The best balance transfer credit cards for May 2026: Don't pay any interest until 2027

Best equilibrium transportation cards for May 2026

Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards recognition card: Best for prime rewards

Why we similar it: The Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards recognition paper is chiefly a rewards cards, but you tin besides usage it to wage disconnected existing debt. If you transportation your equilibrium wrong the archetypal 60 days of relationship opening, you tin instrumentality vantage of the introductory APR play and wage down your equilibrium implicit respective billing cycles. There’s besides a 3% equilibrium transportation interest for the archetypal 60 days, which increases to 5% after.

After you wage down your equilibrium transfer, commencement earning currency backmost connected your spending with the Customized Cash Rewards card. Get 3% backmost successful the class of your prime and 2% backmost astatine market stores and wholesale clubs (up to a combined $2,500 spent per quarter). You tin alteration your prime class monthly, and take betwixt online shopping, dining, travel, state and EV charging stations, and more.

Read our afloat reappraisal of the Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards recognition card

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BankAmericard® Credit Card: Best for debased ongoing APR

Why we similar it: If you’re looking to wage disconnected a indebtedness balance, BankAmericard has the perfect operation of a agelong introductory 0% APR and comparatively debased ongoing APR. You’ll person plentifulness of clip aft opening to wage down immoderate balances you transportation wrong 60 days, and the equilibrium transportation interest is 3% wrong those archetypal 60 days; aft that it goes up to 4%.

Once the intro play ends, you’ll accrue involvement connected immoderate remaining balance, but the BankAmericard has a overmuch little APR than you’ll find from galore recognition cards today. There’s besides nary punishment APR. While you should ever marque your recognition paper outgo connected clip (especially portion carrying a balance), paying precocious oregon having a outgo returned won’t automatically summation your BankAmericard APR.

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Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express: Best for regular spending

Why we similar it: The Blue Cash Everyday from American Express is 1 of our favourite cash-back recognition cards today, and it’s besides utile for paying down existing recognition paper debt. You’ll get a coagulated introductory 0% APR connected equilibrium transfers and a equilibrium transportation interest of 3% ($5 minimum; spot rates & fees).

You whitethorn not privation to complaint much to your paper portion you wage down your equilibrium transfer, but arsenic agelong arsenic you tin debar overspending and taking connected much debt, you’ll prevention wealth agelong aft the intro play with this card’s rewards. The Blue Cash Everyday earns 3% currency backmost astatine U.S. supermarkets, U.S. state stations, and connected U.S. online retail purchases, each up to $6,000 spent per year, past 1% backmost (and 1% currency backmost connected everything else).

Read our afloat reappraisal of the Blue Cash Everyday Card from American Express

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Citi Double Cash® Card: Best for level rewards

Why we similar it: The Citi Double Cash Card is an fantabulous equilibrium transportation enactment that besides has semipermanent rewards value. You tin bask a agelong 0% intro APR play with an intro equilibrium transportation interest of 3% ($5 minimum) erstwhile you marque your transportation wrong the archetypal 4 months.

As for rewards, you’ll gain a level 2% currency backmost connected each purchase: 1% erstwhile you marque the acquisition and 1% erstwhile you wage it off. We similar that this operation tin adhd immoderate other inducement to debar carrying a equilibrium erstwhile you’ve paid down your debt, since you won’t gain the full currency rewards until you wage successful full.

Read our afloat Citi Double Cash Card review

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Citi Simplicity® Credit Card: Best for nary fees oregon penalties

Why we similar it: The Citi Simplicity Card has an impressively agelong 0% intro play for equilibrium transfers, which makes it a large enactment if your absorption is paying down a indebtedness equilibrium without accruing other interest. The equilibrium transportation interest of 3% (or $5, whichever is greater) is modular among equilibrium transportation cards contiguous and you indispensable implicit your transportation wrong the archetypal 4 months.

Besides its agelong intro period, what besides sets the Citi Simplicity isolated is its deficiency of immoderate precocious fees oregon penalties. Late fees tin often outgo up to $40 and penalties could rise your involvement complaint indefinitely. While you should absorption connected making payments connected clip truthful you tin destruct your equilibrium by the extremity of the intro period, you tin remainder assured knowing you won’t beryllium penalized if thing goes wrong.

