Managing Introductory Credit Card Offers
59 posts across 5 communities in the last 30 days; 76% from r/CreditCards.
“I also pay mine off weekly or every two weeks. It's because that's when I get paid and what is most convenient for me. I've never had an issue with a credit card company or issuer. I think it's a myth. I also know how to make sure there aren't any failed payments and have…”
“My wife has credit card dept that we can't pay off all of with Citi bank. It is through Costco. I got access and learned it has a ridiculously high APR rate. It is a bit of an emergency to get that moved if possible. We used Bank of America as our main banking. I would think I…”
“That's the issue. You have Subprime Capital One cards. You can keep them open for now if they have $0 fee. Try to apply for a $0 fee Amex card and use it. After 3 months as them to triple your limit. Then put it on your calendar to ask for a 2x or 3x increase every 6 months…”
Customers are grappling with the complexities and potential pitfalls of 0% introductory APR offers. They're strategizing about balance transfers, managing debt as introductory periods end, and exploring whether to utilize these offers for large purchases versus other savings options. The core issue is navigating the short-term benefits against long-term financial implications.
SOURCES (60)
“What's your credit profile like? Discover has 15 months 0% APR on all new cards that aren't secured cards or student cards and are generally pretty easy to qualify for. $100 statement credit with referral. Cashback match doubles all your cashback after the first year,…”
“I take out my backup balance of 150 and put it on my card. So now I can’t be lazy when I work. Like sometimes I’ll get to 45 or 50 and be satisfied for the night. Now I need at least 150 to payback the backup. Then rinse and repeat. It’s my 4th day I have 450 saved and didn’t take out my backup balance up yet, so basically $600. Me, last week, would never even have a savings. submitted by /u/Parking_Print9508 [link] [comments]”
“I also pay mine off weekly or every two weeks. It's because that's when I get paid and what is most convenient for me. I've never had an issue with a credit card company or issuer. I think it's a myth. I also know how to make sure there aren't any failed payments and have fail-safes if I accidentally overcharge my account. [re: Unique situation - have I outgrown CC points (FT world traveler)?]”
“Look into doing a balance transfer to another card that has a 0% promo period. [re: $4,700 Discover Balance payoff]”
“It all depends on your credit history. You have 10k of accessible credit. Go into a bank. Tell them you want to balance transfer. I know bank of America has a good offer. [re: Card with 0% into APR and high credit limit.]”
“My wife has credit card dept that we can't pay off all of with Citi bank. It is through Costco. I got access and learned it has a ridiculously high APR rate. It is a bit of an emergency to get that moved if possible. We used Bank of America as our main banking. I would think I would open a new credt cart with them and move that money. I know that there is a fee, but the fee (even if $300) would be less then what we almost lose per month with the APR (its 29.99!). I thought maybe I could call”
“Yes! I’ve been looking into this and am trying to get approved for a 0% apr card for 12-18 months, and am confident I can pay it off within that window. Have been rejected by 2 cards in the last week, which is weird bc my credit score is 764 [re: What to do with extra $1k/month]”
US Bank does the same [re: WF credit line increase was a hard inquiry]
“Exactly. In most cases, there's zero harm in closing credit cards you don't want. But there can be a harm in keeping it open: we see people get missed payments all the time on unused cards. [re: Did I just make a big mistake?]”
“Yup, i do have other cards. I think I will just pay off the card and cancel it [re: Should I cancel macy’s credit card?]”
“It’s a promotion. That give the first few for free to entice you, then show you the ones with fees. [re: Chase amazon visa 0 apr offer]”
“No worries. The card you opened is 0% interest for the next 15 months. You've only had the card for 2 months. Carry on paying the minimum or statement balance for the next 12 months with no interest to worry about [re: Accidentally paid off minimum payment instead of statement balance. Not sure what to do next]”
“I'm looking for a card that has 0% APR for a few months, and a relatively high credit limit. Good cashback would be a bonus but not a requirement. I don't need to do a balance transfer but I'll be using it for the next 3-4 months while I try to get back on track with finances after some unexpected expenses. I've noticed that those two might be good options, but I'm not sure what kind of credit limit I might get: - American Express Blue Cash Everyday - Chase Freedom Unlimited”
“I opened a "Signature" credit card in Dec 2025.The offer- 0% intro apr for 12 months on purchases and balance transfers made in the first 60 days. Every month since March I have been charged interest. GE said I only get the 0% for 12 months on purchases made in the first 60 days? Does anybody else find that misleading? I assumed all of my purchases would have 0% interest until Dec 2026 as well as any balance transfers as long as they are done in the first 60 days. submitted by &#”
“it has been my experience that these banks citi, wells, bofa, and chase dont charge deferred interest. Like you said store brand cards like Homedepot and Lowes do. I would be curious to know which banks do deferred interest. [re: Can someone here explain how this balance transfer would work?]”
