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Balance Transfer Calculator
with 0% Promo Period, Fee & Revert Rate

Find out if a balance transfer saves money. See the total cost including transfer fee, whether you clear the balance within the promotional period, and the exact monthly payment needed to avoid revert rate interest.

Country
Currency
📋
Balance Transfer Calculator
Section 1: Balances to Transfer
Card / debt name Balance Current Rate % Min. Payment
Section 2: Balance Transfer Card Offer
mo.
Number of months at 0% interest on the transferred balance.
%
Standard APR the card reverts to after the promotional period ends.
%
Percentage of balance charged as a transfer fee. Typically 1% to 5%.
Section 3: Your Monthly Payment Plan
$
What you plan to pay each month on the balance transfer card. Should be at least the minimum to avoid penalties.
$
Total minimum payments across all cards being transferred. Used for the comparison calculation.
ⓘ
Calculating...
Net Interest Saved by Transferring
—
vs keeping current cards
Promo Period Ends With
—
balance remaining
Min. Monthly to Clear in Promo
—
to be debt-free before revert rate
Transfer Fee
—
one-time charge
Total Interest (Transfer)
—
promo period is 0%, revert kicks in after
Total Interest (Stay Put)
—
at current rates, current payments
Promotional Period Timeline
Promo period usage 0%
Month 0 Month 0 Month 0
★ During 0% Promo Period
Duration—
Opening balance (inc. fee)—
Total paid in promo—
Interest charged—
Balance at promo end—
⚠ After Revert Rate Kicks In
Opening balance—
Revert APR—
Total interest (revert phase)—
Months to clear (revert phase)—
Total months to debt-free—
📈 Keep Current Cards
Total balance—
Weighted avg. rate—
Monthly payment—
Total interest—
Total cost—
Months to debt-free—
📋 After Balance Transfer
Balance transferred—
Transfer fee—
Monthly payment—
Total interest (revert phase)—
Total cost (balance + fee + interest)—
Months to debt-free—
Full Calculation Breakdown
Total balance to transfer—
Transfer fee rate—
Transfer fee amount—
Opening balance on transfer card—
Promo period—
Interest during promo period—
Balance at end of promo period—
Revert APR (post-promo)—
Interest during revert phase—
Total months to debt-free (transfer)—
Required monthly to clear in promo—
Current total interest (no transfer)—
Net interest saved by transferring—
Month-by-Month Schedule (Transfer Card)
Balance Over Time: Keep Cards vs Balance Transfer
Keep current cards
After transfer (promo)
After transfer (revert)
✦ Cal, AI Explanation
Cal is reviewing your balance transfer...
💬 Ask Cal about your balance transfer
Cal
Your balance transfer analysis is ready. Ask me whether the transfer fee is worth it, what happens if you cannot clear within the promo period, or how to compare two different transfer offers.

📋 Balance transfer rules

The 0% rate applies only to the transferred balance, not new purchases on the same card
Missing a payment can end the promotional rate immediately at some issuers
The transfer fee is charged upfront and increases the opening balance
After the promo period, any remaining balance incurs the full revert rate
Clearing the balance before the promo period ends makes the revert rate irrelevant
Do not use the transfer card for new spending or the 0% benefit is diluted

Related Calculators

Debt Consolidation Calculator→ Debt-Free Date Calculator→ Multiple Debt Payoff→ Loan Repayment Calculator→ Loan APR Calculator→

Related Guides

Balance Transfers Explained→ Consolidation vs Balance Transfer→ How to Pay Off Credit Card Debt→

How balance transfer savings are calculated

A balance transfer moves credit card debt to a new card offering a 0% promotional interest rate for a set number of months. During the promo period, every payment goes entirely toward reducing the principal, with no interest charged. After the promo period ends, any remaining balance starts accruing interest at the revert rate, which is typically the card's standard purchase APR.

The two phases

Phase 1 (promo): Interest = 0. Every payment reduces principal directly.
Balance at promo end = Opening balance − (Monthly payment × promo months)
Phase 2 (revert): Standard amortisation at revert APR on remaining balance.
Min. to clear in promo = (Opening balance) ÷ promo months
Opening balance = transferred total + transfer fee. A zero balance at promo end means zero revert interest.

When to consider a balance transfer

Most beneficial when the transferred balance can be cleared entirely within the promotional period. In this case, the only cost is the transfer fee, and every pound or dollar saved in interest is a pure gain. The calculator shows the exact monthly payment required to achieve this.

Still useful even when full clearance within the promo period is not possible, provided the remaining balance at revert rate is small enough that the revert interest is less than what you would have paid by staying on the current card. The calculator models both phases and shows the net saving.

ScenarioBalance cleared in promo?FeeVerdict
Best caseYes, fullyLow (1-2%)Pay fee only, save all interest
GoodMostlyModerate (3%)Small revert interest, net saving likely
RiskyNo, large remainderHigh (4-5%)Check net saving carefully
TrapNo, minimal paymentsAnyRevert rate can cost more than original card

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the transfer fee and is it always worth it?+
The transfer fee is a one-time charge, typically 1% to 5% of the balance being transferred, applied when the balance moves to the new card. It increases your opening balance on the transfer card. Whether it is worth it depends on how much interest you would have paid on the original card during the same period. If the interest savings exceed the fee, the transfer is worth it. This calculator computes that comparison directly and shows the net saving after the fee is accounted for.
What happens if I do not clear the balance before the promo period ends?+
Any balance remaining at the end of the promotional period starts accruing interest at the revert APR, which is the card's standard purchase rate. This is typically between 19% and 25% APR. The calculator models this exactly: it runs the 0% phase to find the end-of-promo balance, then runs a standard amortisation at the revert rate on whatever is left. If the revert phase interest is still less than what you would have paid on the original card, the transfer is still beneficial overall.
Can I transfer balances from multiple cards?+
Yes. This calculator accepts multiple card balances and combines them into a single transferred total. The total transfer fee applies to the combined balance. In practice, balance transfer cards have a credit limit, so confirm the limit on the transfer card covers the full combined balance before applying. If the limit is lower than your combined debt, you may need to prioritise which debts to transfer based on their interest rates.
Should I use the transfer card for new purchases?+
No. New purchases on a balance transfer card typically do not benefit from the 0% promotional rate and may be charged at the standard purchase rate immediately. More importantly, when you make a payment, it is often applied to the lowest-rate balance first under many card terms, meaning your minimum payments reduce the 0% transferred balance while new purchases at a higher rate accumulate. Keep the transfer card exclusively for the transferred balance and use a separate card for day-to-day spending if needed.
How is a balance transfer different from debt consolidation?+
A balance transfer moves existing credit card balances to a new credit card, usually at a promotional 0% rate for a fixed period. Debt consolidation typically involves taking out a personal loan at a fixed rate to pay off multiple debts. The key differences are that balance transfers are usually shorter-term (12 to 24 months), have a promotional rate that reverts after the period, and only work for credit card debt. Consolidation loans are longer, have a fixed rate throughout, and can cover a broader range of debt types. If you can clear the debt within the promo period, a balance transfer is often more cost-effective than a consolidation loan.