Top balance transfer cards compared

About Top balance transfer cards compared

A balance transfer card moves an existing balance onto a new card and stops interest for a set window, so the plan depends on two things: how long that window runs and what the transfer itself costs. This ranking covers 30 cards, and the trade-off is straightforward. A longer interest-free window gives more room to clear the debt, but it does not shrink the balance, and a card with no rewards is often the one that carries the cheapest way in. Costs are the first filter, the shape of the offer the second, and how the account is run the third. APRs here are wide: 0% to 45% against a median of 24.9%, because the headline rate is what applies once the interest-free window ends. What the card does in that window is what matters.

How we picked

Scores are built from three weights. Trust carries the largest share at 40%, cost takes 35%, and the offer itself takes 25%. Trust covers the provider behind the card and how the account is run. Cost covers the balance transfer fee, any annual fee, the foreign exchange fee and the rate that applies after the interest-free period. Offer covers the length of the interest-free window and what the card pays while the balance is being cleared. Data comes from provider rate tables, product pages and offer terms, with each figure held against the account type it applies to. Partner listings sit at the top of the ranking, then everything else follows in score order, so position reflects score rather than payment. Where two cards share the same window or the same cost, the tie is broken on support and account handling.

Our top picks

1. 4. Avant Money

   Its place in this ranking rests on cost rather than length. The annual fee is €0, and the card pays cashback on groceries and fuel, so a balance can be cleared without holding a fee. The trade-off is the offer itself: the interest-free period runs 6, the shortest window among the cards near the top, which suits a balance that is nearly cleared already. The application asks for excellent credit, so it is narrower than the card ranked above it. Compared with Virgin Money below it in this ranking, the appeal is the absence of a yearly charge against a much shorter runway.

   • APR: 6.1% to 19.9%
   • Loan amount: €5,000 to €75,000
   • Term: 12 to 120 months

   Pros

   • No set up fee on the home improvement loan, at 0 (no set up fee)
   • Personal loan APR of 6.1% to 19.9% on a fixed rate, against a group median of 14.43%
   • Free early repayment on personal loans, so settling ahead of schedule costs nothing
   • Everyday Plus card carries an annual fee of €0 with cashback rewards
   • Deposits sit under EU DGS up to EUR 100,000 and the lender is AVANTCARD DAC

   Cons

   • Credit checking is hard and the credit bar is excellent, a standard only 2.8% of lenders in the group ask for
   • The top of the personal loan rate range is 6.1% to 19.9%, so what you pay depends on your own credit profile
   • The deposit is fixed with a €2,000 minimum, and access before maturity is limited to a single partial withdrawal
   • Support runs on phone, email and help centre, with branch service not among the listed channels

2. 5. Virgin Money

   It earns its place on the same strengths as the card above it, with a matching interest-free window of 21 and a transfer fee of 2.95%. The difference is the running of the account: a foreign exchange fee of 0% and support through phone, email and help centre, which includes email as well as phone. It pays cashback rather than points, and the card is issued by Nationwide Building Society trading as Virgin Money. Next in this ranking is Hawaiian Airlines, which pairs a shorter window with points and a yearly charge, so this one is the plainer, lower-cost option of the two.

   • Monthly fee: £0
   • Currency conversion fee: 0%
   • Card type: Debit

   Pros

   • Keeping the current account costs £0 a month, so there is no standing charge to offset against the balance.
   • The account's card converts currency for 0%, against a conversion fee of 0.1% at Wise.
   • Help is reachable on phone, email and help centre, which includes a phone line as well as email and a help centre.
   • The brand sits on a building society licence: Nationwide Building Society (trading as Virgin Money) holds a Prudential Regulation Authority licence in GB, 106078.
   • The credit card offers 21 months of interest free on balance transfers and pays rewards of the cashback type.

   Cons

   • Anything carried or bought on the credit card outside an interest free period costs 27.9% representative APR, well above the 15.5% APR most cards in this comparison sit at.
   • A fee of 2.95% applies to a balance transfer, so the interest free offer is not a straight move between lenders.
   • Account queries run on phone, email and help centre, while the round the clock in-app chat with Redi listed under Up to 21 months 0% interest on balance transfers, Up to 21 months 0% interest on purchases and Money transfer option belongs to the credit card, not the current account.

