APR Defense
Engine

1. Apply for the 0% card first — before you move anything. Wait for approval and confirm your transfer limit covers the balance (a partial transfer still helps: move what fits, starting with this card).
2. Request the transfer within the window — most issuers give you 30–60 days from account opening to transfer at the promo rate. Missing the window is the #1 way this play dies.
3. Pay the fee once, then never pay interest again — the fee lands on the new balance. Your target is — per paycheck so the balance hits zero before the promo expires.
4. Freeze the old card — literally, in a drawer or a block of ice. New spending on either card restarts the trap. Keep paying at least the minimum on the old card until the transfer posts (usually 7–14 days).
5. Set a kill-date alarm — 30 days before the promo ends. If anything remains, the leftover balance snaps back to a full APR, often 25%+.

Most big issuers run hardship programs they don't advertise: temporary APR cuts, waived fees, or fixed payment plans — because a customer paying something beats a charge-off. You have to call and ask. Read this script word for word if you want:

• Call the number on the back of the card. Ask for the "hardship department" or "financial relief team" — front-line reps may not have authority.
• If the first rep says no, call back. Different reps, different answers. Two or three calls is normal.
• Get any agreement in writing (email or letter) before you rely on it, and keep paying the old minimum until it starts.
• Know the trade: some plans close the card or note the account. A lower APR on a closed card still beats 29% on an open one.

1. Pay every minimum on time — this protects your score and stops late fees from stacking on top of interest.
2. Pick a fixed extra — $25 to $50 per paycheck — and aim all of it at the single highest-APR balance. Not spread out. One target.
3. Automate it for payday. Money moved on payday never gets spent. When the top card dies, roll its whole payment into the next-highest APR — that's the avalanche picking up speed.
4. Re-run this engine every raise or rate change. A 2% APR hike can quietly add hundreds in interest; catch it early.