“I am having a medical procedure that costs ~$5k. The practice works with Alphaeon and Care Credit. Alphaeon offers 24 months no interest. It seems to me like a no brainer to use that and put the $5k into something like a Wealthfront cash management account and immediately setting up a recurring payment. At 3% that's ~$300 of free money. Am I missing something? Does it harm your credit score? submitted by /u/Healthy_Mud_5321 [link] [comments]”
“That's the issue. You have Subprime Capital One cards. You can keep them open for now if they have $0 fee. Try to apply for a $0 fee Amex card and use it. After 3 months as them to triple your limit. Then put it on your calendar to ask for a 2x or 3x increase every 6 months. Just make sure you are honest about your income because they may ask to verify. [re: Wondering why I can’t get a higher CC limit]”
“Wells Fargo batters me with advertisements to apply for a card that has 21mo no interest. [re: 0 Interest Credit Cards in 2026?]”
“The $170 was a one-time catch-up for the interest they held back during the promo. From here it's regular interest on what you owe, about $24 next month, and it shrinks as the balance does. [re: Can someone help me figure out why high interest charge?]”
“Is this a permanent offer? Or was it granted because she request it? To be clear, you are talking about 0% APR on purchases for x months? [re: 0 Interest Credit Cards in 2026?]”
“It can be documented then in the exception. My Amex, I stay under 10% and I get an increase every 6 months. I even have one with no preset spending. Yes my Capone I don’t get many increases because I don’t use those cards that much. The others they increase when they feel like it. Which doesn’t bother me because I don’t use them for large purchases. You stated it in your last paragraph in the comment before. Being less attractive and cost money in lost savings interest. The only reason I have ot”
“I'd keep them all for 24 months, minimum. Anything less and both AI and a manual underwriter would consider you a churner if you decide to apply for another card from the creditor in the future...especially if you collected a SUB. Ultimately you can close cards at your pleasure. But seriously just put $10 spend on each card each cycle. A grocery trip. Laundry. Anything. If you decided to get and apply for the card the decent thing is to keep it for a while, even if your spend is not what the”
“Hi all, can you help me with this . I’m paying off a credit card from a tire place and my last balance after my 0% intro ended was: $722.00 minimum payment of $60 Interest charged: $170.07 new balance: $832.07 This is my most recent stratement. What I’m confused about is my APR is 34.99% so why is my interest charge so high? I thought the APR is divided by 12. I am working on trying to get this down but I have run into some unexpected large expenses that have really hit me hard in the past year”
“Thank you very much for the info! I’ve done a few balance transfers in the past but usually they’re for zero percent interest. They definitely help out in trying times. [re: Citi Cards balance transfer offer]”
“i did a balance transfer with citi few months ago and the maths on this can be tricky if you're only doing minimum payments the 0.99% apr works out to like 0.0825% per month, so on 4800 you'd be paying roughly $4 in interest the first month and it goes down tiny bit each month as you pay. minimum payment is usually 1% of balance plus that interest, so maybe around $52 first month. not much going toward principal at that rate for the 10 month 0% you'd save the interest but the 5% tran”
“I have a balance transfer offer from Citi 5 percent transfer fee for both. 10 months at 0 percent interest or 16 months at 0.99 interest. How much would I likely be accruing in interest per month if say I am transferring about $4800 to Citi and likely paying minimum payments for a while? I already accepted 0.99 is probably best option for me due to some life circumstances where I am unlikely to be able to pay the card off within 10 months. ETA: my most recent statement has my balance at about $4”
“I have an offer on my capital one card for a 0% balance transfer, to another card. However, I want to use the balance as cash. But this offer does not let me balance transfer to my checking account. Some offers do allow this. Instead of using the card as intended, that is, transferring the 0% balance to a card with an active balance, I have heard you can transfer your offer to a card with a $0 balance, thus giving it a negative balance. Then, you can have that negative balance be sent to you via”
“Get a zero interest bt card and pay it off. Be prepared for them to close it. [re: Bank of America credit limit]”
“The interest calculations is not based on the final amount but monthly average balance (not common for other CCs) Actually every card I know of uses this method. Every card I know of also cancels your grace period if you do not pay your statement balance by the due date. Due to cutoff times and other factors, I would aim to pay a couple of days before the due date. Once you've lost your grace period, paying the statement balance by the due date is not enough to gain it back. The most reliabl”
“exactly - I churned SUB on that too and I even kept ( zero balance ) just in case if need a card on AmEx network .. some clueless folks call Credit One a predatory company - it only that if you let them .. by the same logic Capital One is one too CavorOne Rewards - $39 annual fee QuicksilverOne Rewards - $39 annual fee [re: I fucked up! I mistook Credit One for Capital One.]”
