/images/2018/01/23/navina-side-hustle-mid_MPfEDfV.jpg)
/images/2019/12/06/smart_strategies_to_save_money_on_car_insurance.jpg)
/authors/ben_walker_updated.png)
/authors/mary-beth-eastman-headshot.jpg)
/authors/yahia-barakah-financebuzz.jpg)
Many of the most competitive balance transfer credit cards are only available to people with good or excellent credit, or those with FICO credit scores of 670 or higher. And the best balance transfer cards for good credit typically offer intro APR periods of 15 months or more, giving you more time to pay down debt without interest. Some even come with rewards, purchase protection, or other benefits (which is rare in this particular credit card circle).
If your credit is strong enough to qualify for these cards, you could potentially save on interest while enjoying other ongoing perks like no late fees, cash back, relatively low regular APRs, and more.
How we rate products
To determine the best balance transfer credit cards for people with good credit, we compiled a list of credit cards that offer introductory APR on balance transfers.
Then, we evaluated each credit card based on several factors, including recommended credit scores, annual fees, and additional benefits such as rewards rates and welcome offers. We kept in mind that every person has unique needs and preferences. Therefore, we included credit cards that could offer value to individuals with varying needs.
Keep in mind that our recommendations don’t follow a certain order and aren’t meant to be a complete list of all available options. We used editorial judgment to determine which products/services were best for different users and situations. We aim to provide a useful starting point for someone who is looking for a balance transfer credit card.
Best balance transfer cards for good credit
| Credit Card | Intro APR | Regular APR | Welcome Bonus | Annual Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
2026 AWARD WINNER
Best 0% Intro APR and Balance Transfer Card
/images/2022/04/27/0427_reflect.png)
Apply Now
Wells Fargo Reflect® Card 4.9
|
Balance Transfer:
0%, 21 months from account opening on qualifying balance transfers
Purchases:
0%, 21 months from account opening
|
17.49%, 23.99%, or 28.24% Variable
|
N/A
|
$0
|
/images/2024/12/16/citi-diamond-preferred.png)
Apply Now
Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card 4.4
|
Balance Transfer:
0%, 21 months from date of account opening
Purchases:
0%, 12 months from date of account opening
|
16.49% - 27.24% (Variable)
|
N/A
|
$0
|
|
2026 Award Winner
Best for Balance Transfers
/images/2024/12/16/citi-simplicity.jpg)
Apply Now
Citi Simplicity® Card 4.5
|
Balance Transfer:
0%, 21 months from date of account opening
Purchases:
0%, 12 months from date of account opening
|
17.49% - 28.24% (Variable)
|
N/A
|
$0
|
|
2026 AWARD WINNER
Best for Dining Out
/images/2025/01/22/chase-freedom-unlimited-1.22.2025.png)
Apply Now
Chase Freedom Unlimited® 4.7
|
Balance Transfer:
0%, 15 months
Purchases:
0%, 15 months
|
18.24% - 27.74% Variable
|
$200
Bonus
|
$0
|
/images/2024/12/16/amex_blue_cash_everyday.png)
Learn How to Apply
Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express 4.9
|
Balance Transfer:
0%, 15 months
Purchases:
0%, 15 months
|
19.49% - 28.49% Variable
|
$200
Statement credit
|
$0
|
Wells Fargo Reflect® Card
/images/2022/04/27/0427_reflect.png)
0%, 21 months from account opening
0%, 21 months from account opening on qualifying balance transfers
- Apply Now to take advantage of this offer and learn more about product features, terms and conditions.
- 0% intro APR for 21 months from account opening on purchases and qualifying balance transfers. 17.49%, 23.99%, or 28.24% variable APR thereafter; balance transfers made within 120 days qualify for the intro rate, BT fee of 5%, min: $5.
- $0 annual fee.
- Up to $600 of cell phone protection against damage or theft. Subject to a $25 deductible.
- Through My Wells Fargo Deals, you can get access to personalized deals from a variety of merchants. It's an easy way to earn cash back as an account credit when you shop, dine, or enjoy an experience simply by using an eligible Wells Fargo credit card.
The (Rates and fees) offers one of the longest intro APR periods on qualifying balance transfers and new purchases. If you've crunched the numbers on your debt payoff plan and feel like you could benefit from as much time to make payments as possible, that could be a reason to keep the Wells Fargo Reflect in the running. It also stands out for throwing in the intro APR on new purchases.
Wells Fargo offers free monthly FICO score updates, which is commonplace today but still good to see. You should have at least good credit to apply for this card, and having convenient credit score updates could help you keep an eye on your score more than you otherwise might (which is especially important because your credit will likely take a small hit after getting it, as it would with most any card). In the long run, a balance transfer could help your credit, but only if you're diligent about making payments and keeping your credit utilization down.
