What are good credit card rates for good credit?

A good interest rate on a credit card is 14% and below. That is roughly the average regular interest rate on credit cards for people with excellent credit. Even a relatively good interest rate on credit cards for people with lower scores is not all that low. For example, credit card users with good or fair credit could pay interest at an annual rate of 20%+ and still have a below-average APR. Better-than-average for a credit card overall isn’t much below 20%, either. That’s why the best interest rate on a credit card is 0%.... read full answer

How to Get a Good Interest Rate on a Credit Card

There are three ways to get the best possible credit card interest rate.

For starters, lots of credit cards offer 0% APR periods as introductory perks for new customers. They can be a great help to people looking to finance a large purchase or transfer a debt to pay it off faster. But those intro periods are always temporary. Most (but not all) 0% APR credit cards require good credit or better, too.

The second way to avoid credit card interest altogether is to pay your full statement balance by the due date every billing period. Setting up automatic monthly bill payments from a bank account can be a big help with that. You can also try the “Island Approach”, which is a method of using multiple credit cards for different expenses. For example, you could use your lowest-rate card—maybe even a card with a 0% APR period—for things you’ll need to pay off over a period of time, and a rewards card for everyday purchases that you pay off every month. That way, you wouldn’t pay interest at all, no matter what rate you have on the rewards card.

Ultimately, there is also a number of things you can do to raise your credit score and, in turn, get a better shot at a good interest rate on your next credit card. Because if a low credit card APR is your objective, it truly pays to have an “excellent” credit score of 750 or higher

The highest credit card interest rate in recent memory was 79.9% on a card offered by First Premier Bank in 2010. That offer’s not available anymore. The current highest credit card interest rate is 36%. That’s on the First PREMIER® Bank Credit Card. The next highest credit card interest rate seems to be 35.99%, charged by the Total Visa® Card and the First Access Visa® Card. These rates are very high when you consider that the average interest rate is only around ... read full answer18%.

Legally, there actually is no highest credit card interest rate that’s possible. Credit card companies are allowed to charge any interest rate. But they must clearly state what that rate is in the card’s terms and conditions. And companies that would like to charge outrageous interest rates are limited by what people are actually willing to pay. You should always make sure you know a card’s interest rate before applying. Otherwise, it may come as a nasty surprise.

Here are some of the highest credit card interest rates:

• Highest historical credit card interest rate:9% APR on the old First Premier Bank Credit Card. This card is no longer available. It was for people with bad credit.
• First PREMIER® Bank Gold Credit Card: 36% APR. The card is unsecured and for bad credit. It has an annual fee of $50 - $125 1st yr, $45 - $49 after that. Plus, there’s a $55 - $95 one-time processing fee.
• Total Visa® Card: 35.99% APR. The card is for bad credit. It has an annual fee of $75 1st yr, $48 after It has a $89 one-time processing fee.
• First Access Visa® Card: 34.99% APR. This card is for bad credit. It has an annual fee of $75 1st yr, $48 after that. It has an $95 one-time processing fee.

As you can see, the highest credit card interest rates are found on cards for people with bad credit. The better your credit is, the better your chance of getting a lower interest rate. But don’t forget that no matter how high or low your interest rate is, it will never affect you unless you carry a balance between months. If you always pay off your bill in full, you’ll never pay any interest unless you take out a cash advance. So, if you don’t spend beyond your means, interest rates shouldn’t be a huge consideration when you’re picking a credit card.

But if you’re not confident about your ability to pay in full, you should prioritize low interest rates in your search. Many cards will even offer you 0% interest for a number of months to start. But you’ll usually need at least good credit to get a 0% intro APR.

The longest 0% APR credit card is the Wells Fargo Reflect® Card. This card offers an introductory purchase APR of 0% for up to 21 months from account opening and 0% for up to 21 months from account opening on qualifying balance transfers - subject to a fee of 3% intro for 120 days, then up to 5% (min $5). The card’s regular APR is 17.49% - 29.49% Variable.

Given its $0 annual fee, the Wells Fargo Reflect card makes for a great option both for financing larger purchases and transferring pre-existing debt. There are several other options with long 0% intro APRs that are worth taking into consideration.... read full answer

Here are the longest 0% APR credit cards:

These cards benefit from $0 annual fees and require good credit or better (a credit score of 700+) for good odds of approval. Most of them don’t offer any kind of rewards, but they’re meant for financing rather than regular spending.

You can also adopt the island approach. That way, you can use a different rewards card for purchases, which you’ll pay in full each month.

What you should know about 0% APR store cards:

It’s important to note that some store cards may offer 0% interest for longer than 21 months, but they use deferred interest. This means there’s no interest if you pay off the item in full by the end of the promotion period. So, you should only get such a card if you’re planning on paying down your balance in full before the interest-free period ends. But if you miss only one payment due date, then interest will be applied to your entire original purchase amount, as if it had been there from the start.

The JCPenney Credit Card is one example, offering 18 months of deferred interest. But those cards are best avoided, due to the potentially high interest rate.