It is free to make a transaction with a credit card. Nevertheless, there may be some costs associated with the credit card. Some cards charge you a fee for cash withdrawals, while others include a fee for exceeding the credit limit, a fee for paper invoices or an annual fee for owning the card. There are also cards that have dropped all of these fees. It is a card of this type that is referred to as a free credit card.
The annual fee on a credit card is an amount that the card issuer charges the cardholder once a year to cover the administrative costs associated with the credit card. The amount of the annual fee can vary greatly depending on the type of card, the benefits offered, and the card issuer. Some credit cards offer no annual fee, while others may have higher annual fees, which are often associated with premium cards that offer additional benefits such as insurance, bonuses, higher points earning, or access to VIP services and lounges.
When you use your card to make purchases or withdraw money in another currency than NOK, a fee called a currency surcharge will appear. You cannot avoid this fee, no matter which card you end up ordering. The currency surcharge is to cover the card issuer's costs, which is called currency risk. The bank or credit card company takes a risk when they allow you to use another currency. The currency surcharge is to ensure that they do not lose money on currency fluctuations during the time it takes for the transaction to go through.
This fee appears if you choose to receive paper invoices. The cost is often 30 NOK, or more, per invoice. Many credit card companies offer an option to receive the invoice electronically through email or directly to your online bank. By choosing this solution, you can often avoid fees associated with paper invoices.
Several of the Norwegian credit cards charge you a fee every time you withdraw cash with the card, either at an ATM or over the counter. Some card companies charge a fee for all withdrawals, while others charge a fee every time the withdrawal is made in Norway. The price is often 1% of the amount you withdraw plus 30 to 40 NOK.
You can transfer money from most credit cards to a bank account. In many cases, this costs money. The transfer fee is usually around 40 NOK per transfer.
Some banks and credit card companies charge customers a fee if they use more credit than their card's credit limit allows. The cost is often a percentage of the overdraft.
Interest on the outstanding amount on a credit card is an important cost. However, this is not a fee. Interest is the rent you have to pay to borrow money from the bank or card company. You can easily avoid this cost. All you have to do is pay off everything you owe on the card before the interest-free period is over.
To find out how much your credit card will cost each month, you can use our credit card calculator.
Even if a credit card is free, there will always be some fees involved. Below, we compare the costs of the best credit cards with no annual fee, so you can more easily find a card that suits you.
| Free Credit Cards | Currency Surcharge | Cash Withdrawals | Effective Interest rate | Interest-free period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
TF Bank Mastercard | 1,75 % | 0 % | 26,69 % | Up to 43 days |
Bank Norwegian | 1,75 % | 0 % | 24,40 % | Up to 45 days |
re:member black | 2,00 % | 1,00 % + 35 kr | 29,89 % | Up to 45 days |
Morrow Bank Mastercard | 1,75 % | 0 % | 28,77 % | Up to 50 days |
Trumf Kredittkort | 1,90 % | 1,50 % + 35 kr | 27,19 % | Up to 45 days |
No, a credit card is never completely free to use abroad, but this also applies to bank cards. For all transactions you will be charged a currency surcharge, which is a fee you pay when you buy a product/service in a different currency.
Without the currency surcharge, banks could end up in the red on your transactions, which is of course not something they want to risk. The currency surcharge can, however, vary, and is often somewhere between 1.5–2%. In many cases, credit cards have a lower currency surcharge compared to bank cards.
Other common fees are cash withdrawals, which are often charged as a fixed amount and/or a percentage. However, there are free credit cards with free withdrawal fees, such as Bank Norwegian and TF Bank Mastercard.
The best way to avoid high fees abroad is to choose a card with a low currency surcharge and no withdrawal fees. However, you should be aware that most credit cards do not offer an interest-free period for cash withdrawals, which means that interest accrues on the same day.
In addition to being much safer to use your credit card abroad, you can also save a lot of money. Just make sure to read the terms and conditions beforehand so that you don't get any unpleasant surprises later.

Even though banks offer credit cards with no annual fee, they make money in several ways. This includes through interest income, certain fees and partners:
Although banks make money from their services, this does not necessarily have to be a disadvantage for you. You can easily avoid paying interest by repaying what you borrow within the interest-free period.
When it comes to the stores they cooperate with, this is a win-win situation for both parties. The banks profit from you shopping at these stores, while you get discounted prices or bonuses on your purchases.
Unfortunately, some of the fees are impossible to avoid, but this also applies if you use a regular bank card. However, it may be worth choosing a card with low fees.
When looking for a fee-free credit card, it is important to be aware of the fees that actually apply. Several cards are free to own, but can have high costs. Examples of this can be a high withdrawal fee or a high currency surcharge abroad. In addition, you should also choose a card with an interest-free payment deferral, to avoid high credit card interest rates.
If you are going to apply for a credit card with no annual fee, it is important to consider how you will use the card. If you travel often or buy goods in foreign online stores, you should prioritize a low currency surcharge. If you use the card mostly in Norway, other benefits may be worth looking into.
Here are some tips for those of you looking for a fee-free credit card:
Bengt er en kreativ innholdsprodusent med lang fartstid i media bak seg. Hans hovedansvar er å innhente så mye data som mulig om kredittkortene vi presenterer.
Favorittkort: Bank Norwegian