“Its pretty hard to get a new CC with a high enough limit to be useful for a BT when the main thing they all seem to be concerned about is utilization. Per Credit Karma, my overall utilization is 29%. That includes a bunch of store cards wirh $0 balances that I used to purchase appliances, TV's, etc. with 0% interest over the years. This particular card is at 42% utilization. Are those numbers really that poor? [re: Best 21 Month Balance Transfer Card]”
“20 years running a balance on one card?? That is great for BoA since you’re paying interest to them for 20 YEARS. Banks are tightening up, they felt it was a risk to keep that much credit extended to you. [re: Bank of America credit limit]”
“Biggest thing to consider is there is no guarantee you will be approved for a credit line that would cover the entire balance you owe on the other card. [re: Best 21 Month Balance Transfer Card]”
“I struggle to understand balance transfer cards myself. Its pretty hard to get a new CC with a high enough limit to be useful for a BT when the main thing they all seem to be concerned about is utilization. I was never able to get anything more than a 1K limit which barely makes a dent and even then most will just deny you flat out since you have high utilization. That said, i would suggest Citi Diamond Preferred Card, i had good luck with them overall and on paper this seems about as good as it”
“Due to some unfortunate circumstances my credit card (Wells Fargo Platinum Cashback) balance has shot up to just shy of 10k. Now that we're out the other side of it. I'm looking for low to no interest options for paying it down. A 21 month no interest balance transfer card seems perfect, provided we can qualify. My wife and I do okay. Depending on my bonuses we sit around 130-140k household income each year. Mortgage is $2,150 per month and aside from this card ($290) our only other debt”
“0% APR for x months is always worth it. Tricky part is getting approved for one that has enough credit limit for you to transfer to. If you have cards from other banks (i.e., Chase, Capital One, Discover, etc), try applying for 0% APR through them, as you can shift limits around where needed. Other options are to call the CC company for any hardship program (most likely lead to an account closure), or a personal loan at a local credit union. The important thing is addressing any habits/behaviors”
“Hello! I'm struggling to pay off a $3,678 Citibank balance due to a 29.9% interest rate while only managing monthly payments of $200–$300. I've been considering a balance transfer to a 0% interest card to accelerate repayment. I'm aware that some cards have a balance transfer fee. Would it be worth it to transfer my balance, or just stick it out? Thank you! submitted by /u/ilykehipposx3 [link] [comments]”
“Still does yeah. But still pretty compelling besides that. $0 AF, 0% FTF, Visa Signature, unlimited 2% on everything, $200 SUB for $1,000 spend in 3 months, 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 12 months, and issued by a quality lender with good customer support and generous underwriting. Doesn’t have merchant offers like Wells/Citi but does get periodic Chase MyBonus style offers like double cashback on dining, retail, and travel up to a cap this quarter. Decent protections afaik”
“It inherent lowers the denominator in credit utilization. This is in almost every situation is going to affect the utilization portion of your credit calculation That's true. But that won't necessarily cause a score loss, it would have to cause your utilization to cross a FICO scoring threshold for aggregate revolving utilization. And even if it did cause your utilization to cross a threshold and this resulted in a score loss, this usually wouldn't be a problem. So (like I said befor”
“Since you income is a very temporary issue, a credit card with a 0% intro APR is an option if you pay it back before the 0% ends [re: Still trying to get $1200 and now I have 20 days.]”
“I don't think they're being snippy or preachy, they're just giving you good advice. The way you're paying your cards is suboptimal and has multiple downsides. I highly recommend you read the utilization auto they summoned. Also make sure you're checking relevant credit scores. You have dozens of different credit scores, but many of the ones you see on the most popular sites aren't used by banks in any of their credit and lending decisions. Where are you checking this scor”
“I have been working through paying off about $7,500 total in CC debt. I have a snowball plan worked out. However, I just paid off one of the bigger ones last month ($700) and it dropped my score 39 points because my reported balance went from $700 to $5 (monthly fee I'm gonna pay for a bit to leave the card open - or so I thought - but now my credit is ass help) Went from a 562 (TU via CK) to a 523 and want to cry because I put so much into saving, budgeting, and planning to pay off these ca”
“I used the 0% balance transfer offers. Many banks/CCs will deposit the money directly into your bank account and trust you to pay off the other debt. Specifically, BofA and Discover have been the best about this. They will send the complimentary checks as well. Stroke to your checking and then go by house cash.”
