Can You Pay a Credit Card With a Credit Card?

If you have a credit card, you may have wondered if you could pay one credit card bill by using another credit card. You may not have the money on hand to pay your bill, or you may be wondering if you could get a better rate by paying off a card with a higher interest rate using one with a lower interest rate.

Should you try this tactic? What are the advantages and disadvantages of this approach? Are there any alternatives you should consider? Let’s explore the answers.

Most Americans Have a Credit Card

According to the Federal Reserve, over 80% of Americans have at least one credit card, but the average is 3.7 cards. And almost half of Americans have a credit card balance greater than $0.

As these stats show, many Americans rely heavily on their credit cards. Their habits may vary, but a lot of people carry credit card debt and need some way to help pay down their balances.

What is a Balance Transfer?

Transferring debt from one credit card to another credit card is called a balance transfer. When you’re considering a balance transfer, it’s important to know what fees you may be charged.

For example, if you have a credit card with a $3,000 balance from card provider X, you can use a balance transfer to move that debt to a different credit card from provider Y.

As long as your card from provider Y has a lower interest rate, this transfer has the ability to save you money. However, you may be hit with fees that outweigh the savings in future interest charges.

Often, the balance you transfer will receive a limited-time, special interest rate that is much lower than the regular interest rate on the credit card. This is one advantage to transferring money from a high-rate card. It can greatly reduce the amount of interest you pay for a limited period of time.

Before you initiate a balance transfer, you should check the terms and conditions on both cards thoroughly so you’re aware of any possible penalties or fees.

In some cases, people may not have a credit card that provides a favorable balance transfer service. In that instance, if you’re looking for a new card specifically for this purpose, you’ll want to get a card with favorable terms, such as our Classic Card.

Our Classic Card has no annual fee¹ and a low interest rate for balance transfers. See how much you could save with our calculator. Plus, we don’t have penalty rate increases. That means that we won’t increase your rate, should you have a late or missed payment.

Can You Pay a Mortgage or Car Loan with a Credit Card?

If you can use balance transfers to pay down credit card debt, what about using them for other debt, such as auto, student, or home loans? While you can use a credit card to pay down other debt, it doesn’t always save you money, and it may take away some protections or payment options. Talk with your financial institution or advisor about the best options to pay down your debt faster while saving you the most money.

Some financial institutions may not allow you to use their credit cards to pay down other loans you have with their company. For instance, our Classic Card balance transfer cannot be used on any PSECU loan.

The Most Frequently Asked Questions About PSECU Balance Transfers

Before you complete a balance transfer, you may have some lingering questions about how it works. You want to have the fullest understanding possible of the process. Here are answers to technical questions we hear about balance transfers.

There is no limit to the number of balance transfers you can have on one card. However, there is a limit to the number of pending balance transfers you can have at one time. That limit is 10 pending balance transfers. Once a pending balance has cleared, you can exceed 10.

The minimum amount you can transfer to your PSECU credit card is $250 through digital banking. There is no minimum when using a Visa® balance transfer check.

Finance charges begin to accrue on the date the balance from another card is posted to your PSECU account.

We treat balance transfers like a cash advance, which means you get a different interest rate on them than with other purchases. For a limited time, enjoy 0% APR² through June 30, 2027, on balance transfers that post between January 1 and June 30, 2026. A 5% balance transfer fee applies to each transfer that posts to your account during the promotional period. After the promo ends, you’ll enjoy a low 12.90% APR (subject to change). Learn more at psecu.com/balancetransfer.

¹APR denotes Annual Percentage Rate. Rates, terms, and conditions are subject to change. Please see the Visa® Classic, Visa® Alumni Classic, and Secured Visa® Credit Card Account Opening Disclosure and the Visa® Classic, Visa® Alumni Classic, and Secured Visa® Consumer Credit Card Agreement and Disclosure for full terms and conditions. 

²PSECU Visa® Classic Card/Visa® Alumni Classic Card:  Promotional Visa Balance Transfer  Rate Offer– PSECU is offering a promotional rate of 0.00% APR on all Visa balance transfers that post to your account on January 1, 2026 through June 30, 2026 (“promotional period”). Any Visa balance transfers that post to your account after June 30, 2026, are not eligible for this promotional rate offer. The promotional rate will continue to apply to Visa balance transfers made during the promotional period until June 30, 2027. Thereafter, any remaining  unpaid portion of your original balance transfer(s) made during the promotional period will be subject to the current APR for balance transfers, which is 12.90% APR as of 01/01/2026 and is subject to change at any time. A Balance Transfer Fee equal to 5% of each transfer will be charged when the transfer posts to your account. This fee is separate from any interest or other charges. The total of the balance transfer amount and the Balance Transfer Fee cannot exceed your available credit limit. APR  denotes Annual Percentage Rate. Visa balance transfers are limited to the available credit of your Visa credit limit. PSECU Visa Business Cards are not eligible for this promotional rate offer. Payments will be applied as stated in your Visa^® Classic, Visa^® Alumni Classic, and Secured Visa® Consumer Credit Card Agreement and Disclosure. A minimum of $250 must be requested for balance transfers through digital banking. The 0.00% APR  promotional offer cannot be used to pay off any PSECU loan or be made payable to cash, yourself, any joint owner(s), or co-maker(s). Balance transfers access credit under the terms of your Visa^® account as stated in the Visa® Classic, Visa® Alumni Classic, and Secured Visa® Consumer Credit Card Agreement and Disclosure.