Best Balance Transfer Credit Cards - 0% Intro APRs & No Annual Fees
Managing Director of The Ascent. Brendan has conducted interviews with influential businesspeople, written hundreds of personal finance articles, and provided analysis on TV outlets including CNBC and Fox.
Balance transfer credit cards are quickly becoming the fastest and easiest way to pay off debt. 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 $1,987 in interest charges!
If that’s not exciting enough, paying off credit card debt faster could also help you secure an EXCELLENT CREDIT rating sooner. Even better, it only takes two minutes to apply and get started.
Transferring high-cost credit card debt to one of our picks for best balance transfer credit cards can help you chip away at debt with the power of a jackhammer.
Our top balance transfer credit card picks:
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.
- Annual Fee: $0
- Regular APR: 13.49% - 24.49% Variable
- Intro APR: Purchases: 0%, 6 months Balance Transfers: 0%, 18 months
Highlights
- INTRO OFFER: Discover will match ALL the cash back you've earned at the end of your first year, automatically. There's no signing up. And no limit to how much is matched.
- Earn 5% cash back at different places each quarter like gas stations, grocery stores, restaurants, Amazon.com and more up to the quarterly maximum, each time you activate. Plus, earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases - automatically.
- Redeem cash back any amount, any time. Rewards never expire.
- 100% U.S. based customer service.
- Get your free Credit Scorecard with your FICO® Credit Score, number of recent inquiries and more.
- Get an alert if we find your Social Security number on any of thousands of Dark Web sites.* Activate for free.
- No annual fee.
Apply for Discover it® Balance Transfer to:
- Pay off debt faster with a long balance transfer APR offer
- Double all the cash back you earn in the first year
- Pay a $0 annual fee
This is the ONLY 5-star rated credit card currently on The Ascent website. That's because it packs in both a best-in-class cash back program and a long 0% intro APR offer for 18 months for balance transfers (note, the go-to variable rate applies after the promo). You can earn 5% cash back at different places each quarter like gas stations, grocery stores, restaurants, Amazon.com, or wholesale clubs up to the quarterly maximum each time you activate, plus 1% on all else. Discover will also double your cash back in the first year. Just be sure to take action and don't delay any longer as you watch interest charges pile up on your existing credit card balances.
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.
- Annual Fee: $0
- Regular APR: 16.24% - 26.24% (Variable)
- Intro APR: Purchases: 0%, 12 months Balance Transfers: 0%, 21 months
Highlights
- No Late Fees, No Penalty Rate, and No Annual Fee... Ever
- 0% Intro APR on balance transfers for 21 months from date of first transfer. All transfers must be completed in first 4 months. After that, the variable APR will be 16.24% - 26.24%, based on your creditworthiness.
- 0% Intro APR on purchases for 12 months from date of account opening. After that, the variable APR will be 16.24% - 26.24%, based on your creditworthiness.
- If you transfer a balance with this offer, after your 0% Intro purchase APR expires, both new purchases and unpaid purchase balances will automatically accrue interest until all balances, including your transferred balances, are paid in full
- The standard variable APR for Citi Flex Plan is 16.24% - 26.24%, based on your creditworthiness. Citi Flex Plan offers are made available at Citi's discretion.
- Stay protected with Citi® Quick Lock and $0 liability on unauthorized charges
Apply for Citi Simplicity® Card to:
- Pay off debt faster with a long balance transfer APR offer of 21 months from the date of first transfer
- Pay a $0 annual fee, no late fees, and no penalty rates
- Choose your payment due date
The Citi Simplicity® Card, an advertising partner of The Ascent, claims a rare perk as one of the only cards we’ve come across with no late payment fees, no penalty rate, and no annual fee. The main draw for this card, though, is its intro APR. For the first 12 months after opening the Citi Simplicity® Card, you’ll get a 0% APR on new purchases. You'll also get a 0% APR for 21 months on balance transfers. Use this offer to consolidate your debt and pay it off more quickly, or to finance a major purchase without paying interest.
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.
- Annual Fee: $0
- Regular APR: 16.74% - 25.49% Variable
- Intro APR: Purchases: 0%, 15 months Balance Transfers: 0%, 15 months
Highlights
- Earn a $150 Bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening.
- Earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on all purchases.
- 0% Intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers, then a variable APR of 16.74-25.49%.
- 3% intro balance transfer fee when you transfer a balance during the first 60 days your account is open, with a minimum of $5
- No annual fee
- No minimum to redeem for cash back
- Cash Back rewards do not expire as long as your account is open
Apply for Chase Freedom Unlimited® to:
- Avoid paying credit card interest for 15 months on both purchase and balance transfers
- Secure a sign-up bonus worth $150
- Pay a $0 annual fee
Chase Freedom Unlimited® is the Swiss Army knife of credit cards with its deep bench of perks that makes the card a perfect option for cardholders wanting the best card for all their needs. Max out Chase's sign-up bonus by spending $500 in the first three months after account opening to secure $150 in cash back. Other essentials are included as well, such as unlimited 1.5% cash back with no minimum redemption, a 0% Intro APR for both purchases and balance transfers for 15 months, and a $0 annual fee. Few offers on the market can tout this combination of perks, making Chase Freedom Unlimited® a potential no brainer pick for you.
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.
- Annual Fee: $0
- Regular APR: 15.74% - 25.74% Variable
- Intro APR: Purchases: 0%, for 15 months Balance Transfers: 0%, for 15 months
Highlights
- One-time $150 cash bonus after you spend $500 on purchases within 3 months from account opening
- Earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase, every day
- No rotating categories or sign-ups needed to earn cash rewards; plus, cash back won't expire for the life of the account and there's no limit to how much you can earn
- 0% intro APR on purchases for 15 months; 15.74%-25.74% variable APR after that
- 0% intro APR on balance transfers for 15 months; 15.74%-25.74% variable APR after that; 3% fee on the amounts transferred within the first 15 months
- Pay no annual fee or foreign transaction fees
Apply for Capital One® Quicksilver® Cash Rewards Credit Card to:
- Pay 0% interest on balance transfers and purchases for 15 months
- Earn 1.5% cash back on all purchases
- Receive $150 cash bonus
This may be the most versatile and flexible cash-back card on the market. New cardholders can earn a $150 bonus once $500 is spent on the card; this must be achieved within three months of the account opening. The recent addition of a longer 0% intro APR for 15 months makes the offer hard to pass up, especially if you're wanting to keep a one-card wallet. You can also earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on every transaction made with the card, no matter the amount or product/service category. Plus there is non minimum redemptions and your cash back never expires as long as you maintain the account.
