American Express Balance Transfer Credit Cards

To do a balance transfer with Amex, you must wait to receive your Amex credit card in the mail. It is not possible to request a balance transfer before that point, according to American Express customer service. Once you have your card in hand, you can request a balance transfer by phone or online.

To request a balance transfer with Amex by phone, call 1 (800) 528-4800 and enter your card number to get connected with a customer service representative. To request an American Express balance transfer online, log in to americanexpress.com, navigate to “Account Services,” and select “Card Management,” then “Transfer Balances.” Whether you make your request by phone or online, you will need to provide the account number for the card the balance is being transferred from, the name and address associated with it, and the amount you want to transfer.

You can only transfer debt from credit cards not issued by American Express. Balances from other accounts such as car loans, personal loans and student loans will be not be accepted. Also keep in mind that you can only transfer an amount up to 75 percent of your credit limit, or $7,500, whichever is less. Amex will not approve balance transfers of less than $100, either.

Amex balance transfers take up to 12 business days to complete, so make sure to stay current on your payments to your other creditors until the transfer posts to your account. For an Amex balance transfer to be effective, you should pay off the entire balance transferred before the introductory APR expires. An unpaid balance remaining at the end of the introductory period will start accruing interest at the card’s regular APR. Amex’s regular APR can run as high as 26.24%.

American Express has several cards with introductory 0% APR offers on balance transfers. Most charge a transfer fee of $5 or 3% of the total amount transferred, whichever is greater. The Amex EveryDay card offers a 0% transfer fee if you transfer a balance in the first 60 days you have the card.

American Express does not offer new balance transfer deals to existing customers, at least not on the same card. Once your Amex card’s balance transfer offer runs out, there’s no way to get another promotional APR on that card. You can still transfer a balance to the card at any time. But introductory 0% APRs on American Express balance transfer cards usually apply only to balances transferred within 60 days of account opening.

You can check if your card is eligible for balance transfers through your online account. From the Account Services menu, find the “Card Management” tab and click “Transfer Balances.” If there’s a balance transfer offer available, click the corresponding link. Enter the account number(s) for your other creditor(s) and the amount you want to transfer, along with the name and address associated with the account(s). Then, just confirm and submit the request. You can only transfer amounts up to 75 percent of the card’s credit limit or $7,500, whichever is less.

If your current Amex card won’t give you a low enough balance transfer APR, you can always apply for a new American Express balance transfer card. The Amex EveryDay card has the best offer available, with an introductory APR of $0 on balance transfers. There’s also no transfer fee if you complete a balance transfer within the first 60 days that you have the card. Other cards such as Cash Magnet and Blue Cash Everyday offer a 0% APR for 15 months on balance transfers. Their transfer fee is 3% of amount transferred, or $5, whichever is greater. That trio does not charge annual fees.

Just keep in mind that you can’t transfer a balance from one Amex card to another Amex card. And you can only transfer balances from credit cards, not from loans.

If you want to make a payment on an American Express balance transfer credit card, one option is to mail a check or money order payable to American Express to:

American Express

Bill Payment

P.O. Box 650448

Dallas, TX 75265-0448

To transfer a balance to a new Amex card, select the balance transfer option on the online application. Then, enter your existing card’s account number and the amount you’d like to transfer. You can only transfer a balance up to 75% of your credit limit. You won’t know your credit limit until you’re approved for the card though.

You can also request a balance transfer by phone. Call 1 (800) 528-4800 within 60 days of account opening to qualify. American Express does not approve balance transfer requests after 60 days.

American Express balance transfer cards come with an introductory APR of 0% for 12 to 15 months. In most cases, there’s a transfer fee of $10 or 3% of the balance transferred, whichever is greater. American Express only allows balance transfers from non-Amex credit cards.

Yes and no. You can’t just pay your monthly American Express credit card bill with another credit card and continue using it. No credit card company allows that. Most only accept payment by bank transfer, debit card, check or money order.

But you can pay your Amex with a credit card if you do a balance transfer. Transferring a balance is basically the same thing as using one credit card to pay another. However, you need to open a new credit card account to get a good deal, so it’s not something you can do every month.

American Express balance transfer fees are $5 or 3% of the transferred amount, whichever is greater. Nearly all American Express cards that offer balance transfers charge that same 3% transfer fee, including Cash Magnet, Blue Cash Everyday, Blue Cash Preferred and Blue Business Plus. The exception is the Amex EveryDay card, which has a $0 balance transfer fee for the first 60 days. After that, Amex’s standard $5 or 3% or transfer fee would apply.

Transfer fees are a key component of a balance transfer. You can only transfer balances, including transfer fees, up to your available credit limit. Transfer fees apply to each balance that you transfer to an American Express card.

American Express balance transfer cards are at the low end of the 3%-5% transfer fee range that most issuers typically use. Discover charges a 3% fee with no set minimum. Capital One cards with 0% balance transfer APRs also have 3% transfer fees. Chase cards are at the high end of the scale with a 5% balance transfer fee, except for one notable exception. Chase Slate offers a $0 transfer fee if you request a transfer in the first 60 days after opening an account. After that, it jumps to 5% along with the other Chase balance transfer cards.

Transferring a balance to an American Express credit card should take 2-3 days, after Amex approves your transfer request. Current Amex cardholders can expect a decision within 48 hours, while it can take up to 10 days if you’re applying for a new account.

So the full process, from the time you request a balance transfer to when Amex pays your other card’s issuer and the balance shows up on your American Express card account, can take anywhere from 4 to 12 days.

It’s different if you’re transferring a balance from an American Express credit card to a card from another issuer. The timeframes vary by credit card company. But you can check out the major issuers’ policies in WalletHub’s Balance Transfer Report.

You can transfer a balance to your Optima credit card. The exact terms of the balance transfer should be available in your terms. If you don't have them anymore, call the number on the back of your card and ask.