Can You Do Multiple Balance Transfers?

Several balances onto one card

You can usually list more than one account when you request transfers. The rules that apply:

• Combined limit: all transfers plus all fees must fit within your available credit or balance transfer limit.
• No same-issuer debt: a Citi card can't take a balance from another Citi card. Capital One also blocks Discover balances.
• Same deadline: every transfer must happen inside the intro window to get the promo rate or fee, such as 60 days (U.S. Bank, BofA), 120 days (Wells Fargo) or 4 months (Citi).

Bankrate notes that submitting multiple transfers at the same time can trigger delays or denials, so you may want to send them one after another.

Which debt to move first

If your limit can't cover everything, move the highest-APR balances first. Example: $9,000 in debt and a $7,000 limit on a 5% fee card. The most you can move is about $6,660 (plus a $333 fee). Move the most expensive balances up to that amount and pay the rest on the old cards.

Using more than one balance transfer card

If one card's limit isn't enough, a second card can take the rest. The trade-offs:

• Two hard inquiries. Experian notes multiple inquiries in a short time can have a greater negative effect than one. See credit score effects.
• Approval odds. Many recent applications are a common reason for denial. See balance transfer denied.
• Two payoff dates. Track each promo end date separately.

If you need that much credit, a personal loan may be simpler.

Transferring again after the promo starts

Transfers you make after the intro window usually get the regular fee and may get the regular APR. Citi, for instance, charges 3% in the first 4 months and 5% afterward. Plan your transfers up front instead of adding more later. More in our fee guide.

Keep track of every transfer

When you move several balances, write down each one:

• The old account and the amount you asked to move
• The fee charged and the date the transfer posted
• When the old account showed $0
• The promo end date on each new card

Transfers can take from 2 to 21 days, and Amex can take up to 6 weeks, so different balances may clear at different times. Keep paying each old card until its own transfer is done.

How payments are split across balances

Federal rules require any payment above the minimum to go to the highest-APR balance first. If all your transfers are at 0%, it doesn't matter much. But if you also have full-rate purchases on the card, your extra payments will go there before touching the transferred debt. That's good for saving interest, but it means the 0% balance shrinks more slowly than you might expect. Keep purchases on a different card.

Rolling to a new card when the promo ends

Some people move a leftover balance to another new 0% card. It can work, but each round costs a new fee and inquiry, and some issuers restrict people who recently had an intro APR. Forbes reports Wells Fargo Reflect has such a rule. It's better to set a payment that clears the debt the first time; see how to pay off a balance transfer. Rules differ by card, so check current terms on the issuer's site.

Frequently Asked Questions