In this guide
You generally cannot pay a credit card bill directly with another credit card. An eligible balance transfer can move the debt to a different card. A cash advance can provide money for a payment, but usually adds a fee and interest immediately. Both create a balance you still have to repay.
If your minimum payment is due soon, check the original card’s deadline first. A transfer request is not proof of payment. If you cannot pay, contact that issuer before relying on new borrowing.
Choose the question that matches your situation:
- Would a transfer save money? Compare the fee and the payment needed to finish on time.
- Is your minimum due before the transfer arrives? Check what still needs to be paid.
- Are you considering borrowing cash? See how an advance adds to your debt.
How paying one credit card with another works
The usual payment screen asks for an accepted funding source, commonly a bank account, rather than another credit card number. Capital One explains the difference between direct payments and borrowing through another card. Your issuer determines which payment methods it accepts.
| Method | What happens | Main check |
|---|---|---|
| Ordinary payment | You pay from an accepted source, such as a bank account. | Available funds, payment cutoff and crediting rules. |
| Balance transfer | The receiving card pays an eligible creditor. You owe the receiving card instead. | Transfer fee, rate, eligible amount and completion time. |
| Cash advance | You borrow cash against one card, then separately use it to pay another. | Advance fee, interest, cash limit and payment timing. |
A lower balance on the original card does not show your total progress. Add up what you owe across both accounts after the transaction and its fees.
Check a balance transfer before you request it
A transfer offer may be available on a new card or an existing account. Confirm eligibility before applying or moving money. Card approval alone does not guarantee that the issuer will approve your full transfer amount.
Check the bank behind each card. For example, Chase does not allow transfers to pay other Chase or affiliated credit cards or loans. Different card branding does not necessarily mean different issuers.
Have the offer terms and your latest statement open together. Write down:
- The amount and fee: Include any minimum fee and check how the fee uses available credit. The CFPB confirms that a 0% offer can still charge a transfer fee.
- The promotional deadline: Record the last date to request a qualifying transfer, the rate’s exact end date and the APR that follows. Check when the promotional clock starts.
- The permitted amount: Confirm the approved transfer limit, including how fees are handled. Available credit is not necessarily the amount you may transfer.
- The payment schedule: Count the payments that can actually post before the promotion expires. Check each statement’s required minimum separately.
For the separate question of account opening and reported balances, see how a balance transfer can affect your credit score. A transfer does not guarantee a higher score.
Why a 0% transfer can still lead to purchase interest
A transfer promotion does not automatically make new purchases interest-free. The CFPB warns that carrying a transferred balance can remove the grace period on purchases. On most cards, new purchases can then accrue interest from their transaction dates, even while the transferred balance has a 0% rate.
Paying only the amount of your new purchases may not preserve that grace period. Check whether the card has a separate purchase promotion and how you regain the grace period. Keeping new spending off the transfer card makes the repayment plan easier to track. If you mix balances, check how payments are allocated between different APRs.
Compare the full cost on a $3,000 balance
A useful comparison uses the same starting debt and payoff deadline. In this hypothetical example, you want to repay $3,000 over 15 monthly payments. The existing debt is already accruing interest at a constant 24% APR. The transfer offer charges a 3% fee and applies 0% APR to both the transfer and fee until all 15 payments have posted.
| Cost or payment | Keep the existing balance | Transfer at 0% with a 3% fee |
|---|---|---|
| Starting debt | $3,000 | $3,000 |
| Transfer fee | $0 | $90 |
| Balance to repay | $3,000 plus interest | $3,090 |
| Monthly payoff budget | About $233.48 | $206 |
| Interest and transfer fee combined | About $502.15 | $90 |
| Total paid | About $3,502.15 | $3,090 |
The transfer costs about $412.15 less in this model. It is not a promise about an available offer or your account.
Here is the arithmetic: $3,000 × 3% = $90; ($3,000 + $90) ÷ 15 = $206. For the existing balance, the monthly rate is 0.24 ÷ 12 = 0.02. The amortizing payment is $3,000 × 0.02 ÷ [1 − (1.02)−15] ≈ $233.48.
The existing-card estimate uses equal monthly periods and an unrounded payment before displaying rounded totals; actual cent-rounded payments can require a small final adjustment. Both paths assume no new purchases, other fees, rate changes or missed payments. The transfer model excludes any interest charged while the transfer is processing. Daily interest calculations and actual payment dates can change the comparison.
