If you click a link with an * to go through to a provider, we may get paid. This usually only happens if you get a product from it. This is what funds our team of journalists, and keeps us free to use. Yet there are two crucial things you need to know about this.
- This never impacts our editorial recommendations – if it's in, it's in there because we independently rate it best.
- You'll always get as good a deal (or better) than if you went direct.
For a more detailed explanation see How MSE is financed.
Balance transfer credit cards
Shift existing card debt to 0% interest for up to 28 months
Paying credit card interest? STOP. A balance transfer credit card can save you £1,000s by slashing the interest you pay. Our guide has full info and top picks, plus our Balance Transfer Eligibility Calculator will reveal the cards you've the best odds of getting.

Other MSE credit card guides...
Find the right credit card | 0% money transfer cards | 0% credit cards for spending | All-rounder 0% cards | Debt help | How credit cards work | Travel credit cards
What is a balance transfer card?
With a 0% balance transfer you get a new card to pay off debt on old credit and store cards, so you owe it instead, but at 0% interest. A card will have a 0% period, during which you pay no interest – for example, 28 months – and sometimes you'll pay a small fee. It means you become debt-free quicker, as more of your repayments reduce the debt, rather than pay interest.
Which balance transfer card is best?
First up, you can't transfer a balance between cards from the same bank/group. So where you're transferring debt from will narrow down the choice. Of those left, which to go for will largely be determined by which cards you're eligible for, as you'll need to pass a credit check as part of any application.
Our eligibility calculator will show your chances of acceptance for most of the top interest-free balance transfer cards in this guide, with no impact on your credit score. If it shows you're eligible for many cards but you're unsure which to pick, follow this rule...
For a full explainer, see our what is a balance transfer credit card guide.
How to apply for a balance transfer card
A few years ago, the only way to know if you'd be accepted for a credit card was to apply. But that leaves a mark on your credit report that lenders can see – affecting your ability to get credit in future.
However, our eligibility calculator uses a 'soft search' (which lenders can't use) to calculate and show your percentage chance of getting the top credit cards. This is the best route as it reveals which cards you're most likely to be accepted for WITHOUT impacting on your credit report.
Some cards even give a 100% acceptance chance, meaning you're 'pre-approved' to get them. This is particularly helpful for 'up to' cards – ones where poorer credit scorers may get a shorter deal than advertised. Be aware of these if you're not showing as pre-approved.
See which balance transfer cards you've the best chance of getting, in your own personal best-buy table.
Usually, applying is the only way to know if you'll be accepted for a credit card. Yet that marks your credit file, affecting your ability to get future credit. To help, our tool uses a 'soft search' to find your chances of acceptance before you apply.
Check your chances of acceptance
Best 0% balance transfer cards
We've highlighted the standout cards here, yet our eligibility calculator has many more, so it's best to use that to get your personalised best-buy table. The calculator also shows if you're 'pre-approved' for any cards, which can give certainty over which to apply for (especially important with 'up to' cards, where some people are accepted and given fewer months at 0%). Plus, our eligibility calculator will now tell you if you're pre-approved for a guaranteed minimum limit on some cards.
If you need help to choose between cards, go for the lowest fee in the time you're sure you can repay in. The longest charge a one-off fee, as a percentage of the amount of debt you transfer (for example, 2.9% is £29 per £1,000 shifted). But there are shorter options with no fee, so no cost if you can clear your debt within 19 months or fewer. If unsure, play safe and go long.
LENDER | 0% PERIOD + FEE (i) | APPLY |
M&S Bank |
Longest 0% period, all accepted get the full 28 months. If you're pre-approved in our eligibility calculator you'll definitely be accepted (as long as you pass M&S’ ID and fraud checks). | |
- 28 months 0% - 2.99% fee (min £5) - 23.9% rep APR |
Check eligibility | |
Apply* | ||
![]() Barclaycard |
Longest 0%, but higher fee & some could get less time at 0% unless pre-approved in our eligibility calculator. If you're pre-approved in our eligibility calculator you'll definitely get the full 29 months at 0% (as long as you pass Barclaycard's ID and fraud checks), otherwise you could be accepted and get just 14 interest-free months and/or a higher 31.9% rep APR. | |
- Up to 28 months 0% - 3.45% fee - 24.9% rep APR |
Check eligibility | |
Apply* | ||
|
Longest 0% period with NO FEE – a winner if you can repay before the 0% ends. If you repay in full within 14 months, this transfer will cost you absolutely nothing. Plus, our eligibility calculator will now tell you if you're pre-approved for a guaranteed minimum limit on this card. Also offered by sister banks RBS and Ulster Bank, though these do not feature in our eligibility calculator. | |
- 14 months 0% - NO FEE - 24.9% rep APR |
Check eligibility | |
The next best 0% balance transfer cards. Here are quick details of decent alternatives. | ||
HSBC | - Up to 27mths 0% - 3.49% fee (min £5) - 24.9% rep APR |
Check eligibility |
Apply* | ||
Virgin Money | - 20mths 0% - 2% fee - 23.9% rep APR |
Check eligibility |
Apply* | ||
Barclaycard | - Up to 12mths 0% - NO FEE - 24.9% rep APR |
Check eligibility |
Apply* |
Important: (i) Fee as a percentage of debt shifted. To get the 0% and fee, you must usually do the balance transfer within 60 or 90 days of opening. You can't balance-transfer between cards from the same bank/group.|Representative APR (variable) after the 0% period is stated above – your balance transfer interest may be different.|See all official APR examples.
Best balance transfer cards for bad credit
To be accepted for most of the deals above, you need a decent credit score. If that's not you, there's still hope, as a few providers offer cards for those with a patchy credit past – though the 0% periods are usually much shorter. Some will accept you even with past defaults or county court judgments (CCJs). For more info on cards for those with bad credit, see our full guide.
The cards below are all included in our eligibility calculator, but they're worth highlighting because of one big difference...

