Best balance transfer cards - Find Me a Card

Best balance transfer cards

(Last updated: September 2021)

If you're looking to transfer an existing card's balance onto a new card, then you'll want that new card to be one that offers the best combination of:

Low intro balance transfer APR ("Intro BT APR")
Low ongoing balance transfer APR ("Ongoing BT APR")
Low balance transfer fee ("BT fee")

General tips

Look for cards with 0% intro BT APR for 12+ months: Look for cards that offer a 0% introductory APR for at least 12 months to give you time to catch up with your payments.
Maybe even longer than 12 months: Determine how long it will take for you to pay off your debt, and look for the longest introductory period you can find.
Review the BT fees: Read the fine print to find out what the balance transfer fees are. Most cards that offer 0% introductory APRs have a balance transfer fee of about 5%.

Notes

The details of each offer mentioned in this article were current as of the time this article was written, but might have changed by the time you're reading this. (For example, signup bonuses tend to change every few months or so.) Therefore, make sure to double-check the card offer details on the respective credit card issuer's website before you decide to apply for any particular card.
Total value per year for typical spenders is the average value per year, for the first 5 years of having the card, of all rewards and perks that would be earned by a "typical spender" (spends $1,500 total per month, across spend categories in a way that's consistent with the average U.S. consumer), minus any annual fees.

Our favorite balance transfer cards overall

Taking into account all factors (e.g., introductory balance transfer APR, ongoing balance transfer APR, and rewards), our favorite credit card for balance transfers is Citi Double Cash, with second place going to TD First Class Visa Signature.

Credit card	Summary	Intro BT APR	Ongoing BT APR	Ongoing BT APR: Midpoint of range	BT fee	Signup bonus	Ongoing rewards	Annual fee	Total value per year for typical spenders
Citi Double Cash	A good card for cash back on general spending (2% cash back -- 1% on purchases, plus another 1% when you pay in full), with no annual fee, but also with no signup bonus.	0% for 18 months	13.99% - 23.99%	18.99%	3%	None	2% cash back on every purchase. (1% when you buy, plus an additional 1% when you pay your credit card statement.)	$0	$371 per year
TD First Class Visa Signature	A sub-par travel rewards credit card, with a moderate 25K miles signup bonus and 3x miles on travel and dining, but an $89 annual fee and a value per mile of only 1 cent.	0% for 12 months	13.24%	13.24%	3%	25K miles (after spending $3K w/in 6 months)	3x miles on travel and dining. 1 mile per dollar on everything else.	$89 ($0 intro)	$238 per year

Best balance transfer cards based on introductory BT APR

Credit card	Summary	Intro BT APR	Ongoing BT APR	Ongoing BT APR: Midpoint of range	BT fee	Signup bonus	Ongoing rewards	Annual fee	Total value per year for typical spenders
Citi Double Cash	A good card for cash back on general spending (2% cash back -- 1% on purchases, plus another 1% when you pay in full), with no annual fee, but also with no signup bonus.	0% for 18 months	13.99% - 23.99%	18.99%	3%	None	2% cash back on every purchase. (1% when you buy, plus an additional 1% when you pay your credit card statement.)	$0	$371 per year
Citi Diamond Preferred	An extremely basic credit card with no annual fee and a 0% intro APR on purchases and balance purchases, but also no rewards.	0% for 18 months	14.74% - 24.74%	19.74%	3%	None	None	$0	$11 per year
Citi Simplicity	An extremely basic credit card with no annual fee and a 0% intro APR on purchases and balance purchases, but also no rewards.	0% for 18 months	14.74% - 24.74%	19.74%	3%	None	None	$0	$3 per year
Wells Fargo Platinum	A very basic card with no annual fee, but also no ongoing rewards and no signup bonus.	0% for 18 months	16.49% - 24.49%	20.49%	5% (Intro: 3% for 4 months)	None	None	$0	$40 per year

Best balance transfer cards based on ongoing BT APR

Credit card	Summary	Intro BT APR	Ongoing BT APR	Ongoing BT APR: Midpoint of range	BT fee	Signup bonus	Ongoing rewards	Annual fee	Total value per year for typical spenders
TD First Class Visa Signature	A sub-par travel rewards credit card, with a moderate 25K miles signup bonus and 3x miles on travel and dining, but an $89 annual fee and a value per mile of only 1 cent.	0% for 12 months	13.24%	13.24%	3%	25K miles (after spending $3K w/in 6 months)	3x miles on travel and dining. 1 mile per dollar on everything else.	$89 ($0 intro)	$238 per year
Citi Costco Anywhere Visa Card	A great no annual fee cash back card for people who are Costco members and spend a lot on gas (4% cash back), restaurants (3%), travel (3%), and Costco (2%) purchases.	(Same as ongoing BT APR)	15.24%	15.24%	3%	None	4% cash back on gas (including gas at Costco), for the first $7,000 spent per year. 3% cash back on restaurants and travel. 2% cash back on other Costco purchases (in-store and/or at costco.com). 1% cash back on all other purchases.	$0	$312 per year
PNC Points Visa	A card that seems good on the surface, but has a very low value per point (5 points = 1 cent).	0% for 12 months	11.99% - 21.99%	16.99%	4% (Intro: 3% for 3 months)	50K points (after spending $750 w/in 3 months)	4 points per dollar on all purchases.	$0	$204 per year
TD Cash Credit Card	A no annual fee card with decent cash back rates (3% on dining, 2% on groceries) and a $150 signup bonus, but only available to people who live in one of 16 states.	0% for 15 months	12.99% - 22.99%	17.99%	3%	$150 (after spending $500 w/in 90 days)	3% cash back at restaurants. 2% cash back at grocery stores. 1% cash back on all other purchases.	$0	$311 per year