Best Free Credit Cards In Norway (2023 Guide)
After publishing my post for Sweden, I got many requests with great questions regarding the Best Free Credit Cards in Norway in 2023.
In this post, I cover my top choices with no annual fees. Choosing the right card can make a huge change in your everyday spending and how much you can save by the end of the year.
Pro Tip
Read more about how you can check your credit score in Norway for FREE.
Morrow Bank Mastercard
500 points = 500 NOK.
Great for every day. More points on online purchases. Defer payments,
a simple reward system.
12-month example on 12.000 kr:
eff. interest 24.42 %, cost 1481 kr, total 13.481 kr
Annonselenke
InstaPay Mastercard
Ultra-low interest rate
Up to 100,000kr in credit
Exclusive offers from InstaBank
12-month example on 45.000 kr:
eff. interest 15.9 %, cost 4356 kr, total 49.356 kr
Annonselenke
Ikano Bank Visa Card
2% cashback on groceries
2% cashback on Shell
9 interest-free months
Travel & Cancellation insurance
12-month example on 20.000 kr:
eff. interest 21.76 %, cost 2435 kr, total 22.435 kr
Annonselenke
In the past 15 years, I changed my credit card and spending strategy many, many times. I tested over 50+ credit cards and keep changing every day depending on what’s most convenient and what saves me the most money.
In this post, I present my 4 best credit cards in Norway with no annual fee. All of them are great to have in your wallet, and you can combine them to get the most out of your purchases. Let’s get started.
Why do you need a credit card?
If you don’t have a credit card yet, don’t think of them as a way of getting into debt or spending money you don’t have. If you do that, you will also get charged interest on your purchases.
You should see a credit card as a safer, more secure alternative to a debit card. Plus, you can get rewards. Either money back (cashback) or points.
Main reasons why credit cards are better than debit cards:
- Opportunity to build and improve your credit score
- Earn rewards such as cashback, miles, or points
- Protection against credit card fraud, especially when traveling.
- No foreign transaction fees (or better rates)
- Increased purchasing power
- Not linked to checking or savings account
- Putting a hold on a rental car or hotel room
What are the Best FREE Credit Cards in Norway?
1. Morrow Bank Mastercard
Morrow Bank is the new name of Komplett Bank after 10 years! The bank recently refreshed its image, credit card reward program, and has been stepping up recently with great products and offerings. It might not be the best option for traveling, but it is a great day-to-day card with cash back on all purchases. The bonus system is very straightforward; when you can get up to 500 NOK back on your bill. Easy.
Pros:
- 100% free of charge.
- Travel insurance, purchase protection, and ID protection are included.
- Rewards on all purchases and a straightforward bonus system (500 points = 500 NOK)
- 4% bonus on all purchases at Komplett.no
- 2% bonus on purchases of goods on the internet*
- 1% bonus on other purchases
- Up to 50 days of interest-free credit on every purchase.
- Defer payments and pay in 3, 6, or 9 months.
- Apple Pay and Google Pay.
- You can apply over 20 years old.
Cons:
- No referral program for friends and family
12-month example on 12000 kr: eff. interest 24.42 %, cost 1481 kr, total 13481 kr
2. InstaPay Mastercard
Instapay Mastercard is a new credit card from Instabank. While most other credit cards have an interest rate of around 22-24%, the Instapay card has an interest rate of just 14.9%. This makes Instapay Mastercard a card with one of the lowest interest rates on the market.
An important difference between Instapay Mastercard and traditional credit cards is that the interest is calculated from the time of purchase, so you do not have an interest-free period at the start. If you usually pay off your credit card in full in the first month, the Instapay Mastercard may not be your best choice.
If, on the other hand, you tend to pay off your credit card bill over some time, you have a lot to gain from a lower interest rate and can save a lot by switching to Instapay Mastercard.
Pros:
- 100% free of charge.
- Ultra-low interest rates
- Apple Pay and Google Pay.
- Exclusive offers from Instapay
Cons:
- You need to be over 23 years to apply
12-month example on 45.000 kr: eff. interest 15.9 %, cost 4356 kr, total 49356 kr
3. Ikano Visa
Ikano Bank has offered a credit card for a while now. They have a big partnership with IKEA, so much of their customer base is related to financing home renovations and significant expenses. They only offer one type of card, but the system is very simple.
Get 2% back on groceries and 2% back on Shell Norway. A great benefit of this card is that you can defer payments interest-free for up to 9 months. For only a fixed 450 NOK fee, you can split large expenses into 9 smaller payments, making this card a great resource to beat inflation.
Pros:
- 2% cash back on groceries
- 2% cash back on Shell Norway
- Split payments in up to 9 months, interest-free!
- Travel insurance and cancellation insurance
Cons:
- It would be really nice to have 2% cashback on everything you buy and not only on groceries, given that they don’t offer a points system.
- You need to be 23 years old to apply.
Overall, a fantastic option to have in your credit card arsenal. I really like how simple it is to split payments into interest-free installments. It is a fantastic tool when you want to pay for large expenses, home renovations, big travel expenses, or even unplanned emergency expenses and you don’t want to take the hit all at once.
12-month example on 20.000kr: eff. interest 21.76 %, cost 2435kr, total 22.435kr
4. Resurs Gold Mastercard
Resurs has recently made a dramatic entrance with great cards that are becoming the new favorite kid. Resurs Gold is a secure and affordable credit card that gives you and your family free travel insurance. You pay as you wish and always receive the invoice the month after your purchase and can then choose between paying the full amount immediately or dividing it over a longer period of time. It also supports Apple Pay and Google Pay.
Pros:
- 100% free of charge.
- 10.000 welcome points! In their point shop, this is equivalent to a 100 NOK gift card.
- Free travel insurance: included for you and the whole family when you pay at least 75% of your trip with Resurs Gold. This gives you peace of mind during the trip in case something unpredictable happens.
- Pay in full or in part: you have the freedom to decide for yourself whether you want to pay for your purchases at once or whether you want to split the amount into, for example, 6 months of interest-free installments. You choose a payment plan the month after your purchase when you receive your invoice.
- Travel insurance, purchase protection, and ID protection are included.
- Rewards on all purchases and a straightforward bonus system (0.5 points per kronor)
- Apple Pay and Google Pay.
Cons:
- No referral program for friends and family.
- Points cannot be used to pay for your invoice (yet), but you can exchange them for gift cards or products.
12-month example on 20.000kr: eff. interest 26.25 %, cost 1925kr, total 16.925kr
Wrap up
I hope this post is helpful and promise to keep it regularly updated with the most updated info.
If you have any further questions or wish to brainstorm or chat, feel free to reach out to me anytime on Instagram!
Enjoy!
What about Santander credit cards?
Hi! Thanks for checking the blog. Santander cards are decent. I had MittSpar+ for some time and I like that it is one of the few cards with no foreign transaction fees when you use it abroad (like the Collector Easyliving). They have some sort of cashback on specific stores, but if you go for that option, you cannot combine, for example, with SAS online shopping portal or other portals that give you cashback, since they track your purchases. I personally went for Resurs or Marginalen Traveller (as you can split large payments into interest-free installments), and you get them for free the first year.