Balance transfer calculator: is the 0% card worth the fee?
Moving $5,000 to a 21-month 0% intro card costs a $150 transfer fee. Staying put at 24% and paying the same $245.25 a month costs $1,405.28 in interest over those 21 months and leaves $1,255.28 still owed. The fee is worth it, but only if you clear the balance before the intro ends.
Fee-vs-interest break-even · 21-month intro · free, always
Transfer the $5,000, pay $245.25 a month =
$150 fee vs $1,405.28 interest if you stay
You save $1,255.28 and owe $0 at month 21, instead of $1,255.28.
3% fee · 21 months at 0% · 24% after · no new purchases
| Balance transfer | Stay at 24% | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of credit (21 months) | $150.00 fee | $1,405.28 interest |
| Balance at month 21 | $0.00 | $1,255.28 |
| APR after month 21 | 24% | 24% |
| Required monthly to clear by month 21 | $245.24 | n/a |
Try it with your numbers
The intro window is a deadline, not a discount
The offer works by working backward: take the transferred balance including the fee ($5,150 here), divide by the intro months (21), and that quotient ($245.24) is the payment that zeroes the card on the deadline. Anything less leaves a remainder that wakes up at 24%, which is how the offer turns into a trap: the unpaid balance gets 21 months of deferred interest replaced by 24% going forward. Set the autopay to the required payment on day one and the card pays for itself.
Two gates decide whether the offer is even available. First, the credit-score gate: the longest 0% windows go to scores in the upper 600s and up; lower scores get shorter windows or higher fees, which the calculator above prices honestly. Second, the no-new-purchases rule: purchases on a transfer card usually earn no intro rate, and payments are applied to the transfer balance first, so new spending accrues interest from day one. Move the balance, freeze the card.
Educational estimates, not financial advice. This page names no cards and recommends none. Terms, fees, and eligibility vary by issuer; check the offer's fine print. Talk to a licensed professional before acting on these figures.
Common questions
Is a 3% balance transfer fee worth it?
Usually, if you clear the balance in the window. On $5,000 the $150 fee replaces about $1,405 in interest over 21 months. The fee only loses when the intro window is short or you cannot finish in time.
What credit score do I need for a balance transfer card?
The best offers (18–21 months at 0%) generally go to scores in the upper 600s and above. Lower scores see shorter windows or higher fees.
What happens to a leftover balance after the intro ends?
It starts accruing interest at the card's standard APR (around 24%) from that day. That is why the required monthly payment is the balance plus fee divided by the intro months.
Should I make new purchases on the transfer card?
No. New purchases usually do not get the intro rate, and payments typically apply to the transferred balance first, so purchases accrue interest immediately.
Can I transfer a balance to a card I already owe on?
Usually not within the same issuer: most banks block transfers between their own cards. The transfer goes to a different issuer's card.
Next from the ledger
How long to pay off credit card debt: what the minimum-only path costs without a transfer
Pay off $10,000 in credit card debt: the fixed-payment ladder at the average balance
Debt snowball calculator: a multi-debt payoff plan