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Discover it® Cash Back Credit Card: Best for rotating rewards

Why we similar it: Discover it Cash Back is different paper with some large ongoing rewards and a utile 0% APR for equilibrium transfers. You’ll person a lengthy intro play to wage down your equilibrium arsenic agelong arsenic you marque your transportation and wage the 3% equilibrium transportation interest wrong a fixed play aft opening your account.

In summation to its intro APR and rotating 5% cash-back rewards, the Discover it Cash Back paper besides has a large invited offer: a lucifer connected each the rewards you gain successful your archetypal year. Of course, maximizing this connection depends connected earning rewards connected your purchases passim the year. If you privation to instrumentality vantage of the bonus connection (and revolving bonus categories implicit your archetypal year), marque definite you tin equilibrium spending alongside your indebtedness payoff program truthful you don’t extremity up backmost wherever you started erstwhile the intro play ends. Otherwise, you whitethorn privation to absorption connected paying down indebtedness earlier making immoderate caller purchases.

Read our afloat Discover it Cash Back review

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U.S. Bank Shield™ Visa® Card: Best for agelong intro play

Why we similar it: The U.S. Bank Shield Visa Card has the longest introductory 0% APR play we’ve recovered among equilibrium transportation cards today. With this card’s extended intro period, you tin absorption connected paying down your indebtedness with manageable monthly payments earlier involvement kicks in. You volition request to transportation your indebtedness wrong 60 days of relationship opening, and you’ll wage a 5% equilibrium transportation interest ($5 minimum), which is higher than fees charged by different cards connected our list.

While the U.S. Bank Shield Visa Card is chiefly a 0% APR card, you tin get immoderate semipermanent benefits. Earn 4% currency backmost connected prepaid airfare, hotel, and car reservations done the U.S. Bank Travel Center and get a $20 yearly connection recognition erstwhile you marque 11 consecutive months of purchases and support your relationship successful bully standing.

Other cards to see

If you privation a fewer much options, cheque retired these cards with immoderate of the longest 0% intro APR periods for equilibrium transfers today:

Citi® Diamond Preferred® Credit Card

Why we similar it: The Citi Diamond Preferred has 1 of the longest 0% APR intro periods disposable contiguous arsenic good arsenic a competitory ongoing APR. You’ll wage a 5% ($5 minimum) equilibrium transportation interest and you’ll request to transportation your equilibrium wrong the archetypal 4 months.

Wells Fargo Reflect® Card

Why we similar it: The Wells Fargo Reflect Card has a likewise long-lasting intro APR play for equilibrium transfers. This paper charges a 5% ($5 minimum) equilibrium transportation interest and you indispensable transportation your equilibrium wrong 120 days of relationship opening.

Read our afloat reappraisal of the Wells Fargo Reflect Card

How bash equilibrium transportation recognition cards work?

Credit paper involvement isn’t conscionable costly — it’s astir arsenic precocious arsenic it’s ever been. Today’s mean recognition paper involvement complaint is implicit 21% and conscionable nether 23% for those who transportation a equilibrium connected their card.

Credit cards with a 0% intro APR for equilibrium transfers tin connection large alleviation for cardholders taking connected these double-digit involvement rates. After you transportation your balance, you’ll person respective months (up to 2 years successful immoderate cases) to wage down your main equilibrium without immoderate added interest.

You tin maximize your equilibrium transportation savings by paying your equilibrium successful afloat earlier the intro play ends. After that, immoderate equilibrium you inactive person volition commencement to accrue involvement astatine your card’s regular involvement rate. But adjacent if you tin lone wage a information of the debt, you whitethorn inactive shave respective months and hundreds of dollars oregon much from your indebtedness payoff.

Balance transportation illustration

Let’s accidental you person a recognition paper equilibrium of $6,000 contiguous — conscionable beneath the mean equilibrium for U.S. households with recognition paper debt, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. That equilibrium is connected a azygous recognition paper earning 21% APR.

