The median credit card interest rate for all credit cards in the Investopedia database jumped 12 basis points to 19.74% at the beginning of June over it’s level the previous month, based on average advertised rates across several hundred of the most popular card offers in the market. Investopedia’s average rate data differs markedly from the overall credit card rate average tracked by the Federal Reserve (the Fed), which was most recently quoted at 14.51% at the end of Q4 2021, due to the fact that the Fed samples a relatively limited number of banks and only considers the low end of the interest rate range advertised by card issuers. Given that the average FICO credit score in the U.S. was 716 in 2021, up 5 points from its level in 2020, according to Experian, Investopedia believes it is more accurate to track the median midpoint value of advertised credit card interest rate ranges rather than the low end as a 716 credit score would not qualify for the best rates available as implied by Fed average rates.

Credit card interest rates are expected to begin adjusting upward, as most card issuers employ variable interest rates that are indexed to the Federal Reserve’s Prime Rate. However, the lower and upper ends of available card rates can change from month to month depending on competitive pressures and individual banks’ risk policies. After having cut rates twice in 2019 for general economic reasons and then again in March of 2020 in an attempt utilize monetary policy to jump-start economic activity amid the initial COVID-19 crisis, the Federal Reserve has signaled upcoming increases to its benchmark federal funds interest rate. Specifically, due to dramatic increases in the consumer price index in Q4 of 2021 and Q1 2022 the Fed has indicated that multiple interest rate hikes will occur in 2022 following the first increase of 0.25% in April and another of 0.50% in May in order to tap the brakes on economic expansion and resulting inflation. A wide variety of consumer loans, including credit cards, are tied to movements of the Fed funds rate which is the mechanism the Fed employs to stimulate or slow the magnitude of lending depending on economic conditions.

Several factors influence how individual credit card rates are set, the most important of which is credit quality, with those with excellent credit receiving the lowest rates and those with no credit or bad credit receiving the highest rates. Other factors include the type of credit card and the risk-based pricing policies of the specific credit card issuer. 

Investopedia tracks average advertised rates for new applicants, which are typically quoted as a range for each card product, across more than 300 card offers, which are shown below broken out by credit quality, card type, and card issuer.

Interest Rates by Credit Quality Types

Different ranges of credit quality can vary depending on the type of score used but the most popular credit score used by credit card lenders is the FICO score.

Different ranges of credit quality can vary depending on the type of score used but the most popular credit score used by credit card lenders is the FICO score. Credit quality is defined according to the FICO score ranges for each credit quality level:

Interest Rates by Credit Card Types

• Rewards: Credit cards that offer points, miles, or cash back on purchases
• Student: Credit cards designed for for the limited credit history and credit education needs of college students
• Secured: Credit cards that require a security deposit that serves as an initial credit line
• Business: Credit cards designed for small business owners providing segregation of business expenses, working capital and often rewards and discounts on business-related purchase categories.

Interest Rates by Issuer

Credit card issuers have different risk-based pricing policies that cause variation in the ranges of interest rates they advertise and eventually assign to customers based on approved applicants’ credit scores.

Prime Rate Trend

Credit card interest rates are predominantly indexed to the Prime Rate along with a margin which varies at the card product level and individual account holder’s credit quality. The Prime Rate currently stands at 3.25%, the lowest level since Q4 2015 and has been adjusted downward from its decade-high of 5.50% reached in Q4 2018 after Federal Reserve economic stimulus actions in Q3 and Q4 2019 and again in March 2020. Since the last change in March 2020 the Prime Rate has remained unchanged.

Delinquency Rate Trend

Credit card delinquency rates, defined as accounts that are 90 days or more overdue, has been below 3% in recent years and had fallen by nearly 30 basis points between Q1 and Q2, and by another 38 basis points between Q2 and Q3 2020, likely due to decreased card spending during the pandemic and the positive impact of stimulus payments on paying down card debt. However, delinquency rates ticked back up slightly (by 10 basis points) in Q4 2020, possibly indicating a new inflection point in the recent positive trending.

Credit Card Debt Trend

Total consumer revolving credit card debt dropped below $1 trillion in the most recent quarter for the first time since 2017, reflecting the impact of COVID-19 on consumer credit card spending and outstanding credit card debt. The latest monthly data from the Fed shows January 2021 total credit card outstanding debt dropping nearly $10 billion from the end of Q4, to $965.1 billion.

Methodology

Investopedia tracks individual credit card rates on more than 300 cards offered to the public from 32 of the nation’s largest banks and issuers. Most credit card rates are advertised in the form of a range from low to high depending on the applicant’s credit score. In determining average rates by credit quality, card type, card type, or card issuer, Investopedia calculates the average mid-point of advertised interest rate ranges and also calculates the average of the lower and upper ends of rates that are expressed in ranges.