When choosing a credit card for a balance transfer, the key is to identify cards that offer low or 0% introductory APRs for balance transfers, low fees for the transfers, and terms you can realistically meet. What I’ll provide here is (1) what to look for when selecting a balance-transfer card, and (2) a few strong card examples (mainly U.S. based) to illustrate what a good deal looks like. If you’re based in Indonesia (Jakarta) I can also check for local Indonesian cards with good balance transfer options.
✅ What to look for in a good balance‐transfer credit card
Here are the main factors you should compare:
| Feature | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Introductory APR for balance transfers | A 0% (or very low) intro rate gives you time to pay off transferred debt without paying interest. Discover+4MoneySavingExpert.com+4Bankrate+4 |
| Length of the intro period | The longer the 0% period, the more time you have to repay before the regular rate kicks in. Intuit Credit Karma+1 |
| Balance transfer fee | Transferring your debt isn’t free: many cards charge a fee (often 3–5% of amount transferred). Lower is better. Intuit Credit Karma |
| Regular (post‐promo) APR | If you don’t clear your transferred balance in time, you’ll pay the regular APR. Lower is better. MoneySavingExpert.com+1 |
| Eligibility / credit score requirement | These offers often require good‐to‐excellent credit; you’ll want to check your odds. Bankrate |
| Other terms & conditions | For example, whether the intro rate only applies if you transfer within X days of opening, whether spending on new purchases is allowed and how that interacts with the promotional rate, whether you need to avoid certain fees, etc. MoneySavingExpert.com+1 |
📋 Example cards: some of the best balance transfer offers
Here are a few strong examples (mostly U.S.) to give you an idea of what “good” looks like:
-
Citi Simplicity® Card — offers 0% intro APR for up to 21 months on balance transfers. Intuit Credit Karma+1
-
Wells Fargo Reflect® Card — another long intro period (0%), good if you expect to take many months to repay. Intuit Credit Karma+1
-
Bank of America cards — they advertise “Low Intro APR Balance Transfer Credit Cards” in general. Bank of America
-
Discover balance transfer cards — e.g., 0% intro for ~15 months on both purchases & transfers, then a variable rate. Discover
🎯 What this means for you (in Indonesia)
Since you are in Jakarta, here are points to consider:
-
Indonesian credit cards may have different balance‐transfer terms (fees, eligibility, etc) compared to U.S. cards. For example, an Indonesian article notes that you should check the limit available for transfer (often 60-90% of credit limit) and the fee structure. cermati
-
Make sure the card you choose allows a balance transfer from another card (especially if the origin card is from the same bank, some banks may restrict transfers between their own cards).
-
Check the foreign currency / overseas terms if the debt you’re transferring was incurred abroad, or if the card is denominated in another currency.
-
Review whether you can make full monthly payments on the card and repay the transferred balance within the promo period—that’s critical, otherwise you risk being charged higher interest.
-
Make a plan: just getting the offer isn’t enough—you must repay within the 0% period (or pay as much as you can) to maximize the benefit.