Here’s what your travel to wage down indebtedness could look similar with nary changes:

• Minimum payments: This is by acold the astir costly option. Making lone minimum payments, you would adhd implicit $9,000 successful involvement implicit 2 decades earlier paying your equilibrium disconnected successful full. Total paid: $15,874

• Fixed monthly payment: You tin minimize costs by paying much than your monthly minimum, adjacent if you cannot wage your equilibrium successful full. Maybe you tin spend to lend a fixed outgo of $250 each period toward your debt. In this case, you’ll wage your equilibrium successful afloat successful little than 3 years, but inactive adhd $1,850 to your full equilibrium successful interest. Total paid: $7,850

Now, let’s spot however a equilibrium transportation recognition paper could marque a quality successful your $6,000 debt. This paper comes with an 18-month 0% introductory APR and a 3% equilibrium transportation interest (more connected that below). After the intro period, you’ll instrumentality connected the aforesaid 21% APR.

• Pay successful full: If you tin enactment astatine slightest $343 toward your recognition paper measure each month, you could hitch retired your equilibrium successful afloat by the extremity of the intro play without paying immoderate further interest. The lone outgo added to your main is the 3% interest erstwhile you transfer, adjacent to $180. Total paid: $6,180

• Fixed monthly payment: If the magnitude you request to wage successful afloat is retired of your budget, you tin inactive prevention with a equilibrium transportation offer. Maybe you tin spend the aforesaid $250 monthly outgo arsenic earlier the transfer. This volition let you to destruct astir (but not all) of your equilibrium implicit the intro period. In total, you could wage your equilibrium successful afloat implicit 26 months and with astir $303 successful added involvement and fees. Total paid: $6,303

Read more: Credit paper payoff calculator

What to look for successful a equilibrium transportation paper

Make definite you're considering equilibrium transportation recognition cards that lucifer your fiscal goals. Here are a fewer details to look for:

• Introductory APR: Credit cards connection introductory APRs for caller cardholders, either connected caller purchases oregon equilibrium transfers (or both). The introductory complaint for galore equilibrium transportation cards is 0% implicit a fixed intro period, which tin assistance you wage down your existing equilibrium without interest.

• Regular APR: APR stands for yearly percent rate, the percent you get charged by your issuer erstwhile you transportation a balance. This volition apt beryllium antithetic than your intro rate. Credit cards typically person adaptable APRs, which means your complaint goes up and down implicit time.

• Transfer period: On immoderate cards, equilibrium transfers are lone eligible for 0% APR offers erstwhile you transportation your equilibrium wrong a fixed clip frame: wrong 60 days of relationship opening oregon 4 months from relationship opening, for example. While it makes consciousness to transportation your indebtedness arsenic soon arsenic imaginable to instrumentality vantage of the afloat intro period, you’ll besides privation to support immoderate clip limits similar this successful mind, truthful you don’t miss retired connected the offer.

• Issuer: You mostly won’t beryllium capable to transportation a equilibrium from 1 paper relationship to different paper relationship with the aforesaid bank. Look for equilibrium transportation offers from antithetic recognition paper issuers than the paper connected which you person an existing indebtedness balance.

• Annual fees: Your issuing slope mightiness complaint an yearly interest for your card, though yearly fees aren’t communal among apical equilibrium transportation cards. If you bash take a paper with an yearly fee, you should marque definite you’re getting capable worth to offset the yearly cost.

• Balance transportation fees: If you privation to transportation indebtedness to an existing equilibrium from 1 recognition paper to another, the caller paper issuer often charges a equilibrium transportation fee. This is usually a percent of your transportation magnitude ranging from 3% to 5% with astatine slightest a $5 minimum.

• Your recognition score: Balance transportation recognition cards mostly necessitate a bully recognition score. A recognition people is simply a fig that represents your recognition health, and is based connected the accusation successful your recognition report. You tin petition a escaped recognition study from each of the 3 large recognition bureaus (Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion) These reports incorporate your recognition history, similar however galore recognition paper accounts you've had. The higher your score, the much apt you are to suffice for large indebtedness presumption and rewards recognition cards successful the future.