However, the Wells Fargo Reflect doesn't provide any rewards, such as cash back, points, or miles, for the purchases you make. It shares this trait with other popular balance transfer cards, including the Citi Diamond Preferred and the Citi Simplicity.
- Extra-long intro APR offer on qualifying balance transfers
- $0 annual fee
- Cell phone protection
- No rewards program
- Foreign transaction fee
Apply now or learn more in our Wells Fargo Reflect review.
Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card
/images/2024/12/16/citi-diamond-preferred.png)
0%, 12 months from date of account opening
0%, 21 months from date of account opening
- 0% Intro APR on balance transfers for 21 months and on purchases for 12 months from date of account opening. After that the variable APR will be 16.49% - 27.24%, based on your creditworthiness. Balance transfers must be completed within 4 months of account opening.
- There is a balance transfer fee of either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater
- Get free access to your FICO® Score online.
- With Citi Entertainment®, get special access to purchase tickets to thousands of events, including concerts, sporting events, dining experiences and more.
- No Annual Fee - our low intro rates and all the benefits don’t come with a yearly charge.
The Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card also offers an extra-long balance transfer intro period, but one of its greatest strengths lies in its regular APRs. A lot of people make the mistake of ignoring those regular APRs on balance transfer cards. You're not going to be charged interest for a long time, right? While paying off all your debt within that intro period is the goal, it might not be your reality. You have to remember to check the variable APRs that will kick in after the promo ends. This card's APR range is slightly lower than that of many others.
However, the Citi Diamond Preferred's intro APR period on purchases is much shorter than that of the Wells Fargo Reflect. But a shorter intro APR period on new purchases isn't necessarily a bad thing for a balance transfer card. If your priority is paying off debt, and it should be, then not having the option to avoid interest on purchases could be the motivation you need to control your spending.
Just note that you can't earn any rewards with the Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card(Rates and fees). That means no cash back, points, or miles when making purchases. This is one of many factors that make the Citi Diamond Preferred similar to the Wells Fargo Reflect. But while the Wells Fargo Reflect provides cell phone insurance, the Citi Diamond Preferred provides identity theft protection. The two also have different standard APR ranges, and the Wells Fargo Reflect has a longer intro APR period on purchases.
- Long intro APR offer on balance transfers
- ID theft protection for no additional charge
- Access to Citi Entertainment
- No rewards program
- Foreign transaction fee
Apply now or learn more in our Citi Diamond Preferred review.
Citi Simplicity® Card
/images/2024/12/16/citi-simplicity.jpg)
0%, 12 months from date of account opening
0%, 21 months from date of account opening
- No Late Fees, No Penalty Rate, and No Annual Fee... Ever
- 0% Intro APR on balance transfers for 21 months and on purchases for 12 months from date of account opening. After that the variable APR will be 17.49% - 28.24%, based on your creditworthiness. Balance transfers must be completed within 4 months of account opening.
- There is an intro balance transfer fee of 3% of each transfer (minimum $5) completed within the first 4 months of account opening. After that, your fee will be 5% of each transfer (minimum $5).
- Stay protected with Citi® Quick Lock
The Citi Simplicity® Card is another great card with a long intro APR period. But unlike many of the best balance transfer cards for good credit, you don't have to worry about late fees or a penalty APR rate with the Citi Simplicity. That means that if you slip up on one statement period and miss a payment, you won't have a late fee or higher rate tacked on to your balance.
However, you want to be really careful about making this a habit. You shouldn't get a balance transfer card at all if you're not confident you can pay off at least the minimum balance every month, but ideally much more if you're going to outpace the intro APR period and take care of all your debt before it ends.
Benefiting from the lengthy APR offer on balance transfers comes with the downside of not earning rewards on your purchases since the Citi Simplicity® Card(Rates and fees) has no rewards program.
- Long intro APR offer on balance transfers
- No late fees
- $0 annual fee
- No rewards program
- Foreign transaction fee
Apply now or learn more in our Citi Simplicity Card review.
Chase Freedom Unlimited®
/images/2025/01/22/chase-freedom-unlimited-1.22.2025.png)
0%, 15 months
0%, 15 months
- Earn a $200 Bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening
- Enjoy 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, our premier rewards program that lets you redeem rewards for cash back, travel, gift cards and more; 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and 1.5% on all other purchases.
- No minimum to redeem for cash back. You can choose to receive a statement credit or direct deposit into most U.S. checking and savings accounts. Cash Back rewards do not expire as long as your account is open!
- Enjoy 0% Intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers, then a variable APR of 18.24% - 27.74%.
- No annual fee – You won't have to pay an annual fee for all the great features that come with your Freedom Unlimited® card
- Keep tabs on your credit health, Chase Credit Journey helps you monitor your credit with free access to your latest score, alerts, and more.
