Things you should know about balance transfer cards

Balance transfer cards allow you to transfer and consolidate your debts to a card which charges a no or low rate of interest on the amount due. However, there are a number of things to be considered while availing a fee 0% balance transfer card.

Credit score: Your credit score reflects your ability to repay loans taken within the stipulated period. The financial institution will check your credit score and credit report to determine whether you can be issued a fee 0% balance transfer credit card. Balance transfer credit cards allow you to transfer debt from one of your credit cards which might charge a higher rate of interest to one that has a low or minimal rate of interest to restructure your debt and provide relief on the payments. Usually, a fee is charged for this particular service. However, fee 0% balance transfer credit cards waive off this charge which is also given to people with excellent credit history rating and score.

0% fee is temporary: Usually, fee 0% balance transfer credit cards are issued for a promotional period which might last from 6 to 21 months depending on the financial institution. The balance also has to be paid off within the intro period for which the APR holds its 0% validity.

Terms and conditions: It is not that easy to avail a fee 0% balance transfer credit card since you may qualify for the same, but getting an approval might take time. The credit limit will also affect your chances of availing this card since a lower credit limit will not serve your purpose if you have significant debts that need to be transferred. In such cases, it is not advisable to opt for a fee 0% balance transfer card since you will just end up paying for your balance existing debt and the debt on your new balance transfer card.

Intra bank card transfer not possible: Balance transfer is possible only if you are applying for a card that is not issued by your existing banking partner. Most financial institutions will not allow a balance transfer within their cards for debt to be consolidated.

Pay the full amount and not the minimum due: When it comes to a fee 0% balance transfer credit card, most people will be just tempted to pay off the minimum due rather than the total amount due, just because it is convenient. This is however not a good idea since the low rate or no rate of interest will allow you to make more payments and clear off your debt instead of stalling and taking advantage of the minimum due.

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Balance Transfer Cards