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Vol. I, No. 13 Afternoon Edition

The Fed Gazette

A civic journal of money and credit

Live Federal Reserve rates, FOMC decisions, speeches, and Treasury data, with every figure copied from the agency that published it.

Consumer credit

Credit Card Interest Rates: Average APR Chart and Data

The commercial bank interest rate on credit card plans was 21.19% for all accounts in August 2026, and 22.36% for accounts assessed interest, according to the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, via GOVSPENDING.ORG.

Source: Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (G.19 Consumer Credit), via GOVSPENDING.ORG, TERMCBCCALLNS, Commercial bank interest rate on credit card plans, all accounts, percent, monthly; Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (G.19 Consumer Credit), via GOVSPENDING.ORG, TERMCBCCINTNS, Commercial bank interest rate on credit card plans, accounts assessed interest, percent, monthly · Published · Updated

The interest rate commercial banks charge on credit card plans, for all accounts and for accounts that were assessed interest, from the Federal Reserve Board’s G.19 Consumer Credit release. A chart, what changed since last month, and a plain explanation. Figures are copied as published.

  • All accounts 21.19% August 2026 Higher than the previous print
  • Accounts assessed interest 22.36% August 2026 Higher than the previous print

Credit Card Interest Rates chart

Credit card interest rates over time

Monthly commercial bank interest rate on credit card plans, in percent, not seasonally adjusted, as published. Each point is a stored monthly print.

20.5%21.0%21.5%22.0%22.5%23.0%Oct ’25Jan ’26Apr ’26Jul ’2620.5%21.0%21.5%22.0%22.5%23.0%Oct ’25Jan ’26Apr ’26Jul ’2620.5%21.0%21.5%22.0%22.5%23.0%Oct ’25Jan ’26Apr ’26Jul ’2620.5%21.0%21.5%22.0%22.5%23.0%Oct ’25Jan ’26Apr ’26Jul ’26
14.0%16.0%18.0%20.0%22.0%24.0%2022202320242025202614.0%16.0%18.0%20.0%22.0%24.0%2022202320242025202614.0%16.0%18.0%20.0%22.0%24.0%2022202320242025202614.0%16.0%18.0%20.0%22.0%24.0%20222023202420252026
10.0%15.0%20.0%25.0%2018202020222024202610.0%15.0%20.0%25.0%2018202020222024202610.0%15.0%20.0%25.0%2018202020222024202610.0%15.0%20.0%25.0%20182020202220242026
10.0%15.0%20.0%25.0%199520002005201020152020202510.0%15.0%20.0%25.0%199520002005201020152020202510.0%15.0%20.0%25.0%199520002005201020152020202510.0%15.0%20.0%25.0%1995200020052010201520202025
  • All accounts 21.19% Aug 1, 2026
  • Accounts assessed interest 22.36% Aug 1, 2026

Source: Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (G.19 Consumer Credit), via GOVSPENDING.ORG, TERMCBCCALLNS, Commercial bank interest rate on credit card plans, all accounts, percent, monthly · as of · retrieved

