Some offers on this page are from advertisers who pay us, which may affect which products we write about, but not our recommendations. See our Advertiser Disclosure. You'll typically need a good to excellent credit score to qualify for a balance transfer credit card, especially one with a long 0% introductory APR period.
A FICO score of 670 or higher generally puts you in the good-credit range, while borrowers with fair or poor credit will have fewer balance transfer options. That doesn't mean a 670 score guarantees approval. Credit card issuers consider other factors when reviewing your application, including your income, existing debt and overall credit profile.
Balance transfer cards can be especially valuable when credit card interest rates are high. The average APR on credit card accounts assessed interest was 22.15%, according to Federal Reserve data. Moving high-interest debt to a card with a 0% introductory APR can give you time to pay down your balance without additional interest charges during the promotional period.
A FICO score of 670 or higher will generally give you more balance transfer credit card options. In our review of 20 balance transfer cards from 10 issuers, 19 required good to excellent credit, while just one accepted applicants with fair credit. Having a qualifying credit score doesn't guarantee approval; issuers may consider your income, debt and other factors.
If you can't qualify for a balance transfer card, alternatives include a debt consolidation loan, debt management plan or do-it-yourself debt payoff strategy. Most balance transfer credit cards are designed for borrowers with good to excellent credit, particularly cards offering a 0% introductory APR for 12 months or longer. To get a better idea of what credit score you may need, we researched 20 top balance transfer cards from 10 different issuers.
Of those cards, 19 required good to excellent credit. Only one accepted applicants with fair credit. Here's how FICO categorizes credit scores: What it may mean for balance transfer cards You meet the typical credit range for many balance transfer cards You may qualify for balance transfer cards, although approval isn't guaranteed Options are more limited based on our review of balance transfer cards You may have difficulty finding a balance transfer card that accepts applicants in this range Your credit score is only one part of a credit card application.
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