Can your budget support the deadline? At $150 per month, the $3,090 transfer would still have $840 left after 15 payments. Interest at the post-promotion rate can then add to the remaining balance. A smaller payment may still produce savings, but you need to calculate the longer repayment path.
If the fee were 5% instead, it would be $150, making the balance $3,150 and the 15-payment budget $210. Also check capacity: if the fee uses the credit limit, $3,000 of available credit would not cover the entire $3,090 transaction in the original example.
Use the credit card payoff calculator to estimate keeping your current interest-bearing balance at a fixed payment. Its single-rate model does not automatically handle a promotional rate that changes later. For a different borrowing option, see balance transfers versus debt consolidation loans.
What a cash advance adds to the cost
A cash advance supplies borrowed money rather than a direct card-to-card payment. The CFPB explains that advances can have a separate, lower limit, additional fees and interest starting immediately. The advance APR can also exceed the purchase APR.
For a hypothetical cost check, suppose you borrow $500, pay a $25 advance fee and carry the $500 principal for 30 days at 30% APR, with no payments during that period:
Estimated interest on principal: $500 × 0.30 × 30 ÷ 365 = $12.33.
You would add approximately $37.33 in fees and principal interest to obtain $500. This excludes ATM fees, interest on the advance fee and compounding. Your agreement may produce a different total. The payment to the other card also has to arrive on time.
Before borrowing, compare that new repayment obligation with any assistance your current issuer can offer. Repeated advances to cover minimums can increase the amount owed without resolving the monthly shortfall.
What if your minimum payment is due before the transfer arrives?
Keep required payments current until you confirm the original issuer has credited the transfer and satisfied the amount due. A pending request, approval notice or new balance on the receiving card does not establish that your current minimum has been paid.
For example, if your minimum is due Friday and you request a transfer Wednesday, do not treat the confirmation as a Friday payment. Chase says processing can take up to 21 days in some cases; other issuers and delivery methods differ. Our guide to balance transfer processing times and tracking steps covers that separate timeline.
- Record the original card’s remaining minimum, due date and payment cutoff.
- Arrange an accepted payment if the minimum is still due and you have the funds. Check scheduled autopay before sending an additional payment.
- After the transfer arrives, check both accounts for the posted amounts, the fee, any balance left behind and additional interest.
- If you cannot afford the payment, call the original issuer promptly. Ask when any agreed arrangement takes effect and what remains due now.
The CFPB recommends contacting the card company immediately when you cannot pay. Ask about a payment arrangement or credit card hardship program; availability and account treatment vary.
You can say: “My payment is due on [date]. I can afford [amount] now because [brief explanation], and I expect to resume normal payments on [date]. What assistance is available? When would it start, what would I owe now, and how would it affect fees, interest and credit reporting? Please confirm the terms in writing.”
If the monthly shortfall continues, a nonprofit credit counseling organization may help review your budget and debts. Ask about services and fees before enrolling.
Other questions before moving the debt
Can you use a balance transfer check or deposit offer?
Sometimes. Chase describes eligible transfer checks and transfers into qualifying checking accounts. Confirm your specific offer’s transaction type, fee and APR. A check or deposit is not automatically a purchase or a 0% transfer.
Will the transaction earn rewards?
Balance transfers and cash advances generally do not earn purchase rewards. Chase explains this rewards distinction. Check your agreement before counting the transaction toward points or a spending bonus.
What if the transfer is only partly approved?
Plan for two remaining obligations. Confirm how much reached the original card, what balance and minimum remain there, and what is now due on the receiving card. Recalculate your budget using both statements instead of assuming the original account was paid off.
Before requesting a transfer, write down three things: the amount still due on the original card, the total debt after fees, and the payment you can sustain until payoff. Explore related guides on credit cards and utilization.
Sources and review
Sources checked October 13, 2026. The comparisons, calculations and payment-deadline scenario are hypothetical examples created for this guide, not current card offers or issuer payoff quotes.
- Capital One: Can you pay a credit card with another credit card?
- Chase: Balance transfer frequently asked questions.
- CFPB: Balance transfer fees on zero-percent offers.
- CFPB: Interest on new purchases after a low-rate transfer.
- CFPB: Introductory rates and the rate that follows.
- CFPB: Cash advance limits, fees and interest.
- CFPB: What to do if you cannot pay your credit card bills.
- Chase: Paying one credit card with another and rewards eligibility.
Educational information for U.S. readers, not individualized financial or legal advice. Check your own statements and agreements before acting.
