No matter how big the balance is or how long-lasting, debt can be a huge burden on your personal finances. That’s especially true for credit card debt balances, which today carry interest rates upwards of 21% APR on average.

If you’re looking to take control of existing debt, you can use a balance transfer credit card to save money and time throughout the payoff process.

Balance transfer credit cards offer an introductory APR on transferred debt balances — usually 0% APR for several months after account opening. When you transfer a balance to these cards, you can use the intro period to pay down your balance without accruing additional interest.

Balance transfer intro periods today typically range between 12 and 18 months or even longer. You’ll often incur a fee for the transfer of 3% to 5% of your balance, but that’s much less than you’d pay in interest.

For example, say you have a $6,000 balance on a card charging a 22% APR and you transfer that balance to a card with a 0% APR for 15 months plus a 3% balance transfer fee.

If you can make payments of $412 per month, you can pay the balance in full over the intro period, including the fee. With that same $412 payment on your existing card, you’d pay off your $6,000 balance in a slightly longer 18 months but take on an additional $1,044 in interest over that period.

Even accounting for the balance transfer fee, you could save $864 and three months in this scenario.

Have a plan before you open a balance transfer card so you can pay down as much as possible over the intro period. Any amount left over when the 0% APR period ends will start to accrue interest at the card’s ongoing APR — which could quickly lead you back to mounting debt balances.

Because a balance transfer typically requires you to open a new credit card account, you should also consider whether you can qualify. You’ll typically need good-to-excellent credit, and the issuer will conduct a hard credit check before you’re approved.

View your credit score before you submit your application to get an idea of how likely you are to qualify or see if you prequalify.

Learn more: How to check your credit score for free

To start the balance transfer process, you’ll need to choose the right card. Here are some of the most important details to consider when choosing a balance transfer card.

Many banks will not approve balance transfers from credit cards or loans they issued, so you should look for balance transfer cards from a different bank or lender than you already have.

In other words, you probably won’t be able to transfer a balance from your Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card account to a Chase Freedom Unlimited®, or from a Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card to a Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card.

The introductory 0% APR period may be the most important factor in choosing the best credit card for your balance transfer. Today, these offers range from around 12 months up to 21 months.

If you have a relatively small debt balance, you may opt for a shorter introductory APR offer in exchange for other ongoing benefits and rewards you’ll use long-term.

For example, say you have a $2,000 balance on an existing card. If you choose a balance transfer card with a 0% APR for 15 months and ongoing cash-back rewards, you could pay less than $150 per month to pay off the balance in full over that intro period. After the introductory offer, you can continue to save using the card’s rewards on your spending.

Balance transfer cards with the longest intro periods tend to have fewer ongoing perks — but these cards may be better if you have a large balance so you have as much time as possible to pay down your debt.

Let’s say you’re considering the same 15-month 0% APR balance transfer card, but you carry a much higher $8,000 balance. To pay it off in full over the intro period, you’ll now need to pay over $500 each month. But with a balance transfer card with a 21-month intro period, you can lower your monthly payments to $380 and still pay the balance in full over the intro period.

Read more: What is a balance transfer and how does it work?

Balance transfer fees can add to your overall cost, depending on the card you choose. In most cases, fee charges are around 3% to 5% of your overall balance.

If you transfer $5,000 in debt, for example, to a balance transfer card with a 3% fee, you’ll add $150 to your overall balance.

Fees are never a welcome addition, but keep that added cost in perspective. For most balance transfers, a 3% to 5% fee is only going to add up to a few hundred dollars to your total debt. Meanwhile, you could save thousands of dollars in interest charges with a balance transfer, even after accounting for the fee.

Learn more: The best balance transfer credit cards of 2025

Balance transfers can require some upfront work beyond applying for a new card. Follow these steps to start lowering your debt using a balance transfer.

To take full advantage of the intro period, start your transfer sooner rather than later.

