Finance & Tax

Credit Card Balance Transfer Calculator

Find out whether a 0% balance transfer actually saves you money once the transfer fee and the post-promo APR are included — and exactly what you must pay each month to clear the balance before the offer expires.

Your balance

Balance to transfer8000

The amount you would move to the new 0% card.

Current card APR24.99

The rate you pay today if you do nothing.

0% intro period

Transfer fee

Fee charged upfront: $240.00

Regular APR after promo22.99

The rate that applies once the 0% window closes.

Monthly payment400

The same payment is applied to both paths for a fair comparison.

Net saving: $4,494
Transfer fee: $240
Clear inside promo: $458
Break-even: 2 yrs 4 mos

Cumulative cost over time

Total interest paid on the current card versus the balance-transfer path, including the fee.

Current card
Balance transfer

Cumulative cost over time
Category	Value
Start	Current card: $0 · Balance transfer: $240
Mo 1	Current card: $167 · Balance transfer: $240
Mo 2	Current card: $332 · Balance transfer: $240
Mo 3	Current card: $496 · Balance transfer: $240
Mo 4	Current card: $658 · Balance transfer: $240
Mo 5	Current card: $819 · Balance transfer: $240
Mo 6	Current card: $978 · Balance transfer: $240
Mo 7	Current card: $1,135 · Balance transfer: $240
Mo 8	Current card: $1,290 · Balance transfer: $240
Mo 9	Current card: $1,444 · Balance transfer: $240
Mo 10	Current card: $1,596 · Balance transfer: $240
Mo 11	Current card: $1,746 · Balance transfer: $240
Mo 12	Current card: $1,893 · Balance transfer: $240
Mo 13	Current card: $2,039 · Balance transfer: $240
Mo 14	Current card: $2,182 · Balance transfer: $240
Mo 15	Current card: $2,323 · Balance transfer: $240
Mo 16	Current card: $2,461 · Balance transfer: $240
Mo 17	Current card: $2,597 · Balance transfer: $240
Mo 18	Current card: $2,730 · Balance transfer: $240
Mo 19	Current card: $2,861 · Balance transfer: $260
Mo 20	Current card: $2,988 · Balance transfer: $273
Mo 21	Current card: $3,113 · Balance transfer: $279
Mo 22	Current card: $3,234 · Balance transfer: $279
Mo 23	Current card: $3,352 · Balance transfer: $279
Mo 24	Current card: $3,467 · Balance transfer: $279
Mo 25	Current card: $3,578 · Balance transfer: $279
Mo 26	Current card: $3,685 · Balance transfer: $279
Mo 27	Current card: $3,789 · Balance transfer: $279
Mo 28	Current card: $3,888 · Balance transfer: $279
Mo 29	Current card: $3,983 · Balance transfer: $279
Mo 30	Current card: $4,074 · Balance transfer: $279
Mo 31	Current card: $4,161 · Balance transfer: $279
Mo 32	Current card: $4,242 · Balance transfer: $279
Mo 33	Current card: $4,319 · Balance transfer: $279
Mo 34	Current card: $4,391 · Balance transfer: $279
Mo 35	Current card: $4,457 · Balance transfer: $279
Mo 36	Current card: $4,518 · Balance transfer: $279
Mo 37	Current card: $4,572 · Balance transfer: $279
Mo 38	Current card: $4,621 · Balance transfer: $279
Mo 39	Current card: $4,664 · Balance transfer: $279
Mo 40	Current card: $4,700 · Balance transfer: $279
Mo 41	Current card: $4,729 · Balance transfer: $279
Mo 42	Current card: $4,751 · Balance transfer: $279
Mo 43	Current card: $4,766 · Balance transfer: $279
Mo 44	Current card: $4,773 · Balance transfer: $279
Mo 45	Current card: $4,773 · Balance transfer: $279
Mo 46	Current card: $4,773 · Balance transfer: $279
Mo 47	Current card: $4,773 · Balance transfer: $279
Mo 48	Current card: $4,773 · Balance transfer: $279
Mo 49	Current card: $4,773 · Balance transfer: $279
Mo 50	Current card: $4,773 · Balance transfer: $279
Mo 51	Current card: $4,773 · Balance transfer: $279
Mo 52	Current card: $4,773 · Balance transfer: $279

Fee versus interest saved

The one-off transfer fee compared with the interest the transfer avoids.

