AUSTIN, Texas, Jan. 4, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Interest rates on new credit card offers were unchanged to start the new year, according to the CreditCards.com Weekly Credit Card Rate Report.
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The average is composed of 100 of the most popular credit cards in the country, including cards from dozens of leading U.S. issuers and representing every card category. Introductory (teaser) rates are not included in the calculation.
Rates for card categories tracked by CreditCards.com are listed below:
Credit Card Averages
Avg. APR | Last week | 6 months ago | |
National Average | 15.14% | 15.14% | 14.75% |
Low Interest | 10.62% | 10.62% | 10.73% |
Balance Transfer | 12.85% | 12.85% | 12.78% |
Business | 13.13% | 13.13% | 13.07% |
Student | 13.77% | 13.77% | 13.77% |
Airline | 14.54% | 14.54% | 14.31% |
Cash Back | 14.74% | 14.74% | 13.90% |
Reward | 14.82% | 14.82% | 14.28% |
Instant Approval | 15.49% | 15.49% | 15.99% |
Bad Credit | 24.96% | 24.96% | 24.96% |
Source: CreditCards.com | |||
Updated: 1-4-2012 | |||
The average annual percentage rate (APR) stayed fixed at 15.14 percent. It's the first time since CreditCards.com began tracking rates in 2007 that the national average APR didn't move in the first week of the year.
Though they were static this week, rates are significantly higher than they were in the first week of 2011. A year ago, the national average APR stood at 14.71 percent. And in the first week of 2010, the national average stood at just 12.87 percent -- more than 2 percentage points lower than the current rate.
Still, today's rate is shy of the record high of 15.22 percent, set in mid-December. It was the seventh record high set in 2011, equaling the number seen in 2010.
The CreditCards.com credit card rate survey (permalink: http://www.creditcards.com/rate-report) is conducted weekly, using offer data from the leading U.S. card issuers' websites. Introductory offer periods and regular interest rates will vary with applicants' credit quality and issuer risk-based pricing policies.
About CreditCards.com
CreditCards.com is the leading online credit card marketplace connecting consumers with multiple credit card issuers, including a majority of the 10 largest in the United States, based on credit card transaction volume. CreditCards.com, http://www.creditcards.com, enables consumers to search for, compare and apply for credit cards and offers credit card issuers an online channel to acquire qualified applicants.
SOURCE CreditCards.com
