Best Balance Transfer Credit Cards

Up-to-date as of: Jun 20, 2013

The best balance transfer credit cards are those that have the longest introductory periods and/or the lowest balance transfer fees. Most balance transfer offers do not provide both, however, so the products listed below are those that our editors identified as striking the best combination of long 0% intro periods and low or no balance transfer fees. No matter the card you eventually choose, we strongly recommend that you plan to pay off your balance in full before the intro period concludes because interest rates usually spike once this occurs. Read more about our Editor's Picks for the Best Balance Transfer Credit Cards.

Never Miss a Deal!
Get Alerts for The Best Credit Card Deals

More Options?
Compare All Balance Transfer Credit Cards

Excellent Credit

Slate® From Chase

Transfer Intro APR: 0% for 15 months
- Transfer Fee: None
Regular APR: 11.99% - 21.99% (V)
Annual Fee: None
Rewards: None
Editor's Notes: The Slate Card is what's known as a free balance transfer credit card, as it offers a 0% introductory rate and charges neither a balance transfer fee nor an annual fee. These unusually attractive terms stand to save the average consumer as much as $1,000 in fees and finance charges. A credit card calculator can give you a more exact sense of how valuable the Slate Card will be in your particular situation.…more
Learn More »

Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card

Transfer Intro APR: 0% for 18 months
- Transfer Fee: 3% (min $5)
Regular APR: 11.99% - 21.99% (V)
Annual Fee: $0*
Rewards: None
Editor's Notes: The Citi Diamond Preferred Card offers the longest 0% introductory term on the credit card market, at 18 months. While the 0% rate applies to balance transfers as well as new transactions, it’s best suited for the latter purpose given its 3% balance transfer fee. To maximize this card’s value, use a credit card calculator to determine the monthly payments you’ll need to make in order to pay off your balance before regular rates begin to eat away at your savings.…more
Learn More »

Discover it® - 0% for 18 Months on Balance Transfers

Transfer Intro APR: 0% for 18 months
- Transfer Fee: 3%
Regular APR: 10.99% - 22.99% (V)
Annual Fee: $0
Rewards: Cash Back
Learn More »

Capital One® Platinum Prestige Credit Card

Transfer Intro APR: 0% until September 2014
- Transfer Fee: 3%
Regular APR: 10.9% - 18.9% (V)
Annual Fee: None
Rewards: None
Learn More »

Good Credit

Capital One® Platinum Prestige Credit Card

Transfer Intro APR: 0% until September 2014
- Transfer Fee: 3%
Regular APR: 10.9% - 18.9% (V)
Annual Fee: None
Rewards: None
Learn More »

Citi ThankYou® Card

Transfer Intro APR: 0% for 15 months
- Transfer Fee: 3% (min $5)
Regular APR: 12.99% - 22.99% (V)
Annual Fee: $0*
Rewards: Points
Learn More »

Fair Credit

Unfortunately, there are no balance transfer credit cards for people with fair credit. Below is the best credit card for people with fair credit.

Capital One® Cash Rewards for Newcomers

Transfer Intro APR: N/A
- Transfer Fee: None
Regular APR: 24.9% (V)
Annual Fee: None
Rewards: Cash Back
Editor's Notes: Finding a card with no annual fee should be the biggest concern for inexperienced consumers, as issuers often like to use fixed costs to offset the risk posed by this unproven demographic. If a card happens to offer any rewards or low rates to speak of, that’s just gravy. The Capital One Cash Rewards Card for Newcomers is therefore ideal as it doesn’t charge an annual fee and offers 2% cash back on travel as well as 1% on everything else.…more
Learn More »

Limited History

College Students

Unfortunately, there are no balance transfer credit cards for people with limited credit. Below is the best credit card for people with limited credit.

Journey^SM Student Rewards from Capital One®

Transfer Intro APR: N/A
- Transfer Fee: None
Regular APR: 19.8% (V)
Annual Fee: None
Rewards: Cash Back
Editor's Notes: Not only does the Capital One Journey Student Rewards Card offer straightforward, lucrative rewards without charging an annual fee, it also promotes good habits. You get a 25% rewards bonus each month you make an on-time payment, and getting in the habit of paying for what you spend early in your credit career will put you on the path to excellent credit as well as save you a lot of money in interest in the years to come (assuming you pay your bill in full as well as on time, which we highly recommend).…more
Learn More »

Non-College Students

Unfortunately, there are no balance transfer credit cards for people with limited credit. Below is the best credit card for people with limited credit.