More series in the data library
Data
Credit card interest rates over time, the last print of each calendar quarter (a sample of the plotted lines)
PeriodAll accountsAccounts assessed interest
November 199415.69%15.77%
February 199516.10%15.28%
May 199516.14%16.26%
August 199515.92%15.90%
November 199515.81%15.74%
February 199615.80%15.42%
May 199615.44%15.33%
August 199615.66%15.66%
November 199615.62%15.52%
February 199715.88%15.15%
May 199715.74%15.72%
August 199715.80%15.79%
November 199715.76%15.74%
February 199815.68%15.34%
May 199815.65%15.70%
August 199815.82%15.84%
November 199815.67%15.73%
February 199915.39%14.73%
May 199915.19%14.94%
August 199915.07%14.80%
November 199915.12%14.78%
February 200015.55%14.30%
May 200015.60%14.76%
August 200015.98%15.37%
November 200015.99%15.26%
February 200115.63%14.63%
May 200115.06%14.65%
August 200114.59%14.67%
November 200114.21%13.90%
February 200213.62%13.00%
May 200213.53%13.36%
August 200213.36%13.29%
November 200213.11%12.78%
February 200312.26%11.96%
May 200312.12%12.89%
August 200312.47%13.13%
November 200312.35%12.93%
February 200412.67%12.42%
May 200412.69%12.93%
August 200413.02%13.60%
November 200412.51%13.92%
February 200512.21%14.13%
May 200512.77%14.81%
August 200512.48%14.75%
November 200512.58%14.49%
February 200613.30%14.38%
May 200613.16%14.77%
August 200613.06%14.67%
November 200613.31%15.09%
February 200713.41%14.64%
May 200713.46%14.47%
August 200713.59%15.24%
November 200712.75%14.38%
February 200812.47%13.77%
May 200811.88%13.51%
August 200811.94%13.64%
November 200812.03%13.36%
February 200912.97%13.54%
May 200913.32%14.43%
August 200913.71%14.90%
November 200913.60%14.37%
February 201014.26%14.67%
May 201013.84%14.48%
August 201013.59%14.22%
November 201013.44%13.67%
February 201113.44%13.44%
May 201112.89%13.06%
August 201112.28%13.08%
November 201112.36%12.78%
February 201212.34%13.04%
May 201212.06%12.76%
August 201211.95%13.21%
November 201211.88%12.81%
February 201311.94%13.02%
May 201311.95%12.76%
August 201311.88%13.11%
November 201311.85%12.89%
February 201411.83%13.14%
May 201411.83%12.74%
August 201411.82%13.18%
November 201411.99%13.68%
February 201511.98%13.53%
May 201512.04%13.49%
August 201512.10%13.93%
November 201512.22%13.70%
February 201612.31%13.51%
May 201612.16%13.35%
August 201612.51%13.76%
November 201612.41%13.61%
February 201712.54%13.86%
May 201712.77%14.00%
August 201713.08%14.89%
November 201713.16%14.99%
February 201813.63%15.32%
May 201814.14%15.54%
August 201814.38%16.46%
November 201814.73%16.86%
February 201915.09%16.91%
May 201915.13%17.14%
August 201915.10%16.97%
November 201914.87%16.88%
February 202015.09%16.61%
May 202014.52%15.78%
August 202014.58%16.43%
November 202014.65%16.28%
February 202114.75%15.91%
May 202114.61%16.30%
August 202114.54%17.13%
November 202114.51%16.44%
February 202214.56%16.17%
May 202215.13%16.65%
August 202216.27%18.43%
November 202219.07%20.40%
February 202320.09%20.92%
May 202320.84%22.16%
August 202321.19%22.77%
November 202321.47%22.75%
February 202421.59%22.63%
May 202421.51%22.78%
August 202421.76%23.37%
November 202421.47%22.80%
February 202521.37%21.91%
May 202521.16%22.25%
August 202521.39%22.83%
November 202520.97%22.30%
February 202621.00%21.52%
May 202620.94%22.15%
August 202621.19%22.36%
Cite all accounts

Cite the agency first. This paper is the place you read the figure, as of August 2026.

  • APA Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (G.19 Consumer Credit), via GOVSPENDING.ORG. (2026, August 1). TERMCBCCALLNS, Commercial bank interest rate on credit card plans, all accounts, percent, monthly [Data set]. https://govspending.org/series/TERMCBCCALLNS/ Retrieved October 9, 2026, via The Fed Gazette, https://fedgazette.com/credit-card-interest-rates/#chart-credit-card-interest-rates-0
  • MLA Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (G.19 Consumer Credit), via GOVSPENDING.ORG. “TERMCBCCALLNS, Commercial bank interest rate on credit card plans, all accounts, percent, monthly.” TERMCBCCALLNS, Commercial bank interest rate on credit card plans, all accounts, percent, monthly, data as of 1 Aug. 2026, https://govspending.org/series/TERMCBCCALLNS/. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026 via The Fed Gazette, https://fedgazette.com/credit-card-interest-rates/#chart-credit-card-interest-rates-0.
  • Chicago Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (G.19 Consumer Credit), via GOVSPENDING.ORG. “TERMCBCCALLNS, Commercial bank interest rate on credit card plans, all accounts, percent, monthly.” Data as of August 1, 2026. https://govspending.org/series/TERMCBCCALLNS/. Retrieved October 9, 2026 via The Fed Gazette, https://fedgazette.com/credit-card-interest-rates/#chart-credit-card-interest-rates-0.
Cite accounts assessed interest

Cite the agency first. This paper is the place you read the figure, as of August 2026.

