An annual percentage rate (APR) of 24% indicates that if you carry a balance on a credit card for a full year, the balance will increase by approximately 24% due to accrued interest. For instance, if you maintain a $1,000 balance throughout the year, the interest accrued would amount to around $240.00.
Fortunately, you won’t be charged the 24% 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 24% APR, simply divide 24% by 365. The result is a rate of 0.0658% per day. Daily interest charges apply until the outstanding balance is paid in full.
This answer was first published on 09/13/21 and it was last updated on 04/04/23. 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.
FAQs
A 24% APR on a credit card means that, on an annual basis, you will be charged an interest rate of 24% on any outstanding balances you carry. It is the cost of borrowing money through the card, and if you owe Rs.
Is 24% APR high for a credit card? ›
Yes, a 24% APR is high for a credit card. While many credit cards offer a range of interest rates, you'll qualify for lower rates with a higher credit score. Improving your credit score is a simple path to getting lower rates on your credit card.
What is a 24% interest rate on a credit card? ›
An annual percentage rate (APR) of 24% indicates that if you carry a balance on a credit card for a full year, the balance will increase by approximately 24% due to accrued interest. For instance, if you maintain a $1,000 balance throughout the year, the interest accrued would amount to around $240.00.
Does APR apply 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.
What does 24 APR mean per month? ›
A credit account's APR shows how much you have to pay to borrow money. If you have a credit card with a 24% APR, that's the rate you're charged over 12 months, which comes out to 2% per month. Since months vary in length, credit cards break down APR even further into a daily periodic rate (DPR).
How do I get my APR lowered? ›
Here are some tips on how you can lower your credit card APR:
- 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. ...
- Consider a balance transfer. ...
- Pay off your balance. ...
- Learn your credit issuer's policy.
Currently, average credit card APR is around 20% Reward credit cards tend to have higher APR, averaging above 23% If you have bad credit then it means higher APR, too; average APR is currently over 29%
Is 24% interest legal? ›
In California, absent an exception which we discuss in depth below, the maximum allowable interest rate for consumer loans is 10% per year.
How can I avoid APR charges? ›
Ways to avoid credit card interest
- Pay your credit card bill in full every month.
- Consolidate debt with a balance transfer credit card.
- Be strategic about major purchases.
- Use a debt repayment method.
- Make multiple credit card payments per month.
- Tap into savings to pay down debt.
- Consider a personal loan.
Adam McCann, Financial Writer
Generally, a high credit card limit is considered to be $5,000 or more, and you will likely need good or excellent credit, along with a solid income, to get a limit of $25,000 or higher.
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.
Does APR go down if you pay off early? ›
If I pay off a personal loan early, will I pay less interest? Yes. By paying off your personal loans early you're bringing an end to monthly payments, which means no more interest charges. Less interest equals money saved.
Can I avoid APR if I pay in full? ›
If you pay off your purchases in full by your card's due date, and your issuer offers an interest-free grace period on purchases, you can largely ignore your credit card's APR.
Is 24% a lot of APR? ›
Generally, an APR below 21% is relatively low. Anything over 24% is more expensive. If you pay off your credit card balance in full every month, the APR won't be as important as you won't be paying interest. But if you forget and the APR is high, the interest charges will quickly rack up.
Why is my APR so high with good credit? ›
Key takeaways. Your credit card APR can go up if the prime rate changes, you paid your credit card bill late, your intro APR offer ended or your credit score dropped. If your APR increases, you can work on paying down your balance or transfer your balance to a card with a low or 0 percent intro APR offer.
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.
Is 24.99% APR good for a credit card? ›
A 24.99% APR is not good for mortgages, student loans, or auto loans, as it's far higher than what most borrowers should expect to pay and what most lenders will even offer. A 24.99% APR is reasonable for personal loans and credit cards, however, particularly for people with below-average credit.
What's a good APR on a credit card? ›
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.
Is 25 APR on a credit card bad? ›
This is one example of “bad APR,” as carrying a balance at a 25% APR can easily create a cycle of consumer debt if things go wrong and leave the cardholder worse off than when they started.
What is the highest APR allowed on a credit card? ›
Is There a Maximum Credit Card APR? There is no federal law limiting the interest credit card companies can charge in general. Credit card interest rates are capped at 36% for active-duty military service members and their covered dependents under the Military Lending Act.
