Balance transfer calculator: compare interest saved moving credit card debt to a 0% APR card, transfer fees included. Free, editable rates, no signup.
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Calculation details
Every figure above is calculated locally in your browser from the assumptions shown. No inputs are sent anywhere. See the methodology section below for the formulas used.
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The balance transfer calculator estimates how much interest you can save by transferring a credit card balance to a card with a lower or 0% introductory APR. You enter your current balance, current APR, new card APR, and promotional period length, and the tool instantly shows your potential savings and payoff timeline.
Is my data safe and private when using the balance transfer calculator?
Yes. This is a fully no-signup, browser-based tool. All calculations are performed locally on your device using JavaScript, and no personal data, balance amounts, or inputs are ever collected, stored, or transmitted to any server.
How accurate are the results from the balance transfer calculator?
The balance transfer calculator provides a solid estimate based on the inputs you provide, such as balance, APR rates, and promotional period. Actual savings may vary due to factors like balance transfer fees, changes in interest rates, late payments, or new purchases, so treat the results as a helpful planning guide rather than a guarantee.
BoringToolsKit. “Balance Transfer Savings Calculator.” boringtoolskit.com/balance-transfer-savings-calculator/. Free to reference in articles, syllabi, and answer posts with a link.
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A worked example at $5,000 and 22% APR
Take a $5,000 balance at 22% APR, a $250 monthly payment, a 12-month promo at 0%, and a 3% transfer fee ($150). Keeping the card: the monthly rate is 22/12 = 1.8333%. Month 1 accrues $5,000 x 0.018333 = $91.67, so the balance is $5,091.67, then $250 is paid, leaving $4,841.67. Month 2 accrues $88.76, leaving $4,680.43. This repeats for 12 months.
Summing all 12 months of interest gives $896.21, and the balance is still $2,896.21. Transferring: the starting balance is $5,150. At 0% the interest is $0, and after 12 payments of $250 the balance is exactly $2,150, since 12 x $250 = $3,000 clears the principal and fee. Net savings: $896.21 - $0 - $150 fee = $746.21.
The same inputs on a 3.5% promo APR instead of 0% produce $134.57 of transfer interest and a remaining balance of $2,284.57, cutting net savings to $611.64. And note the payment matters as much as the APR: at $250 a month, the original card needs 26 months and $1,285.72 of interest to reach zero, while a true 0% transfer clears the $5,150 in 21 payments with no interest at all. The promo only helps if the payment can absorb the fee up front.
Where the estimate breaks down
The model charges interest only during the promo window and stops counting at month 12, so a balance that survives the promo is shown as 'remaining' with no cost attached. In the worked example above, $2,896.21 (current card) or $2,150-$2,285 (transfer) is still owed. Once the promo ends, that residual typically accrues at the purchase APR, which on many cards is 24% to 29% in 2026, and the leftover interest charge is what this tool does not price.
It also assumes the payment is paid every month and never exceeded: most 0% transfer offers retroactively apply deferred interest or cancel the promo rate after one late payment, an outcome the loop cannot represent. New spending is another gap. Cards rarely give the grace period to purchases while a transfer balance exists, so a $500 grocery run at 26% APR starts accruing immediately and posts before the transfer balance is paid down, silently adding interest the calculator never sees.
Finally, the 3% fee is treated as principal rolled into the transfer, but some issuers charge 4% or 5% ($200 to $250 on this example) and cap-free offers are rare. A card with a 12-month promo and a 5% fee can cost more than 15 months at a low regular APR, so always compare against the fee, not just the headline 0%.
