Just transfer your balances and focus on paying off
your card during the introductory period.
Have a Plan The best way to take advantage of a zero percent credit card is to pay down a huge debt transferred from an existing credit
card during the introductory period.
Not exact matches
The 3 % balance - transfer fee will eat into interest savings
during the
introductory period, and the no - interest offer on new purchases is shorter than for other top
cards.
Just because you transferred your balance to a credit
card that offers a zero percent interest rate for six months, that doesn't mean that you won't pay a much higher interest rate for purchases you make
during the
introductory period.
Cards that offer a 0 % annual percentage rate (APR)
during an
introductory period can help you save money by allowing you to skip interest... Read More
If you consolidate debt and then keep charging up your now empty
cards, or if you don't pay off the debt
during the
introductory period and end up paying at a higher rate, then you can come out worse than you were before.
With a 0 % credit
card offer you can buy that necessary item and pay for it in, for lack of a better word, installments,
during that
introductory period without accruing interest.
Things to keep in mind here: If you can not pay off the balance of transfer
during the
introductory period, then look for a
card that also has a relatively low standard APR..
Once you have a handle on your spending and income, it becomes a lot easier to figure out how much debt you can feasibly pay off
during your
card's 0 %
introductory period.
That intro
period makes this a good
card to transfer credit
card debt onto, so you can work on paying it off
during the
introductory low - APR
period.
If you won't be able to become completely debt - free
during your
card's
introductory APR
period, it's crucial to create a backup plan toward the end.
In the past, I've been successful with eliminating debt by using such
cards, but I had to make the commitment of paying off my debt
during the 0 %
introductory rate
period.
In most cases, a debt consolidation credit
card will only save you money if you can manage to pay the balance in full
during the
introductory period.
Look for
cards that offer low — or even zero — balance transfer fees
during the
introductory period.
As an example if you are approved to transfer over $ 5,000 to the Chase Slate ®
card and you make the transfer
during the
introductory balance transfer fee
period, you'd save $ 250 on balance transfer fees.
Instead of using a regular credit
card and paying for those items along with interest, an
introductory 0 % interest credit
card can help you stretch out your payments over time, without paying extra for your purchases
during the intro
period.
While the balance you carry under a 0 % balance transfer offer won't accrue interest
during the interest - free
period as long as you make every minimum payment on time, credit
card companies usually charge consumers a fee for moving the balance from the old
card to the new, 0 %
introductory offer
card.
If you are paying interest on credit
cards from another issuer (non-Chase), you can save money
during the
introductory period by transferring your balances to your Slate
card.
Balance transfer credit
cards give you an opportunity to save money and pay off debt faster, with low or 0 % interest rates
during the
introductory period.
There are also various credit
cards available that come with
introductory periods during which no interest is charged on purchases.
Be sure to read the terms and conditions of the credit
card application carefully so that you will know what the interest rate will be
during the
introductory period and after.
A lot of balance transfer credit
cards offer very low or even 0 % interest rate
during the
introductory period.
A true 0 - percent balance transfer
card does not charge interest
during the
introductory period (as long as you make your monthly payments on time), even if you are still carrying a balance at the end of the
introductory period.
If you know you'll be making big - ticket purchases
during the
introductory period, pick the
card with the best sign - up bonus.
Many
cards offer a 0 % APR promotion, which can save new cardholders hundreds of dollars on interest
during the
introductory period if they carry a balance or make a balance transfer.
Not only is the
card free to hold, but you can avoid interest charges without paying your bill in full
during the
introductory period.
Another great benefit to a
card offering an
introductory 0 % APR for new purchases is that you can typically still earn rewards on those purchases
during the interest - free
period.
Of the 35
cards surveyed, 17
cards charged 3 percent, while another 10 charged that amount
during an
introductory period, then increased the fee later.
That intro
period makes this a good
card to transfer credit
card debt onto, so you can work on paying it off
during the
introductory low - APR
period.
Either way, the
introductory period will be the lowest APR you can expect from a balance transfer
card, so it's wise to use your
card during that specific time frame.
Some credit
cards give you a special
introductory period during which you have a lower APR, or even a 0 % APR..
A zero - balance transfer
card charges 0 % interest
during the
introductory period.
For example if you owed $ 5000 on two different credit
cards you could transfer both balances onto the balance transfer credit
card and save a lot on interest especially
during the low
introductory APR interest rate (which is for a set
period depending — most offers are 12 months, but some can be even 15 months).
A true 0 - percent balance transfer
card does not charge interest
during the
introductory period (as long as you make your monthly payments on time), even if you are still carrying a balance at the end of the
introductory period.
The $ 99 annual fee applied on your first statement is a bummer, especially given that most travel rewards
cards waive that fee
during the
introductory period.
In case you aren't able to clear your transferred credit
card balance
during the
introductory 0 % APR
period, you may feel tempted to opt for another balance transfer.
This feature seems like an outlier for most airline credit
cards, as most waive the fee
during the
introductory period.
Using a balance transfer credit
card successfully requires paying off as much debt as possible
during the low
introductory APR
period.