The highest credit card interest rate in recent memory was 79.9% on a card offered by First Premier Bank in 2010 but that offer’s not available anymore. The current highest credit card interest rate is 36% on the First PREMIER® Bank Mastercard Credit Card.
The next highest credit card interest rate seems to be 35.99%, charged by the Total Visa® Card and the Milestone® Mastercard®. These rates are very high when you consider that the average interest rate is only around 22.89%.
Some of the Highest Credit Card Interest Rates on the Market
Highest Interest Rate Overall:First PREMIER® Bank Mastercard Credit CardFirst PREMIER® Bank Mastercard Credit CardLearn MoreLearn More
APR: 36%
One-time fee: $55 - $95
Monthly fee: $0 - $8 1st yr, $6.25 - $10.4 after
Annual fee: $0
Credit requirement: None
- Rates & FeesFast Application Process:Total Visa® CardTotal Visa® CardLearn MoreLearn Moreon issuer's website
APR: 35.99%
One-time fee: $95
Monthly fee: $0 1st year, $8.25 after
Annual fee: $75 1st yr, $48 after
Credit requirement: None
- Emergency Loan:Milestone® Mastercard®Milestone® Mastercard®Learn MoreLearn Moreon issuer's website
APR: 35.9%
One-time fee: $0
Monthly fee: $0 1st yr, $12.50 after
Annual fee: $175 1st yr; $49 after
Credit requirement: None
- Damaged Credit:Destiny Mastercard®Destiny Mastercard®Learn MoreLearn Moreon issuer's website
APR: 35.9%
One-time fee: $0
Monthly fee: $0 1st yr, $12.50 after
Annual fee: $175 1st yr; $49 after
Credit requirement: None
As you can see, the highest credit card interest rates are typically found on cards for people with bad credit. The better your credit is, the better your chance of getting a lower interest rate. Legally, there actually is no highest credit card interest rate that’s possible. Credit card companies are allowed to charge any interest rate. But they must clearly state what that rate is in the card’s terms and conditions.
Companies that would like to charge outrageous interest rates are limited by what people are actually willing to pay. You should always make sure you know a card’s interest rate before applying. Otherwise, it may come as a nasty surprise.
How to Avoid High Credit Card Interest Charges
It’s worth remembering that, no matter how high or low your interest rate is, it will never affect you unless you carry a balance between months. If you always pay off your bill in full, you’ll never pay any interest unless you take out a cash advance. So, if you don’t spend beyond your means, interest rates shouldn’t be a huge consideration when you’re picking a credit card.
But if you’re not confident about your ability to pay in full, you should prioritize low interest rates in your search. Many cards will even offer you 0% interest for a number of months to start. While there are a few interest-free credit cards for bad credit, you’ll usually need at least good credit to get one of the best 0% intro APR credit cards.
This answer was first published on 01/11/18 and it was last updated on 03/26/24. For the most current information about a financial product, you should always check and confirm accuracy with the offering financial institution. Editorial and user-generated content is not provided, reviewed or endorsed by any company.
