Credit card industry reins in balance-transfer offers as banks from JPMorgan to Amex fear defaults

Banks have pulled back from a popular credit card promotion on concerns that borrowers struggling during the coronavirus crisis may leave them with defaulting loans.

Balance transfer offers, which typically entice borrowers to move their debt to a new lender in exchange for a temporary 0% interest rate, have been sharply reduced at banks including JPMorgan Chase, Citigroup, Bank of America, Barclays and Capital One, according to people with knowledge of the matter at each firm.

American Express took the most drastic step, dropping the product altogether, according to a company spokesperson.

“We are not currently offering balance transfers across all our card products,” American Express…