What is 15% APR On a Credit Card? (2024)

An annual percentage rate (APR) of 15% indicates that if you carry a balance on a credit card for a full year, the balance will increase by approximately 15% due to accrued interest. For instance, if you maintain a $1,000 balance throughout the year, the interest accrued would amount to around $150.00.

Fortunately, you won’t be charged the 15% APR if you pay off the full balance by the due date every month. If you carry a balance from month to month, however, you’ll end up paying a good bit in interest. That’s because each day the balance goes unpaid, interest charges are compounded. In other words, interest is added to both your principal balance and any previous days’ accumulated interest.

Given that some months have more days than others, the credit card issuer will break down the APR using a daily periodic rate (DPR) to determine how much interest you’ll pay for a given billing period. To get the DPR for a credit card with a 15% APR, simply divide 15% by 365. The result is a rate of 0.0411% per day. Daily interest charges apply until the outstanding balance is paid in full.

This answer was first published on 09/13/21. For the most current information about a financial product, you should always check and confirm accuracy with the offering financial institution. Editorial and user-generated content is not provided, reviewed or endorsed by any company.

What is 15% APR On a Credit Card? (2024)

FAQs

What is 15% APR On a Credit Card? ›

An annual percentage rate (APR) of 15% indicates that if you carry a balance on a credit card for a full year, the balance will increase by approximately 15% due to accrued interest. For instance, if you maintain a $1,000 balance throughout the year, the interest accrued would amount to around $150.00.

Is 15% a good credit card APR? ›

A good credit card APR is a rate that's at or below the national average, which currently sits above 20 percent. While there are credit cards with APRs below 10 percent, they are most often found at credit unions or small local banks. If you don't have good credit, you're likely to receive a higher credit card APR.

Is 15% APR too high? ›

A 15% APR is good for credit cards and personal loans, as it's cheaper than average. On the other hand, a 15% APR is not good for mortgages, student loans, or auto loans, as it's far higher than what most borrowers should expect to pay. A 15% APR is good for a credit card. The average APR on a credit card is 22.89%.

How does 15% APR work? ›

That daily interest charge is added to your balance the next day. For example, let's say you have a credit card with an APR of 15%. Your daily rate would be 0.041% (15% divided by 365).

Is 29.99 APR high for a credit card? ›

Yes, a 29.99% APR is high for a credit card, as it is above the average APR for new credit card offers. Credit card APRs can be much lower, and some cards offer an introductory 0% APR for a certain number of months, which can save you a lot of money.

What should my APR be with a 750 credit score? ›

Average Mortgage Interest Rate With a 750 Credit Score
Average Mortgage Rates by FICO® Score
FICO® ScoreMortgage APR
760-8502.52%
700-7592.75%
680-6992.92%
3 more rows
Sep 4, 2020

How do I get my APR lowered? ›

Here are some tips on how you can lower your credit card APR:
  1. Improve your credit score. An improvement in your credit score is critical if you want to start reducing the APR you're being offered by lenders on credit card applications. ...
  2. Consider a balance transfer. ...
  3. Pay off your balance. ...
  4. Learn your credit issuer's policy.

Is APR charged monthly? ›

The APR on a credit card is an annualized percentage rate that is applied monthly. If the advertised APR on a credit card is 19%, for example, then an interest rate of 1.58% will be imposed on the outstanding balance each month. As mentioned, any given credit card may come with several different APRs attached.

Do I pay APR if I pay on time? ›

The bottom line on APR

Remember that APR is only applied if you're carrying an outstanding balance on your card. You can typically avoid paying any interest charges if you pay off your card balance before the statement period ends each month. Selecting the right credit card shouldn't be complicated.

What is APR for dummies? ›

APR is the price you pay for a loan. It typically includes interest rates and fees. APR can sometimes be the same as a loan's interest rate, like in the case of most credit cards. APR may be fixed or variable, meaning the rate may stay the same or it might change with market factors.

Why is my APR so high with good credit? ›

Key Takeaways

Your interest rate may have nothing to do with your credit score. Rewards credit cards typically charge a higher APR than cards without rewards. When you pay your entire statement balance by the due date, you won't be charged interest on purchases.

What is a good APR for excellent credit? ›

An APR is considered to be a good rate when it is at or below the national average, which currently sits at 20.40%, according to the Fed. This means that a credit card offering a fixed rate lower than 20.40% or a variable rate with a maximum of 20.40% would be considered a good APR for the average borrower.

Is 7% APR good for a credit card? ›

A credit card APR below 10% is definitely good, but you may have to go to a local bank or credit union to find it.

Is 15% good for a credit card? ›

A good APR for a credit card is around 17% or below. A credit card APR in this range is on par with the interest rates charged by credit cards for people with excellent credit, which tend to have the lowest regular APRs.

What is a 15 interest rate on a credit card? ›

An annual percentage rate (APR) of 15% indicates that if you carry a balance on a credit card for a full year, the balance will increase by approximately 15% due to accrued interest. For instance, if you maintain a $1,000 balance throughout the year, the interest accrued would amount to around $150.00.

What is a normal credit card APR? ›

What's the average interest rate on new credit card offers?
CategoryMinimum APRAverage
Average APR for all new card offers21.29%24.71%
0% balance transfer cards18.80%23.42%
No-annual-fee cards20.67%24.15%
Rewards cards21.00%24.61%
10 more rows

Is a 17% APR on a credit card good? ›

APRs vary depending on your credit score and the type of card you're considering. In general, a good credit card APR is any APR that falls at or below the national average. The best low-interest credit cards on the market offer rates as low as 17.24 percent.

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