Make money make sense
Make every penny count with expert, impartial advice for just £49 a year and get a £10 M&S voucher.
Join Which? MoneyJoin by midnight on 15 February 2026 and receive a £10 M&S gift card.
Best 0% balance transfer credit cards 2026
A 0% balance transfer credit card could help you cut the interest you pay on your debts. Find out how balance transfers work and the best deals
Holly covers personal finance topics from credit cards to wills. She enjoys turning complex money matters into clear, practical advice.
Anna covers personal finance, helping readers make sense of savings, credit cards and insurance. Her insights are informed by experience in the financial services industry.
In this article
- What is a balance transfer credit card?
- Best 0% balance transfer credit cards
- Balance transfer calculator
- Balance transfer credit card provider reviews
- How to do a credit card balance transfer
- How to use a 0% balance transfer credit card to clear debt
- Balance transfer credit cards FAQs
- How we analyse credit cards
Why you can trust our credit card reviews
Real customers
We asked 4,995 customers about the customer service they receive from their credit card provider.
Expert analysis
We compared the fees and interest rates of 137 cards to bring you the best deals on the market.
What is a balance transfer credit card?
With a 0% balance transfer credit card, you can shift debt from expensive credit and store cards and freeze the interest for a set period. Some deals last as long as 38 months.
This gives you the chance to pay off the debt faster and save money, as all your repayments will go towards the debt itself rather than the debt plus interest.
For example, a £2,000 debt on a card charging a 22% APR that you pay £60 a month towards will take more than four years to clear and cost you £2,941. In contrast, a £2,000 debt moved onto a 0% balance transfer card with the same £60 monthly repayments will take around 33 months to clear and save you £941.
Here, we reveal the longest-lasting balance transfer cards on the market and our Which? Best Buys. We also give advice on how to use a balance transfer deal to tackle credit card debt.
Best 0% balance transfer credit cards
When looking for a 0% balance transfer credit card, you should consider the length of the 0% period and the size of the transfer fee.
Some cards don't charge a balance transfer fee, but others charge up to 5% for each transfer you do, so if you've got multiple cards you want to clear, the fees can add up.
In general, the longer the deal lasts, the higher the fee will be. This means it may be worth avoiding the longest deals if you're confident you can repay the balance within a shorter timeframe.
Here are our picks of the best balance transfer deals available if you're simply after the one that lasts the longest. We've also named them Best Buys if they have no transfer fee and include a decent 0% period for clearing debt.
Please note that this article is for information purposes only and doesn't constitute advice. Please refer to the particular terms & conditions of a credit card provider before committing to any financial products.
Longest 0% balance transfer deals
TSB Platinum Balance Transfer Card Mastercard | 73% | 38 months | 3.49% | £70 | 24.9%. Representative example: assumed borrowing of £1,200 for one year, at a purchase rate of 24.9% (variable), representative 24.9% APR (variable). Credit available subject to status. Terms apply. |
RECOMMENDED PROVIDER Tesco Bank Clubcard Credit Card Balance Transfer Mastercard | 79% | 36 months | 3.45% | £69 | 24.9%. Representative example: assumed borrowing of £1,200 for one year, at a purchase rate of 24.9% (variable), representative 24.9% APR (variable). Credit available subject to status. Terms apply. |
RECOMMENDED PROVIDER Barclaycard Platinum 36 Month Balance Transfer Visa | 77% | 36 months | 3.45% | £69 | 24.9%. Representative example: assumed borrowing of £1,200 for one year, at a purchase rate of 24.9% (variable), representative 24.9% APR (variable). Credit available subject to status. Terms apply. |
Virgin Money 35 Month Balance Transfer Credit Card Mastercard | 74% | 35 months | 2.95% | £59 | 24.9%. Representative example: assumed borrowing of £1,200 for one year, at a purchase rate of 24.9% (variable), representative 24.9% APR (variable). Credit available subject to status. Terms apply. |
Tables notes: table correct as of 15 January 2026. Cards are ordered by interest-free period, balance transfer fee and then APR. The average provider customer score is 75%. For more information on our research and the terms we use in the table skip to how we analyse credit card providers and deals.
Which? Best Buy 0% balance transfer deals
We've analysed hundreds of balance transfer credit cards to find the best deals. We looked at credit cards with no balance transfer fee and 0% periods of 12 months or more, and checked how customers rated the provider. These cards stood out.
best buy RECOMMENDED PROVIDER Barclaycard Platinum 14 Month Balance Transfer Visa | 77% | 14 months | 0.0% | £0 | 24.9%. Representative example: assumed borrowing of £1,200 for one year, at a purchase rate of 24.9% (variable), representative 24.9% APR (variable). Credit available subject to status. Terms apply. |
best buy NatWest Balance Transfer Credit Card Mastercard | 71% | 12 months | 0.0% | £0 | 24.9%. Representative example: assumed borrowing of £1,200 for one year, at a purchase rate of 24.9% (variable), representative 24.9% APR (variable). Credit available subject to status. Terms apply. |
best buy Royal Bank of Scotland Balance Transfer Credit Card Mastercard | 73% | 12 months | 0.0% | £0 | 24.9%. Representative example: assumed borrowing of £1,200 for one year, at a purchase rate of 24.9% (variable), representative 24.9% APR (variable). Credit available subject to status. Terms apply. |
best buy Santander Everyday No Balance Transfer Fee Credit Card Mastercard | 73% | 12 months | 0.0% | £0 | 24.9%. Representative example: assumed borrowing of £1,200 for one year, at a purchase rate of 24.9% (variable), representative 24.9% APR (variable). Credit available subject to status. Terms apply. |
Tables notes: table correct as of 15 January 2025. The average provider customer score is 75%. For more information on our research and the terms we use in the table skip to how we analyse credit card providers and deals.