- Member FDIC
A common limitation of many of the best balance transfer credit cards is that they don't earn rewards. If that's a problem for you, you can look to rewards cards with balance transfer offers. The (Rates and fees) is one of our favorite choices if you want to earn valuable rewards and take advantage of an intro APR period on balance transfers. Though the Freedom Unlimited doesn't offer as long an intro APR period as some of the other cards on this list, the rewards are well-rounded and impressive overall (especially for a no-annual-fee card).
You earn 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service and unlimited 1.5% cash back on all other purchases.
The Freedom Unlimited offers purchase protection, extended warranty protection, trip cancellation insurance, and an auto rental collision damage waiver when you pay for a rental car with your card. However, like the other cards on the list, this isn't the best card for making foreign purchases, as you have to pay a foreign transaction fee of 3% of each transaction in U.S. dollars.
- Welcome offer
- Earns rewards on your purchases
- Added protections
- Intro APR period isn't as long as some other cards
- Foreign transaction fee
Apply now or learn more in our Chase Freedom Unlimited review.
Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express
/images/2024/12/16/amex_blue_cash_everyday.png)
0%, 15 months
0%, 15 months
- $0 annual fee, but still pays healthy bonus rewards
- Makes gas purchases more affordable
- Great welcome offer that you can earn with everyday spending
The Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express is another excellent card for taking advantage of both everyday rewards and intro APR offers. With the Amex Blue Cash Everyday, you can earn 3% cash back at U.S. supermarkets, U.S. gas stations, and U.S. online retail purchases (up to $6,000 per year on eligible purchases in each category, then 1%); and 1% cash back on other eligible purchases (cash back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit and at Amazon.com checkout). These bonus categories are pretty different from what you'd get with the Chase Freedom Unlimited, so choose the one that would better fit your spending.
If you have a smaller amount of debt to transfer, say less than $10,000, going with a high-value rewards card that has intro APR offers could be a good way to work on paying down debt without opening a card you're not going to use a couple of years from now. Just make sure that you budget your repayments accordingly if you choose a card with a shorter intro period like this.
New cardmembers can also earn a $200 statement credit after spending $2,000 in purchases in the first 6 months.
- Generous welcome offer
- Elevated rewards rate
- $0 annual fee
- Foreign transaction fees
- Amex isn't as widely accepted as other cards
Learn how to apply or read more in our Amex Blue Cash Everyday review.
Wells Fargo Reflect vs. Citi Diamond Preferred
The Wells Fargo Reflect and Citi Diamond Preferred aren't to be left out of any conversation about balance transfer cards, and they have enough in common that comparing them can be a little more complicated than comparing cards with more obvious differences. They have similar intro APR offers on balance transfers, benefits (and lack thereof), and even recommended credit scores.
Both are excellent choices for making a balance transfer, but it's not as if you can just get both.
Between the Wells Fargo Reflect and the Citi Diamond Preferred, the better choice for you depends on:
- The reason you're applying for a new credit card
- Your issuer preference (if you have one)
When the Wells Fargo Reflect might be better
- You need a longer intro APR period for new purchases
- You prefer Wells Fargo
If you need to avoid interest on new purchases, the Wells Fargo Reflect, with its longer intro APR on new purchases, is the better choice.
However, be really careful about spending a lot of money on any new card you open, but especially one you're using to make a balance transfer.
Remember that a balance transfer card inherits your old debt, so you don't have the luxury of starting from scratch. If you made a plan to repay your transferred debt before the intro APR period ends when opening the card (as you should), you also risk throwing off that plan by increasing the card's total balance.
Be smart, and remember that you can't avoid regular APRs forever.
When the Citi Diamond Preferred could be good for you
- You have excellent credit
- You prefer Citi
The Citi Diamond Preferred could be a slightly better choice if you have excellent credit because it has a potentially lower regular APR range than the Wells Fargo Reflect for the most qualified borrowers.
So you may be able to save on interest while chipping away at your debt after the intro APR period is up and the regular APR kicks in.
And with either of these cards, take the issuer's reputation into account. Reading customer reviews is a good place to start, but asking friends and family about their experiences with different issuers is even better. Maybe you know people who love their Wells Fargo credit cards, for example, and you value their recommendations. Maybe you're already a customer with one of these issuers.
Trust your gut, and compare not just the Wells Fargo Reflect and Citi Diamond Preferred but also Wells Fargo and Citi in general.
How to choose the best balance transfer card
Consider these factors when you're comparing credit cards to help you choose the right balance transfer card for you.
1. Credit score recommendations
You generally need at least good credit.
