What does it mean to transfer your credit card balance?

Transferring your credit card balance will move your debt from 1 credit card to another. This is commonly done with new accounts, but can also be requested on existing accounts. It’s best to take advantage of a promotional balance transfer offer when transferring a balance.

Is it a good idea to do a balance transfer on a credit card?

It can be. If you’re taking advantage of a promotional balance transfer offer, like 0% APR, then, yes, it is. You’ll want to consider any additional fees that come along with the balance transfer before deciding if it’s a good idea for you.

Do balance transfers affect my credit score?

It depends. There are many factors that affect your credit score. If you’re opening a new credit card account to transfer a balance or maxing out a credit line to transfer a balance, it will affect your score. If you’re transferring a balance between existing accounts and maintaining a similar credit utilization, it may not affect your score.

Can I transfer my balance from one credit card to another?

Transferring your balance from one credit card to another is the most common transfer of debt, and most widely accepted. It is possible to transfer your balance from other debt accounts, but it depends on the financial institution.

How long does a balance transfer usually take?

Balance transfers can take anywhere from a few days to a couple of weeks. It all depends on how each credit card issuer handles the balance transfer request. Some banks conduct balance transfers electronically, which increases the speed of the transfer.

Do I need to cancel my old credit card after making a balance transfer from it?

Transferring a balance doesn’t close your old credit card, nor does it require you to. In fact, it might be a good idea to keep your old credit account open to maintain your credit history and increase your average age of accounts, which could have a positive effect on your credit score.

The 7 Best Personal Balance Transfer Credit Cards [2023]

No one wants to see interest charges on their credit card bills, but they can add up in a big way.

A 0% balance transfer offer from a new credit card could be the perfect solution if you’re carrying a balance on your credit cards — or foresee the need to carry a balance soon.

Promotional balance transfer offers allow you to transfer your high-interest debt to a new credit card with an introductory 0% interest rate for a specific amount of time.

These offers could save you a ton of money by avoiding paying pricey interest payments on your current credit cards.

If you’ve been struggling to pay off your credit card balances or need to make a large purchase soon, a 0% balance transfer credit card could be the perfect solution to save you money.

This article covers the best overall 0% balance transfer card offers with all the information you need to make the best decision for your situation.

Table of contents

The 7 Best 0% Balance Transfer Credit Cards — Overview
What Is a Balance Transfer?
What To Look For in a 0% Balance Transfer Credit Card
The 7 Best 0% Balance Transfer Credit Cards
Final Thoughts

Table of Contents

The 7 Best 0% Balance Transfer Credit Cards — Overview
What Is a Balance Transfer?
What To Look For in a 0% Balance Transfer Credit Card
The 7 Best 0% Balance Transfer Credit Cards
Final Thoughts

The 7 Best 0% Balance Transfer Credit Cards — Overview

We’ve narrowed down the best of the best with our top picks for overall 0% balance transfer credit cards — here’s an overview of what you can expect with each card:

Card	Welcome Offer and Annual Fee	Balance Transfer Benefits
Chase Freedom Unlimited®	INTRO OFFER: Earn an additional 1.5% cash back on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) - worth up to $300 cash back! Annual fee of $0	0% Intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers, then a variable APR of 19.74% - 28.49%
Chase Freedom Flex℠	Earn a $200 bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months. Annual fee of $0	0% Intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers, then a variable APR of 19.74% - 28.49%
Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express	Earn a $250 statement credit after spending $3,000 in purchases in the first 6 months. Annual fee of $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95 (rates and fees)	0% for 12 months on balance transfer from the date of account opening, then a variable rate of 18.99% - 29.99%
Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express	Earn a $200 statement credit after spending $2,000 in purchases in the first 6 months Annual fee of $0 (rates and fees)	0% intro APR on balance transfers for 15 months from the date of account opening. After that, 18.99% - 29.99% variable APR
Citi® Double Cash Card	No welcome offer available. Annual fee of $0	0% intro APR on balance transfers for 18 months. After that, the variable APR will be 18.99% - 28.99%
Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card	No welcome offer available. Annual fee of $0	0% APR on balance transfers for the first 21 months and purchases for the first 12 months
The Amex EveryDay® Preferred Credit Card	Earn 15,000 points after you make $1,000 in purchases in the first 3 months. Annual fee of $95 (rates and fees)	0% APR on balance transfers and purchases for the first 12 months

Before we dive into the details of each of these cards, let’s go over all you need to know about balance transfers.

What Is a Balance Transfer?

