Best Short-Term Personal Loans in Singapore

Need quick cash for a big purchase? Here's a quick guide to the best short-term loans in Singapore that will help you save hundreds of dollars in interest.

Balance transfer is a type of short-term loan facility that allows you to transfer your existing balance credit limit to any other bank account, credit card or credit line, usually at 0% interest rate. This is a great source of short-term liquidity as long as you're confident of paying your debt off at the end of the loan period, which is usually 6 or 12 months. If you don’t, you’ll get hit by high interest rates on your unpaid credit card or credit line balance.

While the short-term personal loan is usually interest-free, banks will typically charge a processing fee, which ranges between 1% to 6% of the approved loan amount.

Depending on which bank, the minimum balance transfer amount can be as low as $500. This processing fee will be charged to the balance transfer account which is opened upon approval.

Pros:

1. 0% promotional interest rate. Every month, you can pay the minimum amount which is typically 1-3% of the remaining balance every month.
2. Higher chances of eligibility as loan is on credit card or credit line application.
3. Transfer up to 95% of the available credit limit.  

Cons:

1. A processing fee will be charged.
2. Short repayment period of 6 months.
3. High interest rate kicks in immediately after the tenure ends.

Balance Transfers on Credit Card

This loan facility uses the available credit on your credit card. You pay a one-time processing fee and enjoy a very low or 0% interest rate for between 6 to 12 months. After this, you either settle the total amount outstanding or you end up being charged interest rates between 17% to 28%. Balance transfers are best for consolidating repayment on multiple credit cards or if you have a major expense coming up on the horizon.

Here's a quick summary of the best 6-month balance transfer offers (credit card): 

*Available only via SingSaver

Line of Credit

A line of credit is an overdraft facility that only charges interest when you withdraw from the account. It’s also one of the best four ways to better manage credit card debt. The credit line usually gives you a lower interest rate compared to your credit card and offers a flexible repayment period to clear off unpaid credit card debt. Treat the line of credit as a standby cash facility for emergency use, as it’s available for immediate withdrawal should the need arise.

Here’s a quick summary of the best 6-month line of credit offers and their prevailing rate:

Note that the minimum income requirement for Singaporeans/PRs is $30,000.

What to read next:

Guide to the Best Personal Loans

SCB Funds Transfer Review: Great to Pay Off Credit Card Debt

Personal Loans: A Beginner’s Guide

Four Types of Personal Loans: What You Need to Know

3 Ways to Better Manage Credit Card Debt in Singapore

By Rohith Murthy

Rohith leads SingSaver, a financial comparison site aimed at helping consumers in Singapore save money and time by finding the right financial products.