Key takeaways
- Opening a 0 p.c intro APR bank card generally is a good selection in terms of saving on curiosity costs as you pay down debt.
- Nonetheless, there are nonetheless sure conditions through which playing cards with a 0 p.c introductory charge can earn curiosity.
- In the event you discover you’ve been charged curiosity throughout your introductory interval, it’s necessary to determine why with a purpose to scale back the chances of it occurring once more.
Though inflation is lastly slowing down, its influence remains to be being felt by Individuals throughout the nation, a lot of whom have turned to bank cards as a option to take care of their bills — and their debt. With extra folks within the U.S. now carrying a steadiness on their card than in recent times in line with a Bankrate survey, it’s no shock that the recognition of 0 p.c introductory APR bank cards has gone up.
These playing cards function by providing an introductory annual share charge (APR) of 0 p.c for brand new cardholders on both purchases, steadiness transfers or each. This 0 p.c APR provide lasts for a set introductory interval, usually between 12 and 21 months.
With accountable use, 0 p.c intro APR bank cards can assist you strategically get monetary savings on upcoming purchases or pay down previous money owed — however provided that you’re capable of keep away from curiosity costs. And since present bank card rates of interest sit at a median of virtually 21 p.c, one in every of these playing cards might prevent a whole bunch of {dollars} a yr or extra — so long as you play by the principles present in your bank card settlement.
In the event you not too long ago opened a bank card with a 0 p.c intro APR however have been shocked to find you now owe curiosity in your balances, there are a variety of causes this might have occurred.
Why do you owe curiosity on a 0% APR bank card?
In the event you apply for and begin utilizing a 0 p.c intro APR bank card with out taking note of the provide and the main points, you can get caught with greater than you bargained for. The next are 5 widespread the explanation why you may now owe curiosity on a 0 p.c intro APR bank card:
1. The intro provide expired
This is without doubt one of the most typical causes that balances on 0 p.c introductory APR bank cards start to earn curiosity. Playing cards with lengthy introductory durations, like 21 months, will usually include extra stringent necessities, corresponding to needing a excessive credit score rating. However some playing cards with much less stringent necessities have far shorter introductory durations that may be as little as six months earlier than the usual variable charge applies. As soon as the promotional interval ends, the variable and ongoing APR will apply to any steadiness remaining, in addition to all new purchases and steadiness transfers.
It’s simpler than you may assume for cardholders to lose monitor of when their promotional interval ends, considering they’ve extra time to repay their purchases or steadiness transfers than they do. Test your bank card assertion or card settlement to search out out whether or not your introductory interval has ended and when.
2. The 0% provide solely utilized to sure transactions
One other widespread difficulty comes from misunderstanding what sorts of transactions are included within the card’s 0 p.c intro APR provide. You might have anticipated that your provide could possibly be used for each purchases and steadiness transfers, however that isn’t at all times the case. For instance, the Citi Double Money® Card solely has an interest-free interval for steadiness transfers, not purchases.
In the event you make purchases on a bank card that solely has an introductory provide for steadiness transfers, these purchases will start accruing curiosity at the usual charge. The identical goes for transferring debt to a bank card that solely has an introductory provide on purchases.
Your card settlement will state what sorts of transactions are lined by the introductory provide, in addition to the APRs for the transactions that aren’t lined.
3. A late fee voided the APR interval
If you open a brand new bank card, you’ll obtain a month-to-month assertion on the finish of your billing cycle. This bank card assertion accommodates quite a lot of necessary data, together with costs you made for the earlier month and any curiosity or charges you owe.
It can even have the minimal fee it’s good to make by the due date every month — even in case you’re making the most of a 0 p.c intro APR provide. Failure to pay that quantity will depend as a late fee, which can void the phrases of your introductory provide.
In the event you thought you didn’t need to make month-to-month funds throughout your promotional interval, you’re not alone. But when that’s the case, like quite a lot of different folks, you may’ve gotten an unlucky shock if you noticed your subsequent billing assertion.
4. You missed a deadline
A steadiness switch helps you save some huge cash, particularly in case you switch your debt from a high-interest bank card to at least one with an introductory 0 p.c APR provide. However relying on the bank card, you could have a restricted period of time inside the introductory interval through which to make the steadiness switch.
Some bank cards solely offer you just a few months from account opening to make your steadiness transfers, such because the Financial institution of America® Personalized Money Rewards bank card, which provides a 0 p.c introductory APR for 15 billing cycles on steadiness transfers made inside 60 days (then 18.24 p.c – 28.24 variable APR kicks in).
The Wells Fargo Replicate® Card is one other fashionable steadiness switch card with a steadiness switch deadline. The cardboard provides a 0 p.c introductory APR for 21 months (with an 18.24 p.c, a 24.74 p.c or a 29.99 p.c ongoing variable APR afterward), however you will need to full your steadiness switch inside 120 days from account opening for it to qualify.
In the event you waited too lengthy to maneuver your debt over to the cardboard earlier than the deadline, you can merely be seeing normal charges and costs in your bank card assertion.
5. You didn’t qualify for the 0% intro APR provide
It’s potential to qualify for a bank card however not the promotional provide. This will occur if you reply to a bank card give you obtained within the mail or your inbox. Folks generally assume that it’s the identical because the provide they see on-line, but it surely might not be.
Relying in your creditworthiness, a card issuer could ship you a customized provide that’s totally different from the final provide discovered on-line. If in case you have nice credit score, this may work in your favor, and you might obtain the next welcome bonus or a decrease rate of interest than what’s marketed. However in case you don’t have nice credit score, you might lose out on choose options just like the 0 p.c introductory provide.
In the event you assumed your new bank card got here with a promotional provide that it didn’t, you’ll probably find yourself paying curiosity in your bank card balances.
What do you do if you owe curiosity on a 0 p.c APR card?
In the event you’re charged curiosity on a 0 p.c introductory APR card, step one is to search out out why. You can begin by checking your bank card assertion in addition to your cardholder settlement to be sure to adopted the phrases and circumstances. You can too contact your card issuer and ask.
When you’ve verified the curiosity costs are authentic, make a plan for the way you’ll repay this bank card debt. This can be as straightforward as opening a brand new 0 p.c APR card, transferring the steadiness over and paying that card down. You should use a bank card payoff calculator to create a debt payoff plan for that new card.
However this may occasionally not work for everybody. In the event you already carry quite a lot of debt, you might not qualify for a brand new bank card. If that’s the case, you might want extra assist than a calculator and finances can present. Listed below are just a few methods that could be accessible to you:
Irrespective of which technique you select, it could possibly be helpful so that you can search out a credit score counselor. A licensed credit score counselor from an accredited non-profit can assist you provide you with a plan or just offer you recommendation on how you can transfer ahead.
The underside line
Bank cards with 0 p.c intro APR provides could be an efficient instrument to keep away from shedding a whole bunch of {dollars} in curiosity costs and assist you to higher handle your private funds. In the event you not too long ago opened one, solely to find you continue to need to pay curiosity costs, you don’t need to really feel discouraged. By figuring out why this occurred and developing with a plan to pay down your debt, you may keep away from this case sooner or later.
Issuer-required disclosure assertion
Details about the Citi Double Money® Card has been collected independently by Bankrate. Card particulars haven’t been reviewed or accepted by the issuer.
The Financial institution of America content material on this article was final up to date on January 31, 2024.