Piggy bank coins — Image Credit: Andre Taissin via Unsplash

A balance transfer is a request to transfer a balance of debt from one creditor to another. You will initiate this request with the card that you will transfer your balance to.

It’s a simple process. Most of the time, all you need to provide is the name of the financial institution, the account number, and the amount of debt you want to transfer.

If the balance transfer request is approved, the bank will assume the debt (and debit your account for that amount, sometimes immediately) and arrange the payment with the original creditor.

You are still responsible for making any payments on the existing debt during the balance transfer process. Most balance transfers take 7 to 10 days to complete.

Many credit cards offer promotional balance transfer offers when you sign up for a new account, and it’s not uncommon to get these offers on existing credit card accounts.

Banks share these special offers to either attract new customers or try and do more business with existing customers. With that being said, it’s important to note that you cannot transfer a balance from accounts held by the same financial institution.

When Should You Consider a Balance Transfer?

Carrying a balance on a high-interest-rate credit card is not a good situation to be in. It can lead to a lot of stress for those who are looking to reduce the burden of debt.

Interest charges can add up quickly. Sometimes, your minimum payment will barely make a dent in your balance.

Consider a balance transfer offer to provide immediate relief from high-interest charges and help you take control of reducing your debt without adding to it.

Bottom Line: Taking advantage of a 0% balance transfer offer is a great solution to help save you lots of money on high-interest charges on your other credit cards.

Another situation where a balance transfer could be advantageous: you may be faced with a large upcoming expense that you know is beyond your immediate budget. You may want to consider a balance transfer offer as a financing option for that purchase.

You will just need to be able to put that purchase on an existing account and could then take advantage of a balance transfer offer to avoid paying any interest charges at all!

Even for new credit card accounts that offer a promotional balance transfer on approval, most balance transfer promotions give you at least 30 days to take advantage of the offer. The transfer does not need to take place immediately.

How Much Can I Save With a 0% Balance Transfer?

You can save significantly with a promotional balance transfer offer since credit cards often charge interest rates from 15% to 25% APR.

Let’s say you have a $5,000 balance on your credit card that you’re currently unable to pay off. You want to set a goal to pay off this debt with regular monthly payments.

The chart below shows how much a 0% balance transfer offer can save you on a $5,000 balance if you plan to pay off the entire balance before the promotional offer expires with fixed payments each month:

	12 Months	15 Months	18 Months	21 Months
0% APR Payment	$416.67	$333.33	$277.78	$238.10
Total Interest Charges	$0	$0	$0	$0
15% APR Payment	$451.29	$367.63	$311.92	$272.19
Total Interest Charges	$415.50	$514.48	$614.63	$715.94
20% APR Payment	$463.17	$379.49	$323.82	$284.14
Total Interest Charges	$558.07	$692.35	$828.69	$967.07
25 % APR Payment	$475.22	$391.56	$335.96	$296.40
Total Interest Charges	$702.65	$873.36	$1,047.26	$1,224.34

Bottom Line: If you held a $5,000 balance on a 25% APR credit card with the goal of paying off the debt in 18 months, a 0% balance transfer offer will save you over $1,000!

A balance transfer can also help you manage your monthly payments. Using the same example, if the goal is to pay the debt in 18 months with or without the balance transfer, you will save close to $60 a month on your monthly payment.

Therefore, not only does a 0% balance transfer save you on high-interest charges, but it can also reduce your monthly payment if you have a specific timeline to pay off your debt.

You always want to be sure you’re meeting the minimum payment set by your credit issuer. Making payments below that minimum could trigger late fees and penalties for not making an on-time payment.

What Are Balance Transfer Fees?

When considering balance transfer offers, it’s important to read over all the fine print in the offer’s terms. Most promotional balance transfer offers come with balance transfer fees.

Fees are charged by the bank you will use to transfer the balance. These commonly range from 3% to 5% of the total amount transferred and are a one-time fee.

If you were to transfer a $5,000 balance with a 3% balance transfer fee, you would pay $150.

While $150 sounds like a lot of money to transfer a balance, if you were to keep that balance at a 25% APR, you would be paying more than that in interest within just 2 months!

It’s important to understand all the terms and conditions of any balance transfer offer, especially any upfront costs like balance transfer fees.

Bottom Line: There are some offers for credit cards with no balance transfer fees. While they can be a good choice, there are other things to consider when making the final decision on which 0% balance transfer offer is best for you.

Do I Earn Rewards or Points on Balance Transfers?

Tablet with wallet — Image Credit: Mike Cho via Unsplash

The best 0% balance transfer credit cards are already rewarding by offering an incredible promotional rate. While some of these credit cards offer a rewards program, you typically do not earn any rewards by completing a balance transfer.

