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That's true, like I mentioned there are huge differences. But what a lot of people miss is that even "free" cards can quickly cost you money through interest on installment purchases or bad exchange rates when you use them abroad - that's actually often more expensive than an annual fee. I use a free card myself, but I always pay the full amount right away, that way I avoid all the interest stuff. In the end you really only pay nothing if you can handle it responsibly.
It really depends on what kind of card you get 😅 There are free credit cards where you literally don't pay anything - no annual fee, no hidden costs. Those are usually the standard cards from your bank or from online banks. They make their money back through interest if you don't pay right away, or through fees they get from merchants.
But then there are also premium cards that cost you 50, 100, or even several hundred euros a year. In return, you get services like travel insurance, rewards programs, or priority support. Important to know: even with "free" cards you're indirectly paying through interest if you don't pay off your balance every month 💳 Plus fees abroad, cash withdrawal fees and stuff like that. Some banks also charge you if you don't use the card.
My tip from my own experience - and I do work with contracts and their terms professionally - really check out the terms and conditions before you sign up. Not just the annual fee, but also what other fees might apply. For most people a free card is totally enough, unless you actually need those premium benefits 🏒 (yeah, I always think about practical stuff like that too lol).
Like I said, it really varies a lot. I looked into this more closely a couple years back because I was ordering craft supplies online pretty often back then and thought a credit card would be convenient. I totally fell for it at first - thought free meant free, but then came the fees for withdrawals, unfavorable exchange rates when shopping abroad, and the interest if you don't pay right away. With some banks you end up paying more than with a debit card, even though technically there's no annual fee.
What I learned: The most important thing is how you're going to use the card. If you settle it monthly and don't let it go negative, a decent card really costs you nothing. But if you want to withdraw cash more often or shop abroad a lot, then check the fee schedule beforehand. Some banks charge 1-2% on currency exchanges, others charge nothing. And yeah, the interest on installment payments can get really expensive - you can quickly end up paying 15-20% per year, which is absolutely insane.
My rule of thumb: Get yourself a card from a direct bank that's free and has no hidden fees. Only use it if you can pay the amount right away. Then the whole thing really costs you nothing and you save yourself the hassle.
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