- Find out more: best credit card deals
Balance transfer calculator
A simple way to find the best deal for you is to take the total amount you have on your credit cards and divide it by what you can afford to repay each month. The answer will give you your ideal 0% period, which you can use to help you shop for a card.
So if you had £4,000 worth of debt and could afford to repay £150 a month, you'd need a card with a 0% period lasting at least 27 months.
Use this calculator to find the right 0% balance transfer term for you.
Balance transfer credit card provider reviews
As well as the length of a 0% balance transfer deal and the fee, you should also check whether the provider's customer service is any good.
Which? has rated 30 of the biggest credit card providers to help you understand what they're like for service, mobile banking and more before you apply.
You can see how the big names such as Barclaycard, NatWest and Santander stack up in our guide to the best credit card providers.
The companies that combine great deals with top-notch customer satisfaction are named Which? Recommended Providers.
How to do a credit card balance transfer
When you apply for a 0% balance transfer card, you'll be asked if you want to move a balance.
From here, you can enter your existing credit card number and the balance you want to move.
Alternatively, you can make the transfer at a later date, but it's a good idea to shift your balance as soon as possible to ensure you benefit from the full 0% period.
Just watch out for any small print. Some cards stipulate that you have only between 60 and 90 days to complete a transfer to benefit from perks such as a reduced balance transfer fee.
Search for deals to cut your bills
Use our advice, ratings and customer scores to help you choose with confidence
Compare and chooseHow to use a 0% balance transfer credit card to clear debt
Pay at least the minimum repayment, if not more
It's important to pay at least the minimum repayment on your balance transfer credit card, but you should aim to pay back more than this to help clear what you owe.
Most credit card companies reserve the right to withdraw a deal at any time if you miss a payment, meaning you'll be charged interest at their standard rate.
To make sure you stay on target and never miss a payment, set up a direct debit to repay the minimum amount or more.
Don't spend on the card
Beware of spending on a balance transfer card, as this can be costly.
Some balance transfer cards offer 0% interest on purchases for a limited time, but the deal periods on these cards tend to be shorter than standalone deals.
Just remember your main aim when taking out a balance transfer is to clear your debt, rather than get into any more.
Set a reminder for the 0% end date
To avoid reverting to the standard interest rate, make sure you repay your balance in full before the 0% introductory balance transfer offer ends.
It's worth setting up a direct debit based on the monthly amount needed to repay the debt within the 0% period. Also, set a reminder of when the deal ends to give yourself enough time to make other arrangements if you don't manage it.
Shift your debt again
If you still have outstanding debt at the end of the 0% period, consider switching the remainder to a new 0% balance transfer card. Failing that, you should transfer the debt to a card with a lower APR.
Balance transfer credit cards FAQs
How we analyse credit cards
Anna McClean, credit card market analyst, says: 'At Which? we put credit card products and providers under the microscope to help you save time when shopping around for a new deal.
'We run a survey each year to gather the experiences of customers to help us find the best providers. And we keep a close eye on the credit card market to determine which deals are the best in their category.'
Here's some more information about our research and the terms we use in this guide.
Customer score
Our provider customer scores for credit card companies are based on an online survey of 4,995 members of the public, conducted in November 2025.
Provider customer scores are calculated from a combination of overall satisfaction and the likelihood of recommending the provider to a friend.
We also ask these credit card customers to rate brands on six categories, including customer service, mobile banking and more – so you can get an idea of the quality of service you might receive before you sign up.
Sample sizes for customer score: Barclays/Barclaycard (801), American Express (379), Lloyds (364), Tesco Bank (350), NatWest (302), Halifax (292), Capital One (288), HSBC (281), Santander (229), Nationwide (205), M&S Bank (147), MBNA (135), Monzo (110), Amazon (by Barclaycard) (89), Virgin Money (including Clydesdale Bank and Yorkshire Bank) (83), Aqua (83), Royal Bank of Scotland (76), Vanquis Bank (73), John Lewis/Waitrose (71), Virgin Atlantic by Virgin Money (59), First Direct (58), Chase (56), Zopa (56), British Airways American Express (53), Bank of Scotland (53), TSB (51), the Co-operative Bank (Co-op) (49), Asda Money (47), 118 118 Money (44), Klarna credit card (43).
Which? Recommended Providers
To be a Which? Recommended Provider, a credit card company must:
- have a provider customer score of at least 71% and get at least four stars in all categories in our latest customer satisfaction survey
- have at least one top-10 card in one of the seven main categories available on the market
- have an above-average product score
- accept applications from everyone – not just existing customers
- not have a representative APR of more than 35.7% on any of its mainstream cards at the time of the analysis.
Only the lenders that meet our benchmarks on customer service and product offering can be Which? Recommended Providers.
Which? Best Buys
A Best Buy credit card must have been one of the top five cards in its category for the past three months. It must also meet specific criteria for the type of card, such as the size of the balance transfer fee or the length of the 0% period.
A provider must have also achieved a provider customer score of more than 71% in our latest credit card satisfaction survey. Each year, we find the best credit card providers by asking thousands of customers to rate their providers, then calculating a provider customer score based on their responses.
We also review our analysis regularly, which means we will withdraw Best Buys if providers make adverse changes to APRs, 0% periods or fees.
- Find out more: Which? symbols, logos and ratings explained
Why should you trust Which? research?
We’re not influenced by third parties. We work entirely on behalf of you, the consumer – nobody else. See our statement of editorial independence for more.