For example, if you were considering a rewards credit card that offered 1x points on every $1 spent, you do not earn 1x points for every $1 transferred. In almost all cases, you earn 0 points for balance transfers.

But if there is a promotional 0% interest rate on purchases, you can earn rewards based on those purchases, but not on balance transfers.

Bottom Line: It’s important to consider that using a balance transfer offer on a rewards credit card would take away from your credit line that could be used to gain rewards. That’s why sometimes we recommend finding the best balance transfer card just for that purpose: to transfer a balance and save on interest without making any new charges. Although you can’t earn travel rewards for transferring a balance, you will be rewarded by saving money on high-interest charges. The process to complete a balance transfer is pretty simple and normally takes just a few days.

How To Complete a Balance Transfer

Conducting a balance transfer is very simple. When applying for a new account, you’ll be asked if you want to transfer a balance.

Most of the time, all you need is the name of your credit card company that currently holds your debt, your account number, and the amount you want to transfer.

Sometimes, you will need to provide the address of where you mail your payments, but these days, most of the credit card companies know each other.

Some banks will conduct the balance transfer request electronically; others will process it by mail.

How Long Does a Balance Transfer Take?

Balance transfers can take anywhere from a few days to a couple of weeks to complete. It all depends on how each credit card issuer handles the request.

It’s important that you continue to make the minimum payments on the credit card that carries the original debt. Just because you initiate a balance transfer request doesn’t mean your credit card company knows about it instantaneously.

It’s not uncommon for the account you’re transferring the balance to for the 0% promotional rate to instantly add the requested amount to your credit card.

What To Look For in a 0% Balance Transfer Credit Card

When considering any new line of credit, it’s always important to fully understand all the terms and conditions of opening up a new account.

Balance transfer offers are enticing promotions, but you want to make sure there aren’t any surprises with additional fees or short-lived promotions.

Let’s highlight some of the other most important things to consider when thinking of a balance transfer.

Annual Fee

The best 0% balance transfer offers will not have an annual fee, but it’s always important to check. The last thing you want to see after striving to reduce the cost of carrying debt is a fee for having an open account.

If you find a balance transfer offer on a new or existing account with an annual fee, it is important to factor that into your cost-savings analysis.

On an account with a balance transfer for 18 months and a $95 annual fee, you will pay at least $190 in annual fees if you keep your account open for the full promotional period.

Length of Promotional Offer

The length of the promotional 0% balance transfer offer could be the determining factor when deciding what offer works best for you.

Looking at the savings chart, the length of the balance transfer offer will determine how much your monthly payment will be if your goal is to pay the balance in full under the promotion’s terms.

The longer the 0% promotional offer, the lower your monthly payments will be. A longer promotional offer might sound like the best deal, but the sooner you get out of debt, the better!

It’s important to make the best decision for your budget and the length of the promotional offer is just one of many things to consider.

Ongoing Interest Rates After the Promotional Offer Expires

We all make plans that we can’t always keep. That’s why it’s important to know what to expect if you have to carry the balance of your debt after the promotional balance transfer offer is over.

If you transfer a balance with a 0% APR offer for 18 months but do not pay off the entire balance during the promotional period, you will start paying interest on any remaining balance on that account.

You should prepare for the ongoing interest rate by referring to the terms of the original credit card offer.

Hot Tip: Didn’t pay off that balance fast enough? Consider looking for another balance transfer offer to continue the savings with a 0% interest rate!

Does the Balance Transfer Offer Extend to Purchases?

It’s not uncommon to see new credit cards that offer great balance transfer offers and also extend promotional rates to purchases.

For example, a 0% promotional APR on balance transfers and purchases for 15 months means all balance transfers and purchases made on that account get 0% interest during the first 15 months of account opening.

A 0% promotional purchase APR could be a huge incentive for those expecting a large purchase soon and considering a balance transfer offer to help finance that expense.

A promotional purchase rate would eliminate the need for a balance transfer since all purchases also get the same promotional rate, almost like a 0% APR credit card. This could even save you more by avoiding balance transfer fees!

Credit Limits and Balance Transfers

Credit limits can be the most frustrating part of balance transfers. Once you’ve decided to open a new credit card to take advantage of a 0% balance transfer offer, you probably already know exactly how much money you want to transfer.

Unfortunately, when applying for a new credit card, you never know how much you’ll be approved for. This could be an issue if the amount you want to transfer is higher than the credit limit you’re approved for.

It’s also important to mention that American Express limits your credit limit even further for balance transfers. It does not allow transfers that exceed the lesser of $7,500 or 75% of your credit limit.

