A balance transfer card offer can allow consumers who have several cards with balances to transfer those credit card debts from one account to another. It is best to do a balance transfer onto a card that has much lower interest rate or zero introductory rates. Eventually a 0% introductory period will end, so be sure to check that date.

Some basic things to find out is the APR (rate), period and fees. Low introductory balance transfer rates are not as easy to find as before the credit crunch. Many of these card offers are for three to six months and there may be a couple for up to one year, with specific conditions. A one time fee may be charged, which could be a percentage of the amount transferred.

Once a balance transfer is requested, the bank that issued the credit card makes a payment to the other creditors. It may take several weeks for them to receive the funds and credit an account. Because of this, it is important that payments are to be made on time to avoid late fees and other finance charges. Contact creditors to confirm they have received the balance transfer.

The balance transfer may post to the new account within a few days or weeks and it is best to check with your bank by either calling or logging into your account online. It can be possible to save a lot of money with a good balance transfer offer. There are many 0% interest balance transfer deals available to those with good credit. For those with less than perfect credit, there are opportunities to lower interest rates.

It can helpful to know how to evaluate a 0% balance transfer offer, to increase your chances of choosing the best offer. All of these cards can vary in the length of time that there is no interest, and what you must pay once the initial period has expired. One of the most important things to do, is to find out exactly what the fees will be after the intro period has lapsed. The goal is to usually try to payoff the debt before the fees start. Be careful, it is easy to forget about the promotional period running out and you have to end up paying fees. This defeats the purpose of trying to consolidate and payoff balances.

Find out how much the fee will be for every balance transfer. There could be charges for each balance transferred or a one time fee. A small fee could be better than paying double interest on other cards. Annual fees vary among card issuers, some do not charge an annual fee and others do. Cards without an annual fee, may have higher interest rates, to make their money, yet they may offer the cardholder many other perks and rewards that can be useful. Read all the information associated with an offer before you put a credit inquiry on your credit report. 

Below are example 0% balance transfer card offers:

*0% balance transfer and 0% purchases offer, no annual fee....

*0% APR on balance transfers and purchases for up to 18 months, and no annual fee....

*0% balance transfer offer and a 5% cash back bonus reward on specific categories, and no annual fee....

*0% balance transfer and 0% purchases offer, 25,000 in bonus miles accrued at 1,000 miles a month when ....

*0% balance transfer offer, offers miles at 1 mile per dollar spent, including a 12,000 mile promotion, No annual fee.....

Read all the terms and conditions associated with any cards, as they can change constantly. A good reason many people search for a credit card with a 0% APR balance transfer, is some people are looking to transfer high interest debt onto a 0% APR card or low intro card. This is one way to attempt to pay off balances without any fees and help catch up on debts. When you transfer your balance to a new card, you are borrowing money to pay off the balance on your other, higher interest rate credit card account. By paying back your old credit card company and getting a lower interest rate from the new one, you can effectively reduce the monthly revolving credit cost.

There can be several reasons to transfer a balance:

*Having finished repairing credit using a high interest card that helps to rebuild credit.

*Having a penalty fee on a large balance due to a missed payment on an existing account.

*Having a first credit card and credit rating has improved, but interest rates have not. 

It does not matter what the reason may be for a transfer, if there is a balance with high interest, it may be best to apply for a low or 0% intro card offer to save money.