5 Best Balance Transfer Credit Cards (0% APR + No Transfer Fee) - MoneyPantry (2024)

5 Best Balance Transfer Credit Cards (0% APR + No Transfer Fee) - MoneyPantry (1)When you patronize a couple of credit cards for the benefits offered by each, you wish to have a card that allows you to clear all your debts by paying minimum possible interest.

That’s where balance transfer credit cards come into play.

A balance transfer credit card allows you to consolidate all your debts. It enables you to transfer balances from cards with higher rates of interest to one with lower rates of interest.

Consolidating debts becomes easy with such a card but you need to consider many things including the fee for transferring balances.

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Choosing the Right Card

A balance transfer card is meant to save you money, so it is important to take everything into account before choosing one.

Here are somethings you need to keep in mind when shopping for one.

  • Which card you intend transferring from?
    A very common practice among card issuing companies is that they don’t allow their credit holders to transfer their balance from one of their cards to another issued by them. It means you can’t transfer your dues from one Citi card to another Citi card. So, you’ll need to have credit cards from two or more different banks.
  • Comparing APRs
    Whichever card you may choose, you’ll need to pay transfer fee. So, look for one that charges minimum and offers longest time for making your payments. The fee may vary from three to five percent.

The main benefit of balance transfer credit cards is that they help merging your balances from various credit cards to one card. Consequently, at the end of every month you pay all your creditors in one stroke.

Top 5 Balance Transfer Credit Cards with No Transfer Fees

There are many balance transfer cards on the market, each offering its exclusive features and designed to attract new customers with exciting introductory offers. But the following 5 are the top transfer credit cards with no transfer fee currently available in the market:

1. Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card

5 Best Balance Transfer Credit Cards (0% APR + No Transfer Fee) - MoneyPantry (2)
New members will find offers from the Citi® Diamond® Preferred card attractive. It makes a prolonged introductory balance transfer offer of eighteen months wherein they are not charged interest on balance transfers. Of course, the balance transfer fee of three percent needs consideration.

Though this card doesn’t carry any overgenerous features, it offers a 24/7 personal concierge that could be helpful for shopping.

Features:

  • No annual fee is charged.
  • For the initial eighteen months, new members pay 0% APR on balance transfers plus purchases.
  • The 3% fee for balance is subject to a minimum of $5.
  • APR varies from 11.99% to 21.99%*

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2. Discover it® Card

5 Best Balance Transfer Credit Cards (0% APR + No Transfer Fee) - MoneyPantry (3)
The most attractive part of the offer from this card is 0% introductory APR on balance transfers for 14 months. Fee for balance transfer is three percent.

Though the Discover card is not as popular as others, its patrons are delighted by the outstanding services it offers.

It doesn’t charge you any annual fee or any fee for foreign transactions. It also carries reward points for those who clear their debts fast.

Features:

  • No annual fee is applicable.
  • For the first eighteen months, new members pay 0% APR on balance transfers plus purchases.
  • It charges balance transfer fee @ 3%
  • It carries the usual variable APR of 10.99% to 22.99%*

3. Citi Simplicity® Card

5 Best Balance Transfer Credit Cards (0% APR + No Transfer Fee) - MoneyPantry (4)
Citi Simplicity® Card, true to its name, has a very utilitarian approach. It doesn’t charge you an annual fee. Additionally, you are not charged any late fee and there is no penalty imposed when you miss making a payment, allowing you to deal with your debt calmly.

There’s bonus for signing up. You are not required to pay interest on balance transfers or purchases for initial eighteen months.

Features:

  • There is no annual fee
  • For the initial eighteen months, new members pay 0% APR on balance transfers plus purchases.
  • The 3% fee for balance is subject to a minimum of $5.
  • Normally variable APR of 12.99% to 21.99%*
  • They don’t charge late fees and there’s no penalty rate either.

4. Slate® From Chase

5 Best Balance Transfer Credit Cards (0% APR + No Transfer Fee) - MoneyPantry (5)
This card also doesn’t charge any annual fee and has an attractive introductory offer. Right now it offers 0% initial interest rate on balance transfer and doesn’t charge its patrons any balance transfer fee for the initial sixty days of signing.

New Slate card members are exempted from paying interest charges on consolidating their debts during the first fifteen months. They are not charged for transferring any high-interest debt on their hands.

Features:

  • There’s no annual fee charged.
  • There is no APR for initial 15 months on purchases and balance transfers.
  • No balance transfer fee for transfers completed during the first 60 days of opening the account.
  • It carries variable APR of 11.99% to 21.99%.

5. Capital One® Platinum Prestige Credit Card

5 Best Balance Transfer Credit Cards (0% APR + No Transfer Fee) - MoneyPantry (6)
This card comes with a 0% initial APR till May 2015 on balance transfers plus 0% initial APR until May 2015 on purchases. There is no annual fee but you are charged three percent balance transfer fee and there is fee for making transactions on any of its products.

Features:

  • No annual fee is charged.
  • The charge for balance transfer fee is three percent.
  • Initial APR on all purchases until May 2015 is zero.
  • No fees charged for foreign transactions.

Final Words

You should realize that an offer of 0% balance transfer is not a long lasting solution to the troubles of credit card debt. Though these help you in hours of crisis, you should learn to manage your personal funds.

Look for a card that will prove helpful in the long run. Though the key reason for patronizing such a card is to reduce your burden of interest, it’s worth considering the benefits and awards that come with different products.

If the deals from two companies are similar, it makes sense to opt for one that rewards you better.

