Can You Pay a Credit Card With a Credit Card? Here’s What You Need to Know

When managing credit card debt, you may wonder if you can pay a credit card with a credit card. Generally, it’s not possible to pay for your credit card with another credit card. However, there are some strategies that can help if you’re struggling to pay your balance. 

Specifically, cash advances and balance transfers offer two ways to pay for a credit card with another credit card. Before you jump into either option, it’s helpful to understand the pros and cons. Explore the details of paying a credit card bill with another credit card in this guide. 

Can You Pay One Credit Card With Another?

The short answer is no, you can’t pay one credit card bill with another. 

Generally, credit card companies don’t allow you to make a monthly payment with another credit card. Instead, you’ll likely have to pay through cash, check, online bill pay or an automated clearing house (ACH) transfer. 

Credit card companies usually don’t want you to pay with a credit card because it creates risk. After all, if you are paying with a credit card, you likely don’t have the cash available to repay the balance. And, ultimately, credit card issuers want to be repaid with interest. 

Two Workarounds to Pay a Credit Card With a Credit Card

While you can’t use a credit card to make a straightforward payment for another credit card, you could lean on two loopholes to effectively pay for one card with another. These include a balance transfer or a cash advance. 

Balance Transfers Explained

A balance transfer involves moving your outstanding credit card balance from one credit card to another. You’ll pay off your existing credit card with another credit card, which effectively allows you to pay for a credit card with a credit card. 

Balance transfers often come with fees attached. Typically, these fees represent 3% to 5% of the balance transfer. So, if transferring a $10,000 balance, you might pay a $300 to $500 fee. 

When pursuing a balance transfer, it’s usually best to find a balance transfer offer with a credit card that offers a 0% interest rate introductory period. While the 0% interest rate won’t last forever, it could give you a chance to make headway on paying down your balance without dealing with high interest charges. 

If you want to pursue a balance transfer, use the steps below as a guide:

• Shop around for the best balance transfer offers: Take some time to explore any balance transfer opportunities available to you. Because many credit card companies offer balance transfer offers, comparing offers can help you find the most attractive option for your situation. 
• Transfer your balance: Once approved for a balance transfer offer, the credit card issuer may initiate the transfer or send you a blank check to pay off the balance on your old card. Be aware you’ll likely face fees to complete this transfer. 
• Take advantage of the low interest rate period: If your balance transfer offer came with a low (or zero) interest rate period and you want to get out of debt, use this window to make progress without high interest charges standing in your way. 

A balance transfer offers a solution to pay off one credit card with another. But it doesn’t provide a way to simply make a monthly payment for one card with another. 

Cash Advances Explained

It’s possible to use a cash advance to pay one credit card with another. But it’s usually not a good idea because of the high fees involved. 

If you have a cash advance option available through your credit card, it likely comes with a higher interest rate than you face when adding purchases to your balance. In many cases, interest charges begin to accumulate daily, without any grace period to repay the funds. Cardholders should also expect to face a transaction fee when taking out a cash advance from your credit card. 

While it’s possible to use a cash advance, ultimately, it will likely be an expensive choice. 

Balance Transfer vs. Cash Advance: Which Is Better?

When choosing between a cash advance and a balance transfer to pay a credit card balance, a balance transfer is often the better option. 

Specifically, a balance transfer offer with a low interest rate introductory period could give you the necessary breathing room to work on paying down what you owe. In contrast, the high fees tied to a cash advance could easily push you further into debt. 

As you consider your options, the following table can help you compare each of these possible pathways. 

Feature	Balance transfer	Cash advance
Fee	Usually 3% to 5%	Often $10 or 5%
APR	Introductory period with 0% interest rate possible	Often 20% to 30%
Debt management	Could help you get out of debt, if used responsibly	Will likely push you further into debt, due to the high costs and no grace period

Does This Hurt or Help Your Credit Score?

As with any credit product, how you use a balance transfer or cash advance dictates whether or not it will help or hurt your credit score. 

When used responsibly, a balance transfer can end up helping your credit score. At first, the impact of a new credit inquiry and lower average account age could bring your credit score down. 

But if you begin to make on-time payments toward your debt to build a positive payment history, your credit score may eventually rise. But if you repeatedly open new credit cards to complete balance transfers, you might end up hurting your credit score. 

The act of taking out a cash advance shouldn’t hurt your credit score. But, repeatedly taking out cash advances that you don’t immediately repay can push your credit card balance higher. 

As your credit card balance rises, your credit utilization ratio rises too. If your credit utilization ratio grows too much, that could negatively impact your credit score. For example, if a series of cash advances leads to a $500 balance on a card with a $1,000 credit limit, you’d have a 50% utilization ratio and potentially hurt your credit score.

Will You Save Money With a Balance Transfer?

Depending on your situation, it might be possible to save money with a balance transfer. You can run the numbers for your situation to determine whether or not you’ll save money. 

For example, let’s say you have a current credit card balance of $10,000 with a 21% interest rate and $400 monthly payment. If you find a balance transfer offer of 0% APR for 12 months and a 3% balance transfer fee, making the transfer would cost $300. 

After that, continuing to make payments of $400 per month would lead to saving around $2,100 in interest charges, making the transfer a money-saving option. 

Alternatives to Consider

If you are tired of juggling credit card payments, the following strategies could help you manage your debt:

• Personal loans: When you take out a personal loan to pay off your credit card balances, you’ll often lock in a lower interest rate and a fixed monthly payment. This payment stability can make it easier to fit debt repayment into your budget. 
• Payment relief: If you are struggling to keep up with your credit card payments, getting in touch with the credit card company could lead to some relief. You might receive a modified payment plan or a lower interest rate to help you make ends meet temporarily. 

Should You Pay Off a Credit Card With Another?

While paying one credit card with another might be possible through a cash advance or balance transfer, it’s not always a good idea. Generally, the high fees of a cash advance make it an incredibly expensive option. But the right balance transfer offer could put you on a pathway to paying down your balance for good. 

If you decide to move forward with a balance transfer, make sure to compare all of your options and select a card that best supports your financial goals. 

Sarah Sharkey is a personal finance writer who enjoys helping people make informed financial decisions. Her work has been on many finance sites, including USA TODAY, Credible and Business Insider.