Do balance trasnfers in and of themselves hurt credit score?

[Anonymous]

I'd like to transfer some debt to a new card with an introductory 0% APR on transfers for 21 months, in an attempt to save on interest as I pay it down (just recently moved so I have a couple thousand on credit cards).

I realize I'll suffer a hard hit, but my credit limit will increase.

Does a balance transfer in and of itself negatively imapct the score though?

[Zolomon]

The balance transfer itself, no. Utilization ratio, yes. Say you get approved for 10k, and you transfer 2k to this new card, then your're looking at 20% utilization (2/10). Thats pretty good.

However, if you get approved for 5k and transfer over that same amount, you're looking at 40% utilization (2/5). Not so good. If you find yourself in this situation, a quick fix for that would be to pay 1k after transfer. You'd then be at 20% (1/5).

Whatever you get approved for, I'd try to get it under 30% utilization as quickly as possible.

[HeavenOhio]

As mentioned, the BT itself doens't do anything to one's score.

Indirectly, you'll get the typical ding for a new account. Once the dust settles, overall utilization will likely improve. Individual card utilization could be affected either positively or negatively depending on before/after balances and limits. And in the short term, it's possible that both cards could report the transferred balance, resulting in a temporary ding. It's also possible that neither card could report the transferred balance for a time.