Low, as low as zero, interest on a credit card sounds attractive. Who wouldn’t want to borrow money and pay it back at leisure with no ‘penalty’? But what sounds like honey can often be laced with bee droppings.
For those with excellent credit it is indeed possible to obtain a card with a comparatively low interest rate. Rates as low as 5% are still possible, though likely not for long. (9%-15% is more common, which is still good for credit card debt.)
For those with less than stellar credit, a low interest rate offer is more likely going to be one with hidden clauses.
Look for caps on amounts charged or transferred. Some offers allow the low rate only on transferred amounts. Other contracts specify limited periods. (6-12 months is common, 15 months is possible.) After that time, the low interest rate automatically switches to the normal APR on any remaining balance.
What is an APR? And what constitutes ‘excellent’ credit?
APR is an acronym for Annual Percentage Rate. Suppose you charge $100 and the APR is 12%. Does that mean you pay $12 in interest for the year? Probably not. The APR is divided up into a monthly...