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Discover it® Balance Transfer

A 5-star balance transfer offer with 0% intro APR for 18 months

Summary:

  • As valuable as balance-transfer cards come, the 0% intro APR lasts 18 months for balance transfers and six months for purchases. The go-to variable rate applies after the 0% intro APR expires.
  • Earn up to 5% cash back, up to $1,500 each quarter, in rotating categories that you activate each quarter, and your cash back earned in the first year is matched.
  • You can submit an application in under two minutes.
  • One of a select few cards on our site to secure a coveted five-star rating.
  • Click APPLY NOW to apply today

Check out the full review below to learn more about this card, including how to save $1,863 in interest charges paying off $10,000 of debt using a 0% intro APR offer like the one offered by Discover it® Balance Transfer.

Discover it® Balance Transfer

Great for: Long 0% intro APR on balance transfers

Logo for Discover it® Balance Transfer
Rating image, 0.25 out of 5 stars. 5.00/5 stars Circle with letter I in it. 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. 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.
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Rating image, 0.25 out of 5 stars. 5.00/5 stars Circle with letter I in it. 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. 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.
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Credit Score: Circle with letter I in it. Falling within this credit range does not guarantee approval by the issuer. An application must be submitted to the issuer for a potential approval decision. There are different types of credit scores and creditors use a variety of credit scores to make lending decisions.

Recommended Credit Score required for this offer is: Good/Excellent (670-850)

Good/Excellent (670-850)

Intro APR

Purchases: 0%, 6 months

Balance Transfers: 0%, 18 months

Regular APR

16.99% - 27.99% Variable APR

Rewards Circle with letter I in it. 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

1% - 5% Cashback

Welcome Offer Circle with letter I in it. Discover will match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year.

Cashback Match
  • 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, and gas stations, up to the quarterly maximum when you activate. Plus, earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases – automatically.
  • Discover could help you reduce exposure of your personal information online by helping you remove it from select people-search sites that could sell your data. It’s free, activate with the mobile app.
  • Every $1 you earn in cash back is $1 you can redeem.
  • No annual fee.
  • Click through to Discover’s website to see terms and conditions.

What we like about Discover it® Balance Transfer

0% intro APR for balance transfers -- Includes a 0% intro APR for 18 months for balance transfers.

0% intro APR for purchases -- The 0% intro APR for purchases spans six months.

Earn up to 5% cash back -- Cardholders earn 5% cash back on everyday purchases at different places each quarter like retailers, grocery stores, restaurants, and gas stations, up to the quarterly maximum of $1,500 on purchases and when you activate. Other eligible purchases earn 1% cash back. Maxing out bonus categories each year is worth $300 cash back.

Unlimited Cashback Match sign-up bonus -- Discover will automatically match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year. This sign-up bonus is only available during the first year and for new cardholders, but it can be particularly lucrative since the match is unlimited. Cardholders who max out bonus categories quarterly in the first year can expect to earn a total of $600 cash back ($300 in bonus-category cash back, plus another $300 with Discover's match!).

$0 annual fee -- Credit cards packed with valuable features tend to charge high fees or APRs. This card balances this relationship well and doesn’t charge an annual fee, making it a fit for cardholders with modest credit needs, who won’t see their rewards get wiped out by an annual fee.

No foreign transaction fees -- Most competing cards charge a 3% foreign transaction fee for each and every swipe abroad. This card doesn't.

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 with the Discover it® Balance Transfer card.

A $10,000 balance on the Discover it® Balance Transfer card, if paid off during the introductory 0% APR period in 18 months, would require $556 monthly payments and would accrue no interest.

A $10,000 balance on a 19% APR card* would take 22 months to pay off at $556 per month and would accrue $1,863 of interest.


You're saving $1,863 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!

Keep in mind that this card does charge an introductory balance transfer fee of 3% and 5% on transfers after that period (see terms). Which means, in the debt balance scenario above, you would have an extra $300 or $500 to pay off on your balance -- depending on when you made the transfer. So, while you would save $1,863 in interest charges, your total savings with a balance transfer would be $1,563 or $1,363 depending on the timing of the transfer.

To get the most value out of this card, it is best to make any balance transfers during the intro fee period so that you have a lower balance transfer fee to pay.

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Pro tip

Remember that you need to opt-in to quarterly rotating bonus categories to earn premium rewards. Check your card details and set calendar reminders to opt-in to bonus categories as they become available so you don't miss out on getting the most from your spending. This way, your money will be working overtime for you.

Suggested credit score

A general rule of thumb is that balance transfer cards with long 0% intro APR periods and rewards programs typically require higher credit scores than other credit cards. This credit card is intended for people with good to excellent credit, or a FICO® credit score of 670 or better. If you have a lower credit score, you may want to apply for a card with a shorter 0% intro APR period.

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Increase your credit score in as little as one month

Paying down credit balances is the fastest way to improve your FICO® Score. That's because 30% of your credit score is based on how much of your available credit you're using. Your credit utilization is reported monthly, which means paying off debt could improve your credit score in one month!

Final take

Discover it® Balance Transfer is value-packed and simply unmatched among the cards we've come across. The most valuable perk for cardholders with debt is the long 0% intro APR period. Most people using balance-transfer cards ditch them after the 0% intro APR expires. But there's no need to do so with this card, since it also has one of the leading cash-back programs and no annual fee.

Our Credit Cards Experts