About the Balance Transfer Calculator
A balance transfer moves what you owe on one card to another, often at a very low rate for a limited time. It usually costs a fee, so it only saves money if the interest you avoid is larger than the fee. This calculator compares both paths with the same monthly payment: staying put, or moving the balance and paying the fee, with the promotional rate for the first months and the normal rate after. Type the balance, the current rate, your monthly payment, the fee, the promotional months and rates and the balance transfer savings appears at once, with a few related figures underneath, and you can copy the result with one tap. The sums run in your browser, so nothing you enter is uploaded.
Updated October 2026
How to use the Balance Transfer Calculator
- 1Enter the balance, the current rate, your monthly payment, the fee, the promotional months and rates.
- 2Pick the units or options from the menus if the balance transfer savings tool offers them.
- 3Read the balance transfer savings in the large result box.
- 4Look at the extra rows for related figures.
- 5Press Copy result to keep the answer.
When you need the balance transfer savings
People with a card balance use it to decide whether to chase a 0 percent offer. The result depends on how fast you can pay: the more you pay during the promotion, the more you save.
Try different payments. If you can clear most of the balance within the promotional period, the transfer is very worthwhile. If the payment is small, most of the debt will be left when the normal rate returns.
How the balance transfer savings is worked out
The balance and the fee are paid down month by month at the promotional rate, then at the later rate. The total interest plus the fee is compared with the interest if you stay. A balance of 5,000 at 22 percent, paid at 250 a month, takes 26 months and costs 1,286 in interest. Moved to a 12-month 0 percent card with a 3 percent fee (150), the same payment clears it in 22 months with only 212 of interest after the promotion. After the 150 fee, the saving is about 924.
Every answer on this page comes from that one rule, so you can check any result by hand with a calculator. The figures shown underneath, such as other units, are conversions of the same answer.
- Stay or move
- Fee included
- Time to repay for both
Mistakes to avoid with balance transfer savings
The tool assumes a fixed payment, no new purchases and a flat fee. Real offers may charge a minimum fee, withdraw the promotional rate after a missed payment or apply the later rate differently. Read the terms, and never miss a payment during the promotion.
On phone and computer
On a phone, type into the boxes one after another and read the balance transfer savings underneath; Copy result puts it on the clipboard for a message or a note. On a computer the inputs sit on the left and the answer on the right, so you can change one figure and watch the balance transfer savings move. The balance transfer calculator works the same on both. Compare options with Credit Card Payoff Calculator and Credit Card Minimum Payment Calculator, look at wider plans with Debt Consolidation Calculator, and understand the true cost with APR Calculator.
Features
- Pay more during the promotion
- Read the fee terms
- Do not miss a payment
- Clear messages when the balance transfer savings inputs make no sense
- Copy the result with one tap
- Private: nothing is uploaded
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate balance transfer savings?
The balance and the fee are paid down month by month at the promotional rate, then at the later rate. The total interest plus the fee is compared with the interest if you stay. A balance of 5,000 at 22 percent, paid at 250 a month, takes 26 months and costs 1,286 in interest. Moved to a 12-month 0 percent card with a 3 percent fee (150), the same payment clears it in 22 months with only 212 of interest after the promotion. After the 150 fee, the saving is about 924.
What is the formula for balance transfer savings?
The balance and the fee are paid down month by month at the promotional rate, then at the later rate. The total interest plus the fee is compared with the interest if you stay. The balance transfer calculator applies it exactly and rounds only the displayed answer to six significant figures.
What is a balance transfer fee?
A charge, often 3 to 5 percent of the amount moved, added to the debt.
What happens after the promotion ends?
The remaining balance is charged at the later rate, which may be as high as the old one.
Can I keep using the old card?
If you do, you add new debt. The tool assumes you do not.
Is this balance transfer calculator free and private?
Yes. It is free, needs no account and runs in your browser, so the numbers you type are not uploaded or stored.