Paying for A.C. - Financing options

[drumstache]

A.C. system went out, and opted to have it replaced, 25 years old and on its last leg .  It was time, the old boy put in years of valiant effort.

Was on a time crunch, and went with a financing option with the company.  6 months 0%
interest.

Curiosity killed the cat and found a Credit Card with BOA with 0% interest for 18 months, but has a 3% transfer fee.

Balance is $5,500.

I'm overthinking this, like pretty much everything in life.  Just thinking out loud, whether to

Option 1
Stick with the original plan and pay it off in 6 5 months. 

$0 transfer fee
1,104 monthly payment for 5 months

Option 2
Transfer half of it to the 18 month 0%, and eat the fee.

$90 transfer fee (yuck)
$600 month for 5 months to card 1
$177 month for 17 months to card 2

Option 3
Transfer the entire balance
$165 transfer fee (yuck)
$325 month for 17 months to card 2

Option 4
Just pay the damn thing off now, and be done with it!

[uniwelder]

How much would the company have charged if you just paid in cash immediately?  When I had insulation put in, the company gave me a 3% discount (about $150) for paying with a check to the install guy when he left the house versus the 30 day invoice payment date.

[achvfi]

Just pay it off if that is an option.

I don't think its worth the mental space if you are in good place financially.

[big_owl]

I can usually negotiate a discount for any service if I pay cash at the time of install (cash or personal check).  In any case, I hate debt so I'd pay it off. 

[dandarc]

To me options 1 and 4 are equivalent, although option 4 is appealing because it takes any possibility of failing to pay-off on time out of the equation. Not uncommon for back-interest on the whole balance to apply at some absurd rate if you miss pay-off by even one day.

I agree with others that this isn't enough money for the worry to be worth it, but if you go with the cheap-money play with the credit card balance transfer, then do the whole balance. 3% fee for 18 months is equivalent to about a 2% annual interest rate - hard to beat that rate. But for only $5,000 I'd just pay the thing off and be done with it.

[reeshau]

So, you have the cash to pay it off now?  How much is that cash earning?  Probably not 3%.

[daverobev]

I-bonds at 10% interest available to you..?

[sonofsven]

I would definitely not pay the transfer fee.
I'd stick with 1. If the monthly payment stresses your budget you could put normal spending on the 0% card until the AC is financed, then auto pay that off at $x/mo.

[drumstache]

Thanks all, always nice to have someone double-check my thinking. 

Sticking with option 1, will pay off early and be done with it.  I hate debt and less juggling involved.