Credit Card APR – What APR You Deserve?

Posted by | low interest rate | Thursday 4 June 2009 12:00 am

Credit card apr is that the advertised apr you see on a card’s pre-approved offer is always lower than the actual percentage rate you have to pay. All credit card issuers always give us apr (annual percentage rate) information, and it is usually calculated without taking into account what is called compound interest. That means the actual interest paid will be larger than the bank is proposing. If banks would be completely honest with customers, they should be talking about apy (annual percentage yield), not apr. That is what we actually pay to the bank when we use. We pay compound interest, which brings extra cost to us and extra profit to the banks.

Credit card apr is tied to a certain market interest rate such as the Treasury bill rate or the prime rate. If market rate change, your credit card apr will likewise increase or decrease. The terms of service provided in your credit card agreement will provide more details about the rate your apr will be based on. Credit card companies offer a grace period to their clients. This is the allotted number of days wherein you don’t have to get finance charge if the bills are paid in full. The grace period typically applies to new purchases only. Majority of credit card companies don’t offer grace periods for cash advance and balance transfer. In addition, it is important to take note that individuals who have a pending balance from the previous month may not be given a grace period for new purchases. The credit card company may even charge an interest as soon as you make a payment.

credit card apr

credit card apr

Most credit card interest rates range from 10-20% apr, although some cards go as high as 30% for borrowers with bad credit. There is one thing that you must remember. Keeping yourself informed will get you the best possible deal. Knowing all about apr rates, credit card charges and financing options are smart and there is no doubt about it.

Credit card apr is calculated in a consistent way across all financial providers and allows you to make a fair comparison. So, you know that if the apr is low than you are getting a low interest rate credit card. By definition, apr is the annual cost of credit paid to the provider, expressed as a simple percentage. It includes the actual interest on the borrowed amount and any other additional charges that the lender makes, excluding penalty charges.

If you want to transfer an existing credit card balance to a new credit card, you will be charged a different annual rate to the apr. It is lower than the apr, but it excludes any other fees.

Don’t use your credit card for every day purchases such as gas and groceries or you will still be paying for them long after they are gone. Using any extra cash to pay down a credit card is a wise move.

The good news is: if you pay your outstanding balance every month then you’ll never pay any interest, so you should opt for a card with other offers you can take advantage of, like free travel insurance or cash back.

Read anothere related article here: Visa Card

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