“stop using credit / borrowing immediately. pay off debts from smallest -> largest.”
“I'm jealous. Wells Fargo is currently offering me a balance transfer, but with a 5% fee.”
“My situation: Due to churning, I have a WF Autograph card that's currently in 10th month the initial 12-month 0% APR deal, from when I first received the card. I've been making only minimum payments, waiting to pay it off in full before the 12-month expiration, two months from now. I've never paid interest or a fee. For my other cards, I always pay the balance in full when due, and I have never paid any interest on them, so I'm not interested in a BT for the purpose of reducing t”
“It's basically a interest free loan but does it have a catch? Will it lower my credit score? Are there any hidden fees? submitted by /u/Public-Stress7561 [link] [comments]”
“Looking for a recommendation for a 0 APR card for a ~$5000 purchase I have budgeted out to pay off in ~12 months. Credit score is 750+, 10% utilization across 3 current cards with a total limit of $72,000 across them (but obviously don't want to use any of those due to their non-0 APR). Is there anything I need to look at beyond "it's 0 APR" and "the 0 APR is for at least 12 months"? I already have my designated travel card and designated cashback card, so I'm not”
“This is a credit card sub. Also consider cross posting to a personal finance sub. Some typical solutions are: 1. Balance transfer to another credit card. Fee is usually 5% and a 0% promo for 12 to 18 months. 2. Personal loan is usually 13% to 15%. 3. Home equity loan is usually around 8%, but you need a house and equity greater than 22%. This can also be risky because you can lose your house if you can’t pay it.”
“True but what are the chances of getting over 9000 credit limit card to transfer everything. I mean you still can get a high limit card wont hurt to try. Transfer a portion still helps alot though. At least the loan is more of a guarantee. 12 percent lower rate does make hugh difference or just keep balance on card pay alot more every month to bring it down l mean alot.”
“We have one card left but 29.9% interest(my first card lovely Amex 😂). We want to balance transfer to get lower or zero interest but need to transfer $9300. Are there cards that tend to have higher starting limits? Mostly trying to get out of credit cards altogether but this last card feels like the interest eats up too much of our extra efforts. For example, If we pay $1000 but get a $250 interest charge next month that’s $ I don’t want wasted Every month. 780-805 credit depending on the platf”
“Look at terms of balance transfer first. It may be that if it isn’t fully paid off at end of 0% term then all accrued interest is due. If that the case and it’s more than you could pay off by end of promo, I’d ask for hardship program with the CC, they’ll lower interest to single digits for 6 months to a year. Pay it down to a level where you could then balance transfer after hardship and pay it all off in time”
“If you have excellent credit scores then balance transfers are usually the lowest interest option available; you will still usually pay a 3-5% balance transfer fee (I don't believe any zero fee transfers currently exist), and then you can float the money for 12-21 months interest free depending on the card you pick. If you don't have top tier credit though you are unlikely to qualify for those. The main downside risk is the same as getting a credit limit increase. If you haven't full”
“Look in the packet that came separate from the card, the one with all the fine print about rates and fees. There should be a section for foreign transaction fees that lists either 0% or 3% depending on your conversion.”
“I have about 14.5k across 4 cards that I'm slowly paying down. I'm planning to get another card to transfer the balances so I can take advantage of 0% interest for a year and a half. I always see the card recommendations on CK but also know that that's part of how CK makes money. I'm sitting at a 695 and 733 right now, and I'm wondering how likely it is that I'll be about to transfer the whole amount to one card and whether or not there are better places to look for trans”
“Current balance: 1800$ I plan to pay 200$/month towards this but right now almost half of that payment is going towards interest and fees. I’m looking into a balance transfer card to pay it down over the next 9 months. I might be getting a bonus of about 800$ that I will also put on this but because it’s not set in stone I’m not including in my planning right now. There are so many options and I’m not sure what to choose, anyone have recommendations? My credit is great so I’ll get approve for an”
“Hello Reddit!!! My father has a credit card with a balance of $20k+. In the US. He recently moved in with me and my family, so he has limited monthly expenses and is able to start making large payments toward this balance. He is wondering if the lovely people of this subreddit have any recommendations as to how he can get this amount paid off. He’s currently paying over $300 a month in interest on this credit card. He’s open to the idea of transferring the balance to a card with a promo of 0% in”