No, there is no fee just to have it. It's a credit card so when you have to use it for the vet, you give it to them like a credit card, they swipe it and as far as they're concerned, they're paid in full. You then make the payments to care credit, which I believe is GE Bank. They'll send you a monthly statement/bill. Normally, there is an option for 6, 9 or 12 months with no interest. If you don't pay it off within that time period, they start to charge interest on the original amount.