You typically need a FICO credit score of 670 or higher to qualify for the best balance transfer credit cards. Having good credit doesn't guarantee approval, but it helps (and could qualify you for lower regular APRs, which still matter).
But your score isn't the only factor that impacts your creditworthiness. Issuers often look at your total income, debt, and credit payment history as well.
2. Intro APR offers
Compare intro APR types, lengths, and fees.
To check if an intro APR offer is worth it, consider:
- Intro APR types: Cards may offer intro APRs on balance transfers, new purchases, or both. Consider which offer type you need.
- Intro APR periods: Anything under 12 months is shorter than average. The longest credit card balance transfer periods are typically 18 to 21 months.
- Balance transfer fees: These typically range from 3% to 5% and are added to your balance, so you don't want to forget them. Some cards offer introductory discounted fees.
3. Earning potential
Many of the best balance transfer cards don't earn rewards, but many rewards cards feature balance transfer offers.
Many balance transfer cards with the longest intro APR offer periods don't earn rewards.
However, you can find plenty of rewards cards that also provide intro APR offers on purchases and balance transfers. Often, these have shorter intro APR periods (e.g., 15 months instead of 21).
Figure out how long you need to pay off your transferred debt to help yourself decide between longer intro APR periods and earning rewards.
4. Perks and benefits
Consider a card's ongoing value.
Available card benefits vary by issuer, so it's worth comparing cards to see if a valuable perk tips the scales in favor of one over another. Some specific benefits you might keep an eye out for include:
- Purchase protection
- Cell phone protection
- Extended warranty coverage
- Travel insurance
FAQs
Do balance transfers hurt my credit score?
A balance transfer typically won't affect your credit score. However, it's possible for a balance transfer to hurt your credit score when you open a new credit card account. There's typically a hard inquiry when you apply for a new balance transfer card, which could have a small impact on your credit score.
Keeping a balance on your balance transfer credit card also increases your credit utilization, which is the ratio between your used credit and your available credit. Higher credit utilization may have a negative impact on your credit score.
Is a credit card balance transfer a good idea?
Moving your credit card balance using a balance transfer from one card with a high APR to one with a 0% intro APR can be a good idea. But you should plan to pay off your balance during the 0% intro APR offer period. Additionally, for this strategy to make sense, you need to save more money on interest than the fee you pay for the balance transfer.
To learn more, check out our ultimate guide to balance transfers.
What is the downside of a balance transfer?
Some of the potential downsides of balance transfers include:
- You have to pay a balance transfer fee, which typically ranges from 3% to 5%.
- You could indirectly impact your credit score when you open a new credit card account or increase your credit utilization.
- Your APR increases after the introductory period, and the card issuer will charge you interest on your remaining balance.
- You typically need at least a good credit score to qualify for balance transfer credit cards.
Cards that didn't make our list
Some cards that didn't make our list but still provide long intro APR periods include:
Citi Double Cash® Card
On top of 0% intro APR on balance transfers for 18 months, then 17.49% - 27.49% (Variable) APR, you could also earn 2% on every purchase with unlimited 1% cash back when you buy, plus an additional 1% as you pay for those purchases; plus, earn 5% total cash back on hotel, car rentals and attractions booked with Citi Travel. (Rates and fees) review to learn more.
/images/2024/12/16/citi-double-cash.jpg)
Current Offer
Earn $200 cash back after you spend $1,500 on purchases in the first 6 months of account opening. This bonus offer will be fulfilled as 20,000 ThankYou® Points, which can be redeemed for $200 cash back
Annual Fee
$0
Rewards Rate
2% on every purchase with unlimited 1% cash back when you buy, plus an additional 1% as you pay for those purchases; plus, earn 5% total cash back on hotel, car rentals and attractions booked with Citi Travel
BankAmericard® Credit Card
This card offers 0% intro APR for 18 billing cycles for any qualifying balance transfers made in the first 60 days (then 14.49% to 24.49% Variable APR). However, the BankAmericard only offers 60 days to transfer your balance from account opening. That's shorter than what many other cards offer. Read our BankAmericard® Credit Card review to learn more.
Bottom line
The best balance transfer cards tend to have long intro APR offer periods that last at least 15 months. That's why I recommend cards with lengthy intro APR periods, such as the Wells Fargo Reflect and Citi Diamond Preferred.
But I also think there's a case for cards that provide both intro APR offers and earning potential, such as the Chase Freedom Unlimited. With these cards, you get a balanced approach to transferring balances and earning rewards on all your eligible purchases.
For more info about balance transfer cards, including for other credit tiers, check out our list of the best balance transfer credit cards.
Intro Offer
Benefit from a long introductory APR period on purchases and qualifying balance transfers
Annual Fee $0 Why we like it
/images/2022/04/27/0427_reflect.png)