You may like retaining it even after debt is cleared!

Another motive for doing it is that your credit score also partly takes into account the age of your accounts. The older the accounts, the more helpful it is for improving your credit score. That’s why it is not recommended to frequently open or close accounts.

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5 Best Balance Transfer Credit Cards (0% APR + No Transfer Fee) - MoneyPantry (2024)

FAQs

Are there any balance transfer cards with no transfer fee? ›

The best credit card with no balance transfer fee is the ESL Visa® Credit Card because it gives you a year to pay off your balance transfer interest-free and has a low ongoing APR of 13.50%-17.99% variable APR. Citi is an advertising partner.

Do balance transfers hurt credit score? ›

Balance transfers won't hurt your credit score directly, but applying for a new card could affect your credit in both good and bad ways. As the cornerstone of a debt-reduction plan, a balance transfer can be a very smart move in the long-term.

What is one disadvantage of a 0% interest balance transfer card? ›

Paying on time is always important, but with a balance-transfer card, failing to do so could cost you your zero percent offer and prematurely subject your balance to the go-to APR or an even higher penalty rate that dwarfs what you were paying on your old card. That's on top of any late fees the card charges.

Is a balance transfer for 0% APR good? ›

A credit card balance transfer with a 0% annual percentage rate (APR) seems like a great deal: Pay 0% APR on transferred balances for up to 21 months. These offers can, in fact, be tremendous money-saving tools if used wisely.

What is the downside of a balance transfer? ›

Yes, potential downsides to balance transfers include balance transfer fees, higher interest rates after the introductory period and the possibility of getting into more debt if you don't manage your spending habits properly.

How do I get around balance transfer fee? ›

The only way to avoid balance transfer fees is to find a card that doesn't charge them.

What is the catch to a balance transfer? ›

Ideally, the debt moves to an account with a lower interest rate or an introductory 0% APR. In many cases, a balance transfer can save you money, but there is a catch: The rate is an introductory rate, meaning that it will end after a certain period of time.

Is a balance transfer ever a good idea? ›

A balance transfer credit card is an excellent way to refinance existing credit card debt, especially since credit card interest rates can go as high as 30%. By transferring your balance to a card with a 0% intro APR, you can quickly dodge mounting interest costs and give yourself repayment flexibility.

What is a good credit score for a balance transfer? ›

It may not be possible to get approved for a balance transfer card with bad credit. Card issuers typically require a good or excellent credit score to qualify, which is a FICO® Score of 670 or higher on an 850-point scale. But there are other ways to strategically pay down credit card debt.

Why might 0% APR not be good for your credit? ›

However, a 0 percent intro APR card can hurt your credit if it causes you to carry a higher balance than usual or if you carry your balance beyond the introductory 0 percent APR period. Applying for a 0 percent intro APR card could temporarily cause your credit score to drop.

Why am I being charged interest on a 0% balance transfer? ›

The 0% offer only applied to certain transactions

If you make purchases on a credit card that only has an introductory offer for balance transfers, those purchases will begin accruing interest at the standard rate. The same goes for transferring debt to a credit card that only has an introductory offer on purchases.

What happens to an old credit card after a balance transfer? ›

After a balance transfer takes place, your old account remains open. The original card issuer will typically only close your account if you make a request for it to do so. Unless you have a good reason to cancel your old credit card, however, you may want to think twice before you close the account.

What is better 0% APR or no annual fees? ›

A 0% APR credit card can work better for you if you plan on making a large purchase and don't anticipate paying the balance anytime soon. However, if you plan on paying the balance in full after each billing cycle and want to minimize costs, then a no annual fee card would be recommended.

How many times can you do a 0% balance transfer? ›

As many as you want, as long as you stay below your credit limit. The best balance transfer credit cards give you between 60 and 120 days to transfer balances in order to qualify for the 0 percent intro APR offer, so try to transfer and pay down your balances as quickly as possible.

What happens after 0% balance transfer ends? ›

Depending on your card, the 0 percent promotional period can last from 12 to 21 months or more. After the promotional period expires, you'll start accruing interest on any unpaid balances. That includes balances that you charged or transferred to the credit card during the promotional APR period — not just new charges.

Which banks are offering 0 balance transfers? ›

Top-pick 0% balance transfer cards for new cardholders
  • Barclaycard. Longest 0% period of 29 months, plus £25 cashback if transferring over £2,500 – but if you're not pre-approved in our eligibility calculator you could get just 14 months at 0%. ...
  • M&S Bank. ...
  • Santander. ...
  • NatWest. ...
  • HSBC. ...
  • Virgin Money.
1 day ago

Is there a catch to balance transfer cards? ›

A balance transfer isn't a get-out-of-debt-free card. Balance transfers typically come with fees, and you'll likely have to pay interest on whatever balance you transfer.

What is the easiest balance transfer card to get? ›

  • Overall. Best Overall. Citi Simplicity® Card. ...
  • Good/Excellent Credit. Best for Long Intro APR with Good Credit. Wells Fargo Reflect® Card. ...
  • Best Credit Card For Fair Credit. Citi Double Cash® Card. Citi Double Cash® Card. ...
  • Students. Best for Students with Limited Credit. First Federal Community Bank College Rewards Visa® Credit Card.
Apr 25, 2024

Why are there no balance transfer offers? ›

Balance transfer qualification requirements and available offers. Balance transfer cards typically require good credit or excellent credit (scores 670 and greater) in order to qualify. While having a credit score in that range helps your qualification odds, it doesn't guarantee you'll be approved.

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