27 months
0% interest on balance transfers
22.9%
Representative APR
£0
Account fee
Up to 56 days
Interest-free each billing period
| Issuer | Barclaycard |
|---|---|
| Network | Visa |
| Annual/monthly fees | £0 |
| Balance transfers | 0% for 27 months reverting to 22.9% |
| Balance transfer fee | 2.49% |
| Purchases | 22.9% |
| Purchases interest-free period | Up to 56 days |
| Cash advances | 22.9% |
| Minimum credit limit | £50 |
| Maximum credit limit | Subject to status |
| Additional cards available | 4 |
| Incentive | Buy tickets for up to 3500 selected live events through Barclaycard entertainment and get 5% off tickets per year and exclusive presale tickets on selected festivals with 10% off ticket prices. |
| Additional Rewards Info | Buy tickets for up to 3500 selected live events through Barclaycard entertainment and get 5% off tickets per year and exclusive presale tickets on selected festivals with 10% off ticket prices. Save 10% on food and drink at all UK 02 Academy venues. Earn up to 15% cashback on selected retailers with Barclaycard Cashback Rewards. Up to 5 months free trial of Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple News + and Apple Arcade. |
| Potential costs | ★★★★★ |
| Doing its job | ★★★★★ |
| Extras | ★★★★★ |
| Overall Finder rating | ★★★★★ |
Review by
Tom Stelzer is a writer for Finder specialising in personal finance, including loans and credit, as well as small business and business loans. He has previously worked as a freelance writer covering entertainment, culture and football for publications like FourFourTwo and Man of Many. He has a Master of Media Arts and Production and Bachelor of Communications in Journalism from the University of Technology Sydney.
As Barclaycard’s leading balance transfer offer, this Platinum card gives you over 2 years to pay off an existing balance without incurring interest, provided the balance is transferred within 60 days of opening the account.
With a relatively competitive APR, and exclusive savings on events through Barclaycard Entertainment, this card also offers something beyond simple balance transfers.
However, it’s worth keeping in mind that you’ll still need to pay a 1.15% fee on all balance transfers, which can still add up if you’re hoping to move a big balance.
Barclaycard will also only offer the full 27-month 0% period to around 8 in 10 customers, and you might receive a shorter 0% offer depending on your credit history, which might not make it the best bet for those with poor or limited credit.
Approval for any credit card will depend on your status. The representative APRs shown represent the interest rate offered to most successful applicants. Depending on your personal circumstances the APR you're offered may be higher, or you may not be offered credit at all. Fees and rates are subject to change without notice. It's always wise to check the terms of any deal before you borrow.
You can make manual repayments through Barclaycard's app by logging in to your online banking or over the phone (0800 151 0900). Alternatively, you may wish to set up a direct debit.
A direct debit protects you from forgetting to make a repayment and losing your promotional interest rate as a result (as well as damaging your credit score and incurring the late payment fee of £12). You could use a fixed-amount direct debit to ensure you've cleared your debt before the 0% period expires – simply divide your outstanding balance by 27 to see what you'll need to pay each month (this assumes you don't use the card for additional spending).
You can arrange a direct debit for repayments when you apply for the credit card. The table below shows the options available.
| Minimum amount | Fixed amount | Fixed percentage | Full amount |
|---|---|---|---|
If you've compared cards and settled on the Barclaycard Platinum 27 Month Balance Transfer Credit Card, completing the secure online application form takes about 15 minutes. Before you apply, check that you meet the eligibility requirements and have the information and documents you'll need to make the process as straightforward as possible. You can request a balance transfer as part of your application.
If Barclaycard is able to offer you this deal, the offer will specify a personalised credit limit based on Barclaycard's assessment of your situation. The minimum limit offered on this card is £50 and Barclaycard does not specify a maximum. Once you've had the card for a while and shown Barclaycard that you're reliable, you may wish to apply for a credit limit increase.
Although it's possible, withdrawing cash from a credit card account is generally not a good idea, as "cash-like transactions" (such as withdrawing cash at an ATM, getting cashback at the till, spending at a casino or buying currency) often incur steep fees and/or higher rates of interest.
The cash advance fee on the Barclaycard Platinum 27 Month Balance Transfer Credit Card is 2.99% (min. £2.99). For example, if you withdraw £50, you'll incur a fee of £2.99. Withdraw £250 and you'll incur a fee of £7.48.
The interest rate on this part of your balance will be 22.9%, which is the same as the standard purchase rate (chargeable from the day of the transaction – the card's usual "up to 56 days interest-free" grace period won't apply).
Transferring a balance doesn't automatically close your old account. In most cases, you'll want to close the old account(s) straightaway, especially if they have an annual/monthly fee or if you might be tempted to use them in the future. There is an argument that you should keep the old account open to help your credit score. That's because doing so keeps your "credit utilisation ratio" lower (that's a measure of how much credit you're using compared to what's available to you) and helps the average age of your credit accounts. However, unless you're just about to apply for a new mortgage, it's probably fair to say that most people would prefer to have no more bank accounts open than was truly necessary.
Non-sterling transactions are subject to a 2.99% charge (which is very standard). For example, if you spend 200 euros (£175.93), it'll cost you around £5.26 in fees.
Each month you must pay at least 3.25% of your balance at that point or £5.00 – whichever of the 2 figures is greater. So if you had, say, £138.46 outstanding, you'd pay £5.00, and if you had £615.38 outstanding, you'd pay £20.00.
Paying only the minimum required amount each month is generally not advisable as it makes it much harder to get debt-free before that introductory 0% period expires.
Our experts score balance transfer cards to determine their value against similar products on the market. We look at a number of important factors, like the length of the balance transfer offer, the balance transfer fee, any restrictions to making a transfer, plus the potential costs involved with running the card both in the short and longer term.
You can read more about our scoring criteria on our credit card methodology page.