Best 0% APR Balance Transfer Credit Card Offers

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A 0% balance transfer credit card, if used correctly, can save you hundreds if not thousands of dollars in interest payments. Having taken advantage of multiple zero percent balance transfer offers from Citi, Chase, and Discover, I’ve learned how to find the best 0% balance transfer deals available. To help you in your search for the top offers, we’ve created this page; updated February 2012.

Below you’ll find our editor’s picks for the absolute best transfer offers you’ll find anywhere. The editor’s picks include the Citi Platinum Select MasterCard, which leads the industry with its 0% APR balance transfer for 18 months. It’s worth bookmarking this page, as we regularly update the page with new offers. Finally, you’ll find some tips and tricks to help you make the most of the balance transfer offers you take advantage of.

Best Balance Transfer Offers

In addition to our editor’s picks above, here we list what we believe to be the best cards that will allow you to transfer a balance without paying any interest during the introductory period:

Card Name	0% Transfer Term (in months)	Links
Citi® Platinum Select® MasterCard®	18
Discover® More® Card Up to 5% Cash Back	12 Limited Time Offer-- No Balance Transfer Fee
Capital One® Platinum Prestige Credit Card	Until May 2013
Slate® from Chase	12 Limited Time Offer-- No Balance Transfer Fee

Citi® Platinum Select® MasterCard® – The card that is always best for balance transfers is the Citi Platinum Select MasterCard, as it offers a 0% intro APR on both purchases and balance transfers for 18* months.  The balance transfer fee is an average 3% ($5 minimum) and once the intro rate expires, the APR becomes 11.99% – 21.99%* variable depending on the applicants credit history.  This card does not have an annual fee.

Discover® More® Card – Balance Transfer Fee* – A close second on our list is the Discover More Card – Balance Transfer Fee* and its 0% intro APR on balance transfers for 18 months.  This card also has a 0% intro APR on purchases for 6 months and again includes a balance transfer fee of 3%.  The draw here is with a rewards program that offers 5% cash back on select purchases every quarter and up to 1% cash back on everything else.  Once the intro rate expires, the standard APR becomes 10.99% – 20.99%* variable and no annual fee is charged.

Capital One® Platinum Prestige Credit Card – Members of the Capital One Platinum Prestige Credit Card will receive a 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers until May 2013 at which point the APR reverts back to 10.9% – 18.9% variable (which is the lowest on this list).  The balance transfer fee is 3% and because this card is issued by Capital One, no foreign transaction fees are charged.  An annual fee is also not charged.

Chase Freedom® Visa – $100 Bonus Cash Back – One of only two cards on our list that offers an up front cash bonus, the Chase Freedom Visa – $100 Bonus Cash Back has a 0% intro APR on balance transfers for 12 months and purchases for six months.  The standard APR is 11.99% – 22.99% variable once the intro rate expires and cardholders will also receive 1% cash back on all purchases with 5% cash back on select purchases.  The Chase Freedom® Visa -$100 Bonus Cash Back has no annual fee.

Discover® More® Card – The standard version of the Discover More Card has a great intro offer of 0% APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months. It also has a good rewards program that offers 5% cash back on select purchases and up to 1% cash back on all other purchases. The balance transfer fee is 3% and this card has no annual fee.

Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card – The only reason this card doesn’t make the table above is because it’s identical to the Citi Platinum Select MasterCard.  A 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 18* months is offered on the Citi Diamond Preferred Card and the balance transfer fee is 3% ($5 minimum).  There is no annual fee and no rewards program included.

Citi Forward® Card – The Citi Forward Card is unique in that it offers an APR discount when paying on time but it also has a 0% intro APR on balance transfers for 12 months and on purchases for 7 months.  ThankYou Points received after you make $650 in purchases and sign up for paperless statements with in the first 3 months. The balance transfer fee is 3% and there is no annual fee to own this card.

Discover® Open Road Card – Cardholders here can find a 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 12 months while also cashing in on 2% cashback for restaurant and gasoline purchases year-round.  A $150 Restaurant.com gift certificate is included after making just one purchase and this card has a 3% balance transfer fee.  No annual fee is charged on the Discover Open Road Card.

Citi Simplicity® Card – Would you believe that Citi has three cards on this list with the best balance transfer offer of 0% intro APR for 18* months?  Well the Citi Simplicity Card has just that, with an added bonus of no late payment charges and no over-limit charges.  This card does have a 3% balance transfer fee but does not carry an annual fee.

