9 Best “No Balance Transfer Fee” Credit Cards (2018)

Few things can be as disheartening for those with hefty credit card debt than watching your minimum payment steadily increase — while your principal balance stays the same. Unfortunately, when interest fees start piling up on top of your existing credit card balances, your payments may not make much of a dent in the debt heap. That’s because your payments go to your interest first and your balance second. Depending on the state of your debt, your entire minimum payment could be only covering your monthly interest fees while maintaining your purchase debt indefinitely.

That’s where credit card balance transfer offers can come in handy. Readily available to those with good credit or better, credit cards with introductory 0% APR offers can provide the interest-rate relief necessary to help you pay down your balance. While these cards often come with balance transfer fees, you can avoid them with a little research.

In general, every time you transfer your credit card balance from one card to another, the card to which you transfer your balance will charge you a fee for the service. This fee typically ranges from 3% to 5% of the total transferred balance, and it will be charged at the time you transfer.

While a number of cards exist that won’t charge you a balance transfer fee, the number of those cards offering 0% APR on that balance are limited. Of those double-whammy cards with the best of both, the vast majority are offered by credit unions, small banks, and private firms. That said, you do have a couple of mainstream options for fee-free balance transfers, both from giants in the industry — and both without annual fees, to boot.

0 Intro Balance transfer fee during first 60 days of account opening. After that, the fee for future balance transfers is 3% (min. No penalty APR. Paying late won't automatically raise your interest rate (APR). Other account pricing and terms apply. See application, terms and details. The BankAmericard Credit Card doesn’t offer cash back or other rewards, but it does have a solid introductory 0% APR offer and won’t charge a fee on balances transferred within the first 60 days.

Balances transferred after that will be charged a 3% fee, so transfer early if you intend to take advantage of the offer. The Chase Slate Credit Card doesn’t offer a lot of fancy perks, such as cash back rewards, but it does have a comprehensive introductory 0% APR offer. Additionally, you won’t be charged a fee on balance transfers made within the first 60 days.

When considering your options, remember that you can’t transfer a balance from one Chase card to another. Offered by financial services company, Edward Jones, the Edward Jones World MasterCard is available to existing Edward Jones customers. Cardholders can earn Loyalty Rewards redeemable for cash back, travel, charitable donations, or deposits into your Edward Jones accounts.

For a limited time, enjoy an introductory 0% APR offer and pay no balance transfer fee on balances transferred within the first 60 days. If you have your heart set on a fee-free balance transfer card from a credit union, be prepared to jump through a few hoops. Credit unions require you to be a member to bank and/or obtain credit, which typically requires living in a particular area or joining a specific organization around which the credit union was built.

For example, only consumers (and their families) who have served in the Armed Forces, Department of Defense, Coast Guard, or National Guard can qualify to join the Navy Federal Credit Union. Regardless of your current APR, there’s a high probability that “zero” is significantly better. With that being the case, even if you’re stuck paying fees to transfer your balances, you may still benefit (read: save a bunch of money) from the process.

600 or more across 12 interest-free months. So, as important as that balance transfer fee can be, it shouldn’t be at the top of your list when comparing credit card offers. More important to many will be the default APR, which is the interest rate you’ll be charged for your transferred balance after your introductory period expires. And, of course, look at the actual length of the offer; the best cards, such as our top picks, offer over a year of interest-free balances.

INTRO OFFER: Discover will match ALL the cash back earned at the end of your first year, automatically. Plus, earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases - automatically. Redeem cash back any amount, any time. 100% U.S. based customer service. Get your free Credit Scorecard with your FICO Credit Score, number of recent inquiries and more.

Receive FREE Social Security number alerts—Discover will monitor thousands of risky websites when you sign up. See application, terms and details. See application, terms and details. See application, terms and details. One thing to note is that even if you transfer your balance to a rewards credit card, you won’t earn rewards on transferred balances, and your transferred balance won’t count toward the spending requirement for a credit card signup bonus.

You can, however, earn rewards on any qualifying new purchases made with the card. Many of the best balance transfer offers aren’t limited to transferred balances; a great number of cards will offer 0% APR on your new purchases, as well (or, sometimes, instead). This can be a great way to finance large purchases you may wish to pay off over several months, especially because you can still earn rewards on your purchases while enjoying your interest-free period.