The Annual Percentage Rate (APR) is the amount of interest rate that is chargeable to any outstanding balance of a credit card, which is the amount you have charged to your credit card for a month. If you don't make the full payment within the grace period, the credit card company has the rights to charge you an interest rate for their services, a fee known as the APR. Thus, the lower the APR, the less you have to pay for the services of your credit card.
Low APR cards usually incur an interest rate of lower than 6%. However, certain companies offer 0 APR cards. This literally means that you won't have to pay for any interest charges on top of your outstanding balance even if you delay payment for several months, or sometimes up to a period of one year. This is the main reason why many users opt for a 0% APR as a balance transfer card or as a method to consolidate their already huge credit card debt.
Users of both good and bad credit histories can benefit from a 0 APR card. Those with a good credit history can make the minimum payment required to keep their credit card services, without fear of the interest rates accumulating. As 0 APR is only available for a limited promotional time period (usually between 6 and 12 months), card users are also able to clear the debts from their other credit cards that carry a higher APR. These balance transfers are able to help users save a substantial amount, as long as they settle their outstanding balances within the promotional period.
What's more, card users with bad credit histories are able to cut down the amount of interest rates incurred upon their huge debts. 0 APR cards usually allow cash advances of several thousands, which can help consolidate huge debts. Of course, all these come with a fee but nevertheless can still dramatically help reduce debt that would otherwise go unpaid. This means that the credit card user gets cash advance at practically no cost, at least for the next 12 months.
About the Author:
Adam Goldman recommends Find Credit Cards to compare 0 APR cards. See http://www.findcreditcards.org/type/0-apr.php for more information.
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