How to use this calculator
This calculator answers: Is this balance-transfer offer actually cheaper than staying put, once the fee and post-promo APR are counted?
Why this matters: Transfer fees and post-promo rates quietly decide whether a ‘0%’ offer saves you money or costs you more than staying put.
- Under “Current card” enter Balance ($), Current APR (%), and Monthly payment ($); under “The 0% offer” enter the 0% promo length (months), Transfer fee (%), and APR after the promo ends (%).
- Results recalculate live as you type; the “Analyze the transfer” button re-runs the full breakdown.
- Read “The verdict” with the side-by-side totals under “Stay on current card” vs “Transfer to 0%”. Try shortening the promo length to see the verdict flip.
Your situation
Current card
The 0% offer
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Get the Pro Dashboard — $9.99How the math works
- Staying put: your balance amortizes at your current APR with your monthly payment, month by month, until it's gone. Total interest is tallied.
- Transferring: the fee is added to the balance on day one (a 3% fee on $8,000 is $240 of new debt). You pay 0% during the promo, then anything left accrues at the post-promo APR.
- Net savings = interest avoided − fee. The transfer only wins if the interest you dodge is bigger than the fee you pay.
- Beating the clock: divide the transferred balance by the promo months. Pay at least that much monthly and you never meet the post-promo APR at all.
Frequently asked questions
When is a balance transfer worth it?
When the transfer fee is smaller than the interest you'd otherwise pay. As a rule of thumb: the bigger your balance, the higher your current APR, and the longer the 0% promo, the more likely it pays off. It almost never makes sense if you can clear the debt in two or three months anyway — the 3–5% fee would cost more than the interest you'd save.
What happens if I don't pay it off before the 0% period ends?
The remaining balance starts accruing interest at the card's regular APR. Some retail/store cards go further and charge deferred (retroactive) interest on the original balance back to day one — always check the terms before transferring to a store card.
What's a typical balance transfer fee?
3% of the transferred amount is the most common, with 5% on longer promo offers. A few cards offer 0% fee promotions, usually with shorter 0% windows. The fee is added to your balance on day one.
Will a balance transfer hurt my credit score?
Expect a small temporary dip from the hard inquiry and the new account lowering your average account age. But moving debt to a new card with a fresh limit often lowers your overall utilization ratio, which can help your score within a few months.
Can I transfer a balance between two cards from the same bank?
Usually not — most issuers prohibit balance transfers between their own cards. You'll need a card from a different bank.
Should I close my old card after transferring?
Many people keep it open with a zero balance, since that preserves credit history length and total available credit (which helps the utilization ratio). The critical part is that new spending stops on it.
Related calculators
- Promo Juggler — sequence multiple 0% cards without missing an expiry date.
- Avalanche vs Snowball — pick the payoff order that gets you debt-free fastest.
- Debt vs Invest — guaranteed debt savings vs. expected investment growth.
Last updated: September 27, 2026