Annual Percentage Rate, or APR, is the yearly cost of borrowing money on a credit card, shown as a percentage. When you carry a balance from month to month, the card issuer charges interest based on your APR. Understanding how APR works—and how different rates explore to different types of transactions—helps you predict what you'll actually pay and make smarter decisions about when to use credit.

These articles explain how APR is calculated, why you might see multiple rates on one card, what happens when you miss a payment, and how introductory rates work. You'll learn the difference between purchase APR and cash advance APR, how to find your current rate, and what factors influence the rate you're offered when you open an account.