| Balance Transfer Rating: | 0 / 5 |
| Introductory Offer: | 1.5 |
| Net Value: | 3.5 |
| Features: | 1.0 |
In a Nutshell:
The Regions Visa Platinum card ranks low on our list of balance transfer cards, thanks to its higher-than-average balance transfer fee and extremely short promotion. This offer is no longer available.
0% Introductory Period |  |
Transfer Fee | |
Introductory Purchase APR |  |
Regular APR |  |
Annual Fee | |
Other Notable Features:Zero fraud liability, overdraft protection
This offer is no longer available. For current reviews, see our reviews section.
If you’re trying to pay down a mountain of debt, you’re unlikely to get far with this balance transfer card. The Regions Visa Platinum card offers one of the shortest balance transfer periods on the market, making it one of our least favorite cards for transferring a large balance. The card also charges a higher balance transfer fee than most balance transfer cards and doesn’t offer an introductory APR on purchases.
You can’t apply for the Regions Visa Platinum card online unless you’re already a Regions Bank customer. States with a Regions Bank include Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia.
Not enough time to clear your debt
Unlike most balance transfer promotions that last for at least 12 to 15 months, the Regions Visa Platinum card’s introductory offer lasts for a measly seven months. Unless you have just a small amount of debt to repay or a lot of disposable income, that’s probably not enough time to repay your debt in full. If you have a $5,000 balance, for example, you would need to pay a minimum of $715 every month to zero out your balance. Even a $2,000 balance would require nearly $300 worth of monthly payments.
No promotional APR on purchases
The Regions Visa Platinum card also doesn’t offer an introductory APR on purchases, so any new purchases you make will be charged the card’s standard APR. If you want to use your new card while paying down your balance transfer, you’re better off choosing a card that offers a temporary zero percent APR. That way, you’ll save money on interest and will be less likely to undermine your balance transfer by accumulating more debt than you can pay off at the end of the card’s promotion.
More expensive than the typical balance transfer card
In addition, the Regions Visa Platinum card charges more than the average balance transfer card to transfer an old balance. The card charges 4 percent, or a minimum of $10, to transfer a balance, which can add up quickly if you transfer a significant amount of debt. Many balance transfer cards, by contrast, charge a 3 percent balance transfer fee.
A lower APR than most
On the plus side, the Regions Visa Platinum card does offer an attractive APR. So if you’re looking for a long-term credit card that you can use when you need to carry a balance, the Regions Visa Platinum card can be a reasonable option. Cardholders with excellent credit are charged a minimum of 12.24 percent, which is well below average for balance transfer cards. The typical balance transfer card charges a minimum of 14.12 percent. At 19.24 percent, the maximum APR on the Regions Visa Platinum card is also relatively low, making it a safer choice for cardholders with less-than-perfect credit.
Zero rewards, zero extra perks
Apart from a relatively low APR, the Region’s Visa Platinum card doesn’t offer much else to set it apart from other cards. It doesn’t offer a rewards program unless you opt into a higher APR, and it also doesn’t offer any extra cardholder benefits that aren’t already standard on every other card. Regions Bank does let cardholders who miss a payment continue paying their regular interest rate instead of a much higher penalty rate. However, the card’s $37 late fee is on the high end for balance transfer cards.
Why get the Regions Visa Platinum card?
- You tend to carry a balance and want a safer card with a lower interest rate.
- You have a very small amount of debt to transfer and don’t need more than a few months to pay it off.
- You’re already a Regions Bank customer and want a card with the same bank.
How to use the Regions Visa Platinum card:
- Do the math before you transfer a balance. If you can’t afford to pay off your balance in full before the end of the card’s promotion, look for another card.
- Be careful about charging too many new purchases to your card. You can potentially undermine your balance transfer if you charge more than you can repay in full each month.
- Be aggressive with your payments and try to pay off as much debt as you can afford before the end of the card’s promotion.
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