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What Is a Balance Transfer and How Long Does It Take? contents
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What Is a Balance Transfer and How Long Does It Take?

9 min read
Last Updated: February 18, 2026
Getting a credit card

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Key Takeaways

  1. A balance transfer may help you pay down high-interest credit card debt or consolidate bills.

  2. Many credit card companies offer low introductory interest rates for balance transfers.

  3. You typically have to pay a balance transfer fee to move your balances between credit cards.

A credit card balance transfer offer may make it easier to manage your debt, especially if you’re struggling with high interest rates on loans and credit cards. However, the terms and fees of a balance transfer credit card offer may vary, depending on your credit history and the card issuer.

 

Still wondering exactly how a balance transfer works and if it’s right for you? Consider the answers below to some commonly asked balance transfer questions.

What is a credit card balance transfer?

A balance transfer is a transaction in which you move debt from one account to another. For example, you may want to transfer debt that has a higher interest rate to a credit card with a lower interest rate.

How do credit card balance transfers work?

The exact credit card balance transfer process may vary across credit card issuers.

 

You may transfer a balance onto an existing credit card account or apply for a new credit card with a more favorable annual percentage rate (APR).

Credit card companies often offer credit cards with a low introductory APR for balance transfers. High interest charges may contribute to your mounting credit card debt. A low introductory interest rate may offer some financial relief.

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If you qualify for a balance transfer card offer, you may move some or all your existing card balance to the lower-interest account. Keep in mind that the lower interest rate only lasts for a limited time after opening the account. To prevent an interest charge, try to repay your balance in full before the introductory period ends and the standard APR kicks in.

How long does a balance transfer take?

The balance transfer process may take anywhere from a few days to a couple of weeks. Each card issuer may take a different amount of time to process a balance transfer. Your unique circumstances also influence the timeline.

How long do Discover® balance transfer requests take to process?

Discover balance transfer requests vary based on what type of account you have.

For new accounts: An account must be open for 14 days before Discover can begin processing your balance transfer request. After that, most transfers are processed within 4 days. Please allow additional time for the recipient to credit your other account. To avoid late fees or penalties, we recommend that you continue to make payments on your other account until you verify the funds have been credited.

For existing accounts: Most transfers are processed within 4 days. Please allow additional time for the recipient to credit your other account. To avoid late fees or penalties, we recommend that you continue to make payments on your other account until you verify the funds have been credited.

You may check the status of your transfer request by logging into your account.

Is a credit card balance transfer right for you?

If you’ve been struggling with debt on a high-interest credit card account or juggling multiple credit card bills every month, a balance transfer card offer may help. The following questions may help you determine whether a balance transfer credit card offer is the solution you’ve been looking for.

How much of your credit card balance can you transfer?

The maximum amount of credit card debt you may transfer depends on the new credit limit. Some card issuers may allow you to move up to the full credit limit, while others may cap balance transfers at a slightly lower amount.

 

The credit card issuer on your new account may set your credit limit based on factors like your credit history, income, and existing debt. With a strong credit history, you may be able to transfer a higher balance. But if you have high balances or a low credit score, you may not be able to transfer as much debt as you’d like.

What is a balance transfer fee?

Transferring your credit card balance typically comes with a cost. Most credit card issuers charge a balance transfer fee, which is usually a small percentage of the total amount you transfer or a flat fee. You may notice the fee as a separate charge on your credit card statement.

Did you know?

Moving your debt to a credit card without an annual fee may help you keep the cost of your balance transfer to a minimum. Discover has no annual fee on any of our cards.

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How much can you save with a credit card balance transfer?

To determine whether a balance transfer is worthwhile, consider whether the lower interest rate may save you money in the long term. 

 

If you know the interest rate you’re currently paying on a balance, you may calculate how much you would spend to pay off your balance in full during a set time frame. To find your potential savings, compare that cost with your balance transfer fee and potential interest charges on the new account.

If you wouldn’t save much money, or if the fee outweighs potential interest savings, a balance transfer may not be the best fit. Keep in mind that you may not save money if you can’t repay your transferred balance before the new card’s interest rate kicks in.

Can you avoid interest on new purchases with a balance transfer?

Before you use your new credit card, make sure you understand the interest rate. Some credit cards may offer a low introductory APR on balance transfers, but not new purchases. Others may offer low interest rates on both types of transactions. 

 

Generally, it’s a good idea to avoid using your credit card for new purchases soon after a balance transfer, if possible. Extra charges may make it more difficult to pay down your debt.

Will a balance transfer hurt your credit score?

A balance transfer may affect your credit score in several ways.

When you open any new credit card account, a hard credit inquiry appears on your credit report. Hard credit checks may temporarily lower your credit score. But the positive effects of a balance transfer may outweigh the credit score risk for some.

As you make consistent monthly payments to reduce your balance, you should build a positive payment history, which has a significant influence on your credit score. And as your balance shrinks, your credit utilization ratio should go down, which may also help your credit.

The bottom line

To determine whether a balance transfer credit card offer may help you manage high-interest debt, consider whether your potential long-term savings are worth the effort and fees.

 

While transferring your balance may give you the extra breathing room you need to tackle your debt, it’s important to address the root causes, too. If you tend to overspend, for example, you may want to revisit your budget.

 

Good credit habits, like paying more than the monthly minimum whenever possible and avoiding late payments, may help you stay out of unmanageable debt in the future.

More questions on credit card balance transfers

Per the Fair Credit Reporting Act, you’re entitled to know if something on your credit report has prevented you from qualifying for credit cards or other offers. If you couldn’t complete a balance transfer because your application for a credit card was declined, it may be a good idea to review your credit report from each major credit bureau. They’re available for free each week at AnnualCreditReport.com.

 

Then, you may practice good credit habits going forward, such as paying your bills on time, keeping balances low, and keeping new credit applications to a minimum. You may reapply after building a positive credit history and improving your credit score.

Your ability to complete future balance transfers depends on your available credit and offers available, but don’t count on being able to repeatedly roll over debt to another offer. High credit usage may affect your credit score and make it harder to qualify for additional credit cards, a higher credit limit, or a balance transfer. In addition, you may pay balance transfer fees for each transfer.

The time it takes to repay your balance depends on the balance you’ve transferred, the amount you pay each month, and how your credit issuer applies your payments to your purchase and balance transfer balances.

 

Ideally, you should try to pay off your balance before the low introductory APR offer concludes. If you’re only paying the minimum due each month, you may not be able to repay this balance before the introductory period expires, which may mean more debt.

To request a transfer on a Discover credit card, take the following steps. Log in to your Discover account and select “Card Services” and then “Balance Transfers” from the menu options. From there, you may see balance transfer offers you may have available on your account. Select the offer and complete your request by providing details about the balance you want to transfer. You may also call the phone number on the back of your card to check your available offers and complete a balance transfer request.

The credit you have available in your Discover account for a balance transfer reflects your Credit Available minus any balance transfers pending on your account. Pending balance transfers include balance transfers that have been approved but not yet authorized or that haven’t yet posted to your account. Once a balance transfer has posted as a debit to your Discover account, it’ll be reflected in the Credit Available amount in your Account Summary.
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