Balance transfer business credit cards: what's available and what to do instead

No UK business credit card we checked on 12 October 2026 offers a 0% balance transfer. Santander and RBS accept transfers at their standard rate plus a fee. For a UK limited company with expensive card debt, the options are a standard-rate transfer, a cheaper loan, a 0% purchase period, or a better deal from your issuer.

On £10,000 cleared over 12 months, moving it to Santander's business card (18.9% plus a 3% fee) costs about £1,301, against about £1,262 of interest staying on a card at 25% APR. Over 24 months, the transfer saves about £233. The workings are in the cost comparison below.

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No UK business credit card offers a 0% balance transfer

We checked the main UK business card issuers' own sites on 12 October 2026 and found no 0% balance transfer offer. Santander and RBS accept transfers at their standard rate, NatWest's business FAQ allows them, and the others don't advertise them.

The 0% balance transfer deals you see advertised are for personal cards. For a limited company, the choice is between a standard-rate transfer and the other options further down this page.

The iwoca Credit Card earns 1% cashback and gives up to 42 days interest free when you repay in full, with limits up to £250,000. It works best when you clear the balance each month. At a 35.40% representative APR, it isn't a cheap place to carry an existing balance you'll take months to repay.

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Don't move company card debt to a personal card

Moving your company's card debt onto a personal card makes it your personal debt, and it mixes company and personal money. Keep the debt in the company and use one of the business options below.

• It becomes your debt. The personal card issuer can only ask you to repay, whatever happens to the company.
• It muddles the books. Paying company debts with personal borrowing goes through your director's loan account. Speak to your accountant first, and see Director's loans on GOV.UK.
• You may already be liable. A business card balance is the company's debt, but if you signed a personal guarantee, the issuer can ask you to repay if the company can't.

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Your options for cutting the cost of business card debt

There are five realistic routes: a standard-rate transfer, a cheaper loan, a 0% purchase period for new spending, a better deal from your current issuer, and free debt advice if repayments are already a struggle.

Whichever you choose, stop adding to the old balance. Every pound of new spending on the expensive card undoes some of the saving and makes managing cash flow harder.

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Transfer the balance at the card's standard rate

A standard-rate transfer only saves money if the new card's rate is low enough to beat the fee over the time you'll take to repay. Santander charges 18.9% on transfers plus a 3% fee, with no interest-free period.

Transferred balances start costing interest from the day they arrive. Santander and RBS both say there's no interest-free period on balance transfers. To make a transfer:

1. Check the new card accepts your existing card. RBS won't take balances from other RBS Group cards or from personal cards.
2. Apply for the card. Once you're accepted, ask for the transfer online or by phone.
3. Move up to 95% of your available limit. The minimum is £100 at Santander and NatWest.
4. Keep paying the old card until its statement shows nothing owed.
5. Leave the old card unused, or close it once it's clear.

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Refinance with a business loan, if its APR is lower

A business loan helps only when its APR is lower than your card's. Compare the APR in your quote with the card rate before you apply, and check the personal guarantee.

A loan gives you fixed repayments and an end date, unlike a card balance. Lenders often ask for a director's personal guarantee, and so do card issuers: Santander asks every director of a limited company to sign one for its business card. Our guide to consolidating business debt covers the loan route in more detail.

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Use a 0% purchase period for new spending

A card with 0% on purchases lets you put new business spending on it interest-free, so the cash you'd have spent goes on the old balance instead. Barclaycard Premium Plus offers 0% on purchases for six months from opening, with a £150 annual fee.

After the six months, Barclaycard's purchase rate is 18.4%, so plan to clear the new card by then. If you mainly want a card for everyday costs, you can compare business credit cards for everyday spending.

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Ask your card issuer for a lower rate or a payment plan

Your current issuer may agree to a lower rate or a payment plan if you ask before you miss a payment. It costs nothing to ask, but check whether a payment plan would be recorded on the company's credit file.

Have your numbers ready: the balance, what you can afford each month, and when you expect to clear it.

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If repayments are already a struggle, get free debt advice

If you're already struggling with repayments, speak to your issuer and Business Debtline, a free, independent debt advice charity, before taking on new borrowing.

New credit to pay old credit only helps if the new repayments are affordable.

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What clearing £10,000 costs on each route

On £10,000 repaid in equal monthly payments, a Santander standard-rate transfer costs about £39 more than staying on a 25% APR card over 12 months, and saves about £233 over 24 months. At our representative rate of 3.33% per 30 days, an iwoca Flexi-Loan costs £2,294 over 12 months.

How we worked it out: equal monthly payments, no new spending, and rates that don't change. The 25% APR card is an illustration, close to Barclaycard Select Cashback's 25.5% representative APR. For the transfer, the 3% fee is added first, so £10,300 is repaid at Santander's monthly rate of 1.457%. Your own rate depends on your business, so run the numbers with the rates you're offered.

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Where an iwoca Flexi-Loan fits, and where it doesn't

An iwoca Flexi-Loan won't usually cut the cost of card debt, because most business card rates are lower. It may fit if you need longer to repay or want to draw only what you need, and your quote beats your card's rate.

At our representative rate of 3.33% per 30 days, £10,000 over 12 months costs about £1,032 more than staying on a 25% APR card. So if a lower rate is all you're after, one of the routes above will usually serve you better. To check your own amount and term, use the business loan calculator.

A Flexi-Loan may still make sense when:

• You need longer to repay. You can borrow £1,000 to £1m for one day to five years.
• You want to draw only what you need. You're only charged interest on what you owe, and there are no early repayment fees.
• Your quote beats your card. Rates start from 1.5% per 30 days and depend on your business. Compare the APR you're offered with your card's before you accept.

What it costs and what you sign up to:

• Borrowing for more than 12 months may add a fee, typically 5% for 13–24 months and 6% for longer.
• Every new Flexi-Loan needs a personal guarantee from at least one director.
• Applying is a soft check, so it won't affect your credit score, and you'll get a decision within 24 hours.
• We lend to UK limited companies.

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Balance transfer business credit cards FAQs

Can I move personal card debt onto a business card?

Usually not. RBS says you can't transfer from personal credit cards, and Santander's transfers are for balances on another lender's business credit card.

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Do balance transfers hurt my credit score?

Applying for a new card or loan usually means a credit check, and a large transferred balance raises how much of your limit you use.

Santander runs a credit check on every business card application, while iwoca runs a soft check when you apply for a Flexi-Loan or the iwoca Credit Card. To see where your company stands, iwoca Credit Compass is free and shows five scores, including your Equifax business credit score, what's affecting them, and areas to improve.

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Does Section 75 cover business credit cards?

Generally not. Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974 protects personal borrowers, and business cards such as the iwoca Credit Card fall outside it.

That means no joint liability with the seller if something goes wrong with a purchase. Check the seller's refund policy and the card network's chargeback rules instead. See Section 75 on legislation.gov.uk.

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Is a business balance transfer worth it?

Only if the fee plus the new rate cost less than staying put over the time you'll take to repay. On £10,000 at 25% APR, Santander's transfer only pays off over a longer repayment period.

Over 12 months it costs about £39 more than staying put. Over 24 months it saves about £233.

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Which business credit card is best for balance transfers?

No business card offers a 0% transfer, so the best choice is the card with the lowest transfer rate and fee you can get. Of the cards we checked, Santander publishes its terms: 18.9% plus a 3% fee.

RBS also takes transfers, but it doesn't publish its transfer rate on its product page. The rate is shown on your statement.