National Credit Card APR Trends
Track weekly average credit card APRs nationwide, compiled from 8,500+ U.S. banks and credit unions. Compare current averages and week-over-week changes across general, cash back, secured, and low-interest cards.
Current National Credit Card APR Trends
National General Credit Card rose 0.028 points this week to 11.159%, up from 11.131% last week.
Credit card APRs are among the highest of any consumer lending product and respond directly to Federal Reserve rate decisions. The national average general credit card APR has risen significantly over the past several rate cycles. Credit unions consistently offer lower APRs than banks — often 5–8 percentage points lower — because they operate as member-owned cooperatives without a profit motive.
Low-interest credit cards (defined here as APRs at or below 18%) are predominantly offered by credit unions, which use them as member retention tools. Cash back card APRs tend to run higher than plain credit cards because the rewards cost must be offset somewhere. Secured cards typically carry higher APRs due to the higher-risk borrower profile they serve.
These averages are calculated from 3,698 verified credit card APR quotes collected across 1,765 banks and credit unions reporting nationally — updated daily by MonitorBankRates.com's proprietary systems. Rates reflect what real licensed institutions are actually offering, not teaser intro rates.
National Credit Card Rate Trends
Daily average rates since March 15, 2026. Hover over the chart to see exact rates for each day.
Averages from 3,698 APR quotes across 1,765 U.S. banks & credit unions • As of Apr 1, 2026