Capital One® Cash Rewards for Newcomers

Transfer Intro APR: N/A
- Transfer Fee: None
Regular APR: 24.9% (V)
Annual Fee: None
Rewards: Cash Back
Editor's Notes: Finding a card with no annual fee should be the biggest concern for inexperienced consumers, as issuers often like to use fixed costs to offset the risk posed by this unproven demographic. If a card happens to offer any rewards or low rates to speak of, that’s just gravy. The Capital One Cash Rewards Card for Newcomers is therefore ideal as it doesn’t charge an annual fee and offers 2% cash back on travel as well as 1% on everything else.…more
Learn More »

Bad Credit

Secured Card

Unfortunately, there are no balance transfer credit cards for people with bad credit. Below is the best secured credit card for people with bad credit.

Capital One® Secured Mastercard®

Min Deposit: $49 - $200
Annual Fee: $29
Monthly Fee: None
One-time Setup Fees: None
Regular APR: 22.9% (V)
Editor's Notes: While the Capital One Secured MasterCard charges a higher annual fee than certain other cards in its class, the fact that it can be a partially-secured card makes it quite an attractive option for many consumers. With a partially-secured credit card, your credit line may exceed the amount of your security deposit, thereby providing you with an emergency line of credit, if needed, and enabling you to maximize your available credit. The more credit you have available, the faster your credit standing will improve. The Capital One Secured MasterCard Credit Card is therefore an option that at least merits consideration if you have bad or limited credit.…more
Learn More »

Unsecured Card

Unfortunately, there are no balance transfer credit cards for people with bad credit. Below is the best unsecured credit card for people with bad credit.

VISA® Platinum from Credit One Bank®

Annual Fee: $75 1st yr, $99 after
Monthly Fee: None
One-time Setup Fees: None
Regular APR: 23.9% (V)
Learn More »

Help others find the Best Balance Transfer Credit Card for their needs by providing recommendations, cautions, and insider tips.

