Banking
Credit Card Interest Rates Today: Average APR Tracker
Credit card APRs are published quarterly by the Federal Reserve in the G.19 consumer credit release. Two numbers matter: the average across all accounts, and the higher average across accounts actually assessed interest — the rate people carrying a balance really pay.
| Series | Latest | Prior | Year over year | As of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Credit card APR, all accounts | 20.94% | 21.00% | -0.22 pts | 2026-05-01 |
| Credit card APR, accounts assessed interest | 22.15% | 21.52% | -0.10 pts | 2026-05-01 |
Source: Federal Reserve Board (G.19), via FRED.
Where credit card APRs have gone
Commercial bank credit card interest rates, quarterly, from Federal Reserve G.19 data.
Source: Federal Reserve Board (G.19), via FRED. Latest observation 2026-05-01.
Run your own numbers
Averages tell you whether an offer is competitive. The calculator tells you what it costs you.
Open the credit card payoff calculatorWhy your card rate is higher than the average
The published average blends prime and subprime accounts, promotional 0% balances and cards held by people who never carry a balance. Your own APR is set by your credit tier, the card type and the prime rate at the time you opened the account.
Almost all US credit cards are variable rate, priced at prime plus a margin. When the Federal Reserve moves its target rate, prime moves within days and your APR follows on the next statement — no notice period required.
What carrying a balance actually costs
At a 22% APR, a $6,000 balance paid at the typical 2% minimum takes over 20 years to clear and costs more in interest than the original balance. Raising the payment to a flat $250 a month clears it in under 30 months.
That gap — not the headline rate — is the number worth acting on. Card interest compounds daily on the average balance, so every extra dollar paid early removes interest immediately.
How to pay less than the average
A 0% balance transfer card moves the balance to no interest for 12 to 21 months for a 3% to 5% fee, which works if you can clear it inside the window. A fixed-rate personal loan usually prices well below card APRs for good-credit borrowers and forces a payoff date.
Calling your issuer to request a rate reduction is free and works more often than people expect, especially with a long on-time payment history.
Paying 20%+ on card balances?
A debt specialist can walk you through consolidation, balance transfers and relief options based on your actual balances and rates.
Get debt help optionsMethodology
Credit card interest rates come from the Federal Reserve Board's G.19 Consumer Credit release, retrieved via FRED and refreshed on a schedule. Series are quarterly and not seasonally adjusted.
'All accounts' covers every commercial bank credit card account. 'Accounts assessed interest' covers only accounts that were charged interest in that period, which is the closer proxy for someone carrying a balance.
These are national averages, not offers. Your APR depends on your credit profile and the card's terms.
Frequently asked questions
What is the average credit card interest rate right now?
The Federal Reserve publishes two quarterly averages: one across all commercial bank credit card accounts, and a higher one across accounts actually assessed interest. Both are shown in the table above, with the change over the past year.
Why did my credit card APR go up without warning?
Nearly all US cards are variable rate, priced at the prime rate plus a fixed margin. When the Federal Reserve raises its target rate, prime rises and your APR follows on the next statement. Issuers do not need to give notice for prime-driven changes.
Is a 24% APR high for a credit card?
It is around the going rate for a standard rewards card on an average credit profile. Store cards often price higher, and credit union cards frequently price several points lower.
How is credit card interest calculated?
Issuers divide the APR by 365 to get a daily periodic rate, apply it to the average daily balance and compound it each day. Paying the statement balance in full by the due date avoids interest entirely on purchases.
Does paying the minimum hurt my credit score?
Paying the minimum on time protects payment history, but the high balance it leaves behind raises credit utilisation, which is the second-largest scoring factor. Lowering the balance moves the score more than the minimum payment does.
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