If you have a credit card with a large balance and a high interest rate, it may be wise to transfer that debt to a better credit card. Even if you have a low-interest rate credit card, you may be able to find a better one.
Alternatively, if you have multiple smaller credit cards with different payment dates, you may prefer to make one payment to help organize your finances. It’s likely, if your credit isn’t bad, that you’ve even received a few balance transfer offers in the mail.
What is a credit card balance transfer?
A balance transfer is moving the balance of one credit card to another. This is typically done to take advantage of lower interest rates or promotional offers of the new card.
Balance transfers can help reduce the amount of interest you pay by transferring high-interest balances to a card with a lower rate. However, not all offers are created equal, and some may even cost you more in the end.
Late fees, balance transfer fees, time limits, and a whole host of potential fine print can quickly get out of hand. Keep reading to learn how to decipher the good deals from the bad ones.
What does an introductory 0% APR on balance transfers really mean?
A 0% APR balance transfer credit card can be an attractive option if you’re looking to lower your monthly payment or overall interest rate. Paying no interest on credit card debt may seem like a dream come true for many borrowers.
However, there’s a lot to consider before making this decision. Banks aren’t in the habit of just handing out free money, but they will offer incentives to get your business. However, the end goal for them is always profit.
Since most 0% APR balance transfers are paid off before the introductory rate expires, banks introduced fees to ensure they still make money. The biggest fee you’re likely to encounter is the credit card’s balance transfer fee if there is one.
Balance Transfer Fees
The average balance transfer fee is around 3% of the total amount but can go as high as 5%. This upfront fee is added to the total debt transferred and needs to be paid even if the card’s balance is paid off before the intro APR expires.
Annual Fees
Another hidden fee with many credit cards, not just balance transfer credit cards, is the annual fee. This is the fee the credit card issuer charges you just for having an account with them. Many introductory offers will exclude an annual fee, but some may not.
The industry average for annual fees on all credit cards is around $58. This fee coupled with the bank’s balance transfer fee may wipe out any potential gains you get from lowering your interest rate. There are many choices available, but it’s important to read the terms and conditions. After all, the devil is in the details.
Are credit card fees negotiable?
Prior to 2009 financial regulations, banks could charge little or no fees for balance transfer cards with 0% interest rates. While this is no longer the case, you can still negotiate with credit card companies to reduce or eliminate balance transfer fees.
If you are shopping around for a good rate, it’s a good idea to call the credit card company to see if they are flexible with their terms. Customers who have used their services before and have a steady payment history can often reduce the initial transfer fee.
When should you consider a balance transfer?
As a lot of people know, it’s incredibly easy to rack up credit card debt. Maybe you’re new to credit cards and bought one too many lattes, or perhaps you got into some financial trouble. In either case, the balance is higher than you’d like.
No formula can tell you if a balance transfer credit card is right for you. However, there are some things that can help make your decision easier. Take a look at how much interest you’re paying and how long it’s going to take you to pay off the credit card debt.
Large Balance with a High Interest Rate
Having a large balance on a single credit card with a high interest rate is one reason people initiate balance transfers. It’s common to find credit card offers with 0% interest for a specific period of time, usually 6 to 12 months, though sometimes even 18 months.
After that introductory period, the interest rate will likely skyrocket. And if you fail to pay off the balance transfer in its entirety when the intro APR expires, you’ll owe interest on the balance that has not been paid.
Let’s say you transfer $1,000 to a balance transfer credit card with a 0% intro APR of for 12 months. During those 12 months, you pay half of the total bill, leaving a balance of $500. If the actual rate of the card is 15% you’ll owe that percentage of the remaining balance, or $75.
Understanding Deferred Interest
One huge mistake many people make is mistaking a deferred-interest balance transfer offer with a 0% offer. At face value, they look very much the same. However, if you have a remaining balance on a deferred interest rate, your balance will be much higher because it is based on the entirety of the amount initially transferred.
Using the same example as above, let’s say again that you’ve transferred $1,000 to a credit card with deferred interest for 12 months. In those 12 months, you pay $999, leaving you with a $1 balance. If the actual rate is 15% you’ll owe $150 on the total amount you transferred a year before, even if you’ve paid off the majority of the bill.
This is a much larger amount that can wipe out any gains you made by transferring the balance in the first place. Your interest could even exceed what you would have paid on the old card if you add the interest to your transfer fee and annual fee. Be sure to consider the total cost of the transfer before making a decision.
Do you have to make monthly payments with a 0% balance transfer?
If you transfer a balance to a credit card with no APR for a given amount of time, that means you don’t accrue interest during the promotional period. It does not, however, mean that you don’t have to make any payments. Like all credit cards, minimum monthly payments are required.
