What is a balance transfer check? I assume that’s difference from a cash advance?
Yes, it’s different (though the same…confusing enough? 
)
It counts as a balance transfer, with whatever fees go with the balance transfer. They send you some balance transfer checks, and you can just write them to yourself and deposit them into your bank account. Sounds like a cash advance, doesn’t it? But it doesn’t have the cash advance fees. With those balance transfer checks, they will tell you the terms, assuming if they send them quickly enough, it would be within the promotion period.
I guess if there was no other option, you could just charge every single possible thing on the Slate card, daily living expenses, phone and utilities, insurance, some people even put their mortgage in them, anything that doesn’t involve a fee. Then you pay the min balance for 15 months and pay off your other card with the extra. But if they offer those balance transfer checks, much easier.
I guess the big question is how long it takes them to send out balance transfer checks. Is it right away, or do they wait beyond the promo period? I guess there’s always other ways to do it, like pay for someone you know (and trust) large bill with another credit card company, or some other big bill you can charge, and have them give you a check. Or they may be some prepaid credit cards you can load up with the Slate card, as long as you can them get cash out of them or pay off the other Chase cards.
Okay this is too many posts in a row, but I keep thinking of things! I remember we charged a whole bunch of big purchases on our Amex (for the miles or points), then paid off the Amex with the Slate. We even balance transferred more than the balance we had, so we could use it to rack up the points/miles for upcoming purchases, and max out the Slate during the promotion period.
I am going to call tomorrow and see if I can do this.
I have the DiscoverIt card and have been putting all my purchases on there (I got it at the same time as the Slate card and have 0% APR for at least 12 months- I can’t remember the exact number of months off the top of my head). If I need to, I will do a balance transfer to the Discover card before the next billing cycle. The fee to do this is about what I’d pay for 2 months worth of interest.
I just need to get through the next few months. My income goes back up again once classes start.