If You Transfer the Balance on Your Card, Will You Lose Your Miles?

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I love your site – it’s helped me get started with collecting free miles and we’ve taken some great vacations already!

If I sign up for a new card for the bonus miles, after completing the minimum spending, can I then transfer the balance to 1 of my 0% interest cards?  Or will that cause me to lose my miles?

No, Amber will NOT lose her miles and points if she transfers the balance from her new card to another card with 0% interest.

But she should be careful with 0% interest cards.

Be Careful When Using Balance Transfers to Avoid Interest Charges!

Amber won’t lose her miles if she transfers her credit card balance, but that does NOT mean it’s a good idea.

Before she transfers a balance to a 0% interest card, here’s what she needs to know:

1.   You Should Pay Your Card Off in Full Each Month

It’s important to make sure you can pay your bills on time and in full every month.  Otherwise, this hobby may not be right for you.

That’s because rewards cards often charge high interest rates.  So paying interest on a credit card could negate any benefits you earn from your miles.  And you could find yourself in debt.

Read the 5 Dangers of Applying For Credit Cards before signing-up for new cards.

2.   Not All 0% Interest Cards Are What You Might Think

Many cards are NOT true 0% APR cards, but want you to think they are.  Instead they offer 0% APR on purchases or balance transfers only.  So you could still end up paying interest.

3.   Be Aware of Balance Transfer Fees

Similarly, these cards often charge a ~3% balance transfer fee.   For example, if you transfer a balance of $10,000, you’ll pay $300.

So do the math to make sure it’s worth it!

You can also check your postal mail for 0% APR balance transfer checks because often the balance transfer fees on these are lower (I’ve seen 2% and 1% recently) and the promotional period may be longer.

4.   High Interest Rates Will Eventually Kick-in

The 0% interest is usually only for a promotional period of ~12 to ~18 months.  When the period ends, you’ll have to start paying very high interest rates.

And if you miss a payment, the high interest rates will kick-in early.

What Is the Best Balance Transfer Card?

Link:   My Favorite 0% APR Card

Link:   Chase Slate

If you know what you’re doing, transferring your balance to a 0% APR card can be useful, especially for folks who have experienced job loss or serious illness.

So if you must sign-up for a 0% interest card, the Chase Slate offers NO balance transfer fees for the 1st 60 days (after intro. period, 17.24% to 25.99% variable applies).

Emily and I don’t earn a commission on this card, but we’ll always tell you about the best offers!

And you also get:

• No sign-up bonus or rewards for spending, but
• $0 annual fee
• 0% Introductory APR for 15 months on purchases & balance transfers.  

• $0 introductory balance transfer fee for transfers made during the 1st 60 days.
• Purchase protection, price protection, and extended warranty protection

So if you want to transfer your card balance and avoid paying interest for over a year, the Chase Slate card is an excellent choice.  But remember to pay your bills on-time!

And only sign-up if you’re certain you’ll pay the full balance within 15 months.  Otherwise you could find yourself paying up to ~23% interest!

Bottom Line

Transferring a balance to a 0% APR card is risky if you’re not certain you can pay it back!  Be very careful to read the fine print and know what you’re getting into.

While cards advertise 0% interest, they may still charge balance transfer fees and interest on balance transfers or purchases.

That said, if you’re going to transfer a card balance to save on interest, the Chase Slate is the best option.  Just make sure you can pay your bills on-time each month and pay off your debt by the end of the 15 month promotional period to avoid high interest rates!