Transfer fee
Interest saved

Fee versus interest saved
Category	Value
Transfer fee	$240
Interest saved	$4,734

Transfer path split

Where the money goes on the balance-transfer route.

$279Total cost

Principal
Transfer fee
Interest

Transfer path split
Category	Value
Principal	$8,000
Transfer fee	$240
Interest	$39

The transfer saves you money

Moving $8,000 to a 18-month 0% offer costs a $240 fee but saves $4,494 in interest. To avoid paying any interest at all, pay $458 a month and clear the balance before the promo ends.

Side-by-side comparison

Current card — interest: $4,773
Current card — time: 3 yrs 10 mos
Transfer — interest + fee: $279
Transfer — time: 1 yr 11 mos

Estimates assume the promo rate holds for the full window, no new purchases are added to the transferred balance, and the regular APR is constant afterwards. Many issuers void the 0% rate if you miss a payment. Check the terms before transferring. This calculator is educational and is not financial advice.

How a balance transfer is calculated

A balance transfer moves existing card debt onto a new card that charges 0% interest for an introductory period. It is not free money: the issuer charges a one-off transfer fee, and any balance left when the promo ends reverts to a regular APR. The decision comes down to one comparison — the certain cost of the fee against the probable saving in interest.

Step 1 — The transfer fee

The fee is a percentage of the amount moved, usually 3% to 5%, and it is normally added to the new balance:

Transfer fee      = balance × feePercent ÷ 100
Transferred debt  = balance + transfer fee

Transferring $8,000 at 3% therefore starts you at $8,240. That extra $240 is real debt from day one, which is why a transfer is never truly interest-free.

Step 2 — The promotional path

During the promo the interest rate is zero, so every dollar of your payment reduces principal. Once the promo ends the regular APR applies to whatever remains:

For month m ≤ promoMonths:  interest = 0
For month m >  promoMonths:  interest = balance × (regularAPR ÷ 12)

This is why the payment you choose matters so much. A payment that clears the balance inside the window costs you only the fee. A payment that leaves a residual balance hands the issuer the regular APR on top.

Step 3 — The payment needed to clear inside the promo

Payment to clear = (balance + transfer fee) ÷ promoMonths

For $8,240 over 18 months that is $457.78 a month. Set your monthly payment at or above this figure and the transfer is guaranteed to cost you nothing beyond the fee.

Step 4 — The net saving

Current-card interest = total interest if you stay put
Transfer cost         = transfer fee + post-promo interest
Net saving            = current-card interest − transfer cost

A positive number means the transfer is worth doing. A negative number means the fee and the post-promo rate together cost more than staying on the current card — in which case negotiate a lower rate, look for a longer promo, or increase the monthly payment.

Worked example — $8,000 at 24.99%, 3% fee, 18-month 0% promo

Stay on the current card: paying $400 a month clears the balance in 46 months and costs $4,772.69 in interest.
Transfer at 3%: the fee is $240 and the new balance is $8,240. Paying $400 a month clears it in 23 months — 18 months at 0% plus 5 months at 22.99% — with only $38.92 of interest.
Net saving: $4,772.69 − ($240 + $38.92) = $4,493.76.
To pay zero interest: pay $457.78 a month and the balance clears exactly as the promo ends.

