Is a balance transfer worth the fee?
A 0% offer isn't free: you pay a fee up front, and the rate jumps when the intro ends. Put in your balance, your rate and what you can pay each month. This shows what each path costs in total, how long each takes, and the payment that clears the debt before the 0% runs out.
Balance transfer
No signup, nothing stored.
Transferring saves you
$1,277
- Interest if you stay
- $1,577
- Fee and interest if you transfer
- $300
- Payment that clears it in the intro
- $300
Balance owed, month by month
Stay on the current card Transfer Intro ends
The transfer, line by line
An estimate using monthly interest and a fixed payment. It is not an offer of credit, and approval and credit limits are up to the issuer. The reasoning and a worked example are in the guide: Balance transfer cards: how to choose, and when to skip one.
Six things behind the answer
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What the calculator compares
Two paths for the same balance and the same monthly payment. Staying put, the balance accrues interest at your current APR every month. Transferring, the fee is added to the balance on the new card, nothing accrues during the intro months, and whatever is left afterward accrues the card's regular APR. The headline figure is the difference in total cost: interest on one side, fee plus interest on the other.
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Where the default rate comes from
The current APR starts at 22.36%, the average rate on credit card accounts that were charged interest in August 2026, from the Federal Reserve's G.19 consumer credit release of October 7, 2026. Across all accounts, including those that pay in full, the average was 21.19%. Your own rate is on your statement; use it.
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The fee is real money, paid on day one
Issuers may charge a balance transfer fee even on a 0% offer, and it is usually a percentage of the amount moved or a fixed dollar amount, whichever is more (CFPB). U.S. Bank's Shield Visa, for example, charges 5% of each transfer with a $5 minimum (U.S. Bank, checked October 29, 2026). On a small balance you would pay off in a few months anyway, the fee can cost more than the interest it avoids. The calculator says so when it does.
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The intro rate can end early
Federal rules require a promotional rate to last at least six months, but an issuer may end it if your minimum payment is more than 60 days late, after giving notice (12 CFR 1026.55). The CFPB warns that a late payment that far behind can raise the rate on all balances, including the one you transferred (CFPB). Set up an automatic payment for at least the minimum on day one.
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Don't spend on the new card
New purchases on a card carrying a promotional balance usually lose the grace period, so they start accruing interest at the regular rate right away (CFPB). Payments above the minimum go to the highest-rate balance first (12 CFR 1026.53), but the minimum itself may go to the 0% balance. The cleanest plan is one card for the debt and a different card, or a debit card, for spending.
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What this leaves out
Interest here is monthly (balance times APR divided by 12). Card issuers use a daily rate on your average daily balance, so real figures differ by a few dollars. The calculator assumes you make the same payment every month and add nothing to either card. It also can't know whether you will be approved, for what credit limit, or whether the limit will cover the whole balance: if it doesn't, the rest stays on the old card at the old rate.
Questions people ask
Is a balance transfer worth the fee?
It is when the interest you would otherwise pay is larger than the fee. On a $6,000 balance at 22.36% paid off at $300 a month, staying costs about $1,577 in interest over 26 months; a 5% fee costs $300 and, with 21 months at 0%, the balance is gone in 21 months. On a $1,500 balance you'd clear in four months, the interest is about $58 and a 5% fee is $75, so the transfer loses.
What monthly payment clears a balance transfer before the intro period ends?
Add the fee to the balance and divide by the number of intro months. A $6,000 transfer with a 5% fee is $6,300; over 21 months that is $300 a month. Anything left when the intro ends starts accruing the card's regular APR.
Can I lose the 0% rate?
Yes. Under 12 CFR 1026.55 an issuer may end a promotional rate if your minimum payment is more than 60 days late, after giving notice. Card agreements can have other conditions too, so read the terms.
Does the transfer fee count toward the balance?
On most cards the fee is charged to the new account and becomes part of the balance you repay, which is how this calculator treats it.
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This calculator produces estimates from the inputs you provide. It is not an offer or a guarantee of credit, and actual interest depends on your card's daily balance method, fees and terms. It is educational and is not personalized financial advice.