Balance transfer calculator
Enter your card, its limit and the transfer offer. You'll see your credit utilization before and after the move, how full the new card would report, and what you save after the fee.
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Moving it saves
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What this does to your utilization
Stay or move, at the same payment
Tips for a transfer that pays off
- Divide by the promo monthsThe balance plus the fee, divided by the intro months, is roughly the payment that clears it in time. Set that up as an automatic payment.
- Don't miss a paymentA late payment can end the intro rate early on many cards. Autopay for at least the minimum protects it.
- Keep the new card for the transferPutting new purchases on the transfer card can mix balances at different rates. A separate card for spending keeps it simple.
- Check the limit firstYou can only move what the new card's limit allows, fee included. A partial transfer still helps on the part that moves.
How the math works
- Fee
- Fee rate × the amount moved, added to the new card's balance
- Each month
- Balance × the APR for that month ÷ 12: the intro APR during the intro period, the regular APR after
- Savings
- Interest if you stay − (interest after moving + the fee)
- Payment to clear it in time
- The smallest fixed payment that reaches $0 by the last intro month
Utilization
The calculator assumes the whole balance moves, the fee lands on the new card, and the current card stays open at $0. It counts these two cards only. Your other cards change the overall figure, and the utilization planner takes all of them.
- Before
- Balance ÷ the current card's limit
- After, both cards
- (Balance + fee) ÷ (current limit + new limit)
- New card on its own
- (Balance + fee) ÷ the new card's limit
Ratios are shown to one decimal place. The flag for a new card at half its limit or more is a reading aid, not a scoring cutoff. FICO and VantageScore don't publish point values for utilization, so this shows ratios, never a predicted score. FICO says its amounts owed category looks at individual cards as well as the total.
Questions about this tool
Does a balance transfer lower my credit utilization?
It can lower the overall ratio, because the new card adds its limit to your total and the old card drops to $0. The new card can still report close to full on its own, and scoring models read each card's ratio as well as the total, so the calculator shows both.
Will a balance transfer affect my credit?
Applying for a new card usually means a hard inquiry, and a new account lowers your average account age. Moving a balance also changes utilization on each card and overall. The effects differ from person to person, and no one can tell you the exact score change ahead of time.
Is the transfer fee worth paying?
It is when the interest you avoid is more than the fee. The calculator compares the two at the same monthly payment and shows the difference in dollars.
What happens when the intro rate ends?
Whatever is left starts collecting interest at the regular APR. Paying enough each month to clear the balance before then is the way to get the full benefit.
Does the intro rate apply to new purchases?
Not always. Many cards give the intro rate only to transferred balances, and new purchases can collect interest right away. Check the offer terms.
Guides behind the math
- How balance transfers affect your credit scoreA balance transfer moves debt, it doesn't shrink it. What a new card does to inquiries and utilization, and when the 3% to 5% fee pays for itself.
- Per-card vs. overall utilization: why one maxed card still hurtsScores look at each card's balance-to-limit ratio and at all cards combined. See how one maxed-out card can drag down a healthy overall ratio, with math.
More free tools
- Utilization plannerEnter your cards and see overall and per-card utilization, plus the exact payment to hit a target.
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- Debt payoff plannerSee the month your card utilization drops under 30% and 10%, with avalanche or snowball, plus your debt-free date.
- Debt consolidation calculatorSee your card utilization before and after a consolidation loan pays the cards off, and what the loan costs.