Best 0% Balance Transfer Credit Card Offers (Updated!)
Are you looking to reduce your high-interest credit card debt burden? Or maybe you’re looking for a ready source of cash at 0% APR? If so, then you’ve definitely come to the right place…
Below, I’ve compiled a list of current 0% balance transfer credit card offers from a variety of issuers. These cards are a great tool for killing off high-interest credit card debt. When combined with a high-yield online savings account these cards are also great for credit card arbitrage. All of these cards offer 0% APR and no annual fee, and some also offer credit card rewards and/or signup bonuses.
Zero Percent APR Balance Transfer Offers
Beyond these top 3, here are the most popular 0% balance transfer credit card offers from different issuers.
- Chase Freedom Visa 0% APR & balance transfers for 15 months, no annual fee. 5% cash back offers in bonus categories like gas stations, restaurants, hotels, movie theaters and more subject to quarterly enrollment and maximum. 1% unlimited cash back on all other purchases with no spending tiers or caps on how much you can earn.
- Discover More 18 Month Promotional Balance Transfer Offer 0% intro APR on balance transfers for a full 18 months. 0% intro APR on purchases for a full 6 months. No annual fee. 5% cash back bonus in categories that change like gas, restaurants, department stores and more. Limitations apply.*
- Slate(SM) from Chase – No Balance Transfer Fee with excellent or good credit this card offers 0% Intro APR for up to 15 months on both balance transfer and purchases. No balance transfer fee when you transfer your higher rate balances during the first 30 days your account is open. No annual fee.
- Discover More 0% intro APR on balance transfers for a full 15 months. 0% intro APR on purchases for a full 15 months. No annual fee. 5% cash back bonus in categories that change.
- Citi Platinum Select Mastercard has a long 0% balance transfer offer at 18 months. Also 0% intro APR on purchases for 18 months. No annual fee.
- Citi Diamond Preferred 0% Intro APR on Purchases for 18 months and 0% on Balance Transfers for 18 months. After that, the APR will vary with the market based on the Prime Rate. Both the rate and term of this offer will be based on your creditworthiness. No annual fee.
Modified on May 11th, 2012 - 13 Comments
Filed under: Banking, Best of..., Carnivals, Credit Cards, Debt Reduction, Education, Frugality, Online
About the author: Nickel is the founder and editor-in-chief of this site. He's a thirty-something family man who has been writing about personal finance since 2005, and guess what? He's on Twitter!
Related articles...
» Are You a 0% Credit Card Daredevil?» No Fee Balance Transfers from PenFed
» New 0% Balance Transfer Credit Card Offers
» Why Avoid the 0% Balance Transfer Game?
» Beware New Credit Card Balance Transfer Offers
» 0% Balance Transfers: 18 Months from Citi Platinum Select
» New 0% Balance Transfers from Discover
» Credit Limits Poll Results
Was this article useful? Please sign up to receive our content via e-mail:
13 Responses to “Best 0% Balance Transfer Credit Card Offers (Updated!)”
Top Cards by Category
Earn $100 cash back after spending $1,000 in eligible purchases in the first 3 months of Cardmembership. Get 3% cash back at supermarkets, 2% cash back at gas stations and department stores, and 1% cash back on all other purchases.
Turn purchases into free travel: Enjoy travel rewards with no travel restrictions or blackout dates - get points for flights on any airline, stays at any hotel, and car rentals with any company.
Turn purchases into free travel: Enjoy travel rewards with no travel restrictions or blackout dates - get points for flights on any airline, stays at any hotel, and car rentals with any company.
No Balance Transfer Fee!* 0% Intro APR for up to 15 months on purchases and balance transfers. This card offers Blueprint, free and customizable account features that help you avoid unnecessary interest and pay your balances down faster.
Earn up to 5% cash back* in categories that change and enjoy a 0% introductory rate for 15 months on Balance Transfers and 15 months on Purchases.
Enjoy a 0% introductory rate for 18 months on Balance Transfers and 6 months on Purchases. Earn up to 5% cash back in categories that change.
Get rewarded for what your business already spends. Unlimited rewards potential - Membership Rewards(R) points have no limit to the amount you can earn and no expiration date.
0% intro APR on purchases for 9 months, then the variable standard purchase APR of 12.99% - 18.99%*. 5% Cashback Bonus in categories that change like gas, restaurants, department stores and more. Limitations apply*. Up to 1% unlimited Cashback Bonus on everything else. No annual fee.
0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months, then the variable standard purchase APR of 10.99% - 19.99%.* Earn 2% cashback automatically at gas stations and restaurants. Great rewards with no annual fee, no rewards redemption fee, and no additional card fee.
This is a prepaid reloadable debit card with a rewards program. No credit check needed and no activation fee. There is a $4.95 monthly fee, reduced to $0.99 monthly if you load $500 each month.
- How to Become a Millionaire
- How to Get Out of Debt
- The Best Dollars I've Ever Spent
- How Our Estate Plan is Structured
- How We Paid Our Mortgage In Less than 10 Years
- Money Making Ideas
- How to Manage Your Asset Allocation with Multiple Accounts
- Consumption Smoothing - Save While the Saving's Good
- How to Save on Groceries
- How Much Life Insurance Do You Need?
