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A balance transfer can provide some much-needed relief if you’re struggling under a mountain of credit card debt. Transferring your balance to a card with a 0% intro APR period can help you pay down debt faster since every dollar goes toward reducing principal instead of interest.
However, not all balance transfer credit cards are created equal. You’ll want to consider intro APR length, balance transfer fees, and potential rewards. The right card for you depends on your financial situation and goals.
We’ve compiled this list of top picks to help you find the best balance transfer card for your needs. These cards all have 0% promotional offers between 12-21 months.
The best balance transfer credit cards
Shopping around for balance transfer credit cards can help you find better terms and save money in the long run. These are some of the top cards:
- Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card
- Discover It® Balance Transfer
- Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express
- Chase Slate Edge℠
- Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card
- Wells Fargo Reflect® Card
Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card
| Card details | |
|---|---|
| Intro 0% APR offer |
|
| Balance transfer fee |
|
| Regular APR | 19.99%-29.99% variable ongoing APR |
| Credit needed | Good to excellent credit |
The Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card stands out for its combination of a long 0% intro APR offer with flat-rate cash back rewards.
This card offers 1.5% cash back on purchases and a fairly easy-to-earn welcome bonus. There are also no annual fees or foreign transaction fees to worry about.
Discover It® Balance Transfer
| Card details | |
|---|---|
| Intro 0% APR offer |
|
| Balance transfer fee |
|
| Regular APR | 17.24%-28.24% variable APR |
| Credit score needed | Good to excellent |
This card offers a 0% introductory APR for 15 months on balance transfers and purchases. But unlike other balance transfer cards, Discover offers cash back rewards for its card. You’ll earn 5% cash back on activated rotating categories each quarter (up to a $1,500 quarterly spending limit, then 1%). You’ll also earn 1% cash back on all other purchases.
Discover will also match your cash back earned at the end of the first 12 months. This card doesn’t have any annual fees.
Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express
| Card details | |
|---|---|
| Intro 0% APR offer |
|
| Regular APR | 19.24%-29.99% variable ongoing APR |
| Balance transfer fee | 3% (or $5, whichever is greater) |
| Credit score needed | Good to excellent |
The Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express offers high cash back on everyday spending categories.
You’ll earn 6% cash back on U.S. supermarket purchases (up to $6,000 per year, then 1 percent) and select U.S. streaming subscriptions. Earn 3% cash back at U.S. gas stations and on transit purchases and 1% back on all other purchases.
Cash back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit or on Amazon.com at checkout.
This card has a $95 annual fee but has a $0 introductory fee for the first year. See rates and fees.
Chase Slate Edge℠
| Card details | |
|---|---|
| Intro 0% APR offer |
|
| Regular APR | 20.49%-29.24% variable ongoing APR |
| Balance transfer fee | 3% (or $5, whichever is greater) |
| Credit score needed | Good to excellent |
The Chase Slate Edge has no annual fees and offers an introductory 0% APR for the first 18 months. You can also lower your APR by 2% each year if you pay on time and spend at least $1,000 on your credit card before the account anniversary.
Chase also makes it easy to receive a higher credit limit within the first six months. They will review your activity to see if you paid on time and spent at least $500 within six months. If you fulfill those requirements, you can have a higher credit limit.
Chase also helps people stay on top of their credit with Chase Credit. You will receive your latest score, real-time alerts, and other features for free.
Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card
| Card details | |
|---|---|
| Intro 0% APR offer |
|
| Regular APR | 18.24% – 28.99% ongoing variable APR |
| Balance transfer fee | 5% (or $5, whichever is greater) |
| Credit score needed | Good to excellent |
With an intro 0% term lasting almost 2 years, the Citi Diamond Preferred gives you ample time to pay off high-interest card balances. The lack of an annual fee is also attractive for a card focused on balance transfers and debt consolidation rather than earning rewards.
Wells Fargo Reflect® Card
| Card details | |
|---|---|
| Intro 0% APR offer |
|
| Regular APR | 18.24%, 24.74%, or 29.99% ongoing variable APR |
| Balance transfer fee | 5% fee (minimum $5) |
| Credit score needed | Good to excellent credit |
The Wells Fargo Reflect Card offers one of the longest 0% intro APR offers on the market. While you won’t earn any rewards, this card has no annual fee and perks like cell phone protection.
This card’s ongoing APR could be lower than comparable balance transfer cards, depending on approval.
How do balance transfer credit cards work?
The big incentive is that your new card offers a 0% introductory APR on balance transfers for a set period of time — usually between 12-21 months. During this intro period, you pay no interest on the transferred amount.
- Every dollar you pay goes towards reducing the principal balance instead of excessive interest fees. This helps you become debt-free much faster.
- Another lesser-known benefit? Opening a balance transfer card can often increase your total credit limit. That’s because when you open a new card, you often hold onto your old card.
- Having two credit cards will improve your credit utilization ratio, a component that makes up 30% of your credit score. Paying off your balance without interest can also raise your credit score.
To initiate a balance transfer, you will have to work with a different bank. If you already have a credit card with Chase, you can’t get a balance transfer credit card from Chase.
Balance transfers also aren’t free, says Andy Kraft, certified financial planner at Luminary Wealth.
“You generally pay a 3% fee to transfer the balance, which could be a big fee depending on the account balance size,” he says.
That’s why it’s important to read the fine print before signing up for a balance transfer card — and make sure you can pay off your balance before the introductory period is over.
The bottom line
Balance transfer credit cards can help you pay off debt quickly. You can capitalize on promotional periods with no interest for a year or more. You can save a lot of money if you commit to paying off the credit card in full before the promotional period ends.
However, balance transfers can enable poor financial habits and result in long-term debt due to fees and higher interest rates if you don’t pay off your balance by the end of the promotional period.
Review your budget and make sure you can pay the card in full before the 0% interest rate window closes. Comparing credit cards can help you find a card that is right for you.
Opinions expressed are author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included in the post.