Read more: How to cheque your recognition score

Balance transportation recognition paper costs and fees

A equilibrium transportation recognition paper tin prevention you money, but determination are costs to consider.

Balance transportation cards often person a interest for transferring your equilibrium which tin scope from 3%-5% of your wide balance, usually with a minimum of astir $5 oregon $10. Say you privation to transportation a $3,000 equilibrium to a paper with a 0% intro APR and a 3% equilibrium transportation fee. The equilibrium transportation would outgo you $90 successful total. The larger your balance, the much you’ll wage for the equilibrium transfer. Still, equilibrium transportation fees are lone a tiny fraction of the involvement you would different pay.

Balance transportation recognition paper pros and cons

Consider these pros and cons earlier you usage a equilibrium transportation to wage disconnected your debt.

Pros

• 0% introductory APR: With 0% APR equilibrium transportation recognition cards, immoderate payments you marque passim the intro play volition spell straight toward your main equilibrium and assistance you wage disconnected your indebtedness faster.

• No yearly fee: The champion equilibrium transportation cards disposable contiguous person nary yearly fee, truthful you don’t person to interest astir immoderate further outgo of owning the card.

• Debt consolidation: If you person balances dispersed crossed aggregate recognition cards, you whitethorn beryllium capable to consolidate them onto a azygous equilibrium transportation card. Not lone tin you payment from the play of interest-free payments, but you’ll besides minimize the fig of idiosyncratic monthly payments you request to remember. Just marque definite the full transferred equilibrium is little than your card’s recognition limit.

Cons

• Risk of not paying your equilibrium disconnected successful full: You whitethorn not beryllium capable to maximize your equilibrium transportation if you cannot prioritize your monthly payments implicit the intro period. These cards enactment champion if you tin perpetrate to paying down a important information of your equilibrium implicit the 0% APR offer. Otherwise, you’ll beryllium near with a increasing equilibrium erstwhile again erstwhile your regular involvement complaint begins.

• Balance transportation fees: These fees tin adhd to your wide balance, but a 3% oregon 5% interest volition inactive beryllium acold little than the magnitude you would different accrue successful involvement charges.

• Credit limits: Make definite you cognize the recognition bounds of your equilibrium transportation recognition paper earlier you effort to marque your transfer. If your existing indebtedness is much than the limit, you won’t beryllium capable to transportation the full balance.

Learn more: What happens if you transcend your recognition limit, and however to debar doing so

3 ways to maximize your equilibrium transportation recognition paper

Not lone is simply a equilibrium transportation recognition paper a large mode to wage down debt, but it tin besides acceptable you up for a amended fiscal future. Here are 3 things you should bash erstwhile you unfastened a caller equilibrium transportation card:

1. Make the astir of your introductory 0% APR

The introductory play connected your equilibrium transportation paper lone lasts truthful long. Take afloat vantage by transferring your equilibrium arsenic soon arsenic imaginable aft approval. If your caller recognition paper offers an 18-month 0% APR intro play but you hold 2 months to marque your transfer, you’ll person a shorter timeframe to really wage down your debt.

Some equilibrium transportation cards adjacent necessitate you to transportation your equilibrium wrong a circumstantial period. For example, your paper statement whitethorn specify that the 0% APR connection applies to transfers made wrong the archetypal 30 days of relationship opening. Alternatively, you could instrumentality connected a much important equilibrium transportation interest the longer you wait. For example, determination whitethorn lone beryllium a 3% interest for balances transferred wrong 60 days of relationship opening, but a 5% interest for balances transferred aft that time.

Always work the good people of an introductory equilibrium transportation connection earlier opening your relationship truthful you tin debar immoderate surprises that whitethorn acceptable you back.

2. Focus connected indebtedness payoff

Throughout the intro period, prioritize paying down your indebtedness without expanding your equilibrium with caller purchases. If you’re adding to your equilibrium passim the 0% APR period, you’ll lone permission yourself with much to wage off.

Instead, absorption connected buying lone what you tin spend to wage successful full. Whether you marque purchases with different recognition card, usage your debit card, oregon wage with cash, guarantee you person capable wealth successful the slope to screen your spending.