Miles by Discover® Card – 1,000 bonus miles are earned on the Miles by Discover Card for the first 12 months you make a purchase (which is a cash reward of $120 during the first year) and the card includes a 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for six months.  The card carries a very low 10.9% – 16.9%* variable APR, has no annual fee and a balance transfer fee of 3%.

Citi® Dividend Platinum Select® Visa® Card – $100 Cash Back – $100 cash back is earned after making $500 in purchases during the first three months of owning the Citi Dividend Platinum Select Visa Card – $100 Cash Back and it also has a 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 12 months.  The balance transfer fee is 3% and a solid rewards program is also included which provides 5% cash back on select purchases and 1% cashback everywhere else. The Citi Dividend Platinum Select Visa Card – $100 Cash Back has no annual fee.

Slate® from Chase – The Slate from Chase offers a 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months if you have excellent credit and a 0% intro APR on balance transfers for six months if you have good credit.  The balance transfer fee is 3% and there is no annual fee.

0% Balance Transfer Tips and Tricks

1. The length of the offer: To state the obvious, the longer the 0% offer lasts, the better. Today, the longest offer is a 2 year deal on the Citi Platinum Select MasterCard (see above). While this is not the only factor to consider when choosing a card, it’s obviously one of the most important.
2. Watch the balance transfer fees: All balance transfer credit cards charge a fee for the balance transfer. We get a lot of folks asking us for no fee balance transfers, but they no longer exist. So make sure you read the fine print so that you know what fees you’ll be charged. I’ve seen some balance transfer offers that charge such a high fee that it turns a 0% offer into something more like six or eight percent. All of the credit cards we list here charge a reasonable fee, typically between 3% and 5% of the amount transferred.
3. Never use a 0% balance transfer offer to increase the total amount of your debt: I’ve seen some folks transfer debt to a 0% credit card, only to charge up additional debt on their other credit cards. This in turn just leads to more debt. And when the 0% offer expires and you start paying interest on the remaining balance, the situation only gets worse.
4. Have a plan for when the 0% introductory rate expires: Did you ever wonder why credit card companies are willing to offer 0% interest for sometimes as long as a year? The reason is that they know many people will leave the balance on the credit card after the introductory rate expires. Therefore, it is critical that you know what you’ll do with the remaining balance when introductory rate expires. For us, it usually means transferring the balance to a new 0% credit card or to our home equity line of credit that charges a very reasonable and tax-deductible rate. If you plan to leave the balance on the card, check out the next tip.
5. Always know the interest rate you’ll be charged once the 0% introductory rate expires: If you plan to leave the remaining balance on the card after the introductory rate expires, you should know what the adjusted rate will be before transferring the balance in the first place.
6. Don’t use 0% offers to overspend: When we recently purchased furniture for our living room, a furniture company offered 0% interest for 12 months. We turned down the offer. I knew that with a 0% offer, we would be inclined to purchase more furniture than we needed. So instead, we paid cash. This goes to another principle that we follow – never borrower to buy consumer goods if you can help it.
7. Shop around for the best option: Not all 0% credit card offers are alike. Some charge different balance transfer fees. And for others, the introductory 0% rate lasts for varying periods of time. I’ve seen some lasts for as short as three months, while others have lasted for 15 months. And that’s why we’ve created this page! A one-stop place to find the best BT offers available.
8. Understand the difference between a 0% interest rate on balance transfers and on purchases: Some credit cards offer a 0% introductory rate on purchases only, not balance transfers. Other cards offer a 0% rate on both balance transfers and purchases. As you are shopping for the best 0% credit card for your needs, make sure you understand this difference.
9. Look for cards that also offer rewards: Several credit cards with 0% introductory rates also offer excellent rewards packages. Depending on whether you travel a lot or want cash back from purchases, you’ll find credit cards that offer a vast array of rewards. But you need to keep in mind that for many of these cards, the balance transfers that you make will not qualify for the reward.
10. Always remember that even at 0% interest, it’s still debt: While I have taken advantage of 0% credit cards and saved a lot of money as a result, it doesn’t change the fact that we still have debt. Credit cards can be an awfully tempting and destructive privilege, so use even 0% credit cards with care.