Three Secrets To Getting the Lowest APR on Your Credit Card

Tuesday, September 3rd, 2013
Updated: September 3rd, 2013
The content is accurate at the time of publication and is subject to change.

Many people are concerned with getting the lowest possible APR on their credit cards. After all, the lower your APR—Annual Percentage Rate—the less you will pay in interest if you carry a balance from month to month.

The good news is, you can get the low APR you want if you know how. Credit cards offer 0% APR promotional offers that last for a period up to nearly two years. But they also offer low APR deals all the time, not just for introductory periods, but long-term.

Here are three secrets to getting the very lowest possible APR.

  • Have a great credit score. This is the most important factor in getting a low APR offer on your credit card. If you have good credit, then credit card issuers will offer you a low APR. You can achieve a credit score in the 800+ range, considered excellent, by doing a few things: always pay your bills on time, don’t use more than 30% of your available credit, have a mix of types of credit in use on your credit report, keep your credit accounts open so your credit history is as long as possible, don’t default on loans, and regularly check your credit report to make sure it does not contain mistakes.
  • Apply for a new credit card. Often, a new credit card will have the best APR deal. You can get a card that offers 0% interest for six months, a year, or even more, but pay attention to what the ongoing APR will be after that introductory period expires. You will want to make sure that the rate does not skyrocket after the promotion ends. It is possible to get an APR of 5% or 6% if you have good enough credit. Another thing to try is calling your current credit card issuer and asking them to lower your APR. If you are a longtime customer in good standing and your credit is good, they often will lower your APR.
  • Do a balance transfer. If you have some debt already and it is on a high-APR credit card, the best thing to do is apply for a credit card that offers a 0% APR balance transfer. If you have great credit—the first secret—then you will have plenty of offers to choose from. You might have to pay a fee to transfer your balance, but in the end it will be worth it because you will save so much on interest payments every month. Some people transfer balances from card to card to keep the 0% APR going as long as possible. Just be careful not to do this more than once or twice, or you risk damaging your credit from opening too many new accounts. Make a plan to pay off your balance within the promotional period. Then make sure the ongoing APR is low, too, so you will have it for purchases down the road.

You can get the low APR that will save you money—all you need is the three secrets of low APRs, and the right credit card.

All rates and fees, and other terms and conditions of the products mentioned in this article/post are actual as of the last update date but are subject to change. See the current products' Terms & Conditions on the issuing banks' websites.

Latest Low APR Credit Cards Guides

What Is Credit Cards’ 0% Intro APR and How to Use it Right? July 5th, 2020

Of course, everyone knows that the most effective way to get rid of credit card’s interest is to pay off the entire debt before the due date every month. However, this is life, and everything may happen. For example, you can make some major purchase, or you may suddenly need a large amount of money […]

Continue »
0% APR Credit Cards’ Pitfalls You Should Be Wary Of March 3rd, 2020

When choosing a credit card, one of the most important criteria for many applicants, apart from a $0 annual fee and rewards program, is the presence of a 0% intro APR period. In brief, once you apply for a 0% interest credit card and get approved, you can make purchases during the specified intro period, […]

Continue »
Variable APR on a Credit Card – What Is It? February 22nd, 2020

Even if you are new to the world of credit, you, probably, noticed that some cards’ terms contain the word “Variable” relative to interest rates. Most applicants tend to never pay attention to this addition and have no haziest notion about its exact meaning. However, credit cards with a variable rate are the majority. So what does variable APR mean?

Continue »
How to Lower Your Credit Card APR January 24th, 2020

APR is an annual percentage rate or an interest rate you need to pay on your credit card for certain operations. There are some types of APR: a purchase APR, a cash advance APR and a balance transfer APR. They can either be different or the same.

Continue »
How To Know If A Low APR Credit Card Is Right For You February 2nd, 2019

Do you pay your credit card balance off in full every month without fail? Or do you find that some months, it’s difficult to deliver the total amount due, and you need to let some of it ride until next month? Perhaps you can only pay the minimum amount due, as interest mounts with each statement that comes into your mailbox.

Continue »
Best Credit Offer
Best Credit Cards from Credit-Land.com
Check off the cards you want to compare. Then click the Compare link to go to the comparison table.
Consumer Rating: 5 / 5
Horizon Card Services Group One Freedom Card
Copyright © 2001-2024 BestCreditOffers.com All Rights Reserved.

*See the credit card's terms and conditions on the online application page. Note that this website may be compensated by credit card issuers when the visitor applies for a card through the links on this website. We do our best to maintain all information accurate and up to date. However, we do not warrant the credit card information won't change. Click the "Apply Online" button and review the current info on the secure credit card terms page.

Information in these articles is brought to you by BestCreditOffers.com. Banks, issuers, and credit card companies mentioned in the articles do not endorse or guarantee, and are not responsible for, the contents of the articles.

The BestCreditOffers.com webpage is a free service and an information resource for credit cards and financial products and services available to eligible United States consumers. BestCreditOffers.com does not offer any warranties and is not a direct service. There are no guarantees for approval or offers when applying for a credit card. Please refer to the application if you would like more information on each credit card. When you click "Apply" for a particular credit card, please take the time to review the terms and conditions of the product/service at the issuer's website. All logos on the BestCreditOffers.com website are property of their respective owners.

Disclaimer: This editorial content is not provided or commissioned by the credit card issuer. Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, not those of the credit card issuer, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the credit card issuer. Reasonable efforts are made to present accurate info, however all info is presented without warranty. Consult a card's issuing bank for terms & conditions.

BestCreditOffers.com makes every effort to keep information up to date and accurate. However, the information regularly changes and is presented without warranty. Therefore, we strongly recommend all our readers to visit the credit card application page by clicking "Apply Online!" button to review the detailed credit card's terms and conditions. Note that BestCreditOffers.com may be compensated by the credit card issuers when the readers apply for a credit card through this site.

BestCreditOffers.com is an independent, advertising-supported website which receives compensation from the credit card issuers and companies whose offers appear on the site. Compensation may impact how and where products appear on our site, including, for example, the order in which they may appear on the site pages. BestCreditOffers.com does not review or list all available financial or credit offers.

You've successfully subscribed!

Please specify the following:All these fields are optional

Thank you for providing this information! We will make sure our letters are useful for You.

User Generated Content Disclaimer: These responses are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.