CreditCards.com Weekly Credit Card Rate Report: Credit card interest rates remain unchanged

From the Wires

Jan. 2, 2013 03:16 PM

AUSTIN, Texas, Jan. 2, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Interest rates on new credit card offers began the new year at a standstill, according to the CreditCards.com Weekly Credit Card Rate Report. The average APR on new credit card offers remained fixed at 14.96 percent for the eighth consecutive week.

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The average is comprised 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	14.96%	14.96%	14.91%
Low Interest	10.40%	10.40%	10.40%
Balance Transfer	12.62%	12.62%	12.46%
Business	13.13%	13.13%	12.67%
Student	13.31%	13.31%	13.31%
Cash Back	14.30%	14.30%	14.24%
Airline	14.63%	14.63%	14.63%
Reward	14.80%	14.80%	14.75%
Instant Approval	15.49%	15.49%	15.49%
Bad Credit	23.64%	23.64%	23.64%
Source: CreditCards.com
Updated: 1-02-2013

None of the issuers tracked by CreditCards.com made changes to their card portfolios over the holidays. That includes changes to promotional balance transfer offers and introductory APRs, as well as standard interest rates.

Instead, issuers closed 2012 the same way they began it, by leaving credit card terms alone. 2012 was the most stable year for credit card offers on record, according to CreditCards.com research.

Average rates on new credit card offers remained unchanged for 37 weeks out of 53.
Compare that to 2011 – the second most stable year on record – when average rates remained unchanged just 26 weeks out of 53.

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

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