If you have existing credit card accounts with the same bank you’re using for the balance transfer offer, it might be possible to move a portion of your credit limit to increase the one on your 0% offer.

Bottom Line: You should consider any balance transfer fees, annual fees, length and terms of the promotional offer, and what to expect once the offer ends before initiating a balance transfer.

The 7 Best 0% Balance Transfer Credit Cards

Chase Freedom Flex Upgraded Points LLC — Image Credit: Upgraded Points

Now, let’s dive into the details of each of our selected cards to give you an idea of what you can expect if you apply for any of these products.

1. Chase Freedom Unlimited®

The Freedom Unlimited card offers a 0% Intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers, then a variable APR of 19.74% - 28.49%. This card also has a $0 annual fee. There is a balance transfer fee of 5% of the amount transferred with a minimum of $5.

The Freedom Unlimited card comes with a fantastic rewards program and lots of benefits. It earns an unlimited 1.5% cash-back on all purchases. There is no minimum amount to redeem your cash-back, and your rewards will not expire as long as you have the card.

This rewards program is somewhat unique because you are actually earning Chase Ultimate Rewards points calculated for earning cash-back. You earn 1.5x points per $1 spent, which equates to 1.5 cents cash-back.

It also earns:

5% cash-back on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards
5% cash-back on Lyft purchases through March 31, 2025
3% cash-back on dining
3% cash-back on drugstores

If you have other credit cards that earn Chase Ultimate Rewards points that participate in the travel rewards program, you can take advantage of those exclusive benefits with these points.

You can transfer your Chase Ultimate Rewards points earned from your Freedom Unlimited card to a travel rewards card like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card credit card to unlock more rewards.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred card offers 25% more value for your points when you use them for travel through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal, and those points can be transferred directly to a number of airline and hotel loyalty programs.

Hot Tip: It’s important to remember that this card and all of Chase’s Ultimate Rewards credit cards fall under the 5/24 rule.

The card also comes with excellent purchase protection to cover your new purchases at 0% interest (and even beyond that). It covers up to 120 days against theft and accidental damage of up to $500 per claim and $50,000 per account.

It also extends the U.S. manufacturer’s warranty on all purchases by an additional year on eligible warranties of 3 years or less.

These protections do not apply to purchases made on another account involved in the balance transfer offer.

2. Chase Freedom Flex℠

The Freedom Flex card comes with a 0% Intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers, then a variable APR of 19.74% - 28.49%. Like the Freedom Unlimited card, you’ll earn Ultimate Rewards calculated as cash-back. When paired with a credit card like the Chase Sapphire Reserve®, you’ll be able to transfer those points to hotel and airline partners in order to maximize your redemptions.

The card has a specialized earning system:

5% cash-back on a rotating quarterly calendar
5% cash-back on Lyft purchases through March 31, 2025
3% cash-back at drugstores
3% cash-back on dining
1% cash-back on all other purchases

It also comes with purchase protection, extended warranty, zero fraud liability protection, cell phone protection, and travel insurance.

3. Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express

The Amex Blue Cash Preferred card is an awesome cash-back credit card you should consider adding to your wallet, especially if you’re also looking for a solid balance transfer promotion.

There’s a 0% for 12 months on balance transfer from the date of account opening, then a variable rate of 18.99% - 29.99% available on this card.

Currently, you’ll also earn up to 6% cash-back on your purchases:

6% cash-back at U.S. supermarkets (up to $6,000 per year)
6% cash-back on select U.S. streaming subscriptions
3% cash-back on transit
3% cash-back at U.S. gas stations
1% cash-back on other purchases

There are also 2 statement credits:

$7 per month after spending $12.99 or more each month on a subscription to The Disney Bundle. Enrollment required.
$10 per month in Equinox+ credits. Enrollment required.

Other benefits include secondary rental car insurance, access to Global Assist, return protection, fraud protection, and fee-free authorized user cards (rates and fees).

4. Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express

The Amex Blue Cash Everyday card happens to be the stripped-down version of the Amex Blue Cash Preferred card, but the balance transfer promotion is actually better on this card!

It has a 0% intro APR on balance transfers for 15 months from the date of account opening. After that, 18.99% - 29.99% variable APR, as well as up to 3% cash-back rewards:

3% cash-back at U.S. supermarkets (up to $6,000 in purchases every calendar year)
3% cash-back on U.S. online retail purchases (up to $6,000 in purchases every calendar year)
3% cash-back at U.S. gas stations (up to $6,000 in purchases every calendar year)
1% cash-back on other purchases

There are also 2 sets of statement credits with the Amex Blue Cash Everyday card:

$7 back each month after spending $12.99 or more each month on an eligible subscription to The Disney Bundle. Enrollment required.
$15 per month in Home Chef credits. Enrollment required.

