What Is a Good Credit Card APR? | LendingTree (2024)

There’s no single answer to “what is a good APR?” The ideal APR (the yearly interest rate you’ll pay if you carry a balance) will depend on the type of card you’re applying for, as well as your credit score. If you have excellent credit and you’re applying for a barebones credit card, you might find APRs as low as 13%. But, if you have a low credit score, you may be lucky to find an APR lower than 26%.

This guide explains what a good APR for a credit card is, how to compare interest rates and how to avoid paying interest on your card altogether.

Let’s start by looking at the average overall credit card APR. Anything below the average credit card interest rate — 23.55% for new offers, as of February 2023, according to a LendingTree study — is generally considered a good APR, and anything above that rate is considered high. However, the criteria for a good APR varies widely, depending on the card category.

At the bottom, you’ll find low interest credit cards that offer an average APR of 18%. And while these cards don’t generally come with rewards or many benefits, you’ll get a great interest rate in exchange.

If you prefer a credit card with rewards, then you’ll have to settle for a higher APR (23.48% on average, according to our February data). For example, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card offers a 21.49%–28.49% variable APR.

Further, if you’re an applicant with poor or limited credit applying for a secured credit card, you’ll be facing an average APR of 26.25%.

Applicants with low, bad or fair credit scores will typically be offered higher APRs than those with good or excellent credit. Card issuers may also consider other factors when determining your interest rate, such as income, debt obligations and creditworthiness.

Types of credit card APRs

When we talk about a credit card’s APR, we generally mean the interest rate that you’ll pay for new purchases with your card. But actually, credit cards can come with several types of APRs. By understanding their differences, you may be able to avoid paying interest charges altogether.

• Purchase APR. This is the interest rate you’ll be charged for new purchases made on your credit card if you don’t pay your balance in full by the due date each month.Balance transfer APR. When you transfer a balance to a credit card, this interest rate is charged on the transferred amount.
• Introductory APR. If you’re applying for a new credit card, you may see an introductory APR listed alongside the card’s purchase APR, balance transfer APR or both. Depending on the credit card, the intro APR may be as low as 0% and may last anywhere from six to 21 months. Any balance that remains once this promotional period is over will be subject to interest charges at the standard APR.
• Cash advance APR. The interest you’re charged when you withdraw cash from your credit card’s line of credit is known as the cash advance APR. Because this rate is usually significantly higher than the purchase and balance transfer APRs, and because cash advances typically come with an additional fee and no grace period, we recommend that you avoid cash advances.
• Penalty APR. If you miss a payment or pay late, many credit cards will charge a penalty APR that is higher than standard interest rate. This may also void any introductory APRs on your account and negatively impact your credit score. If you continue to pay late, beware that the penalty rate may be applied to your account indefinitely.

How to compare APRs

APRs can vary vastly. In fact, LendingTree found that minimum APRs started at 13.22% (variable) and maximum APRs topped off at 27.69% (variable) in February 2023. That’s why it’s important to know a credit card’s range before applying.

You can usually find a card’s interest rate by clicking on a link labeled “pricing & terms,” ” rates and fees” or similar wording on a card’s product page from the issuer’s website. And when you’re approved for a card, the issuer also will mail a paper copy of the credit card disclosure form along with your card.

The issuer is required to give you a list of the card’s rates and fees in a clear format before you apply, according to the 1968 Truth in Lending Act and Disclosures law and 1969’s Regulation Z.

Low APR credit cards: What to expect

A low APR credit card is a good choice when you have to carry a balance. Having a lower interest rate means you’ll be charged less interest, making it easier to pay down your balance faster. In exchange for an affordable APR, these cards typically won’t come with rewards and are light on other benefits.

The best low APR credit cards are those that have a 0% introductory APR. These no-interest offers may apply to balance transfers, purchases, or both. By law, the minimum 0% intro APR period is six months. Offer periods vary by card, but the longest offers are just under two years. When the introductory period expires, any unpaid balance reverts to the standard rate.

High APR credit cards: What to expect

If you prefer a credit cards with rewards, or if you have a low credit score, you’ll likely have a credit card with a high APR. Many credit cards offer a range of interest rates depending on a customer’s creditworthiness. The lower your credit score, the more likely you are to land on the high side of the APR range.

For example, the Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card lets cardholders earn unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases and has a 20.24%, 25.24%, or 29.99% Variable APR. Meanwhile, the Capital One Platinum Secured Credit Card, which is designed for those with limited/poor credit, has a 29.99% (variable) APR.

Even if your credit card has a high APR, you can avoid interest charges by paying off your balance in full each month. Only use your credit card for any purchases you know you can pay for — one good habit is to pay off your weekly purchases to avoid your balance getting too high.

*To see rates & fees for Capital One Platinum Secured Credit Card, please click here.

The higher your credit score is, the better your chances are of receiving a lower credit card interest rate. Therefore, it’s important to practice good credit habits, like the following:

1. Pay on time. Your payment history, which makes up 35% of your total credit score, helps demonstrate to future lenders the likelihood that you will repay your debt. To help avoid missing payments — which can quickly bring down your credit score — you can set up due-date reminders and automatic payments.
2. Lower your credit utilization ratio. Your credit utilization ratio is the amount of credit you use compared to your total credit limit, which makes up 30% of your credit score. The lower your utilization ratio is, the better your score will be, and most experts recommend keeping this rate below 30%.
3. Keep no-annual-fee cards open to build your average age of credit. Your length of credit history accounts for 15% of your credit score. This includes how long your credit accounts have been open, how long specific credit accounts have been established and how long it’s been since you used certain accounts. To increase the average length of credit history, avoid closing credit card accounts (especially no-annual-fee card accounts) whenever possible. You should also make regular small charges on older accounts to prevent the issuer from closing them due to inactivity.
4. Limit applications for new credit. New credit makes up 10% of your credit score. Each time you apply for a new credit card, mortgage or loan, a hard inquiry appears on your credit score and reduces by a few points. This stays on your credit report for two years, although the negative impact decreases over time. Therefore, it’s best to only apply for new credit when necessary.

You can also get a good APR on your credit card by taking advantage of introductory 0% APRs on purchases or balance transfers. This allows you to pay off a purchase or existing balance without paying interest during the promotional period.

How to avoid paying any APR

When you pay your monthly credit card bill in full before the due date, you can avoid paying interest. You can pay in one lump sum or make multiple payments throughout the month.

For cards that are paid in full each month, there is a grace period that avoids interest. The grace period is the time between the statement date and the due date. While credit cards are not required to provide a grace period, most do on purchases.

Other transactions like balance transfers and cash advances do not offer grace periods. To avoid paying interest, only make these transactions if they qualify for a special promotion. For example, a balance transfer credit card may offer a 0% introductory APR for 12 months.

While some people think that carrying a balance on their credit card will help build their credit score, that is incorrect — there is no benefit to carrying a balance from month to month.

Learn more about our picks for the best 0% APR credit cards.

For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the above benefits are provided by Visa® or Mastercard® and may vary by product. See the respective Guide to Benefits for details, as terms and exclusions apply.