The interest rates after the 0% periods end are VERY expensive, so plan how much to shift. All the cards below charge up to 34.9% rep APR after the 0% periods end, so compare that against your current card's interest rate. If your current card's rate is higher, then shift as much debt as possible. If it's lower, then only shift the amount of debt you're sure you can clear within the 0% period.
LENDER | 0% LENGTH + FEE (i) | APPLY |
Virgin Money |
Longest 0% period available for poorer credit scorers. All accepted get the full 16 months at 0%. You must have a history of managing credit, even if you've had CCJs or defaults in the past, and a yearly minimum personal income of £7,000 or household income of £15,000 (including non-salary income such as pensions). | |
- 16 months 0% - 29.9% rep APR |
Check eligibility | |
Apply* | ||
|
Longest 0% period with NO FEE for poorer credit scorers. All accepted get the full 6 months at 0%. You must have a minimum yearly income of £10,000, plus two active lines of credit such as a phone contract or overdraft. | |
- 6 months 0% - NO FEE - 34.9% rep APR |
Check eligibility (ii) | |
The next-best poor-credit balance transfer cards. Here are brief details of decent alternatives. | ||
Fluid | - 9 months 0% - 3% fee - 34.9% rep APR |
Apply (not in our eligibility calc) |
Capital One | - 6 months - 3% fee - 34.9% rep APR |
Check eligibility (ii) |
Sainsbury's Bank | - 3 months 0% - 3% fee - 29.9% rep APR |
Check Eligibility |
Apply* |
Important: (i) Fee as a percentage of debt shifted. To get the 0% and fee, you must usually do the balance transfer within 60 or 90 days of opening. You can't balance-transfer between cards from the same bank/group. (ii) Zopa and Capital One have asked us to link only to our eligibility calculator – as they don't have these cards available to apply for directly. | See all official APR examples.
MSE weekly email
FREE weekly MoneySaving email
For all the latest deals, guides and loopholes simply sign up today – it's spam-free!
Cashback sites may pay you for signing up
As an extra boon, members of specialist cashback websites can be paid when they sign up to some financial products. Do check that it's exactly the same deal though, as terms can be different. And remember that the cashback is never 100% guaranteed until it's in your account.
There is full help to take advantage of this and pros and cons in our Top cashback sites guide.
If you can't get a new 0% card, try the credit card shuffle to cut interest

If you're unable to get any of the cards above (use our eligibility calculator to check), you may still be able to slash the interest by asking for a low-rate or 0% deal on the card you already have.
If you've more than one credit card, you can then shift debt to the card which offers the lowest rate, though you'll need to factor in any one-off transfer fees.
Here's how to do it step by step:
- List all your debts. Take stock of your current situation and note down all your existing debts, including an overdraft if you have one. Our credit card shuffle worksheet may help.
- Check your account(s) for existing-customer offers. Lenders sometimes offer special deals (either a lower rate or 0% for a set period) for transferring new debt to your existing cards, though usually for a one-off fee. You can usually find these on your online account or by calling your card provider.
If you're paying debts at 18.9% APR on one credit card, and you can get a low-rate deal for 6.9% APR on another card you have, you could save about £120 interest in a year on a £1,000 debt.
- Shift debts to the cheapest card. Do a balance transfer to shift your debt from the card(s) charging the most interest to the one charging the least (or the cheapest ones, if your credit limit isn't big enough to allow you to move it to just one card). You could even consider shifting debt away from any card that will offer you a 0% deal for transferred balances. You can then transfer it back along with debt from other cards to get the 0%. Though be aware of balance transfer fees that could wipe out the gain.
- Repay the most expensive debts first – the most crucial part. Once all your debt's as cheap as possible, relist them in the credit card shuffle worksheet. Then, focus as much cash as possible on the most expensive debt first and just pay the minimum repayments on any less expensive debts. Once that's repaid, shift focus to the next highest-rate debt... continue this until you're debt-free.
Quick credit card shuffle questions
Balance transfer FAQs
MSE weekly email
FREE weekly MoneySaving email
For all the latest deals, guides and loopholes simply sign up today – it's spam-free!
Have your say in our forum!
Have your say...

Spotted out of date info/broken links? Email: brokenlink@moneysavingexpert.com
Clever ways to calculate your finances