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Credit Cards

10 Best Balance Transfer Credit Cards of October 2026

UpdatedOctober 1, 2026

At The Points Guy, our goal is to help you maximize your travel experiences while minimizing spending. While we do receive compensation through our credit card application links, ads and clearly indicated sponsored content, our editorial content, points valuations and card analyses are entirely our own. Learn more about our advertising policy and product review methodology.

Best for financing credit card debt

Wells Fargo Reflect® Card

Wells Fargo Reflect® Card

  • Intro offer
  • Annual fee$0
  • You'll earnN/A
  • Regular APR17.74%, 24.24%, or 28.49% Variable APR
at Wells Fargo's secure site.
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.

If you’re looking to pay down your credit card debt, our top picks for the best balance transfer credit cards may be able to help.

Carrying high credit card balances, especially with exorbitant interest rates, can be crippling. This is where a good balance transfer card might help you save some money. By opening a new card, you could snag a decent promo that offers a lower (or possibly 0%) annual percentage rate (APR) for a set period of time when you move an existing balance to the new card. Then, once you’ve paid your credit card debt off, avoid carrying a monthly balance if possible — this way, you don’t have to worry about paying anything in interest at all.

Check out our guide for the best balance transfer credit cards from our partners, which include perks like the ability to earn cash back.

Comparing the best balance transfer credit cards

MoreDetails

“More details on the best balance transfer credit cards”

How we rate cards

The best balance transfer cards are ones that align with your financial goals. At TPG, we utilized several criteria to select the best balance transfer cards for various types of cardholders. To learn about how TPG evaluates and chooses cards for our roundups, check out our methodology here.
  • Welcome bonus

    Not all of our best balance transfer credit cards offer a welcome bonus, but a select few do.

  • Annual fee

    Most of our best balance transfer credit cards do not have an annual fee.

  • Earning rates

    Some of our best balance transfer cards offer cash back within various purchase categories.

  • Redemption options

    Most of our balance transfer cards earn cash back on purchases which can be redeemed as a statement credit.

  • Added benefits

    Most of our balance transfer cards do not come with additional benefits.

19% of TPG readers rank 0% promotional APR on balance transfers as a top three most valuable card benefit.

With 19% of TPG readers ranking 0% promotional annual percentage rate (APR) on purchases and balance transfer as one of the top three most valuable credit card benefits, it’s evident that these introductory APRs are a highly sought after perk. 

Additionally, 1 in 5 TPG readers currently have a card with a 0% promo APR, highlighting their popularity in many people’s wallets. Balance transfer cards are a great way to manage and pay down debt, giving cardholders greater financial freedom.

This information was collected via opt-in surveys of TPG’s roughly 900,000 daily newsletter subscribers in May-June 2024. All data is anonymous and aggregated; you can view our full methodology for collecting and utilizing data here.

How to choose the best balance transfer card

To choose the best balance transfer cards, TPG’s editorial team considered the primary perks — including the introductory APR period, balance transfer fees and the eligibility criteria for the card. To narrow down what card is best for you from our curated selection, you can consider other factors like annual fees, welcome bonuses and bonus categories.

Here are some of the main points to consider when choosing a balance transfer credit card:

  • 1
    Annual fee

    Most of our balance transfer cards do not have an annual fee which means you can take full advantage of these benefits without paying to be a cardholder.

  • 2
    Welcome bonus

    While most of the welcome bonuses offered by our best balance transfer cards are modest, they also feature a modest spend requirement to earn them.

  • 3
    Bonus categories

    Some of our best balance transfer cards feature various bonus categories so you can earn on your spending while still taking advantage of a long introductory APR period.

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How to choose a balance transfer credit card - The Points Guy

Everything you should know to select the right card for your financial needs

Pros + cons of balance transfer credit cards

  • Pros

    • Balance transfer credit cards can help you consolidate debt with high interest rates and pay it off quickly
    • Many balance transfer credit cards give you at least 12 months to pay off the debt you transfer to the card
    • Some balance transfer cards offer introductory 0% APR on new purchases as well as balance transfers
  • Cons

    • There are fees associated with balance transfers — usually $5 or 3% of the balance (whichever is greater)
    • If you don’t pay off the transferred balance by the end of the introductory period, you’ll be charged high interest
    • Some balance transfer cards don’t allow you to earn any rewards on new purchases

Frequently asked questions

  • Can you transfer a credit card balance to another card?

    Yes. Balance transfer cards allow you to move an existing credit card balance to another card, ideally with a lower interest rate. This can allow you to pay off your credit card debt more quickly. 

  • What happens to an old credit card after balance transfer?

    The credit card will stay open but now with a zero or low balance. Then you can choose whether to close the account or keep it open. Closing it may decrease your credit score, but keeping it open may tempt you to accrue more debt.

  • How long does a credit card balance transfer take?

    Balance transfers typically take five to seven days. However, they can take up to 21 days, depending on the issuer.

  • Do balance transfers hurt your credit score?

    It’s mixed. Opening a new card for a balance transfer would increase the total amount of credit you have, which should help your utilization ratio go down. This would increase your score. However, a high ratio on a single card after a balance transfer might have a negative effect in the short and medium term.

  • Can you get a balance transfer card with bad credit?

    Balance transfers are a great way to consolidate debt and generally offer a lower promotional APR. Unfortunately, obtaining a balance transfer with bad credit is fairly difficult as a low FICO score indicates risky habits to credit lenders.

  • What does "Request Held" mean on a balance transfer?

    If you are requesting a large balance transfer, you may receive a notification stating "request held" on your balance transfer. This means that your request is on a temporary hold. It does not mean your request is denied but the receiving credit card company may be reviewing additional information before they make a decision on your request. Should the request be denied, you can still initiate a new balance transfer for a lower amount.