Updated
Mar 17, 2023 People who carry nagging credit card debt may find a way to lessen their financial burdens through credit card balance transfers. By opening a new credit card with a balance transfer promotion, such as a 12- or 15-month interest-free option, cardholders can pay off their debt while saving money with no interest payments.
There are many options to choose from and consumers may find their new cards will come with cash back, rewards points, and travel perks, too.
Let’s take a look at the steps necessary to do a balance transfer to and from a PNC credit card.
How to Transfer a Balance to a PNC Credit Card
We’ve researched how to do a credit card balance transfer for your PNC card. It’s often straightforward and quick. Consumers can select a new credit card, apply for it online, and receive the card within 10 days.
For the initiation of a balance transfer to a PNC card, cardholders can either do it online (some can do it instantly while applying for a new card) or contact PNC via phone. Overall, the entire process can take about a month.
Apply for a PNC Credit Card
People seeking a balance transfer to a PNC credit card will find four no-annual fee VISA cards: PNC Cash Rewards, PNC Core, PNC Points, and PNC Premier Traveler. They all include a 0% APR offer on balance transfers between 12 and 15 billing cycles, varying by card.
Balance transfers need to occur within the first 90 days of opening the account to take advantage of the 0% APR offer. After that time, non-promotional balance transfer and purchase APRs will apply to the cards.
You can apply for one of the cards online. According to the PNC website, a response only takes a few minutes. Upon approval, new cardholders will receive the card within seven to 10 days.
Additional ways to apply for a PNC credit card include by phone (1-800-762-5684), in person at a PNC branch, or by mailing or faxing in an application.
To apply for a card, PNC requires the applicant to provide their Social Security number, monthly housing payment, and total annual income.
Gather Your Balance Transfer Information
Consumers will need to have the account numbers and balances ready to initiate the transfer. The website doesn’t offer a lot of information for non-cardholders, but PNC’s online chat is very accessible and can easily answer most inquiries.
Contact PNC to Initiate Your Balance Transfer
According to PNC’s customer service, if a consumer receives instant approval for a new card, they will be asked if they want to do an immediate transfer with the requisite information. However, if a consumer is not instantly approved, there is a 12-day waiting period for a balance transfer. During that time, new cardholders can still set up their card for viewing and managing online.
Complete Your Balance Transfer
Balance transfers typically take around 17 days. If a prospective cardholder isn’t instantly approved, there is a 12-day wait period from when the card was issued to do a balance transfer. In some cases, a new cardholder will receive checks in the mail to initiate the transfer.
It is recommended that normal minimum monthly payments continue during any waiting periods. If an overpayment occurs, PNC will refund the cardholder.
How to Transfer a Balance From a PNC Credit Card
For PNC cardholders who are carrying a balance at a regular interest rate and would like to take advantage of a 0% APR or low-interest card to help pay off debt, it might be time to consider looking for a new card.
First, PNC cardholders are not permitted to transfer balances to another PNC card, but they can learn about other options by calling PNC at 1-800-558-8472.
However, consider shopping around for a credit card that offers a low APR or a 0% promotional rate for balance transfers. Before you apply, consider any balance transfer fees and whether the card is a good fit for your needs otherwise. Also look into the process of transferring a balance to the new card so you can be aware of the necessary steps.
Once you receive the card, you’ll have to provide to the new card company with your PNC account number and the amount you’d like to transfer. Calculate your transfer amount to accommodate balance transfer fees and to leave some space on the new card so you don’t max it out – or go over the limit.
Watch the balances on both cards to be sure the transaction is complete. And keep making payments on the PNC card if you have a remaining balance and/or until the full balance is transferred.
Summary
It’s important to remember a few things about balance transfers. This includes reading the fine print of how long the 0% interest promotion lasts, continuing to pay off debt and new charges until the balance transfer has been completed, and knowing that the promotion can end if payments aren’t made or are executed late. Fees can also be incurred, resulting in additional money spent.