No Fee Balance Transfer Credit Cards

Are there any no fee balance transfer credit cards available in the UK credit card market in 2019?

Over the last couple of years no fee balance transfer credit cards have become an extremely rare occurrence.

Introductory 0% balance transfer offers have got longer and longer in recent years. As a result, more and more of the credit card companies have now imposed balance transfer fees. This has reduced the number of no fee balance transfer credit cards.

Balance transfer cards with no fees are particularly suited to customers looking to make smaller balance transfers. This is because credit cards with balance transfer fees will often charge a minimum fee. This makes smaller balance transfers more costly.

At Balance Transfer Expert, we currently have over 80 MasterCard, Visa and American Express 0% balance transfer credit cards available for online applications. However, until quite recently none of these credit cards were available as no fee balance transfer credit cards.

The are however now several recently introduced featured 0% balance transfer credit cards currently available as a no fee balance transfer credit cards for online credit card customers :-

Card Offers

Nationwide Credit Card just for Nationwide members*

Balance Transfers:

0% for 12 Months

Balance Transfer Fee:

Purchases:

0% for 12 Months

Representative APR:

17.9% APR (variable)

Card Details

Nationwide Credit Card just for Nationwide members*

0% on balance transfers for 12 months from account opening
0% balance transfer fee within first 3 months, 2.4% fee applies after, minimum £5
0% on purchases for 12 months from account opening
Commission free allowance on purchases abroad (subject to terms)
Manage account online
Annual Fee: None

Application Criteria

Nationwide Credit Card just for Nationwide members*

Nationwide credit cards are just for members. You are a member when you have a current account, mortgage or savings account with Nationwide
You have been living in the UK for the last 12 months
You have a gross income each year of more than £5000
You have a good credit history
You are aged 18 or over

Nationwide credit cards are just for members. You are a member when you have a current account, mortgage or savings account with Nationwide

Representative Example: 17.9% APR representative (variable). Based on an assumed credit limit of £1,200 and a purchase rate of 17.9% p.a. (variable)

Card Offers

Nationwide Select Credit Card just for Nationwide members*

Balance Transfers:

0% for 12 Months

Balance Transfer Fee:

Purchases:

0% for 12 Months

Representative APR:

15.9% APR (variable)

Card Details

Nationwide Select Credit Card just for Nationwide members*

0% on balance transfers for 12 months from account opening
0% balance transfer fee within first 3 months, 2.4% fee applies after, minimum £5
0% on purchases for 12 months from account opening
Unlimited commission free purchases abroad
Manage account online
Annual Fee: None

Application Criteria

Nationwide Select Credit Card just for Nationwide members*

Nationwide credit cards are just for members. You are a member when you have a current account, mortgage or savings account with Nationwide
Nationwide Select Credit Card is only available to members who hold their main current account with Nationwide
You have been living in the UK for the last 12 months
You have a gross income each year of more than £5000
You have a good credit history
You are aged 18 or over

Nationwide Select Credit Card is only available to members who hold their main current account with Nationwide

Representative Example: 15.9% APR representative (variable). Based on an assumed credit limit of £1,200 and a purchase rate of 15.9% p.a. (variable)

Lowest Balance Transfer Fee Credit Cards

Balance transfer handling fees have been rising over the last couple of years. Average balance transfer fees are now around 2.4% across the 80 or so, UK balance transfer credit cards currently available.

The lowest balance transfer fee credit cards in the UK come with balance transfer fees of 1.5% or lower. These lowest balance transfer fee credit cards, generally have a slightly shorter 0% balance transfer deal then the longest balance transfer cards available.

The following featured credit cards, do currently offer some of the longer 0% introductory offers on balance transfers. These cards, unlike the no fee balance transfer credit cards above, do charge a balance transfer fee :-

Card Offers

HSBC Balance Transfer*

Balance Transfers:

0% for 25 Months

Balance Transfer Fee:

1.5%

Purchases:

0% for 3 Months

Representative APR:

21.9% APR (variable)

Card Details

HSBC Balance Transfer*

0% interest on balance transfers for 25 months made within first 60 days of account opening
1.5% balance transfer fee (minimum £5)
0% interest on purchases for 3 months from account opening
At end of promotional period, balance transfers and purchases will revert to standard variable rate
home&Away rewards programme giving you instant discounts from well-known brands
Online account management
Annual Fee: None

Application Criteria

HSBC Balance Transfer*

You have an annual income or pension before tax of £8,500 or more
You are a UK resident
You are aged 18 or over
You do not hold an HSBC Basic bank account

Representative Example: 21.9% APR representative (variable). Based on an assumed credit limit of £1,200 and a purchase rate of 21.9% p.a. (variable)

Credit is subject to status, affordability and applicable terms and conditions

Card Offers

M&S Transfer Plus*

Balance Transfers:

0% for 28 Months

Balance Transfer Fee:

2.85%

Purchases:

0% for 6 Months

Representative APR:

19.9% APR (variable)

Card Details

M&S Transfer Plus*

0% for 28 months on balance transfers made within 90 days of account opening
2.85% balance transfer fee, minimum £5
0% on purchases for 6 months from account opening
Collect M&S points every time you shop anywhere in the world with your card
Preferential rates when you use your card to order M&S Travel Money
Manage account online
Annual Fee: None

Application Criteria

M&S Transfer Plus*

You are a UK resident
You have a UK bank or building society account
You are aged 18 or over
You have not held a credit card with M&S Bank within previous 12 months

Representative Example: 19.9% APR representative (variable). Based on an assumed credit limit of £1,200 and a purchase rate of 19.9% p.a. (variable)

Card Offers

M&S Shopping Plus*

Balance Transfers:

0% for 20 Months

Balance Transfer Fee:

2.9%

Purchases:

0% for 20 Months

Representative APR:

19.9% APR (variable)

Card Details

M&S Shopping Plus*

0% for 20 months on balance transfers made within 90 days of account opening
2.9% balance transfer fee, minimum £5
0% on purchases for 20 months from account opening
Collect M&S points every time you shop anywhere in the world with your card
Preferential rates when you use your card to order M&S Travel Money
Manage account online
Annual Fee: None

Application Criteria

M&S Shopping Plus*

You are a UK resident
You have a UK bank or building society account
You are aged 18 or over
You have not held a credit card with M&S Bank within previous 12 months

Representative Example: 19.9% APR representative (variable). Based on an assumed credit limit of £1,200 and a purchase rate of 19.9% p.a. (variable)

For several years now the largest balance transfer fees have been edging up towards 3% or even close to 4%. However the credit card companies have more recently shown signs of competing again, by offering lower balance transfer fees.

What Is A Balance Transfer Fee?

A balance transfer fee is a fee that the card company will charge the customer when the customer transfers an outstanding balance from one credit card to another card.

The average balance transfer fee is currently around 2.4% of the amount of the balance transfer. Many credit card companies will charge a minimum fee of around £3 to £5 depending on the card.

If for example, you transfer a balance of £1,000 to the above HSBC balance transfer credit card:-

This card has a balance transfer fee of 1.5%
Your balance transfer fee would then be 1.5% of £1,000, which equals £15.00.

The balance transfer fee is only payable to the card company that the customer is moving the outstanding balance too. There is no balance transfer fee charged by the card company that the balance is being transferred from.

Balance transfer fees were introduced by the credit card companies to recoup some of the cost of providing longer 0% interest deals.

No Fee Balance Transfer Credit Cards