At 740+ FICO you are above the approval bar for every BT card on the market. The decision shifts from will-I-be-approved to which-card-saves-the-most. The answer hinges on two things: the longest 0% runway you can get, and the lowest post-intro APR floor in case the timeline slips.
First priority: the longest 0% intro you can get. At 740+ you can take a 21-month card directly. Every additional month of 0% lowers the required monthly payment and cuts the chance of running into the post-intro APR. There is no underwriting risk to picking the long-runway tier here.
Second priority: the lowest post-intro APR floor. Excellent-credit applicants are assigned APR near the bottom of the published range. A card with a 17.49% to 28.99% range will likely give you 17.49% if you slip past the deadline. A card with a 19.49% to 29.99% range will give you 19.49%. That two-point gap on a $5,000 residual costs $100 a year. Worth optimising for.
The fee is the third-tier concern. At excellent credit, the long-runway tier with a 3% fee almost always wins on the math, because your monthly payment ability is high enough to clear the higher absolute total comfortably inside the 21 months.
Best for: Five-figure debts where every extra month of 0% lowers your required monthly payment.
Best for: Mid-size balances ($3K to $10K) where 18 months is enough to clear the debt at a reasonable monthly.
Best for: $2K to $8K transfers where saving the 3% to 5% fee outweighs a shorter 0% runway.
Best for: Existing members of a national credit union, especially military families or geographic eligibles.
Best for: Single transfers over $10,000 where you need the limit to land in one place.
Best for: Borrowers who want a card that earns its keep after the 0% period ends.
Your default tier at 740+.
$10K+ debts where excellent credit unlocks limit.
Pre-loaded for excellent-credit APR floor.
Compare across the 670 to 739 band.
When to apply if a mortgage is on the horizon.
What the application does to your 740+ score.