This amount is typically around 4%, though it may vary depending on your bank. The tricky part is that if the credit card company receives a late payment, even by one day in some cases, they may cancel your introductory APR. From that point on, you’ll be required to pay interest on the entire amount and the introductory period is over.
In addition to raising your interest rates and late fees, it may result in a lowering of your overall credit score. This can affect interest rates on other credit cards and loans, and even affect your ability to buy a house, rent an apartment, or buy a car. It’s important, especially with introductory balance transfer card offers, to pay all your bills on time.
Paying Off the Entire Amount
In a best-case scenario, you’d sign up for a balance transfer card with an 0% intro APR with a high enough credit limit. You’d then transfer the balance of one or more credit cards with a higher rate and pay off the entire amount before the promotion expires. This requires you to pay much more than the average 4% minimum payment you are required to make but takes the most advantage of the balance transfer.
Let’s look at an example in which you transfer a credit card balance of $1,500 from a new card with an 18.9% interest rate to a card with a 0% intro APR for 18 months. It would take you over seven years to pay off the card at an 18.9% rate if you only made the minimum payments. Plus, you’d pay over $800 in interest.
Switching to a new card with no interest for 18 months is a smart way to save money. However, if you still just make the minimum payment, it’ll take over five years to reach a zero balance. Plus, that doesn’t include the balance transfer fee or annual fee you have to pay.
If you were to make 18 equal payments in this scenario, your monthly bill would be $83.33. Even with a 3% balance transfer fee and an annual fee, the amount would be considerably less than paying off the original card in the same period.
What if you can’t find a 0% balance transfer promotion?
A zero percent promotion is not the only reason to transfer your credit balance. Branded store credit cards like clothing or furniture stores can carry much higher interest rates than traditional bank credit cards. Most branded cards carry interest rates ranging from 21% to 33%.
Moving this debt to a traditional credit card can lower your interest rate significantly, sometimes to as low as 13%. You’ll likely still be required to pay a balance transfer fee but remember, that is sometimes negotiable. If the bank knows you’ll have to pay interest on the amount for the duration of the loan, it’ll be more likely to consider reducing or eliminating the fee.
Another reason some people choose to balance transfer is to reduce the number of institutions to whom they owe money. Tracking payment dates on multiple credit cards can lead to late payments, penalties, and fees.
Moving multiple balances to one account can take the stress out of paying multiple bills. Even if you don’t save much in interest, it’s something to consider when thinking about a balance transfer.
Does transferring a balance lower your credit score?
Transferring your balance to a 0% interest or low interest credit card will most likely not lower your credit score. You may take a temporary hit, but in the long run, it will actually increase it.
Credit reporting agencies like TransUnion, Equifax, and Experian use a lot of factors to determine your creditworthiness. One of those factors is how much available credit you have.
If you open a new credit card and transfer the balance, you likely still have an open line of credit with the old account. As long as you don’t close the other account, it will remain on your credit report. It will have a positive effect on your credit score as it lowers your credit utilization ratio.
However, credit card issuers may start to worry if you initiate several balance transfers on the same card. You may want to consider opening another 0% APR balance transfer card with if you can’t repay your entire transferred balance before the introductory period expires. That way you get another 12 months to pay it off.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does a balance transfer work?
To do a balance transfer, you request the transfer from the new card issuer, and they will pay off the balance of your old card. You will then owe the new card issuer the same balance amount, but at a potentially lower interest rate. You will also be responsible for any balance transfer fees associated with the transaction.
What is a balance transfer credit card?
A balance transfer credit card is a type of credit card that allows you to transfer the balance of one credit card to another. A balance transfer with this type of card usually requires a one-time fee, and there is generally a promotional period of 0% interest on the balance transferred. After the promotional period is over, a regular interest rate will apply.
What are the benefits of a balance transfer card?
The main benefit of a balance transfer card is that it can help you pay off your debt faster by taking advantage of the lower interest rate. Additionally, balance transfer cards can help you save money on interest charges and help you manage your debt more effectively.
Is there a fee for balance transfer credit cards?
Most balance transfer cards will have a fee associated with them. This fee is typically a percentage of the balance you are transferring, and it can range from 0% to 3%.
Bottom Line
Initiating a balance transfer from one credit card to another, especially one with a low transfer rate, can significantly reduce your payments. It can help you pay off your debts faster and can even eliminate accruing any interest as long as you pay the debt within the allotted time.
However, it’s wise to shop around and even more important to read the terms and conditions. A 6 or 12-month plan may be more advantageous than an 18-month plan if the fees are much lower.
Don’t just pick a card with the longest APR. Instead, make sure you know exactly what you’ll be paying over the entirety of the program. Avoid these pitfalls and you could save yourself a ton of money. But choose a plan that’s not right for you, and you could end up paying a lot more than you ever expected.