Ashley Hickok: I had been using credit cards that were easy to get in order to get my credit built up, so I had a bunch of balances on bad cards that had annual fees and it was taking me forever to pay them off because of all the fees. They charges for everything! I got the Discover It card, transferred all of my balances over with 0% APR, and started paying all of it off. I can happily say that I now have no credit card debt! I use the Discover card frequently and usually pay it off every month. It is a great card!
May 20 at 10:44pm
Anonymous User: I had accumulated my highest balance yet because of school books and supplies. I don't use my card a whole lot, but when I do, I spend a lot and pay it off pretty quickly. My previous card didn't have rewards, and like I said, I don't usually buy a lot, but I figured I should be earning something. Since my balance was high (and I was about to pay my yearly fee), I decided to look for something else. I decided to go with Citi Thank You Card. I didn't realize how I was I actually paying! Not only did I have no annual fee, but I had a 0% interest rate on my balance that I transferred! The rewards were nice as well.
May 14 at 1:21pm
Anonymous User: I highly recommend the Citi Diamond Preferred Card for balance transfers. I like that the card allows users an 18 month span to to take advantage of the card's 0% APR. This gave me more time than many cards to try to pay off my balance to avoid the higher regular rate. This card does not have an annual fee, and the transfer fee is low at only 3%. The actual process of transferring my balances was simple, and the customer service department at Citi Bank is top notch. When I lost my card soon after transferring my balances, the customer service associate handled my problem quickly and efficiently. Overall, I think the Citi Diamond Preferred Card is a great choice for balance transfers.
April 29 at 3:43pm
Anonymous User: The best card for balance transfers is the Citi Bank Thank You Card. I have shopped around in the past for others but Citibank Thank You Card has all the bells and whistles for a transfer. First, they don’t charge an annual fee. Secondly there rates are a little lower than some others. The 0% APR lasts a full 15 months which was ample time to pay down some of my debt interest free for a while. You also get rewards points for every purchase that accumulate quickly and never expire. There customer support has always been nothing but helpful. Yes, I would recommend Citi Bank as the leader if you need to do a transfer.
April 29 at 2:15pm
Qing Lu: The best credit card for balance transfer I have used is Citibank Platinum MasterCard. I have used several credit cards for balance transfer, but most of them only provide at most 12-momth 0 APR. The Citibank Plantinum card, however, provides an 18-month 0 APR promotion rate, with a reasonable transaction fee (3%). I have used this Citibank card for balance transfer for three times. Basically I use two credit cards to cash out a large amount of money for investment in other areas. When it is near the end of the 0 APR period, I transfer the balance from one card to the other. The other credit card only provides 9-month or 12-month 0 APR and charges 4% or even 5% transaction fee, which always cost me a few hundred dollars more than the Citibank Plantinum card.
December 27 at 3:23pm
Liza Maceachron: The best balance transfer card I know is the Citibank MasterCard Platinum. This card offers no interest financing on all balance transfers for 18 months. This is the longest term I was able to find. After the no interest period is up your rate goes to either 9.99%, 12.99% or 15.99% depending on your credit. I was able to transfer all of my outstanding balances to this card which will assist me in quickly paying off my credit card debt. The balance transfer process was quick and easy. You can simply provide Citibank with the account information for the cards you want to pay off and they will send the money. This is a great card and I am glad I found it.
December 27 at 1:52pm
Anonymous User: I’ve written about this card before, but I definitely suggest the Citi Simplicity card for anyone with good credit who is looking to do balance transfers. There is a reason that Citibank is one of the top banks in the world, and those reasons and excellence are exactly why you too want a card from them. The application process was dead simple, and regular interest rates have been very good the whole time I’ve had the card. They also had a 0% balance transfer offer, and it wasn’t 12 or even 15 months, like so many cards, but gave a full 18 months of 0% interest (which saved me hundreds of dollars!). I highly recommend this card to anyone looking for a new credit card.
December 18 at 2:37pm
Anonymous User: For me, the Citi Forward card has been the best. Back in college, I ran up a little bit of credit card debt on silly things like clothes and stereo equipment. The interest rates were piling up! I got my Citi Forward card and transferred my old debt over. The 0% interest really helped me pay that stuff off real fast! It felt so nice to actually send them $30 or $40 or more and have that actually go to the money I owed rather than half to interest or what have you. There was a minor transfer fee, but I don’t remember it being all that much. I don’t use the card that much anymore, but I am a loyal customer now, especially after all the help I had with the customer service folks setting it up and understanding the terms.
December 3 at 2:54pm
Frank Thomas: I felt so lucky when I was offered my Citi Forward card. I had just graduated from college, and had some credit cards with horrible interest rates and was really suffering from the amount of interest I was paying! I received this card, talked with a customer service agent and started the process of transferring over the balances on my high interest cards to my new Citi Forward card. The process was simple and fast and withing no time, I had the ability to actually pay off a large amount of my credit card debt in a much faster manner, because I was paying such lower interest fees, and the majority of my payments were actually going towards paying off my debt instead of the interest. I will be loyal to Citi from now on, as they really helped me out when I needed them!
November 7 at 3:53pm
Peter Anka: For me, it has to be the Discover More Card. The promotional 0% intro alone makes it worthwhile, but the 5% cashback on transfers that you use all the time is more than worth it. But it wasn't easy getting this card, I used to have very bad credit and I worked my way up the ladder with a lot of hard work, and having this card really feels like a reward for being so responsible! The icing on the cake comes in the form of there being no annual fees, which is the one thing that can really trip people up. For me it's just like a little card that I keep with me and can use for cash rewards on every day purchases.
October 23 at 3:21pm
Frank Papageorgio: If you need to transfer a balance, definitely go with the Slate card from Chase. They currently have a deal going on right now for 0% APR on not only balance transfers, but purchases for 15 months. They also don't charge a transfer fee within the first 60 days. This is great if you are planning on paying off your balance within the first 15 months, as after that the APR could go up anywhere between 12% and 22%. On top of all that, Chase adds some additional features to your card such as fraud protection, zero liability on unauthorized purchases, and no annual fee. So it is going to be a card you'll want to keep after you pay off your balance.
October 17 at 2:40pm
Susan M. Emory: The Slate card from Chase has been THE BEST credit card when we transferred our old balances. The best part was that there was no fee to do the transfers (3 in total were transferred). I had researched many other cards, and with almost all of them, there was a transfer fee that was a percentage of what was being transferred, so this ended up being quite a bit. They also gave us a very generous credit line, and there was no annual fee. Everything was done very quickly, and the other balances paid off in full very quickly. The interest rate was very favorable for our credit rating, so we were able to concentrate on paying this down quickly with a minimum of interest charges. I highly recommend this card to anyone that needs to transfer balances.
October 17 at 2:24pm
A.j. Ferreira: I think the Citi Forward card Is a great card When I first got it I balenced transfered Two different credit cards to it and it has a much low interest rate than my other to cards saving me money. I have had the card for a little over a year with pretty much no problems. Even when I want to Portugal on a extended vacation (6 months) I was able to use and pay my card over seas. I think it is one of the best credit cards I have ever used. I really love my citi credit card and I would deffinitly keep working with citi for years to come.
September 11 at 6:58pm
