what we really mean by “free” credit cards, why credit card companies aren’t likely to offer them, and how you can bypass those credit card companies and get an essentially free card anyway.

What is a “Free” Credit Card?

A fee-free credit card probably doesn’t exist at all. For example, you’ll always find late fees or over the limit fees you’ll be subject to if you don’t abide by the terms. Instead when we talk about “free” cards we just mean there are no annual fees, no other membership-related fees, and no interest on your purchases.

Why You Won’t Find Truly Free Credit Cards

Here’s the problem. Credit card companies make a good bit of money by charging those interest rates and annual fees. It’s not in their interest to eliminate them completely. You will find no annual fee credit cards like the Woolworths Everyday Money credit card. You can even occasionally find 0% purchase rate offers like with the Citibank Clear Platinum card. But these offers often expire. And even if you get a permanent no annual fee offer, you’ll pay interest.

Making Credit Cards Free by How You Use Them

Just because credit card companies don’t want to make it too easy for you to get free access to credit, that doesn’t mean you can’t. You just have to do two things:

1. Get a no annual fee credit card. Make sure it will never have an annual fee, like the Bankwest Zero Gold MasterCard.
2. Never carry a balance from month-to-month.

Most credit cards come with interest free days, which you’ll receive as long as you pay off your balance in full every month rather than carrying a balance. If you combine a no annual fee credit card with interest free days, you can essentially eliminate both types of charges the average cardholder would pay.

In the end, no, you won’t find “free” credit card offers from the credit card companies themselves — at least not permanent ones. But you don’t have to rely on introductory offers to save. You just have to choose the right credit card with no annual fee and you have to be diligent about not spending more than you can afford to pay back each month. Then you’ll get the convenience and security benefits of using a credit card at no cost to you.