The trap: the promo is a deadline, not a holiday

The most common balance-transfer mistake is paying only the minimum during the 0% window. On $8,240 at a 2% minimum the payment is about $165 a month, which clears only $2,970 over 18 months — leaving $5,270 to be hit with the regular APR. At 22.99% that residual balance costs about $101 a month in interest alone, and the debt can take years longer than it would have on the original card. Treat the promo end date as a hard deadline and set the payment from day one.

UK and EU differences

UK issuers must disclose a representative APR under FCA CONC rules and typically charge a 2% to 4% fee for a 12- to 24-month promo. EU issuers follow the Consumer Credit Directive 2008/48/EC and must show the annual percentage rate of charge in a standardised format. The arithmetic is identical across all three markets, so enter the fee and APR from your offer and the projection will match the issuer's own disclosure.

How to use this calculator

Enter the balance you want to move.
Enter the APR on your current card — the rate you pay if you do nothing.
Pick the length of the 0% introductory period from the offer.
Pick the transfer fee percentage and check the dollar fee shown.
Enter the regular APR that applies after the promo ends.
Set the monthly payment you can sustain and read the net saving, the break-even month and the payment needed to clear inside the promo.

What this calculator does not include

The projection assumes the promo rate holds for the full window, no new purchases are added to the transferred balance, and the regular APR stays constant afterwards. Many issuers void the 0% rate if you miss a payment, and some apply the regular APR to new purchases immediately. Check the terms before transferring. This calculator is educational and is not financial advice.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Still unsure about something? Our contact page reaches a real person, usually within two business days.

Is a 0% balance transfer always worth the fee?

No. The fee is charged upfront and is certain, while the interest saving depends on how long you take to repay. On an $8,000 balance at 24.99% APR, a 3% fee costs $240 but saves about $4,494 in interest if you pay $400 a month — clearly worth it. But if the balance is small, the promo is short, or the post-promo rate is close to your current rate, the fee can outweigh the saving. Our calculator shows the net figure after the fee so the answer is unambiguous.

How is the balance transfer fee calculated?

The fee is a percentage of the amount transferred, typically 3% to 5%, and it is usually added to the new card's balance rather than charged separately. Transferring $8,000 at a 3% fee adds $240, so you owe $8,240 from day one. Some issuers cap the fee at a maximum dollar amount, and a few offer fee-free transfers with a shorter promo window. Always check whether the fee is deducted from the transferred amount or added to the balance — it changes the starting point of your repayment.

What payment do I need to clear the balance before the promo ends?

Divide the transferred balance — including the fee — by the number of promo months. For $8,000 plus a $240 fee over 18 months that is $457.78 a month. If you pay less, the remaining balance reverts to the regular APR, which is often 20% or more, and the interest clock restarts. The single biggest mistake with balance transfers is treating the 0% window as breathing room rather than a deadline.

What happens when the 0% promotional period ends?

Any remaining balance is charged the regular APR from that point forward, and the rate is usually variable. On a $3,000 residual balance at 22.99% that is about $57 a month in interest alone. Some issuers also apply the regular APR retroactively to new purchases made during the promo, so avoid using the card for new spending unless the terms explicitly say purchases are also at 0%.

Does a balance transfer hurt my credit score?

Opening a new card causes a hard inquiry, which typically dents a score by a few points for a few months. The transfer also raises your total available credit, which can lower your credit utilisation ratio and help your score over time. The bigger risk is closing the old card: that reduces available credit and can raise utilisation. Most advisers recommend keeping the old account open with a zero balance rather than closing it.

How do UK and EU balance transfers differ from the US?

UK issuers must disclose a representative APR under FCA CONC rules and typically charge a 2% to 4% fee for a promo of 12 to 24 months, with a minimum payment of 1% of the balance plus interest or 2.5% of the balance. EU issuers follow the Consumer Credit Directive 2008/48/EC and must show the annual percentage rate of charge in the same standardised format. The arithmetic is identical in all three markets, so the same calculator works — just enter the fee and APR printed in your offer.