Enid Cogswell: I have held this particular credit card for over 15 years. While I use it mostly for travel, every few months I will get a balance transfer offer that cannot be beat! In years past, I have made transfers to help pay down my high balance cards, at 0% for 18 months saving me a fortune in fees. I recommend this card as a way to free yourself from high interest cards. If you are good at setting up a monthly payment schedule you will be debt free in no time, while saving money on higher rates from other cards.
September 11 at 5:19pm
Nessa Selez: I applied for and used the Slate card from Chase for their balance transfer program. There is no balance transfer fee, which is extremely rare for these types of cards, and the interest rate on the transfer amount is zero percent for fifteen months. I shopped around before I decided to go with this card and could not find a better deal. Of course, I made an extra effort to pay off the balance before the interest rates kicked in, so it really worked out well for me and saved me a lot of money. Chase is a company I've done business with many times, and I've always been completely satisfied with their customer service and accessibility. I do think this is one of the best balance transfer cards out there and would recommend it to anyone looking save money by transferring a balance.
September 11 at 4:14pm
Bob Hanson: I recently did a lot of research on what card I wanted to get for transferring a balance from a higher interest card. I settled on the Discover Open Road card because they offered me a very good term of no interest and were willing to extend me the most credit. They also h I was a little hesitant about getting a Discover card because I thought it wouldn't be accepted many places. I've actually never come across a place that didn't take it and since it was primarily for a balance transfer, the possibility that 2% of places won't take it is more than acceptable.
September 5 at 4:23pm
Anonymous User: My favorite card with the best balance transfer has to be the slate card from chase. This is a great and very helpful feature of this card program because it allows you 0 percent balance transfers for 15 months. This is amazing because it provides you with a ton of flexibility, especially if you are moving across the country or initiating another major life transition. The customer service elements are really good too. All of the times that I have had issues, I called and my problems were swiftly resolved. All in all this is the best card that exemplifies this feature and I highly recommend it.
September 5 at 4:5pm
Chelee McKenna: The Slate Card from Chase is the best balance transfer card out there. They offer 0% balance transfers for 15 months. The other amazing thing about Slate Card from Chase is that there is no transfer fee. Most other cards charge at least a 3% fee on transfers. Chase sends us checks all the time to make transferring balances easy. The checks also make it easy to transfer any debt, not just credit card to credit card transfers. There were no hidden fees or charges and we use the Slate Card from Chase to transfer higher interest payments to 0% interest all the time. The one negative, that I believe is true for all cards, is that if you don’t pay off your balance in the allotted 15 months, you get charged back interest at your regular rate.
August 29 at 9:53pm
Ashley Jo Davis: I found that one of the best balance transfer cards is the Chase Slate Credit Card. I was able to transfer my balance from a different company's credit card over to my Chase Slate card interest free. The incentive was no interest rates for an entire year. This was great news for me. I was able to pay down the card a lot easier with no interest fees! I was wary at first since I had never transferred a balance before, but this was great. There were NO hidden fees or anything I had to be aware of. Everything worked out very smoothly. I would highly recommend the Chase Slate Credit Card.
August 29 at 9:29pm
John Walker: I have had excellent luck using the Capital One Platinum Prestige Credit Card to get my debts down. First I had to improve my credit a bit to qualify it, but then I transferred all of my highest interest debts to it and that helped me a ton. I managed to pay off about two thirds of it before the introductory rate expired. Right now I am thinking about how I can do a balance transfer with what remains of it. I would certainly like to avoid paying interest on my debts as much as possible. I was too foolish to understand the long term costs when I was younger, but now I have gotten smarter.
August 29 at 8:53pm
Adam Clark: Throughout my adult life I have always received the most attractive balance transfer offers from Chase Bank and its fleet of credit cards. Back in 2008 I used them to totally reorganize my financial order and used the offer to really get a handle on my finances. These days I use the balance transfer offers I receive from the Chase Freedom card to do away with high interest debt and manage it with low or 0% interest offers. Of course the terms are not as attractive and are shorter than they were in 2008 but if you know how to work these offers, you will end up alright with Chase.
August 29 at 8:28pm
Qing Lu: I have several credit cards that I have used for balance transfer, including Bank of America visa card, Costco American Express card, Chase United Mileage Plust card, Citi Expedia card, and Citi Platinum Select Card. Based on my experience with these cards, I thnk the Citi Platinum Select Card is the best. The reasons are as follows: 1. It provides me a high credit line;. 2. The balance transfer offer is available all the time (as long as I have credit);. 3. The transaction fee is no higher than other cards;. 4. The most important thing for me is that it provides an 18-month 0 APR period, which is longer than the promotional periods of other cards I have. 5. I can deposit a check to my checking account to get cash;. 6. The card has no annual fee. I have made several balance transfers with this card and used the extra cash for investment in stock market or real estate. The other cards are worse than this one in one or more aspects. For example, the BOA visa card charges a higher transaction fee. The Chase card has an annual fee. The American Express card has a shorter 0 APR period.So far, I am most satisfied with Citi Platinum Select Card for balance transfer.
August 25 at 12:48am
Anonymous User: Personal experience has convinced me that the original Discover Card is the best balance transfer credit card available. It also seems to be the most readily available. Their balance transfer offers always seem to arrive in my mailbox just when I am starting to feel the financial strain resulting from my other, high interest rate cards. Transferring high interest rate balances from either one or multiple cards onto the traditional Discover Card is a simple and fast process. I have always been given great incentives by Discover Card in the past, including a 0% APR for 12 months balance transfer offer. There are other, low rate APR for 12 months balance transfer offers available from Discover as well. Transferring balances onto the Discover Card has given me some interest rate "breathing room" while I whittle away at my credit card debt, allowing me to chip away at my sizable amounts more speedily. Being able to consolidate my debt into one card with one billing date is also a huge plus for me. I have experienced professional customer service while transferring balances onto the Discover Card, and have paid only very nominal, fair fees. The card does not charge an annual fee, and will often earn you some cash back if you decide to use it to make purchases. I would recommend this card to anyone who feels they could pay off their debt at a lower interest rate in the span of a year, as they will absolutely save a decent bit of money.
August 24 at 10:50pm
Margie Cole: The way I see it, the Slate Card from Chase is far and away the best balance transfer credit card on the market. You don’t know me from Adam, though, so I don’t expect you to take my word for it. That’s why I’m going to make my case with a good old-fashioned pro-con list. Pros - Length of 0% Term: The Slate Card offers 0% on transferred debt for 15 months, which means you’ll have enough time to pay off even fairly significant balances before high regular interest rates take effect. - NO BALANCE TRANSFER FEE: I had to throw that in all caps because having a card that offers a 0% introductory rate and doesn’t charge a transfer fee is pretty much unheard of these days. - No Annual Fee: That’s right, this card doesn’t even charge an annual fee. That means Chase is basically giving you a 0% rate to replace your current presumably high rate for free. Cons There aren’t any. Just kidding, there are but they aren’t too problematic, considering how attractive the pros are. - Regular Rate: If you don’t pay down your entire balance within 15 months and are unable to get another balance transfer card, your rate will rise to 11.99% - 21.99%, which could eat away a lot of your savings. - Staying Power: This card has to be costing Chase money, so it might not be around for that much longer. You never know, though.
August 24 at 12:5am

