Are there penalties for balance transfers?
Isabella Turner
Updated on February 05, 2026
Generally, you’ll have to pay a balance transfer fee — usually 3% to 5% of the total transferred. And if your balance transfer card’s limit is low, you might not be able to transfer your full balance.
Are credit card companies stopping balance transfers?
JPMorgan Chase, for example, removed the 0% intro APR on balance transfers from a couple of its most popular credit cards, and American Express stopped offering balance transfers altogether. Other credit card issuers have shortened the introductory period on their balance transfer credit cards.
Can a balance transfer be reversed?
If you recently received notice of your credit limit and the rest of the account-opening disclosures, you may be able to cancel the balance transfer. Generally, you have at least 10 days after the bank sent the account-opening disclosures (not the day you received them) to call the bank and stop the balance transfer.
What happens if I don’t pay off my balance transfer?
Once the 0% balance transfer ends, the regular balance transfer interest rate will go into effect on the unpaid portion of the balance transfer. You’ll continue to be charged interest each month until the balance is paid off.
What happens if I make a purchase on a balance transfer card?
DO NOT make new purchases with a balance transfer card But you may also create a situation in which you must pay interest on those new charges. Here’s what happens. So, as long as you’re paying more than the minimum required payment, your payment will pay down charges at the higher interest rate.
Is it possible to remove late payments from your credit report?
When late payments appear on your credit reports, it is possible to remove them, but you must negotiate with the credit card company to remove them. Credit card issuers are allowed to apply the penalty rate to other credit card balances you hold with their bank. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency.
What happens if my credit card company changes the terms?
For many changes, you have the right to opt out of the newly changed terms. However, if you opt out, the card company might close your account. If your account is closed, you do not have to pay the balance in full immediately after the account is closed, but you are still responsible for making payments until the balance is paid in full.
How to avoid payment confusion with credit card payment allocation?
The best way to avoid payment confusion with how your credit card payment is allocated is by avoiding mixing balances with different interest rates on your credit card. Don’t transfer balances to credit cards that already have a purchases balance or make purchases on a credit card with a balance transfer.
How does a balance transfer credit card work?
A balance transfer’s where you get a new card to pay off your existing debt, and then owe the new card instead, often at 0% interest – meaning all your repayments will reduce your debt rather than paying off interest. For full info and our current top pick cards, see Balance Transfer Credit Cards .