Balance Transfer Calculator
How much a 0% balance transfer card saves on your credit card debt, after the fee.
Good to know. A 0% card is a head start, not a finish line. The rate after the offer is usually higher than the old one.
Not financial advice. Uses only the numbers and rates you enter — no live data.
How it works
In plain words
Staying: pay the card down month by month at the current APR. Transferring: add the fee to the balance, then pay it down at the offer rate until the offer ends, and at the new card’s normal rate after that. The saving is the difference in total cost.
The formula
fee = balance × fee % each month: balance = balance × (1 + APR ÷ 12) − payment saving = interest staying − (fee + interest transferring)
Worked example
6,000 at 24% with 300 a month takes 26 months and 1,739 of interest. Transferring costs a 180 fee; at 0% for 18 months, 300 a month leaves 780, cleared 3 months later for about 30 of interest. You save 1,529.61.
Sources
- Brealey, Myers and Allen, Principles of Corporate Finance, chapter 2 The standard formulas for loan payments, compounding and present value, the same as a spreadsheet’s PMT and FV.
- Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, What is a balance transfer? Offer periods, fees and what happens afterwards.
Sources checked September 30, 2026. 4 automated tests check its answers on every change.
About the balance transfer calculator
A balance transfer moves credit card debt to a new card with 0% or a low rate for a set time, usually 12 to 21 months in the US and up to about 30 in the UK. Most charge a fee of 3 to 5% of the amount moved. This calculator compares the total cost of staying where you are with moving the balance, including the fee and what happens after the offer ends.
The saving comes from the months at 0%: every payment goes to the balance instead of interest. The best way to use it is to clear the debt before the offer ends. The last line shows the monthly payment that does that. Anything left afterwards is charged at the new card’s normal rate, which can be as high as the old one.
A few things to check: the transfer usually has to happen within 60 to 90 days of opening the card to get the offer; new purchases on the card may not get 0%; and a missed payment can end the offer early. Don’t close the old card straight away if it is your oldest account, but don’t use it either.
If you can’t get a transfer card, the debt payoff calculator compares the snowball and avalanche methods for paying several cards down.
Questions people ask
Is a balance transfer worth it?
Usually, if the fee is less than the interest you would pay and you can clear most of the debt during the offer.
How much is a balance transfer fee?
Usually 3 to 5% of the amount transferred. On 6,000, that is 180 to 300.
What happens when the 0% offer ends?
Any balance left is charged at the card’s normal rate, often 20% or more.