  • APA Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (G.19 Consumer Credit), via GOVSPENDING.ORG. (2026, August 1). TERMCBCCINTNS, Commercial bank interest rate on credit card plans, accounts assessed interest, percent, monthly [Data set]. https://govspending.org/series/TERMCBCCINTNS/ Retrieved October 9, 2026, via The Fed Gazette, https://fedgazette.com/credit-card-interest-rates/#chart-credit-card-interest-rates-0
  • MLA Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (G.19 Consumer Credit), via GOVSPENDING.ORG. “TERMCBCCINTNS, Commercial bank interest rate on credit card plans, accounts assessed interest, percent, monthly.” TERMCBCCINTNS, Commercial bank interest rate on credit card plans, accounts assessed interest, percent, monthly, data as of 1 Aug. 2026, https://govspending.org/series/TERMCBCCINTNS/. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026 via The Fed Gazette, https://fedgazette.com/credit-card-interest-rates/#chart-credit-card-interest-rates-0.
  • Chicago Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (G.19 Consumer Credit), via GOVSPENDING.ORG. “TERMCBCCINTNS, Commercial bank interest rate on credit card plans, accounts assessed interest, percent, monthly.” Data as of August 1, 2026. https://govspending.org/series/TERMCBCCINTNS/. Retrieved October 9, 2026 via The Fed Gazette, https://fedgazette.com/credit-card-interest-rates/#chart-credit-card-interest-rates-0.

As of August 2026 · Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (G.19 Consumer Credit), via GOVSPENDING.ORG · TERMCBCCALLNS, Commercial bank interest rate on credit card plans, all accounts, percent, monthly · Percent · original series TERMCBCCALLNS on FRED · Retrieved

As of August 2026 · Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (G.19 Consumer Credit), via GOVSPENDING.ORG · TERMCBCCINTNS, Commercial bank interest rate on credit card plans, accounts assessed interest, percent, monthly · Percent · original series TERMCBCCINTNS on FRED · Retrieved

Average credit card interest rate: what changed since the last print

The latest all accounts print is 21.19% for August 2026, higher than the print before it, 20.94% for May 2026. About a year earlier, for August 2025, it was 21.39%, and the latest print is lower than that.

The latest accounts assessed interest print is 22.36% for August 2026, higher than the print before it, 22.15% for May 2026. About a year earlier, for August 2025, it was 22.83%, and the latest print is lower than that.

This paper says only whether the latest stored print is higher than, lower than, or the same as an earlier stored print, and prints both. It does not compute a difference or a percent.

PeriodAll accountsAccounts assessed interest
August 202621.19%22.36%
May 202620.94%22.15%
February 202621.00%21.52%
November 202520.97%22.30%
August 202521.39%22.83%
May 202521.16%22.25%
February 202521.37%21.91%
November 202421.47%22.80%
August 202421.76%23.37%
May 202421.51%22.78%
February 202421.59%22.63%
November 202321.47%22.75%

What the average credit card interest rate is, in plain English

The Federal Reserve Board’s G.19 Consumer Credit release reports the interest rate that commercial banks charge on credit card plans. One series covers all accounts. The other covers only accounts that were assessed interest in the period, which leaves out cardholders who paid their balance in full.

Card rates are variable. Most are set as a margin over the prime rate, which in turn follows the federal funds target range, so a change in the Federal Reserve’s policy rate tends to reach card rates within a billing cycle or two.

These are averages across many accounts, not the rate on any one card. A cardholder’s own rate depends on the issuer, the card, and the borrower’s credit.

APR
Annual percentage rate: the yearly cost of borrowing, shown as a percent.
Assessed interest
Accounts on which the bank charged interest in the period.
Prime rate
The base rate banks use to price many variable-rate loans, including most credit cards.

Average credit card interest rate questions answered

What is the latest average credit card interest rate?

The commercial bank interest rate on credit card plans was 21.19% for all accounts in August 2026, and 22.36% for accounts assessed interest, according to the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, via GOVSPENDING.ORG.

Why are there two credit card rate series?

One covers all accounts. The other covers only accounts assessed interest, so it leaves out balances paid in full each month.

Do credit card rates follow the Fed?

Most card rates are variable and priced over the prime rate, which follows the federal funds target range. A policy change therefore tends to reach card rates.

Is this the rate on my card?

No. It is an average across accounts at commercial banks. Your own rate depends on your issuer, your card, and your credit.

What does the as-of date mean?

It is the date the agency attached to the figure, and it is printed beside the figure. It can be earlier than today: a daily series is dated its business day, a weekly or monthly series is dated its week or month. The page also prints when this paper retrieved the file, so you can tell a late feed from a late print.

How do I cite a figure from this page?

Cite the agency first (Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, via GOVSPENDING.ORG). Then name The Fed Gazette as the place you read it. The Cite this panel on the page gives APA, MLA and Chicago lines built from the agency, the series name, the as-of date, the source URL and the date this paper retrieved the file.