Some balance transfer cards allow you to initiate your transfer when you apply. For example, the Chase Freedom Unlimited card application lets you add up to three existing accounts to transfer balances from upon approval. If you choose to start the process this way, you’ll usually have a period (10 days in this case) after your card is mailed to you to change or cancel your transfer request.

If you don’t make your transfer request when you apply, you’ll need to contact the credit card company after your account is opened. Call the number on the back of your card or look for more information within your online account.

When you’re making your balance transfer request, look for the fee details within your card terms. You can use that to calculate your fee based on your balance and avoid any surprises on your statement after the transfer is approved.

You can also use your card’s terms to determine how much you’re able to transfer. This usually depends on the credit limit you’re approved for.

For example, say you have a $9,000 balance to transfer and you’re approved for a $9,000 credit line — but your card carries a 5% balance transfer fee. The fee itself will add $450 to your total balance, so you’ll need to account for that when you request your transfer.

Look for restrictions on your transferred balance, especially if you wait to request the transfer. Some cards, for instance, require you transfer your balance within a certain number of days after account opening to qualify for the intro APR. Others may increase the balance transfer fee after a certain time period. You can usually find any restrictions that may apply within the card agreement.

You’ll probably have to wait a few weeks for your balance transfer to process. Don’t forget to keep paying your original credit card bill during this time. Make at least minimum payments toward your balance by the due date to avoid late or missed payments.

After you’re approved, your balance transfer credit card issuer will typically pay off your existing balance, and that amount will transfer to the new card. Make sure to double-check that the old balance is paid and the transfer went through before you make any changes or stop payments to your existing account.

After approval, the countdown on your introductory rate begins. At this stage, you should already have a plan in place for using your balance transfer card to pay down debt.

For one, think about how much you can afford to pay each month. Ideally, aim to pay down the balance in full throughout the intro period. But if that amount is beyond your budget, determine a fixed monthly payment you can afford, or just commit to paying down as much as possible over the intro period.

No matter what, always make your payments on time so you can keep your credit in good standing and avoid any additional fees — or even losing your 0% APR offer.

Remember, a balance transfer is only a tool; lowering your debt still takes work. Commit to budgeting for your payments and reducing your debt as much as possible while you’re not accruing interest, and you can start to make big strides toward becoming debt-free over this period.

For many people, a balance transfer credit card can offer a cost-effective path to debt payoff.

It may not be the solution for everyone, though. If you have a very high balance or balances across multiple cards, your debt could exceed your balance transfer card’s credit limit, leaving you unable to transfer the entire balance. In this case, you may want to consider a personal loan for debt payoff. Great debt consolidation loans can offer lower interest rates than credit cards, with fixed monthly payments and minimal fees.

A balance transfer may not be a good option if you’re unwilling or unable to make significant payments toward your debt. After the intro period ends, you’ll start accruing interest at the card’s ongoing APR — which may be just as steep as your current interest rate. Balance transfers work best if you can pay down a significant amount of your debt within the limited introductory period.

You may also want to reconsider a balance transfer if you have ongoing issues with overspending on your credit cards. Make sure you can commit to paying down your debt without adding more to your balance. Otherwise, you could end the promotional period with a higher balance than you started.

Still, many cardholders with high-interest debt balances can benefit from a balance transfer credit card. If you have a repayment plan in place, choose the right 0% APR period and fee structure, and make a timely transfer request, you can use your balance transfer card to lower your debt without letting interest set you back.

Here are a few of our top-rated balance transfer credit cards that you can use to pay down your debt and continue saving over time:

These cash-back credit cards can offer great value on your everyday spending in addition to introductory balance transfer offers. However, you may sacrifice a few extra months with 0% APR to earn rewards and other long-term benefits, so do the math on your debt payoff before you choose these card options.

The cards below carry some of the longest introductory 0% APR offers on balance transfers available today. Aside from the long intro offers, they don’t have many ongoing rewards or benefits, and carry no annual fees (though a balance transfer fee will apply).

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