3. 7. Virgin Atlantic Reward Credit Card: best for top-pick

   This ranking puts it first because it combines one of the longest interest-free windows here with a mid-range transfer fee, and it adds cashback on top for spending during the window. The balance transfer runs interest free for 21 with a fee of 2.95%, and foreign purchases cost 0%, so nothing is added to a cleared balance abroad. Support runs on chat, help centre and phone, including round the clock in-app chat. Against Avant Money next in this ranking, the difference is the length of the window: Avant charges nothing as an annual fee but its interest-free period is far shorter, so this card suits a balance that will take longer to clear.

   • APR: 27.9%
   • Currency conversion fee: 0%
   • Rewards type: Cashback

   Pros

   • The Reward card page lists no annual card fee and an everyday earning rate of 0.75 Virgin Points per £1.
   • The page explains that monthly points are capped based on the credit limit, making that limit relevant when considering potential points earned.

4. 10. Discover

   Cost and clarity put it in this ranking. The annual fee is $0, the balance transfer runs 15 at a fee of 3%, and the card pays cash back with a matching rate in the first year. Account handling is unusually well covered, with fraud liability on unauthorised purchases listed under $0 fraud liability on unauthorized purchases, Unlimited Cashback Match: dollar for dollar match of cash back earned in the first 365 days and Free CreditWise credit monitoring and FICO Score 8 access, along with free credit monitoring, score access and a pre-approval tool that leaves the credit file untouched. Unlike Hawaiian Airlines above it, the annual fee here is $0 and the rewards are cash back rather than points, so the saving is the point. TSB Bank below it offers a longer window but pays nothing back.

   • Annual fee: $0
   • APR: 18.49% to 28.49%
   • Rewards type: Cashback

   Pros

   • An annual fee of $0, and Discover ranks 1 of 312 brands on that measure.
   • Cash back on all purchases plus a matching amount added in the opening year, on a card that costs $0 to hold.
   • A balance transfer offer of 15 at 3%, against a group median of 2.72% on headline rate.
   • Support runs on phone, chat and help centre, which covers a lost card and a disputed charge.
   • Perks listed under $0 fraud liability on unauthorized purchases, Unlimited Cashback Match: dollar for dollar match of cash back earned in the first 365 days and Free CreditWise credit monitoring and FICO Score 8 access add card lock in the app and a virtual card before the plastic arrives.

   Cons

   • The APR of 18.49% to 28.49% runs well above the credit card median of 16%, so carrying a balance month to month is expensive.
   • The balance transfer charge of 3% lands on top of an offer of 15, which cuts into what the transfer saves.
   • The higher cash back rate sits in rotating categories, so the rate earned on a given purchase can move from month to month.
   • Email is the most common support route on the site at 72.9%, and the Discover routes are phone, chat and help centre.

What to look for

How long the interest-free window lasts

The window is the whole point of the card. Across this ranking the median interest-free period sits at 5.45%, with the middle range running from 3.47% to 6.62%. A longer window buys time, not forgiveness: the balance stays the same size.

The balance transfer fee

Every transfer carries a charge, and it is usually a percentage of the amount moved. The transfer fee is a one-off cost, so the amount you move decides what it costs. Cards in this ranking show fees across the full spread, and the fee is worth weighing before the window length.

What the rate is after the window ends

Once the interest-free period is over, the standard rate applies. Rates here reach 45% at the top end, against a median of 24.9%. Clearing the balance inside the window means this rate never applies, which is the point of the card.

Annual fees and rewards on the balance

A balance transfer card earns little on the balance you are trying to clear, so a rewards rate is optional. Annual fees across this ranking run from €0 to €86.82, with the median at €0.

Spending abroad while you clear the debt

If you will spend on the card during the window, the foreign exchange fee matters. Fees in this ranking run 0% to 3.4%, with a median of 2.95%. A card with no foreign exchange fee is worth more if you pay abroad.

How you are supported

Phone support is the most common route in this ranking, present for 88.9% of the cards, and a help centre for 96.3%. During a transfer window, being able to reach a person matters if a payment does not go through as planned.

Frequently asked questions

Top balance transfer cards compared by country

• Australia
• India
• Spain
• United Kingdom
• United States

Providers compared head to head

• RinggitPlus Credit Card vs SBI Card
• RinggitPlus Credit Card vs Discover
• SBI Card vs Discover

The data behind this ranking

All data and the CSV