Hands Down the Best Balance Transfer Card

The Discover it® Chrome card is a well-rounded balance transfer card as it not only offers an incredibly long intro APR on balance transfers but also offers cash back rewards.

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Sample screenshot of "Discover it® Chrome" , Press to apply in a new tab
4.7
CardCritics™ Rating

CardCritics™ uses a 5-star rating system determined by our editorial team. The comparison factors include annual fees, APRs, bonus offers, ongoing rewards, accessibility, redemption options, and more. These factors are then weighted by importance to focus on key features that are most important in each specific category.

Apply Now
On Discover's secure site
Rates and Fees , Press to open in a new tab
Intro APR

0% Intro APR on balance transfers for 18 months
0% Intro APR on purchases for 6 months

Regular APR

17.99% – 26.99% Variable APR

Welcome Bonus

Discover will match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year.

Cash Back

1% – 2% Earn 2% Cash Back At Gas Stations And Restaurants On Up To $1,000 In Combined Purchases Each Quarter.

Earn 1% Unlimited Cash Back On All Other Purchases – Automatically

Annual Fee

$0

Critics’ Overview

The Discover it® Chrome card is a well-rounded option as it offers cash back rewards, a generous intro APR period (especially on balance transfers), a unique bonus opportunity and does not charge an annual fee. It offers a 0% Intro APR on purchases for 6 months and 0% Intro APR on balance transfers for 18 months, followed by 17.99% – 26.99% Variable APR. You will also earn 2% back at Gas Stations and Restaurants on up to $1,000 in combined purchases each quarter, automatically. Plus you will earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases. The unlimited cash back match bonus is what sets this card apart. All of the cash back you’ve earned in your first year is matched. There are no minimums or hoops to jump through to earn this bonus.

You’ll earn 2% back at Gas Stations and Restaurants on up to $1,000 in combined purchases each quarter, automatically. You will earn 1% back on all of your other purchases. 

Discover’s unique cash back bonus can really add up to a big payout at the end of your first year. All of the cash back you’ve earned in that first year is matched. There are no minimums or hoops to jump through to earn this bonus.

Getting approved for the Discover it® Chrome card means you’ll get a 0% Intro APR on purchases for 6 months and 0% Intro APR on balance transfers for 18 months, followed by 17.99% - 26.99% Variable APR. There is an intro balance transfer fee of 3% that goes up to 5% on future balance transfers (see terms), but this fee is usually worth it if you’re currently carrying a balance on another card that charges interest.


We think the Discover it® Chrome is tough to beat, but we have rounded up some other options from our partners that may appeal to you as well.

Sample screenshot of "Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card" , Press to apply in a new tab
4.7
CardCritics™ Rating

CardCritics™ uses a 5-star rating system determined by our editorial team. The comparison factors include annual fees, APRs, bonus offers, ongoing rewards, accessibility, redemption options, and more. These factors are then weighted by importance to focus on key features that are most important in each specific category.

Apply Now
On Wells Fargo's secure site
Rates and Fees , Press to open in a new tab
Intro APR

0% intro APR for 12 months from account opening on qualifying balance transfers
0% intro APR for 12 months from account opening on purchases on purchases

Regular APR

18.99%, 24.99%, or 28.99% Variable APR

Welcome Bonus

Earn a $200 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 in purchases in the first 3 months

Cash Rewards

2% Earn unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases.

Annual Fee

$0

Critics’ Overview

We really like that this card from Wells Fargo offers a straightforward way to earn cash rewards while also providing an intro APR period on purchases and qualifying balance transfers. You’ll earn an unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases which means there are no activation requirements for special categories or monthly caps to worry about. Earning 2% rewards on your purchases is tough to beat and makes this $0 annual fee card a stand out option for anyone looking for a low maintenance cash rewards card that will allow you to accumulate cash rewards really quickly. There is also a welcome bonus worth $200 in cash rewards that can be earned by spending at least $500 in purchases in the first three months after you are approved.

Sample screenshot of "Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card" , Press to apply in a new tab
4.2
CardCritics™ Rating

CardCritics™ uses a 5-star rating system determined by our editorial team. The comparison factors include annual fees, APRs, bonus offers, ongoing rewards, accessibility, redemption options, and more. These factors are then weighted by importance to focus on key features that are most important in each specific category.

Apply Now
On Bank of America's secure site
Intro APR

Generous intro APR offer available. Select Apply Now to view the current offer terms.

Regular APR

Select Apply Now to view the current offer terms.

Welcome Bonus

$200 online cash rewards bonus after you make at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening

Cash Back

1% – 6% 6% cash back for the first year in the category of your choice and 2% cash back at grocery stores and wholesale clubs for the first $2,500 in combined choice category / grocery store / wholesale club quarterly purchases.

After the first year from account opening, you’ll earn 3% cash back on purchases in your choice category and 2% cash back at grocery stores and wholesale clubs, up to the quarterly maximum.

1% cash back on all other purchases.

If you’re a Bank of America Preferred Rewards® member, you can earn 25% – 75% more cash back on every purchase. The Preferred Rewards bonus is not applied to the 3% first year bonus.

Annual Fee

$0

Critics’ Overview

You will be hard-pressed to find another card without an annual fee that offers better flexibility in the cash back department than the Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card. For the first year, you get to decide which category you’ll earn 6% back in each month while also earning 2% back at grocery stores and wholesale clubs. After the first year you’ll earn 3% cash back on purchases in your choice category. The bonus cash back earned in these combined categories (your choice, grocery and wholesale clubs) is capped at $2,500 in purchases each quarter. You’ll earn 1% after that cap is hit and on all of your other purchases. This cash back card also has a generous intro APR on both purchases and balance transfers. To sweeten the deal, you’ll also earn a $200 online cash back rewards bonus after you make at least $1,000 in purchases on your card within the first 90 days of your account opening. That’s an additional 20% back on your first $1,000 spent!

As you can see, it is a great time to be in the market for a new credit card. Issuers are really stepping up their game and offering incredible perks to win your business. If you have good to excellent credit in the 670 – 850* range and have not recently applied for a new credit card then you should definitely apply for one of these stand-out options today.


Editorial Note: Any opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed are those of the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any card issuer.
*CardCritics™ references a FICO® 8 score, which is one of many different types of credit scores. A financial institution may use a different score when evaluating your application.