# What is your (average) credit card APR? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 22, 2009, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-average-credit-card-apr/514776 "2009-10-22T20:04:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Happy\_Fun\_Ball](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_fun_ball/32/17664_2.png) [@Happy\_Fun\_Ball](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Fun_Ball)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2009, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-average-credit-card-apr/514776/1 "2009-10-22T20:04:41Z")
Just curious, mostly because I think mine is too high and I want a lower rate. My APR: 13.49% It used to be around 8%, but they must have raised it over the last couple of years without me noticing (I never carry a balance). I only have the one card. ---
**Author:** ![3waygeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/3/e95f7d/32.png) [@3waygeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/3waygeek)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2009, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-average-credit-card-apr/514776/2 "2009-10-22T20:14:05Z")
I have two cards that I actually use – one at 3.25%, the other at 9.99%. I have several other cards with APRs much higher, but they’re paid off, and I don’t use them – I keep them as they have high credit lines (one has a line of almost $60000) and having credit that you don’t use helps your FICO score a little. ---
**Author:** ![Translucent\_Daydream](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/translucent_daydream/32/16170_2.png) [@Translucent\_Daydream](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Translucent_Daydream)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2009, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-average-credit-card-apr/514776/3 "2009-10-22T20:20:16Z")
12%, and I will throw a party when they are all paid off (4500 bucks) I am going to throw a party and all you guys are invited. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2009, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-average-credit-card-apr/514776/4 "2009-10-22T20:26:53Z")
Hmm, I have a card that I never use, and I couldn’t hazard a guess as to what the rate is (or the limit, for that matter). Really the only reason I have it at all is in case I have to rent a car, or there is some kind of emergency - and there never has been. ---
**Author:** ![Hakuna\_Matata](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a88e4f/32.png) [@Hakuna\_Matata](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hakuna_Matata)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2009, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-average-credit-card-apr/514776/5 "2009-10-22T21:14:25Z")
To be perfectly honest–I don’t know. But if you never carry a balance it really doesn’t matter does it? I always pay it off every month so I never have worried about the interest rate. I know none of them have been raised but couldn’t hazard a guess at the interest rate. Hmmm…now I have to go look and see. ---
**Author:** ![EmAnJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d2c977/32.png) [@EmAnJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmAnJ)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2009, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-average-credit-card-apr/514776/6 "2009-10-22T21:15:12Z")
I think ours is 8.5% right now. ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2009, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-average-credit-card-apr/514776/7 "2009-10-22T21:22:41Z")
> [@Hakuna\_Matata](#): > > To be perfectly honest–I don’t know. But if you never carry a balance it really doesn’t matter does it? I always pay it off every month so I never have worried about the interest rate. I know none of them have been raised but couldn’t hazard a guess at the interest rate. Hmmm..now I have to go look and see. I’m with you. I actually had to go to my credit card’s website and log in my account just now to find out. 7.90%. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2009, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-average-credit-card-apr/514776/8 "2009-10-22T21:39:27Z")
I also had to look it up. 12.99%, 9.24%, and 2.75%. Hadn’t paid much attention since I don’t keep a balance but it was interesting that the card I use most has the highest rate and the middle card which I never use has a higher cash rate but a lower purchase rate. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2009, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-average-credit-card-apr/514776/9 "2009-10-22T21:46:47Z")
I never carry a balance - it took me a little bit to find it. 11.24% with Discover. ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2009, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-average-credit-card-apr/514776/10 "2009-10-22T22:10:56Z")
I think it’s around 15%, but I don’t know. ---
**Author:** ![Surly\_Chick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@Surly\_Chick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surly_Chick)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2009, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-average-credit-card-apr/514776/11 "2009-10-22T22:19:58Z")
My Mileage Plus is 14 and change but I pay it off every month. My Optima is 7.9 and I’ll occasionally carry a balance to the next month but then I pay it off. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Fun\_Ball](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_fun_ball/32/17664_2.png) [@Happy\_Fun\_Ball](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Fun_Ball)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2009, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-average-credit-card-apr/514776/12 "2009-10-23T15:19:16Z")
> [@Surly\_Chick](#): > > My Mileage Plus is 14 and change but I pay it off every month. My Optima is 7.9 and I’ll occasionally carry a balance to the next month but then I pay it off. Yeah, my card at 13.5% is a mileage plus card. Looks like I’m on the high side from this small sampling. That pisses me off, I have been a member for 16 years and only been late (by ~10 days) once in all those years. Time to find a new card. Thanks all for the responses. ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2009, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-average-credit-card-apr/514776/13 "2009-10-23T15:41:26Z")
I have a credit card attached to a HELOC (home equity line of credit). It’s currently at 5%. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2009, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-average-credit-card-apr/514776/14 "2009-10-23T15:49:37Z")
I have two which I don’t use that are over 20% (24.9% is the highest). The balances I have outstanding are on balance transfer rates, varying between 0% (for a limited time) and 6.9% (for the lifetime of the balance). At the moment I believe the average is about 4.2%, but you also have to take into account the 3% fee on the balance transfer. I’m paying them down though - I made some very stupid financial decisions a few years back and got in a lot of debt. I aim to have zero debt (except mortgage) by the time I am 35. ---
**Author:** ![PhiloVance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e19adc/32.png) [@PhiloVance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PhiloVance)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2009, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-average-credit-card-apr/514776/15 "2009-10-23T16:25:55Z")
5.24 is the lowest and 12.24 is the highest, I have about 7 3 of which are paid off. ---
**Author:** ![Driver8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5a626/32.png) [@Driver8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Driver8)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2009, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-average-credit-card-apr/514776/16 "2009-10-23T16:41:44Z")
The APR on the card I use frequently is 9.74%, but like other posters I had to look that up. I don’t care what the APR is as I pay the card off in full every month. ---
**Author:** ![Carol\_the\_Impaler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Carol\_the\_Impaler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carol_the_Impaler)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2009, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-average-credit-card-apr/514776/17 "2009-10-23T17:14:05Z")
Well, I was gonna say 10%. But just yesterday I got notice my rate got bumped to 24.99. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2009, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-average-credit-card-apr/514776/18 "2009-10-23T17:22:11Z")
> [@L. G. Butts](#): > > Yeah, my card at 13.5% is a mileage plus card. > > Looks like I’m on the high side from this small sampling. That pisses me off, I have been a member for 16 years and only been late (by ~10 days) once in all those years. Time to find a new card. > > Thanks all for the responses. Negotiate a lower rate. ---
**Author:** ![Otanx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Otanx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otanx)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2009, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-average-credit-card-apr/514776/19 "2009-10-23T18:05:52Z")
My wife and I have a total of 4 cards. Think the average is somewhere around 10%. It might be higher because we have been getting notices that the rates are all going up, and the limits down. We don’t use any of them so I don’t keep close track of all that. The only thing that gets my attention if they try to add a monthly or yearly fee for the card. Not going to pay for something I don’t use. We only keep them because we have had them so long. If what I have been told is correct having cards for a long time helps your score. We are going to be buying a house soon(6 - 12 months) so every point helps for now. -Otanx ---
**Author:** ![amarone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@amarone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarone)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2009, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-average-credit-card-apr/514776/20 "2009-10-23T21:46:10Z")
Wow! Like many others, I had no idea because I always pay my balance in full. So I looked it up and I think I am in the lead in this thread with 27.24% This is AmEx Blue Cash. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-average-credit-card-apr/514776.md?page=2)