Excellent Balance Transfer Credit Cards - 0% Intro APRs & No Annual Fees
Director and personal finance analyst for The Ascent by The Motley Fool. He has 15 years of finance experience and holds an MBA from George Washington University.
Balance transfer credit cards are one of the fastest and easiest ways to pay off debt. You could save hundreds, or even thousands, by transferring an existing high-interest balance to a credit card with a 0% intro APR offer. For example, if you have $10,000 in credit card debt, applying for a balance transfer credit card and taking advantage of a 0% intro APR offer could mean saving as much as $1,863 in interest charges!
Our top picks for balance transfer cards all offer 0% APR on both balance transfers and purchases for a full year and a half and have $0 annual fees. Each card also provides free online access to your FICO® Score so you can monitor the progress you’re making to build your credit.
*Important: Is your credit score below 670? If so, you’re less likely to get approved for these cards — but visit this page for our top-rated cards for building your credit.
Our top balance transfer credit card picks:
Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor.
Bottom Line
- Long 0% intro APR offer
- No annual fee
- FICO® Score for free
- No penalty APR
Rewards
None
Annual Fee
$0
Intro APR
Purchases: 0%, 18 billing cycles
Balance Transfers: 0% Intro APR for 18 billing cycles for any balance transfers made in the first 60 days
Ongoing APR
12.99% - 22.99% Variable
Welcome Bonus
None
Highlights
- 0% Introductory APR for 18 billing cycles for purchases, and for any balance transfers made in the first 60 days. After the intro APR offer ends, 12.99% - 22.99% Variable APR will apply. A 3% fee (min $10) applies to all balance transfers
- No annual fee
- No penalty APR. Paying late won't automatically raise your interest rate (APR). Other account pricing and terms apply
- Access your FICO® Score for free within Online Banking or your Mobile Banking app
- Contactless Cards - The security of a chip card, with the convenience of a tap
Unique Card Feature We Love: No Penalty APR
It’s common for credit card issuers to slap late-paying cardholders with a raised APR. The BankAmericard® says that a tardy remuneration won’t automatically hike a customer’s APR, so cardholders shouldn’t have a heart attack if they aren’t timely with a payment.
Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor.
Bottom Line
- Balance transfer offer
- Rotating bonus cash back
- No annual fee
- FICO® Score for free
Rewards
5% cash back at different places each quarter up to the quarterly maximum when you activate. 1% unlimited cash back on all other purchases - automatically
Annual Fee
$0
Intro APR
Purchases: 0%, 6 months
Balance Transfers: 0%, 18 months
Ongoing APR
11.99% - 22.99% Variable APR
Welcome Bonus
Discover will match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year.
Highlights
- INTRO OFFER: Unlimited Cashback Match – only from Discover. Discover will automatically match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year! There’s no minimum spending or maximum rewards. You could turn $150 cash back into $300.
- Earn 5% cash back on everyday purchases at different places each quarter like Amazon.com, grocery stores, restaurants, gas stations and when you pay using PayPal, up to the quarterly maximum when you activate. Plus, earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases – automatically.
- Redeem cash back any amount, any time. Rewards never expire.
- #1 Most Trusted Credit Card according to Investor’s Business Daily.
- Get your free Credit Scorecard with your FICO® Credit Score, number of recent inquiries and more.
- No annual fee.
- Discover is accepted nationwide by 99% of the places that take credit cards.
Unique Card Feature We Love: 5% Cash Back + Cash Back Match
Most people using balance-transfer cards ditch them after the APR promo expires but there’s no need to do so with Discover it® Balance Transfer since it also features one of the leading cash-back programs. You can earn 5% cash back at different places each quarter like grocery stores, restaurants, gas stations, and online shopping up to the quarterly maximum ($1,500 of spending) each time you activate the rotating category. Discover will also match all the cash back earned during the first year for new cardholders!
Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor.