Lastly, you’ll find secondary rental car coverage, purchase protection, and fee-free authorized user cards (rates and fees)

5. Citi® Double Cash Card

Another fantastic choice is the Double Cash card.

This card comes with a 0% intro APR on balance transfers for 18 months. After that, the variable APR will be 18.99% - 28.99%. Balance transfers must be done within 4 months of account opening to qualify for this introductory 0% APR.

Just like the name suggests, it earns 2% cash-back on every purchase (1% when you buy and 1% when you pay). Cash-back is earned in the form of ThankYou Points. This means each billing cycle, you will earn 1 ThankYou Point per $1 spent on purchases and an additional ThankYou Point for every $1 paid on your purchase balance as long as there is a corresponding balance in your Purchase Tracker.

There’s also an introductory balance transfer fee of 3% (minimum is $5) on transfers completed within the first 4 months of account opening.

Other benefits include contactless payments, digital wallets, $0 liability protection, and access to Citi Entertainment.

6. Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card

The Citi Diamond Preferred card wins for the longest-term 0% balance transfer promotional offer.

The Citi Diamond Preferred card does not have a rewards program but does offer some of the best long-term 0% balance transfer APR promotions available.

7. The Amex EveryDay® Preferred Credit Card

Here’s a look at the rewards you’ll earn:

3x points at U.S. supermarkets on the first $6,000 per year (1x after that)
2x points at U.S. gas stations
1x points on other purchases
Earn a 50% bonus on earned points when at least 30 transactions are made on the card within the billing month

These points are a part of the flexible and valuable American Express Membership Rewards program.

Membership Rewards points can be used for all sorts of travel rewards, including transferring directly to one of the Amex travel partners. You can also use points for retail, dining, and entertainment purchases online.

There’s also a bonus for using your card regularly. When you use your card 30 times for purchases in a billing period, you will earn 50% more points that will be credited on a subsequent statement.

If you’re able to reach this threshold, you’ll earn up to 4.5x points at U.S. supermarkets (up to $6,000 in purchases/year), 3x points at U.S. gas stations, and 1.5x points on all other purchases.

This card comes with a wide variety of additional benefits that add extra protection for your purchases. These include extended warranty protection, additional purchase protection, car rental insurance, and no foreign transaction fees (rates and fees).

Hot Tip: Welcome offers add tremendous value to a 0% APR card so always check for the best offer and complete minimum spending requirements after you’re approved for the card to earn your bonus.

Final Thoughts

Taking advantage of a 0% balance transfer offer by getting a new credit card will save you a ton of money by avoiding high-interest charges on your current credit cards.

As we’ve described, it’s important to consider the length of the offer, any other fees associated with the card and balance transfer, and what the interest charges will be once the promotional rate ends.

It’s a bonus when some of these cards extend the 0% APR rate to purchases for the length of the offer, providing even more opportunities for you to save on interest charges.

It gets even better yet when some of these 0% balance transfer credit cards also earn travel reward points for purchases (but not balance transfers).

For the car rental collision damage coverage benefit of the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express, Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express and The Amex EveryDay® Preferred Credit Card, eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. Car rental loss or damage coverage is offered through American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.

For the extended warranty and purchase protection benefit of The Amex EveryDay® Preferred Credit Card and Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express, eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.

For the return protection benefit of the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express, eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details.

For the Global Assist Hotline benefit of the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express, you can rely on Global Assist Hotline 24 hours a day / 7 days a week for medical, legal, financial or other select emergency coordination and assistance services while traveling more than 100 miles away from your home. Third-party service costs may be your responsibility. Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Card Members are responsible for the costs charged by third-party service providers.

The information regarding the The Amex EveryDay® Preferred Credit Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.

For rates and fees of the Blue Cash Everyday® from American Express, click here.
For rates and fees of the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express, click here.

2 comments

Nancy May 27, 2021

Chase and Amex do not currently have offers for 0% APR! Please update the info.

- Jarrod West May 27, 2021
  
  Hi Nancy,
  
  I’m not sure what information you’re seeing on your end. But I can confirm that both Chase and Amex do currently have 0% intro APR offers on select credit cards right now. In fact, the Chase Freedom Unlimited card lists a 0% intro APR for 15 months directly on the Chase website, and the Amex EveryDay Preferred card lists a 0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months directly on its website.