What is the Best Balance Transfer Credit Card for me?
In short, the best balance transfer credit card is the one that will save you the most money. Therefore in answering this question, you must consider how your current interest costs compare to the combined cost of the balance transfer credit card's APR and balance transfer fee. It's always tempting to simply apply for the balance transfer credit card with the longest introductory period. However, applying for a card and getting declined might hurt your credit score and therefore reduce your chances for approval when you try again, so make sure to apply for a balance transfer card geared toward people of your credit standing.

How large of a balance can I transfer?
The rule of thumb is that you should be able to transfer a balance equal to your largest credit line. For example, if you have three credit cards, one with a $3,000 credit line and two with $1,500 credit lines, you shouldn't count on getting approved for a balance transfer too much higher than $3,000.

For what types of debt can I use a balance transfer credit card?
Most people think that a balance transfer only works between two different credit cards. However, you can transfer any kind of debt to a balance transfer credit card as long as this debt is tied to a numbered account at a financial institution. Therefore, the best balance transfer is that which will lower your interest costs the most, whether these costs derive from an auto loan, a student loan, another credit card, etc.

About the Editors' Picks — Best Balance Transfer Credit Cards
Our editors' recommendations for the Best Balance Transfer Credit Cards are a reflection of their own subjective opinions, and they should not be relied upon as the sole basis for choosing your credit card. Certain offers originate from paying advertisers, and this will be noted on a card’s details page, when applicable. We work hard to present you with the most accurate credit card information, however, the credit card terms and conditions do not originate from us and thus we do not guarantee the accuracy of the information. Before applying for a credit card we recommend that you verify the credit card terms and conditions on the credit card company's web site. Please let us know if you have any questions or suggestions.