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Balance transfer credit cards
Find your ideal 0% balance transfer card
Moving existing credit card debt to a 0% interest balance transfer card could help you save money
Get approved for a credit card quickly
Add your details to our eligibility checker
Explore your options from top credit card providers
Choose the right card for your needs
August 2024's savings
You could save up to £779.66* in interest with a 0% balance transfer card
Get approved for a credit card quickly
Add your details to our eligibility checker
Explore your options from top credit card providers
Choose the right card for your needs
839,145 customers have visited Uswitch to explore credit cards this year
18,529 people used our eligibility checker in August 2024
*£779.66 is a representative example of the interest a customer would save in the first 12 months. Example based on a £3,550 balance transferred from a card with 29.9% APR to a 0% card for 28 months, then 24.9% (variable), with a fixed monthly payment of £177.50. Representative APR 24.9%. See more here: Uswitch savings
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Uswitch Limited is a credit broker, not a lender, for consumer credit.
Our services are provided at no cost to you. We may receive a commission from the companies we refer you to, but this does not affect what you will pay for the product you choose.
What are balance transfer credit cards?
If you're paying a high interest rate on existing credit card debts, you could avoid paying interest on that debt by transferring some, or all of the debt, to a balance transfer credit card that doesn't charge any interest for a set period of time. This helps you pay off your debt faster and save you a significant sum of money.
How do balance transfer credit cards work?
Balance transfer cards essentially allow you to move existing debt on one, or several credit cards, to a new card that doesn't charge interest for a set period. Often this can be for up to two years or more. This allows you to pay off your credit card debt with regular instalments.
However balance transfers aren't all free. For the cards with lengthy 0% periods, you'll be charged a small fee for the transfer - usually between 3% and % of the amount transferred. While there are cards that offer fee-free balance transfers, the interest-free period will only be for a few months.
How to compare balance transfer cards
Balance transfer period
The 0% interest period is the most impart aspect of a balance transfer card, as this determines who long you'll have to pay off your balance without paying any interest. The longer it is, the lower our monthly instalments can be to pay off the balance.
Balance transfer fee
There many cards that don't charge a few for transferring your balance. Typically, for the the cards with the longest 0% periods, you'll likely have to pay a fee. Usually it ranges between 1% and 4% of amount transferred.
APR
The APR is is the interest rate you'll be charged once the interest free period ends. If you intend to keep using your card after the 0% period ends, ideally you want to get a card with lowest APR you can be approved for.
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Pros and cons
Pros
Cons
FAQs
What is the APR?
APR is there to help you compare credit card deals more easily. APR stands for annual percentage rate.
It helps you work out what the credit card will cost you once your 0% introductory period ends. A higher APR means higher repayments.
APR takes into account the interest rate and standard additional fees associated with the credit card offer.
Could I get a shorter introductory period than advertised?
Be careful. Where you’ve had credit problems in the past you might be given a shorter introductory period than you see advertised which may not make the offer as attractive. If your credit rating is lower, you may be offered a less attractive deal. For this reason, it is a good idea to get your credit rating into the best shape possible.
What is the true cost of the balance transfer fee?
Most credit card providers charge a balance transfer fee of around 3% when you move your debt from one card to another. This varies between cards and providers.
As the fee is worked out as a percentage, the cost of the transfer fee will rise with the amount you transfer.
Could I get a higher APR than advertised?
The rate you see advertised isn’t necessarily the rate you will get. Credit card providers only have to give the typical APR they advertise to 51% of successful applicants. If you don’t have a good credit score, you might be given a higher APR.
Check that the rate you see advertised is the rate you will actually get to avoid a shock when your first statement arrives. Again, getting your credit rating into good shape will help your chances of getting the best deals.
Are money transfers included?
Sometimes. Some balance transfer credit cards will also include 0% on money transfers. Money transfers allow you to pay money from your balance transfer cards into your current account. So you can pay off overdraft debt, not just credit card debt.
These deals will also come with a fee, usually around 4%, but this will vary from provider to provider.
Finding the best balance transfer cards
The best balance transfer credit card for you will depend on your needs. But to help you find the best deal you should look for:
Lowest APRs
0 balance transfer fees
Longest 0% introductory periods
Also consider what other features you might need including:
Money transfers
0% purchases
Can I get a balance transfer credit card with bad credit?
Your options for balance transfer credit cards will be limited if you have bad credit. Most credit cards transfer deals will only accept people with a good or excellent credit rating.
You might have a higher chance of being approved for a credit card for bad credit.
How Uswitch compares credit cards
What does ‘most popular’ and ‘popularity’ mean?
When we use the term ‘most popular or ‘popularity’ on Uswitch in reference to credit cards, these cards are ranked by the number of clicks they have received on the site in the past 30 days.
The most clicked on cards are at the top, with the least at the bottom. This reflects how popular they are with visitors to Uswitch.com. Consequently, this is a good table to look at if you’re interested in seeing which cards most people think are worth getting.
Does Uswitch compare all the credit cards on the market?
We compare over 100 credit cards from all of the major banks and credit card providers.
However, we do not compare all the credit cards that are available in the UK.
This is because some credit card providers have offers that are only available exclusively through their own website or branch, or through other comparison websites - in the same way some credit cards are exclusively available through Uswitch.
There are also many credit cards that are only available to people in member organisations and clubs.
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