Discover it® Balance Transfer
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Discover it® Balance Transfer
Summary:
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.
Great for: Long 0% intro APR on balance transfers
On Discover's Secure Website.
Intro APR
Purchases: 0%, 6 months
Balance Transfers: 0%, 18 months
Regular APR
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
Welcome Offer Discover will match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year.
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.
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.
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.
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
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*Your approved card APR may vary from 19%
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