Low Interest Credit Cards – Shopping For the Best Available
Low interest credit cards are essential tools for the frequent credit card user. Because many people cannot pay off their credit cards entirely when the bill arrives each month, enrolling in a low interest rate credit card program can help you keep your interest rate fees to a minimum. There are a variety of highly feasibly strategies available for shoppers that are in the market for low interest credit cards.
Background
Before you begin shopping for the best available low interest credit card, it is important to understand how rates are set. You probably know that all people wishing to obtain any sort of credit in the U.S. must go through a “credit check.” A credit check is essentially a survey of your past credit transactions that will help to determine the degree of liability that a credit card company may have to assume if you are going to be a client. Because there are so many credit card users representing a variety of backgrounds, individuals are assigned a unique “credit score.” In general, the higher your score is, the better chance you have of obtaining a low interest credit card.
Balance Transfer
While no credit card company can readily offer an interest-free card (at least for the long-term), you may be able to frequently transfer your credit card balance to a company that offers so-called “cheap credit cards.” Cheap credit cards are, essentially, credit cards that offer a limited-time-only promotion whereby individuals that enroll to receive a special low interest credit card will benefit from a 0% interest for a pre-determined amount of time. Buyers: beware. Often, when a company offers a 0% introductory rate, they make up for the generosity by drastically increasing the rate once the trial period has expired. For this reason, many individuals that use these cheap credit cards frequently migrate their balances from one low interest credit card provider to the next.
Be a Long-term Client
While migrating your balance from one company offering cheap credit cards to the next may seem like a strategic move, the frequent moving actually has a negative long-term effect on your credit score. Each time you open and close a credit card account, your credit score is threatened. The more you open and close the less stable you will appear. Therefore, your credit score will necessarily be lowered. However, there is hope for long-term clients wishing to obtain a low interest credit card. No matter how low or high your interest rate is when you initially enroll in a program, if you can establish a strong history with a credit card company, you will be in a good position to negotiate a low interest rate.
Shop Around
It may seem intuitive, but many credit card users neglect to shop around for the best rates. Instead, they sign up with whichever low interest credit card company that offers an appealing rate on the direct mail campaign. However, with a little research, you will likely find that there is a huge disparity between the rates that various credit card companies are prepared to offer. Also, if you are a member of any professional organization, you may qualify for an additional discount on the interest rate. Do your research; you will find that education will be your finest asset when selecting a low interest rate credit card.
Everyone wants to shop using a low interest credit card. No matter how affluent you are, many people bulk at the idea of paying high interest rates month after month. Regardless of your existing credit score, if you combine strategy and research, you can certainly find a slew of low interest credit cards that will make your purchasing experience much more pleasurable. Remember: cheap credit cards not only soothe any shopper’s conscious, but they allow shoppers to retain some extra cash that they can put towards more important purchases.
Low Interest Credit Cards: Are You Still Paying Too Much?
You may think that the rate you are paying on your current credit card is low, but chances are it isnt the lowest rate you could be paying. 0% interest rate credit card offers are still availabledo 
you have one? If not, why not? If you dont have a low interest credit card in your wallet, you may be missing out on a great way to save yourself hundreds of pounds per year. Lets take a look at some of the ways you can find a low interest credit card today.
Contact Your Current Credit Card Company.
Once in awhile, consumers can persuade their current credit card company to give them a lower rate. Unfortunately, most credit card companies will not budge much on their current rate to you or the rate they agree to give to you is not the lowest available rate going. What a hassle! While you dont have to get rid of your current card, shopping for a new one is probably the easiest and most pain free way to secure the lowest rate.
Shop For A New Card.
Speaking of new cards, there are hundreds of credit card providers, each of whom wants your business. With bankruptcy laws tightening and consumers shopping more carefully, the competition for customers has sharpened. For smart shoppers, it is a buyers market when it comes to finding a low interest credit card that meets your needs. Rewards cards are popular and so are credit cards such as Citibanks Citi Simplicity card which doesnt charge you late fees. Compare the various offers out there to select the card that is right for you.
Consolidate Debt.
If you already have several credit cards and owe money on each one, consider getting a new low interest credit card with a fixed rate. Many will allow you to transfer balances from high interest credit cards — which are currently charging you 17.9%, 21.9%, or even 24% or more per year — to their low interest rate credit card for a small fee. You can also ask the new credit card provider to waive their balance transfer fee for even greater savings for you. In addition, some will agree to give to you a low balance transfer rate [for example, 6.9%] for the life of your balance. As you might guess, you can potentially save hundreds of pounds per year with this type of an agreement.
In all cases, if you dont have the lowest rate available, just ask your credit card provider for it. If they are not interested in giving to you a 0% percent rate, start shopping for a new low interest credit card today that is right for you. Take charge of your finances: you have nothing to lose, but plenty of money to gainwhats in your wallet?
With interest rates rising, low or zero percent credit cards may soon become a thing of the past. However, the wise shopper can still secure a low rate by carefully shopping around. Here are 
some ways you still get a bargain rate card:
Contact Your Current Provider. Chances are the interest rate with your current credit card provider has been inching up for the better part of the past year. Whereas previously you could have had a 5% rate, the card may now be up to 8, 9, or even 10%. What can you do? Contact your credit card provider and ask for a lower rate. They can tell you no, at the risk of you going elsewhere, or give you a fixed lower rate. If your provider refuses to budge, see if they would consider a lower rate for a certain period of time, lets say for six or twelve months. The added savings of the temporary lower rate can be beneficial especially if you have a big purchase coming up that you plan on paying off within 6 to 12 months.