This whitethorn besides assistance you go much alert of immoderate spending habits that led to your indebtedness successful the archetypal place, truthful you tin debar ending up successful the aforesaid spot again.

3. Think astir the semipermanent

If indebtedness payoff is your priority, semipermanent rewards oregon benefits whitethorn not beryllium the biggest interest erstwhile choosing your equilibrium transportation paper — but they are inactive worthy considering.

Balance transportation recognition cards with the longest introductory 0% APR periods typically connection fewer ongoing benefits. They are designed for cardholders looking to wage disconnected arsenic overmuch indebtedness arsenic imaginable implicit an extended period.

On the different hand, recognition cards with some equilibrium transportation offers and rewards thin to person somewhat shorter intro periods of astir 12 to 15 months. Even aft you wage down your debt, these cards tin connection semipermanent worth connected your mundane purchases. Just marque definite you person a program to debar overspending and taking connected indebtedness again.

Related: What happens to your aged recognition paper aft a equilibrium transfer?

Should I unfastened a equilibrium transportation card?

Only you tin determine if opening a caller relationship is close for you. A equilibrium transportation recognition paper tin assistance if you person high-interest debt. But you should ever see each the options that could assistance you wage down indebtedness balances and cognize the imaginable risks involved. Think astir these things earlier you marque your decision:

Alternative options

A equilibrium transportation isn’t your lone enactment for indebtedness payoff. Consolidating indebtedness with a idiosyncratic indebtedness whitethorn beryllium a amended enactment for immoderate people.

If your indebtedness acold exceeds the recognition bounds connected a caller equilibrium transportation paper oregon you request much clip than 0% APR intro periods connection today, opting for a idiosyncratic indebtedness with a fixed APR little than your existent recognition paper could beryllium a bully solution.

Credit interaction

Not lone bash you request bully recognition to suffice for a equilibrium transportation card, but a equilibrium transportation itself tin besides impact your credit.

For one, erstwhile you unfastened immoderate caller recognition paper (including a equilibrium transportation card), the required hard recognition enquiry could pb to a small, impermanent recognition people drop. To support aggregate applications from sinking your score, lone use for cards you’re assured you’ll suffice for oregon get prequalified earlier applying.

Another imaginable recognition interaction involves your recognition limit. If you transportation a indebtedness equilibrium that makes up astir your full recognition line, you could summation your recognition utilization ratio — the magnitude of recognition you’re utilizing compared to the magnitude you person available. This is 1 of the astir influential factors successful your recognition score; the little it is, the better. However, if you tin support up with your payments and statesman to rapidly bring down your equilibrium implicit the intro period, you tin mitigate the antagonistic effect and equilibrium the ratio.

Related: What to bash if your recognition paper exertion is denied

Develop a program

A bully program is the astir important happening you tin person earlier opening a equilibrium transportation recognition card.

Using your paper details (length of intro period, equilibrium transportation fee, etc.), find precisely however overmuch you request to wage each period to destruct your equilibrium successful afloat earlier the 0% APR play ends. If necessary, look astatine your fund and spending earlier you use to find areas wherever you tin trim spending to dedicate much toward your monthly payments.

If you can't wage disconnected your equilibrium completely, deliberation astir what adjacent steps you’ll instrumentality erstwhile involvement kicks in, truthful you tin support the remainder from increasing retired of your control.

And don’t hide to rethink your spending implicit the agelong word to guarantee you don’t upwind up with different indebtedness equilibrium successful the future. Practicing bully recognition habits and spending lone what you tin spend is the champion mode to instrumentality vantage of the rewards and benefits of recognition cards without paying the terms tag of precocious involvement rates.

Balance transportation FAQ

Are equilibrium transportation recognition cards worthy it?

Balance transportation cards tin beryllium a savvy fiscal determination if you're looking to tackle high-interest debt. By transferring your existing indebtedness to a paper with a 0% introductory APR, you halt accruing involvement done the intro play and tin marque payments toward the main balance.

However, if you can't wide the equilibrium earlier the introductory play ends, you'll look the card's modular APR connected the remainder. You should beryllium assured you tin marque a important quality successful your equilibrium implicit the intro play to marque the equilibrium transportation worthy it.

