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Credit cards with a 0% intro annual percentage rate (APR) offer can be useful tools for anyone looking to manage and pay down their credit card debt without worrying about accruing interest — at least for a time.
But all good things must come to an end, so what happens if you aren’t able to pay down your balance during the intro period? If you want to keep riding that 0% APR wave, you basically only have one option: Open a balance transfer card with a different issuer.
How 0% APR intro offers work
When you use a credit card and pay off your balance, you’re borrowing money from and then returning it to the card issuer. It’s pretty simple, but it gets more complicated if you don’t pay off the balance completely by the time the payment is due.
At that point, the balance begins to accrue interest. That interest is a percentage of the balance still owed on the credit card (the APR), and it’s added to the remaining balance each month. The average credit card interest rate varies, but it tends to be quite high and can cost you a lot of extra money in the short and long term. Rates often top or exceed 20%.
With a 0% introductory APR offer, you can avoid paying any interest for a set promotional period. If a card offers this benefit, the time period is outlined in the credit card’s offer details and can vary, but you can expect to see lengths ranging from around 12 to 21 months.
Credit card intro APR offers are separated into two categories: Purchases and balance transfers. Some credit cards offer either one of these benefits, but some of the best 0% APR credit cards offer both.
0% introductory APRs on purchases
If a credit card offers a 0% introductory APR on purchases, you won’t have to pay any interest on new purchases made with the card during the promotional period. The introductory rate will normally start on the date you open an account.
Once the promotional period ends, a standard variable APR applies to all purchases automatically. This APR is based on your creditworthiness, among other factors, and will be much higher than the 0% interest rate you may have become accustomed to.
Expert tip
You’ll see your credit card’s regular APR in the fine print of your offer when you get approved, and I suggest reviewing this carefully before you put any spend on the card. It’s easy to fall prey to “shiny object syndrome” and just want a card for that 0% intro APR, but think long-term.0% introductory APRs on balance transfers
You can effectively lower your credit card debt by taking advantage of balance transfer offers. By moving your existing debt from one credit card to another with a 0% introductory APR offer on balance transfers, you can avoid paying any interest on the transferred balance during the promotional period.
As with 0% APR on purchases, you’ll likely have a variable APR on balance transfers once the promotional period ends. This regular APR will be based on factors like your credit score, borrowing history, and debt.
Can you extend your 0% introductory APR?
If the end of your intro APR period is rapidly approaching and you haven’t paid off your balance, you’re likely staring down some mighty high interest rates.
It would, of course, be preferable to avoid accruing that interest. The problem is, your options are limited. Here are some I recommend trying, but I’ll warn that neither is guaranteed.
Try calling your issuer
When Wayne Gretzky said that thing about missing 100% of the shots you don’t take, he likely didn’t have sweet-talking a credit card rep in mind, but the mantra still stands.
It’s extremely unlikely that a credit card issuer will extend your intro APR period. Like, next to nil chance of happening. After all, they gave that 0% APR to you as a little treat anticipating that you might find yourself in this very pickle so they might find themselves a fistful of dollars richer.
But stranger things have happened, and it’s always possible that the issuer may offer you a reduced (but not 0%) interest rate for a certain amount of time instead. They have incentive to keep you on as a customer, after all. Again, it’s highly unlikely that speaking with an issuer rep will do anything to change the situation, but file it under “Nothing Ventured, Nothing Gained.”
Apply for a balance transfer card with a different issuer
If you ended up with a 0% intro APR offer via a balance transfer card, this next option will sound familiar: To continue enjoying a 0% APR on whatever balance you’ve got left, you could … open a balance transfer card!
Typically, your issuer won’t allow you to transfer your balance to one of their own balance transfer cards, so you’ll need to look elsewhere. Fortunately, multiple card issuers offer balance transfer cards with 0% intro APR periods.
Here are just a few options:
| Card | Intro APR offer | Annual fee |
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Citi Double Cash® Card
|
0% intro APR on balance transfers for 18 months, then 18.49% - 28.49% (Variable) | $0 |
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U.S. Bank Visa® Platinum Card
|
0% intro APR on balance transfers for 21 billing cycles, then 17.99% to 28.99% (Variable) | $0 |
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Wells Fargo Reflect® Card
|
0% intro APR on balance transfers for 21 months from account opening on qualifying balance transfers, then 17.24%, 23.74%, or 28.99% Variable | $0 |
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BankAmericard® credit card
|
0% intro APR on balance transfers for 18 billing cycles for any qualifying balance transfers made in the first 60 days, then 15.49% - 25.49% Variable | $0 |
Warning
Watch out for balance transfer fees. Even the best balance transfer cards may come with balance transfer fees attached – generally around 3 to 5% of the total balance. This can make balance transfers costly, so check these beforehand.Bottom line
A 0% introductory APR on purchases or balance transfers may not be useful for everyone, but it can certainly help if you need some time to pay down your debt without accruing interest. Avoiding high interest rates will save you money in the short term, but you can only jump from balance transfer card to balance transfer card for so long — and doing so could potentially ding your credit score.
If you need to buy yourself time, look at cards with the longest 0% intro APR periods on balance transfers to give yourself as significant a buffer as possible.
Lucrative, Flat-Rate Cash Rewards
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Current Offer
$200 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 in purchases in the first 3 months
Annual Fee
$0
Rewards Rate
Earn unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases