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Can't afford to clear your credit card(s)? You can't afford not to check if you can get a 0% balance transfer

A bonanza of NO-FEE 0% deals this week let you shift debt for up to 33 months at no cost

If you're paying interest on credit cards, a balance transfer can often save £100s or £1,000s. It's where you apply for a new card to repay existing credit/store cards, so you owe it the money instead, but at 0% interest. This means repayments go to clear what you owe - rather than paying off the interest - so you get debt-free quicker.

The impact can be huge, as it was for John, who emailed: "Over the past year I used your site three times to gradually get all my credit card debt on to 0% cards, saving just over £190 per month in interest, which I'm using to pay off the debt as quickly as possible."

You can't balance-transfer between cards issued by the same bank or banking group. For example, if you've debt on a card from Royal Bank of Scotland, you can't transfer it to a NatWest card as they're part of the same group.

Getting the right card is only the start point. To make it work, follow our Balance Transfer Golden Rules...

a) Clear debt before the 0% ends. Clear it or transfer again before the 0% ends or you'll pay the rep APR - which is usually about 22%, but can be higher. It's not cheap, so don't pay it.
b) Never miss the minimum monthly repayment. Or you can lose the 0%. Set up a direct debit for the minimum payment as a safety measure to ensure it happens. Yet it's better to pay debts off quicker if you can - so try to make manual repayments on top too.
c) Don't spend/withdraw cash on the card. It usually isn't at the cheap rate and it's best not to build up other debt while you're trying to repay what you've already got.

d) Do the transfer at application. You can normally tell the provider about the balances you want to transfer during the application - if you're accepted, it'll then contact the lenders and shift the debt for you. If you don't do it then, you usually have a further 60 or 90 days to request it and still get the 0% offer - but each card's different, so check.

A balance transfer can be very simple - if everything works out. But what do you do if you've low eligibility or don't get a high enough credit limit. We've answered your key balance transfer questions here...

"I sat with a MoneySaver who had large, costly card debt and a poor credit history. Her eligibility showed zero chance of all balance transfers, except a 20% chance with Halifax. She asked me if there was any point.

"I explained that as it was the only credit she needed - there was no mortgage application or similar due - it didn't overly matter that a rejection would mark her file. The reason to protect your credit history is so you can get maximum use from it when it's needed.

"This was her most pressing financial need, so a 20% chance was better than nowt. The worst that could happen was a rejection. She applied and got a 26-month 0% card with a £1,500 limit."

The tips above are for those who can afford to meet their credit card payments and want to make them cheaper. If you can't, you need a different tack. Answer these three questions...

- Do you have sleepless nights or depression/anxiety over debt?
- Do you struggle to meet minimum monthly payments?
- Is your total debt (excluding mortgage/student loan) over a year's salary?

If you answer yes to any of these, forget balance transfers and instead get free, one-to-one debt-counselling help from Citizens Advice, StepChange or National Debtline. And if you need emotional support, try CAP. They're there to help, not judge. The most common thing we hear after is: "I finally got a good night's sleep."

And don't feel alone; there's no stigma; you can sort this. Read inspiring stories in our Debt-Free Wannabe forum, and see our Mental Health & Debt and Debt crisis help guides.