What is the smartest mode to bash a equilibrium transfer?

Navigating a equilibrium transportation tin beryllium tricky; you request a coagulated strategy to maximize it.

First, find a equilibrium transportation paper that offers a agelong 0% introductory APR period. The longer this no-interest play lasts, the much clip you person to wage down your balance. Once you’ve opened your caller card, transportation your equilibrium and prioritize paying much than the minimum outgo each month. To genuinely instrumentality vantage of the 0% APR, cipher however overmuch you indispensable wage monthly to wide the indebtedness earlier the introductory play ends. If you conscionable instrumentality to the minimum, you apt won’t trim the equilibrium by much.

Never marque a precocious outgo connected your equilibrium transportation card. One missed outgo could mean losing your 0% APR and being deed with a overmuch higher punishment APR, on with precocious fees. Set up autopay oregon reminders to guarantee you ne'er miss a owed date. Also support your spending successful cheque and absorption connected paying disconnected the indebtedness you transferred.

Finally, don’t get caught disconnected defender erstwhile the 0% APR play expires. If you deliberation you won’t beryllium capable to wage disconnected the afloat equilibrium by then, commencement readying up for however you’ll proceed paying down your debt.

Do equilibrium transfers wounded your recognition score?

A equilibrium transportation tin temporarily little your recognition people due to the fact that it triggers a hard enquiry by the paper issuer connected your recognition report. This is existent for each caller recognition applications, not conscionable equilibrium transportation cards.

A equilibrium transportation tin besides impact your recognition utilization ratio, which measures however overmuch recognition you’re utilizing (which tin summation erstwhile you transportation your balance) compared to your full disposable credit. This is simply a large origin successful your recognition people and it’s champion to support this ratio nether 30%.

The bully quality is that if you usage signifier bully recognition habits with your caller paper — by paying down your equilibrium and avoiding much indebtedness — your recognition people volition amended implicit time.

What recognition people is typically required to get an perfect equilibrium transportation recognition card?

Like astir recognition cards, the higher your people is, the amended your chances of getting the champion disposable equilibrium transportation offers with agelong 0% APR periods and different benefits.

In general, you’re astir apt to suffice for a equilibrium transportation paper with a good-to-excellent recognition score.

According to FICO, that means a people of astatine slightest 670 and up to the maximum 850 recognition score. With a coagulated recognition people (especially 1 person to the “excellent” extremity of the scope astir 750 oregon higher), you tin usually people the champion equilibrium transportation terms, a comparatively little involvement complaint aft the intro period, and further perks similar cash-back rewards and a sign-up bonus.

Our methodology

To make our database of the champion equilibrium transportation recognition cards, we commencement with a database of cards from large recognition paper issuers with 0% APR introductory periods for equilibrium transfers. In total, this covers much than 2 twelve recognition cards disposable today.

We usage a weighted ranking strategy to measure these cards, giving the astir precedence to factors that champion assistance cardholders wage down indebtedness utilizing a equilibrium transfers. The astir important origin is magnitude of the equilibrium transportation intro period, followed by the yearly fee, ongoing APR, and equilibrium transportation fee. Other details we see see whether determination is besides a 0% APR for caller purchases, whether the paper offers ongoing rewards, and our ain adept analysis.

The cards that marque up our database of champion equilibrium transportation cards are those that people the highest wrong this rubric, and see a scope of cards — immoderate with longer intro periods and nary rewards and others with shorter intro periods and ongoing rewards. With this wide ranking of antithetic types of offers today, we judge anyone seeking to wage down indebtedness utilizing a equilibrium transportation paper tin find an enactment from our database that fits their goals.

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Editorial Disclosure: The accusation successful this nonfiction has not been reviewed oregon approved by immoderate advertiser. All opinions beryllium solely to the Yahoo Finance and are not those of immoderate different entity. The details connected fiscal products, including paper rates and fees, are close arsenic of the people date. All products oregon services are presented without warranty. Check the bank’s website for the astir existent information. This tract doesn't see each presently disposable offers. Credit people unsocial does not warrant oregon connote support for immoderate fiscal product.