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A credit card balance transfer typically takes about five to seven days, depending on the card issuer, but some financial institutions ask customers to allow up to six weeks to complete the transaction.
If you're considering getting a new balance transfer credit card and want to make sure you know how long the transfer will take as well as whether you should even make a transfer in the first place, read on.
What Is a Balance Transfer?
A balance transfer is when you move a balance from one credit card to another. The goal is typically to take advantage of a lower interest rate or even an introductory 0% APR promotion. This is a common strategy for consolidating debt, and can help you save a significant amount of money in interest.
Example: Say you have a $5,000 balance on a card with a 20% interest rate, and you were to transfer it to a card with a 0% annual percentage rate (APR) promotion for 18 months and a 3% transfer fee, you could pay off the balance interest-free, including the $150 fee, during the 0% APR period with a monthly payment of roughly $286. In contrast, if you were to put that payment toward your current card, it'd take you 21 months to pay it off, and you'd pay about $960 in interest.
How Balance Transfers Work
Credit card issuers don't all approach balance transfers the same way:
- Some card companies allow you to transfer your other credit card balance to the card electronically.
- Some card companies issue balance transfer checks tied to your account.
- Some credit card companies may even allow you to transfer your balance from other types of debt, such as personal loans or auto loans.
Be aware: Card issuers usually charge a fee of 3% or 5% of the transaction amount to complete a balance transfer. You'll need to do the math to determine whether the introductory rate offered saves you more over the long run.
How Long Does a Balance Transfer Take?
Many credit card companies will state how long the balance transfer process takes on their website. If the information is not available online, you can call your card issuer's customer service department. Here's what to expect based on the card to which you're transferring a balance.
| Average Length of Time for a Balance Transfer | |
|---|---|
| American Express | Typically five to seven days, but can take up to six weeks in certain circumstances |
| Bank of America | Typically two to 14 days |
| Barclays | Up to four weeks |
| Capital One | Typically three to 14 days |
| Chase | Up to 21 days |
| Discover | Typically four days but newly opened cards take 14 days before a balance transfer will begin processing |
| U.S. Bank | Up to 14 days |
| Wells Fargo | Up to 14 days |
When Does It Make Sense to Complete a Balance Transfer?
A balance transfer can be a great way to consolidate high-interest credit card debt, but it's not for everyone.
When to Consider a Balance Transfer
Here are some situations in which a balance transfer might make sense:
- You have good credit and can qualify for a 0% intro APR balance transfer promotion.
- The card you're transferring to has a much lower APR.
- You have a plan to pay off the full balance—or at least a large chunk of it—before the 0% APR promotional period ends.
- You don't plan to add more credit card debt while you're paying down your balance.
- You're developing good credit habits, so you can avoid falling back into debt in the future.
When a Balance Transfer May Not Make Sense
On the flip side, it might not make sense to do a balance transfer in the following situations:
- You struggle to stick to a repayment plan on a credit card.
- Your credit score isn't high enough to qualify for a 0% introductory APR promotion.
- You have other cards with a lower APR.
- You're on track to paying off your balance within a few months and don't want to open a new account or incur a balance transfer fee.
- Adding a new card to your wallet could exacerbate problems with overspending.
Be aware: Even if you qualify for a good balance transfer credit card, the new card may not have a high enough limit to cover the full balance if you have a lot of credit card debt. In this case, you can still save money with a balance transfer, but the repayment process will be a bit more complicated.
How to Choose a Balance Transfer Credit Card
There are a lot of different credit cards out there that offer low or even 0% APR promotions on balance transfers. Here are some variables to consider when determining which balance transfer credit card is the best for you:
- Length of the promotion
- Variable APR after the promotional period ends
- Amount of the balance transfer fee
- Other features, such as rewards and benefits
- APR offer on purchases
- How much debt you want to transfer
Some cards may offer longer 0% introductory APR periods, but they might not offer other benefits, so you won't get much value out of them after you finish paying off your debt. Other cards may offer rewards, intro bonuses and even other benefits, but their 0% intro APR period may be shorter.
Tip: Consider how much debt you have and how long it'll take to pay it off, along with each card's additional features, to pick the best card all around.
Build Your Credit to Qualify for Better Cards
The best credit cards for balance transfers offer introductory 0% APR promotions, but they're generally not available to consumers with fair or poor credit.
If your FICO® Score☉ Θ is below 670, you may have a hard time qualifying. Check your FICO® Score and review your credit report to get an idea of your overall credit health and to understand which areas of your credit file you can address.
This may involve paying down some of your balances, getting caught up on missed payments, disputing inaccurate credit information and more. The important thing is that you learn how your actions impact your credit score and start taking steps to improve it.
This process can take time, though, so create a plan to tackle your credit card debt in the meantime.