A transfer fee buys you a low intro rate. See whether the interest you save is worth it.
A balance transfer calculator shows whether moving credit card debt to a card with a 0% or low intro rate actually saves money once the transfer fee is counted, and what monthly payment clears the balance before the promotional rate ends.
Most balance transfers charge an upfront fee, commonly around 3% to 5% of the amount moved. The transfer wins when the interest you'd avoid at the low intro rate exceeds that fee, which is usually the case when you're moving a sizable balance off a high-rate card and can pay it down during the promotional window. The calculator nets the fee against the interest saved so you can see the real benefit.
A 0% offer only helps if you pay the balance off before the intro period ends, after that, the rate jumps to the card's standard APR, often higher than what you left. Divide the balance (plus fee) by the number of promotional months to find the payment that clears it in time, and avoid making new purchases on the card, which may not get the same promotional rate and can complicate how payments are applied.
Usually yes if the interest you'd save at the low rate beats the transfer fee and you can pay it off during the promo period. The calculator checks both for your numbers.
Commonly 3% to 5% of the amount transferred, charged upfront. That fee is the main cost to weigh against the interest you'd avoid.
Any remaining balance starts accruing interest at the card's regular APR, which can be high. The goal is to clear the balance before that happens.
See the exact formula and a worked example on our methodology page.