Banks are notorious for making numbers complicated. Even something as seemingly simple as your credit card’s annual percentage rate (APR) becomes complex when trying to calculate how banks get that number. But not to fear — learning how to calculate APR on a credit card is possible, and we’ll show you how.
As a responsible consumer, you’re rightfully concerned as to how this perplexing number determines what you’re paying in interest charges. We’ve broken it all down for you as simply as possible and will show you:
- Three simple steps for calculating your APR
- How to pay no interest at all with a balance transfer
- The best balance transfer cards available today
We’ll take you through step by step and explain the hows and whys of each. Let’s get started with calculating your APR.
3 Steps to Calculate Your APR
It’s actually quite easy once you know the equation, which we’ll explain here.
1. Find Your Average Daily Periodic Rate
Your Average Daily Periodic Rate can be found at the bottom of your monthly statement. We’ll call it ADPR. This number will be very low and may not seem like much, but this is what you are being charged in interest on average daily. We’ll touch more on this in step 2, but for this calculation, we’ll assume it’s .04654.
2. Multiply ADPR By 365
Take the ADPR (.04654) and multiply it by 365, the number of days in a year. You use the number of days in a year because your interest compounds daily. Your ADPR represents what you are charged each day and is determined by your outstanding balance. Banks use the average balance over the entire billing cycle.
(.04654)(365) = 16.987
Note: Some credit card issuers use 360 instead of 365, according to the CFPB.
3. View Your APR
Round that number up to get 16.99% — your APR. The calculation is:
(ADPR)(365) = APR
Transfer the Balance and You Could Pay $0 Interest
If you’ve done the math and aren’t happy with what you see, there’s a way to stop paying interest for a while. It’s called a 0-percent intro APR, and some cards offer them for up to 18 months.
This works by applying for a new card and transferring your current balance to the new card. You’ll receive up to 18 months of an interest-free balance AND most cards even offer 0 percent interest on purchases. This means everything charged to the new card will also be interest free for a while, depending on your agreement.
The Best Balance Transfer Credit Cards Available
Our experts are always looking for the best balance transfer cards, as they’re such a popular option among consumers today who are sick of paying sky-high interest rates. Granted, many factors determine the interest you’re being charged, but if you have good credit, you’ll likely qualify for one of these cards.
Below are a few of our experts’ top picks, but to see the full list, visit our balance transfer review page.
Additional Disclosure: Citi is a CardRates advertiser. Additional Disclosure: Citi is a CardRates advertiser.
Final Advice
By understanding your APR, you’ll be able to comprehend how interest is calculated and tacked on to your monthly bill. This should prompt you to pay your balance off every month because those interest fees can have a considerable impact on budgets. But if you carry a balance, hopefully by now you’ve decided you’re not going to settle for paying high interest (or any interest!) any longer and are ready to transfer that balance to a 0% intro APR card that will treat you better. Also, don’t forget how important it is to make your payments on time every month — having a history of on-time payments is the most important factor used when calculating your credit score.
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