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Manage your debt with a balance transfer card

Last updated on November 25th, 2021
  Written by 
Bill Tsouvalas
Bill Tsouvalas is the managing director and a key company spokesperson at Savvy. As a personal finance expert, he often shares his insights on a range of topics, being featured on leading news outlets including News Corp publications such as the Daily Telegraph and Herald Sun, Fairfax Media publications such as the Australian Financial Review, the Seven Network and more. Bill has over 15 years of experience working in the finance industry and founded Savvy in 2010 with a vision to provide affordable and accessible finance options to all Australians. He has built Savvy from a small asset finance brokerage into a financial comparison website which now attracts close to 2 million Aussies per year and was included in the BRW’s Fast 100 in 2015 as one of the fastest-growing companies in the country. He’s passionate about helping Australians make financially savvy decisions and reviews content across the brand to ensure its accuracy. You can follow Bill on LinkedIn.
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Paying off credit card debt with another credit card may seem rather counterproductive. However, switching to a balance transfer credit card could be a good way of taking stock of finances, especially for small to medium business owners who may have already accumulated debt on high-interest credit cards.

In the long run you could end up saving on interest rates while also simplifying the management of multiple debt payments by transferring the balance to a card offering lower interest rates and additional benefits.

Switching to a balance transfer card may prove to be a viable solution for you and your business however, before making the change, there are a few things to take into account.

Expiration of introductory rate

What makes a balance transfer card so appealing is the exceptionally low, or non-existent, interest rate. Unfortunately these rates do expire, often between 12 to 18 months (sometimes longer). After this the interest rates could increase anywhere from 12percent to 22 percent. Missing monthly payments could result in higher accumulated debt, so being committed to meeting monthly instalments is essential.

Additional fees

Transferring balances to a single, low interest card usually involves additional fees. Many credit card companies will charge a percentage of the transferred amount, which commonly ranges between three and five percent. Many card holders forget to take these additional fees into account when making the switch.

Be cautious with new purchases

Limiting the use of your credit card, or not using it at all, could make it easier to pay off debt. Need another reason to avoid making new purchases with your balance transfer card? Some credit cards stipulate that new purchases will collect interest at the standard industry rate. In some instances only the initial balance that was transferred to the new card will receive zero to low interest rates, so be weary of this.

You may be turned down

People and businesses do get turned down when applying for balance transfer cards and this is often due to their credit history. If you have a poor credit rating and a history of not making payments, this could reduce your chances of being approved for a new card.

The good news is, having taken these factors into account, switching to a balance transfer credit card could save a substantial amount.

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This guide provides general information and does not consider your individual needs, finances or objectives. We do not make any recommendation or suggestion about which product is best for you based on your specific situation and we do not compare all companies in the market, or all products offered by all companies. It’s always important to consider whether professional financial, legal or taxation advice is appropriate for you before choosing or purchasing a financial product.

The content on our website is produced by experts in the field of finance and reviewed as part of our editorial guidelines. We endeavour to keep all information across our site updated with accurate information.

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