- Eleven Great Books About Money
- Dave Ramsey is Bad at Math
- Dish Network Customer Service SUCKS
- $8,000 Homebuyer Tax Credit
- Pay Off Mortgage Early or Invest?
- How to Claim the First-Time Homebuyer Tax Credit
- Reduced Credit Limits? Share Your Experience
- $15,000 Homebuyer Tax Credit
- Ethanol Blended Gas = Lower Mileage?
- Termite Control: Sentricon vs. Termidor
- How Much Should You Pay a Babysitter?
- Will Mac OS X Lion Kill Quicken 2007?
- Federal Income Tax Rates Went Down but Your Federal Tax Withholding Increased. Here's Why...
How to save money on insurance
- Being Too Frugal Can End Up Costing You Money
- Check Fraud: Use a Shredder -- and Hope Everyone Else Does, Too!
- HSA Contribution Limits for 2013
- How to Close an Ally CD Early
- Seven Ways to Make Big Bucks at Your Garage Sale
- What's the Lowest Possible Credit Score?
- $250 Signup Bonus from Citi ThankYou Preferred
- How to Help Your Family Financially - and Stay Sane
- Average Price of a New Car?
- Lending Club Recovered Funds from Defaulted Loans

January 2nd, 2007 at 1:01 pm
How do you deal with the cards that have a balance transfer option and a bonus? Usually to get the bonus you have to make a purchase, but if you have already done a balance transfer, that puchase sits behind the balance transfer amount accruing interest.
January 2nd, 2007 at 1:05 pm
Steve, that’s a good question. The particulars of the offer will vary from card to card, but you’re right in that card issuers normally apply payments to the portion of the balance with the lowest interest rate. You could always buy a stick of gum, or something like that, in which case the interest charges would be (effectivelYy) non-existent.
January 2nd, 2007 at 1:55 pm
Some of the balance transfer options are also good as long as you do the transfer within a certain number of days of opening the account (say 90). What I’ve done in the past with cards like that is activate the card, go buy some gas, go home and immediately pay the bill online and then when the charge is off the card in a few days, request the balance transfer.
As nickel said above, the offers vary from card to card so carefully read the appropriate information, but this is a way I have used successfully to avoid even minor amounts of interest.
Norm
January 2nd, 2007 at 2:35 pm
I employ Norm’s strategy and make a purchase (small or large, it doesn’t matter) and then quickly pay it off. You probably want to setup Online BillPay anyway so making a small purchase and paying it off is a great to way ensure things are setup nicely anyway. Most of those cards have offers that are good for at least six months.
January 7th, 2007 at 10:39 pm
is there credit cards that will do a balance transfer from retail cards like best buy, home depot, etc? do you recommend any?
January 7th, 2007 at 11:48 pm
I’m not sure about a direct transfer from store credit, but a number of card issuers will give you balance transfer checks. You can then use the checks to pay off the balance on the store charge card (or anything else). And if you don’t have any outstanding debt, can even deposit these checks in a high-interest bank account and make some money for the duration of the 0% period.
January 8th, 2007 at 10:45 am
Can you deposit Balance transfer checks from Discover to your checking account?
February 16th, 2007 at 11:25 am
Great list of cards! As long as you use balance transfer and 0% APR credit cards wisely, you can save a lot of money.
March 14th, 2007 at 4:14 pm
I rec’d a 14 month 0% offer from AAA that supposedly includes Cash Advances…can that be right? It seems too easy to take the cash, drop it into Emigrant or ING or somesuch. Anyone have experience with this?
March 27th, 2007 at 12:01 pm
Well wanted to let you know that I applied for a new chase credit card and also signed up for a Balance transfer. I asked them to transfer the Balance of 4500$( no balance transfer fee ) to my Amex Blue card which has no dues on it. When I called the Amex to send me the 4500$ cheque as it was Credit Balance , they said that it is against their policy and they might close the account. They said you made a payment into an account which had no dues. I wanted to know is their a way I can get that 4500$ without making a purchase and still keep my Amex Account. Please advise.
April 11th, 2007 at 1:25 pm
I have a 0% Lifetime on Discover Card. This is the second time I’ve done this. I’ll buy a car and transfer to a credit card. The first time there were no purchase requirements and I made a “car payment (~100.00/month)” until I paid it off. This time, I have to make a purchase every month to keep the 0% interest rate in effect. I’ve been accomplishing this by going to the gas station every month and buying a quick click of gas ($0.03). I’m doing this because they charge a finance charge on purchases or a minimum of $0.50 a month). I’ve been trying to find a place where I can automatically charge a penny on the first of every month. Any ideas?
May 1st, 2007 at 4:04 pm
Does anyone know if I can apply for two different Discover cards? I have a $25000 debt I’d like to transfer to 0% cards and was approved for a Discover card but for only $10,000. Also, will applying for more cards to reach this balance affect the aggreement and allow them to increase the interest rate. There is something in the T&C about them having the ability to end the offer if your credit is affected. Applying for additional cards might affect my credit?
May 2nd, 2007 at 5:48 pm
I have $46,000 in Home Equity Line of Credit debt. How can I get this credit card arbitrage ball rolling? Do any of these cards send you checks that I could use to pay down my HELOC? It’s the only debt I have that could be paid off at this time.