Balance Transfer Calculator

By Mike G.

A 0% balance transfer can save a lot of interest, but only if the fee and the rate after the intro period don’t eat the savings. Enter your card and the offer to see the payment that clears it in time, what’s left if it doesn’t, and the total cost of each choice.

Your card now
The balance transfer offer
Averages about 4.3%.
Often 0%.
At least 6 months by law.
In the offer's terms.

The transfer would save about $1,502 in interest and fees. About $900 would still be owed when the intro rate ends, and that part is charged 24.99%.

To clear it during the intro$350a month for 18 months, fee included
Left when the intro ends$900paying $300 a month
Debt-free in22 monthsafter the transfer

Stay on your current card

Monthly payment
$300
Debt-free in
2 years 3 months
Total interest
$1,841

Balance transfer

Transfer fee
$300
Interest during the intro
$0
Interest after the intro
$39
Interest plus fee
$339
Debt-free in
22 months

The fee is added to the transferred balance, and the same payment goes to both. The intro rate can end early if you're more than 60 days late, new purchases on the card usually get the regular rate, and how much you can move depends on the new card's credit limit. "No interest if paid in full" offers work differently: if any balance is left at the end, interest can be charged back to the start. See debt consolidation for the risks.

For the full picture, including your budget and which way out of debt fits, run the Debt Audit.

Estimates based on the numbers you entered. Not financial advice. How the math works.

How it works

  1. Staying on your card: the calculator pays down your balance at its current APR with the monthly payment you enter, and adds up the interest until it’s paid off.
  2. The transfer: it adds the transfer fee to the balance you move, then applies the intro APR each month until the intro period ends and the card’s regular APR after that, with the same monthly payment.
  3. The comparison: savings = interest if you stay − (interest after the transfer + the fee).
  4. The payment to clear it in time is the level monthly payment that pays off the balance, fee included, by the last month of the intro period.

Card companies can charge a balance transfer fee even on a 0% offer.[1] Among the 25 largest issuers, the fee averaged 4.3% of the amount moved in the second half of 2024, and any balance left when the promotion ends is charged the higher regular rate.[2] The calculator starts at 5% so it doesn’t overstate the savings. Replace it with the fee in your offer.

A worked example

Say you owe $6,000 on a card at 24.99% and can pay $300 a month. An offer gives 0% for 18 months with a 5% transfer fee, then 24.99%.

  1. Stay on your current card: debt-free in 2 years 3 months, with $1,841 in interest.
  2. Move the balance: the $300 fee is added, so you start at $6,300. Paying $300 a month leaves $900 when the intro rate ends, and that part is charged 24.99%. Debt-free in 22 months, with $339 in interest and fees.
  3. To clear it before the intro rate ends takes $350 a month. Then the only cost is the $300 fee.
  4. The difference: the transfer saves about $1,502 at $300 a month.

What the calculator assumes

  • No new purchases on the new card. A card carrying a transferred balance usually loses its grace period, so new purchases are charged interest from the day you make them, even if you pay them off each month.[3]
  • Every payment arrives on time. An intro rate must last at least six months, but it can end early if you’re more than 60 days late.[4]
  • A true 0% (or low) intro APR. “No interest if paid in full” offers are different: if any of the balance is left when the promotion ends, interest back to the start date can be added.[5]
  • The whole balance moves. How much you can transfer depends on the new card’s credit limit.

The month-by-month payoff math is the same the Debt Audit uses, explained on How the audit works.

Is a transfer the right move for all your debts?

The Debt Audit looks at each of your debts and your budget together, compares payoff plans, and explains which way out of debt fits your numbers. It takes about five minutes, and nothing you enter is stored or sent.

Run the Debt Audit

Frequently asked questions

Is a balance transfer worth it?

It saves money when the interest you avoid is bigger than the transfer fee plus any interest after the intro period ends. The biggest savings come from paying the balance off before the intro rate ends. The calculator compares the total cost of both choices for your numbers.

How much do I need to pay each month to clear it before the 0% ends?

Divide the transferred balance, fee included, by the number of months in the intro period. The calculator shows that payment at the top of the results.

What happens if I don’t pay it off before the intro period ends?

With a 0% intro APR, the card’s regular rate applies to whatever is left from then on. With a “no interest if paid in full” deferred interest offer, interest going back to the start can be added to the remaining balance.

Is a balance transfer better than a consolidation loan?

A transfer is often cheaper if you can clear the balance during the intro period. A fixed-rate loan is more predictable if payoff will take longer. The consolidation savings calculator compares a loan the same way, and the debt consolidation guide covers both.

Sources

  1. What is a balance transfer fee? Can a balance transfer fee be charged on a zero percent interest rate offer? Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
  2. The Consumer Credit Card Market (2025), section 7.4, Balance transfers. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
  3. The Consumer Credit Card Market (2023), section on balance transfer costs. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
  4. How long can I keep a low rate on a balance transfer or other introductory rate? Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
  5. How to understand special promotional financing offers on credit cards. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.