What Are the Best Balance Transfer Credit Cards of 2019?

The Citi Simplicity® Card is our top recommendation for those interested in a balance transfer credit card because its 21 month 0% intro APR period is 3 months longer than the next most competitive offer. After the intro period your APR will be 16.24% - 26.24%* (Variable), based on your creditworthiness.

This long 0% intro APR period means you'll have more time to pay off your debt interest-free. Unfortunately, you will have to contend with a transfer fee that's on the higher end of what our analysts saw ($5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater). We suggest using our calculator below if you want to see whether you can save more money on a longer 0% intro APR offer or by avoiding transfer fees.

One aspect we like about the Citi Simplicity® Card is that it doesn't charge users late fees. Other cards on the market typically charge users $35 if they're late to pay their bill. Another aspect we really like about this card is that it doesn't have a penalty APR, while other cards' APRs generally shoot up to 29.99%. Most balance transfer credit cards lack the type of safe guards that come equipped with this one.

The HSBC Gold Mastercard® credit card is another solid credit card with a longer than average 0% APR period. Cardholders can go interest-free for 15 months from account opening (3-6 months longer than what's standard). Then a Variable APR of 14.24%, 20.24% or 25.24% will apply after the Introductory Period. The transfer fee is on the higher end of what we tend to see of either $10 or 4% of the amount transferred, whichever is greater. Still, if you're taking full advantage of those 15 months of no interest, you'll likely save much more than you pay towards that fee.

The BankAmericard® credit card offers an outstanding 0% intro APR for 18 billing cycles on purchases and on any balance transfer made within the first 60 days. After the intro period, cardholders will be subject to the card's ongoing APR of 15.24% - 25.24% Variable APR on purchases and balance transfers. Most competing cards offer 0% intro APR periods that are at least 3 months shorter, making this one of the better cards for paying down debt.

The one downside to the card is that it doesn't offer a rewards program. Regardless, the 0% intro APR offer is still strong enough for us to recommend this card for prospective applicants. Lastly, the card doesn't have an annual fee so it won't put a strain on your budget.

The Chase Slate® has two features that, when combined, allow consumers to maximize their savings and efficiently reduce their credit card debt. First, the card has a 0% introductory APR on balance transfers and purchases that lasts 15 billing cycles — this is on the longer end of what cards typically offer.

This card also uniquely waives the balance transfer fee when you transfer a balance during the first 60 days your account is open. Other credit cards—including other ones on this list—will charge between 3% and 5% for each transfer. Depending on how much debt you have, that fee can cost you hundreds of dollars. By skipping the transfer fee, the Chase Slate® allows you to put all your available funds toward paying down your debt.

Like most balance transfer cards, the Chase Slate® has limited value after the promotional APR period ends. It has no rewards program or other bells and whistles that would make it useful for you in the long run. If that's an issue for you, we recommend checking out balance transfer/rewards cards hybrids.

The Discover it® Balance Transfer is one of the only credit cards we've seen that does an outstanding job as both a balance transfer and rewards credit card, at the same time. Most cards will specialize in one or the other. Cardholders get a 0% APR on balance transfers for 18 months (then a 14.24% - 25.24% Variable APR applies), which is extremely long compared to most credit cards out there. In fact, among the 50 cards we surveyed, only the Citi Simplicity® Card came with a longer zero interest period.

On the rewards side, this is also one of also our favorite cash back credit cards. Users get 5% cash back on up to $1,500 in purchases each time they activate. This rewards rate applies to categories that change every quarter. For 2019, the categories include grocery stores (January-March), gas stations, Uber & Lyft (April-June), restaurants (July-September), Amazon.com (October-December). For a point of comparison, most credit cards struggle to provide cardholders with more than 2% back.

The Citi® Double Cash Card is another top cash back credit card, but it can be an amazing balance transfer card as well. Cardholders get a very long zero percent interest period on balance transfers (18 months vs an average of 12 across the credit card industry); after that cardholders get a standard APR of (15.74% - 25.74%* (Variable)).

If you have the choice, we recommend applying for the Discover it® Balance Transfer because it has a lower transfer fee. However, if you prefer Citibank, or already have card debt with Discover, the Citi® Double Cash Card can be a great alternative.

On the cash back end, this card gives rewards that can't be rivaled by most cards. Users get 1% cash back whenever they use this card to make a purchase, and then another 1% back when that purchase is paid off. That effectively translates to a 2% cash back rate. Very few credit cards give their users 2% back on every single purchase. Most do so in one or two shopping categories.