How To Replace a High Interest Rate Credit Card With a Low Interest Rate Card

Many consumers sign up for a specific credit card because they were offered an attractive introductory interest rate. The problem with introductory rates is that they eventually increase. Before you know it, you are paying off a balance at 19 percent rather than 1.9 percent. Many new cardholders and college students fall victim to signing up for credit cards that have high rates from the get-go. This often happens because the consumer is enticed by an incentive offer such as purchase discounts at department stores or "free" prizes for signing up. At some point, consumers will recognize the difficulty of paying off high-interest cards and will want to "upgrade" to a low-interest card.

Instructions

1

Research credit card offers that offer a lower rate. You can do this by reviewing credit card offers that you receive in the mail, viewing credit card offers on the websites of major credit card companies or visiting a credit card offer comparison site such as creditcards.com.

2

Sign up for a lower-rate card by filling out a paper or online credit application. This application will ask for your name, date of birth, social security number, address, telephone number, annual or monthly income, monthly mortgage payment, your employer's name and your email address. Complete the required information, sign the application and submit it online or through the mail.

3

Examine your credit approval statement. You should receive a statement in the mail with your new credit card. This statement will detail your interest rate and credit limit. You should always check this information before you begin using your new card. Sometimes a consumer will not receive an advertised interest rate because of his credit history. If your new interest rate is not lower than your current card, avoid using the new card for purchases or balance transfers and repeat Steps 1 through 3. Do not cancel your new card even if the interest rate is high. The additional credit provided by the card may help to increase your credit score by increasing your debt to credit ratio. Destroy the physical card or place it in a safe deposit box to reduce the temptation to use the card for purchases.

4

Transfer balances from your higher-rate card to your lower-rate card. You can accomplish this action by calling your credit card provider and advising them that you wish to complete a balance transfer. They will either be able to complete the transfer over the phone or they will send you a paper or electronic form to fill out. You will need to provide the account numbers and balance amounts from the account(s) that you wish to transfer from. If you do not wish to transfer the balance from your high-interest card, you may pay the balance off in one lump sum or continue to pay it off over time. Once the high-interest rate card has a balance of zero, do not close the account for the reasons stated in Step 3 above. You may destroy the physical card or place it in a safe place.