Balance transfer calculator: fee, interest saved and what's left after the intro (2026)
Edited by Moe Ameen · Published
A balance transfer pays off when the interest you skip during the intro period is more than the transfer fee. Move $6,000 from a 22% card to a 0% offer for 15 months with a 3% fee, pay $300 a month, and you'd pay $288.94 in fee and interest instead of $1,542.87. That's about $1,254 less. You'd still owe $1,680 when the intro rate ends.
Key takeaways
- Savings = interest on the current card − (transfer fee + interest on the new card).
- Bankrate puts balance transfer fees at 3% to 5% of the amount moved [5].
- An intro rate has to last at least six months, unless you're more than 60 days late on a payment [1].
- Whatever is left when the intro ends is charged the APR the issuer disclosed for afterwards [3].
- To clear the balance in time, divide what you owe after the fee by the intro months.
How much can a balance transfer save?
Work out the interest you'd pay staying put, then the fee plus interest after moving. The difference is your saving, and it can be negative.
| Stay on current card | Transfer, 3% fee | Transfer, 5% fee | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Transfer fee | $0 | $180.00 | $300.00 |
| Interest | $1,542.87 | $108.94 | $125.01 |
| Total cost | $1,542.87 | $288.94 | $425.01 |
| Months to pay off | 26 | 21 | 22 |
| Owed when the intro ends | n/a | $1,680.00 | $1,800.00 |
| Saved vs staying | n/a | $1,253.93 | $1,117.86 |
The fee is charged up front, so it's added to the new card's balance in this example. You then repay it along with the debt. The bigger the balance and the higher your current APR, the more interest the transfer can save. A small balance you could clear in a few months anyway may not cover the fee.
How much is a balance transfer fee?
Usually 3% to 5% of the amount you move, according to Bankrate, often with a minimum charge of $5 or $10.
Bankrate puts the typical fee at 3% to 5% of the transferred balance, with a minimum that is usually $5 or $10 [5]. On $6,000 that's $180 to $300. Check the offer's terms for the exact percentage, because the fee is the cost you pay for sure, whatever happens to the rate later.
What happens when the intro APR ends?
Any balance left starts costing the card's regular APR. The issuer has to tell you that rate, and how long the intro lasts, before it starts.
The CFPB says an intro rate has to stay in effect for at least six months, unless you are more than 60 days late on a payment [1]. Regulation Z lets the issuer raise the rate when a period of six months or longer runs out, as long as it disclosed in writing, beforehand, the APR that applies afterwards [3]. An intro rate tied to an index such as prime can still move if that index moves [1].
To be done before the rate rises, divide what you owe on the new card by the intro months. In the example that's $6,180 ÷ 15 = $412 a month. At $300 a month, $1,680 is left over and starts costing 22%.
Do new purchases on a balance transfer card get charged interest?
Usually yes. The CFPB says that while you carry a balance, new purchases accrue interest from the date of the transaction.
A 0% balance transfer doesn't cover what you buy afterwards. If you carry a balance, purchases accrue interest from the day you make them, and you only avoid interest on purchases by paying the whole balance, transfer included, by the due date [2]. Under Regulation Z, whatever you pay above the minimum goes first to the balance with the highest APR [4]. If you need a card for everyday spending, use a different one, or the calculator's figures won't hold. See how balance transfers work for the rest of the fine print.
What APR should I expect after the intro period?
Whatever the offer discloses. For context, the Federal Reserve's average APR on card accounts charged interest was 22.36% in August 2026.
The Federal Reserve's G.19 release of October 7, 2026 puts the average APR at 21.19% across all card accounts and 22.36% on accounts that were charged interest, for August 2026 (preliminary) [6]. That's why the example uses 22% on both sides. It's an average, not a rate offered to you. Put the offer's own post-intro APR into the calculator.
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Balance transfer calculator
Glisten tool · Balance transfer calculator
— saved
Enter the balance, both APRs (0 to 100%), an intro period of 0 to 60 months and a monthly payment.
Estimates only. It assumes you make no new purchases on either card and pay on time; a payment more than 60 days late can end the intro rate early. Interest is worked out monthly (APR ÷ 12), not daily as issuers do. The grey example figures are illustrations, not an offer. This runs in your browser, and nothing you type is sent anywhere or saved.
The table above comes straight out of this calculator. It also tells you the payment that clears the balance before the intro ends, and flags an intro period shorter than the six months Regulation Z requires.
Is this right for you?
Best for
- Deciding whether a transfer fee is worth paying on a balance you're actively paying down.
- Finding the monthly payment that clears the balance before the intro rate ends.
Not ideal for
- Deferred interest promotions, where unpaid balances are charged interest back to day one.
- Cards you keep spending on. It assumes no new purchases.
Frequently asked questions
Is a balance transfer worth it?
It is when the interest you avoid is bigger than the fee. On $6,000 at 22% paid at $300 a month, a 3% fee and 15 months at 0% saves about $1,254 in our example.
How much is a balance transfer fee?
Bankrate says 3% to 5% of the amount moved, usually with a $5 or $10 minimum [5].
How long does a 0% intro APR last?
At least six months, unless you're more than 60 days late on a payment [1]. The offer states the exact length.
What happens if I don't pay off the balance before the intro ends?
The rest is charged the APR the issuer disclosed for after the intro period [3]. On a deferred interest offer, Bankrate warns you can be charged all the interest from the start [5].
Do payments go to the transferred balance or to new purchases?
Anything you pay above the minimum goes to the balance with the highest APR first [4].
Is this calculator private?
Yes. It runs in your browser, and nothing you type is sent anywhere or saved.
How we know this
On November 2, 2026 we read the CFPB's answers on how long an intro rate must last and on interest for new purchases, Regulation Z sections 1026.55 and 1026.53 on the CFPB's site, Bankrate's guide to balance transfer fees, and the Federal Reserve's G.19 release of October 7, 2026. Example figures are our own arithmetic with monthly interest (APR ÷ 12), and the calculator reproduces each one.
- How long can I keep a low rate on a balance transfer or other introductory rate?, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Checked November 2, 2026.
- Do I pay interest on new purchases after I get a zero or low rate balance transfer?, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Checked November 2, 2026.
- Regulation Z, 12 CFR 1026.55: Limitations on increasing annual percentage rates, fees, and charges, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Checked November 2, 2026.
- Regulation Z, 12 CFR 1026.53: Allocation of payments, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Checked November 2, 2026.
- What is a balance transfer fee?, Bankrate. Checked November 2, 2026.
- G.19 Consumer Credit, release of October 7, 2026, Federal Reserve Board. Checked November 2, 2026.