 TITLE: How Long Does a Credit Card Balance Transfer Take? CONTENT: You must first identify a balance transfer credit card with a 0% APR introductory financing offer for balance transfers, or at least a card with a significantly lower APR than the card you're using.\nYou also have to be sure that you can qualify for the new card, based on your creditworthiness. Consumers who have good credit scores and pay their bills on time each month tend to qualify for cards with the best balance transfer offers.\nBalance transfers offered by credit card issuers are temporary and range anywhere from six to 18 months. During that period, the interest rates could range from 0% to 4% or higher, depending on the credit card company. The credit card issuer will set the credit limit, which is also the maximum amount that can be transferred. This includes the fee the company charges to process the transaction, which is often a percentage of the transfer amount, such as 3% to 5%. For instance, if the balance transfer fee is 3% and the credit limit is $3,000, the maximum amount you can transfer is $2,910.\nConsider all the features on new balance transfer cards you're considering, including the standard APR you'll pay once the intro balance transfer rate ends, fees you'll pay on the card (such as annual and foreign transaction fees) and card perks.\nKeep in mind that it will take time for the new credit card issuer to send a payment to the card you want to transfer a balance from (or for them to send you the payment, which you'll send to your other card issuers). The entire process can take a couple weeks or more, so stick to your original monthly budget and be sure to continue paying the bills on your cards until the payoff is complete.\n> Find balance transfer credit cards in Experian CreditMatch™. END