Shop Around. Like most Americans, you probably are receiving solicitations in the mail for credit cards. If that is the case, find the plan that works the best for you and apply. Usually, a low introductory rate is offered as well as balance transfer options. If the card has no annual fees and no additional fees are assessed for transferring funds, go with the new company especially if the rate is lower.
Consolidate Your Debt. If your current credit card provider wont lower their rate and the new card companys rate isnt quite as low as you expected, consider obtaining a debt consolidation loan through a lending institution. To get the lowest rate possible you may have to offer up something as security for example, the equity in your house to obtain the lowest rate. Do this only if you have sufficient equity and can reasonably expect to pay the loan or line of credit off.
The Federal Reserve Bank has raised interest rates ten times since June 2004. Still, lending institutions can and are offering lower rate credit cards and loans. As a savvy consumer you can and will find the best deals out there.
A low APR credit card is the best option for securing credit by far. The lower your interest rate is, the less you have to pay for borrowing money and using your card. Yet, it is very clear to most of us that our credit score is the main factor in what makes this number high or low. The better your credit has been, the better your ability to secure a low APR credit card. Is there anything you can do to better your opportunities? Of course there is.
Why Low APR Is Important
If you are looking at two credit card offers that have come your way, you want to determine which one offers you the lowest APR, or annual percentage rate. This number will define how much the credit lender will charge you to use their service. Even a few fractions of a rate will matter greatly. If you carry a balance on your credit card, as most people do, you will be charged interest on that amount. The lower the interest rate is, the less you have to pay.
What Determines It?
What is it that determine is if you get low interest credit cards? There are many things that play a role in what you are offered, how much you are offered, as well as in the interest you will be charged. One of the most fundamental aspects, though, is that of your credit score. The ability that you have to secure a low APR is based at least in part on this. The lower your score, the more of a risk you are to the company. Therefore, to keep it worth the while for them, they charge you more in interest. If you have a better score, you are less of a risk. Therefore, you get the lowest APR.
How To Lower APR
It goes without saying that if you want to improve your ability to secure low APR credit cards that you would do so by improving your credit. So, how do you do that? It can be a bit worrisome to individuals that have a low credit score. Here are a few ways to improve your score quickly.
1. Pay your bills on time. Just one late payment on your credit report is going to cost you dearly in your score. This mark on your report will hurt you considerably.
2. Pay down debt quickly. If you know you will need to extend your credit over the next few months and want to get a low APR credit card, you need to pay down as much debt that you currently have. You create a shift from having too much debt to credit ratio to having more credit than debt. This is a big plus for you.
3. Dont close accounts. It pays to have accounts opened with no balance or low balances on them. This provides for addition debt to create ratio numbers that greatly impact your abilities to secure low APR credit cards.
While we all want low interest credit cards, you are better capable of getting this ability if you work hard at improving that score. There are many other things to do, including not spending on credit cards and not opening too many accounts at once. You surely can be in a better place when you do get those numbers up and improve your overall ability to secure low APR credit cards in the future.
Hunting for and selecting the very best low APR credit cards has become easier with the advent of the Internet where you can do easy comparisons (from the various options available to you at the click of a mouse) as to which low APR credit card will be the best for your needs. 
Simply put, low APR credit cards charge you an interest rate even lower than the standard APR offered by most traditional credit cards. The lower the interest rate or APR, the cheaper the card is to carry and the more money you’ll save on it. Easy enough, right? So if you carry a large monthly card balance, a low APR credit card could be very beneficial for you. In some cases, low rate credit cards can help cardholders save a lot of money. But whats an APR anyway?
The Rationale of Low APR Credit Cards
The Annual Percentage Rate (APR) is the cost of credit; it is the amount of interest rate that is chargeable to any outstanding balance on a credit card. If you dont make the full payment within the grace period certified by the credit card company, the card issuer has the right to charge you an interest rate for the service, a fee known as the APR. For a credit card to be considered a cheap credit card it should have a low APR.
With a low APR credit card, there is always fine print in the terms and conditions to take note of. Commonly, consumers fail to read the fine print that might include the following:
1) Annual Fees: Many low APR credit card offers might provide a low interest rate or APR but require you to pay a substantial annual fee. If the effective interest rate (after counting the annual fee) is indeed higher than the actual rate, then this credit card is obviously masked in the garb of a low APR credit card.
2) Low Introductory Rates: Credit card companies know that low introductory rates are a great incentive. So when suddenly, the initial period ends, and your monthly minimum payment increases dramatically, you know something definitely smells fishy. Check it before you fall prey.
3) High Balance Transfer Fees: Another trick in the trade is that some amongst the low APR credit card fraternity offer low balance transfer rates that come with a high balance transfer fee (which would be mentioned in the fine print).
The moral of this story: Read and re-read the fine print associated with any low APR credit card before you apply.
Want Low Rate Credit Cards?
Follow these simple steps:
-Call the institutions in which you already have a bank account or credit card account. Discuss with them the possibility of converting your existing account to a low rate account.
-If your existing credit card company cannot provide this request, seek out an offer and a card issuer that does.
-Get in touch with the companies you are interested in applying for low rate credit cards. They might be able to provide information about existing card offers that you might not be aware of.
-Fill out the card application and return as per the instructions. Make a follow-up call to the credit card company if you have not heard from them within the next 10 to 15 business days.
-You have the right to obtain an explanation if the credit card company has turned down your application. The denial letter must explain how you can obtain your credit report.
Keep in mind, however, that credit card issuers reserve the lowest possible interest rate offers for customers with the strongest credit histories, so maintain a good credit history is essential when trying to secure all types of low APR credit cards.