Bottom Line
- 0% intro APR
- No annual fee
- Free FICO® Score
Rewards
N/A
Annual Fee
$0
Intro APR
Purchases: 0%, 18 months
Balance Transfers: 0%, 18 months
Ongoing APR
14.74% - 24.74%, variable
Welcome Bonus
N/A
Highlights
- 0% Intro APR for 18 months on purchases from date of account opening and 0% Intro APR for 18 months on balance transfers from date of first transfer. After that the variable APR will be 14.74% - 24.74%, based on your creditworthiness. Balance transfers must be completed within 4 months of account opening.
- There is a balance transfer fee of either $5 or 3% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater
- Get free access to your FICO® Score online.
- With Citi Entertainment®, get special access to purchase tickets to thousands of events, including concerts, sporting events, dining experiences and more.
- Shop with confidence knowing that you have dependable protection benefits, including $0 Liability on Unauthorized Charges and Citi® Identity Theft Solutions.
- The standard variable APR for Citi Flex Plan is 14.74% - 24.74%, based on your creditworthiness. Citi Flex Plan offers are made available at Citi's discretion.
Unique Card Feature We Love: Choose Your Payment Due Date
A little flexibility can go a long way when it comes to managing your finances. The Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card lets you choose from any available payment date, whether it's in the beginning, middle, or end of the month. That way, you can set up automatic payments that are aligned with your paycheck.
Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor.
Bottom Line
- Long 0% intro APR offer
- No annual fee
- FICO® Score for free
- Mobile phone protection
Rewards
N/A
Annual Fee
$0
Intro APR
Purchases: 0% intro APR, 18 months from account opening
Balance Transfers: 0% intro APR, 18 months on qualifying balance transfers
Ongoing APR
16.49%-24.49% (Variable)
Welcome Bonus
N/A
Highlights
- 0% intro APR for 18 months from account opening on purchases and qualifying balance transfers, then a 16.49% to 24.49% variable APR; balance transfers made within 120 days qualify for the intro rate and fee
- $0 Annual Fee
- Get up to $600 protection on your cell phone (subject to $25 deductible) against covered damage or theft when you pay your monthly cellular telephone bill with your Wells Fargo Platinum card
- Easy access to your FICO® Credit Score with Wells Fargo Online®
- Monitor your spending, purchases and any suspicious activity with text and email alerts and notifications
- Convenient tools to help create a budget and manage your spending with My Money Map
- Select "Apply Now" to learn more about the product features, terms and conditions
Unique Card Feature We Love: Cell Phone Protection
This feature is unique to Wells Fargo. As long as you sign up to pay your cell phone bill with your Wells Fargo Platinum Visa card, your cell phone is insured. If it’s damaged or stolen, you’ll receive up to $600 in protection with a $25 deductible.
How to erase $1,863 of interest charges
A long balance transfer offer can help you chip away at debt balances as you pocket some savings while avoiding interest charges. Here's a comparison of how you could save $1,863 of interest charges by putting your finances first and paying off transferred debt or purchase balances during the 0% intro APR period versus paying off balances at a 19% APR:
| Debt Balance Scenario | Monthly Payment | APR Offer | Interest Charges | Months to Pay Off |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $10,000, promo APR | $556 | 0%, 18 months | $0 | 18 |
| $10,000, no promo APR | $556 | 19% on all balances | $1,863 | 22 |
*Your approved card APR may vary from 19%.
About the Author
Co-founder and personal finance industry analyst for The Ascent by The Motley Fool, a new online publisher of the year award recipient in 2017. Prior to that, he was a Director for The Motley Fool. He has 15 years of finance experience under his belt and has published over 800 educational and research articles that have appeared on websites such as MSN, AOL, and Yahoo Finance. He holds an MBA in Finance from George Washington University.
The Ascent is reader-supported: we may earn a commission from offers on this page. It’s how we make money. But our editorial integrity ensures our experts’ opinions aren’t influenced by compensation. Terms may apply to offers listed on this page.
We’re firm believers in the Golden Rule, which is why editorial opinions are ours alone and have not been previously reviewed, approved, or endorsed by included advertisers.
The Ascent does not cover all offers on the market. Editorial content from The Ascent is separate from The Motley Fool editorial content and is created by a different analyst team.
The Motley Fool has a Disclosure Policy. The Author and/or The Motley Fool may have an interest in companies mentioned.
