The following represents useful data on credit card interest rates in the United States as they have changed over time. These rates are presented as functions of credit card delinquency, national unemployment and credit card charge-off. The margin reflects the differential above the prime rate.
| Date | Avg. Interest Rate of All Credit Card Accounts | Avg. Assessed Interest Rate of Accounts with Finance Charges | Interest Rate Margin of All Credit Card Accounts | Interest Rate Margin of Accounts with Finance Charges | 30+ Credit Card Delinquency Rate | Unemployment Rate | Charge-off Rate |
| Feb-91 | 18.28 | NA | 9.23 | NA | 5.29 | 6.6 | 4.18 |
| May-91 | 18.22 | NA | 9.72 | NA | 5.32 | 6.9 | 4.68 |
| Aug-91 | 18.25 | NA | 9.75 | NA | 5.41 | 6.9 | 4.75 |
| Nov-91 | 18.2 | NA | 10.62 | NA | 5.3 | 7 | 4.69 |
| Feb-92 | 18.1 | NA | 11.6 | NA | 5.31 | 7.4 | 4.91 |
| May-92 | 17.98 | NA | 11.48 | NA | 4.96 | 7.6 | 4.93 |
| Aug-92 | 17.68 | NA | 11.68 | NA | 5.04 | 7.6 | 4.32 |
| Nov-92 | 17.36 | NA | 11.36 | NA | 4.7 | 7.4 | 4.58 |
| Feb-93 | 17.23 | NA | 11.23 | NA | 4.63 | 7.1 | 4.09 |
| May-93 | 17.18 | NA | 11.18 | NA | 4.33 | 7.1 | 3.9 |
| Aug-93 | 16.59 | NA | 10.59 | NA | 4.14 | 6.8 | 3.58 |
| Nov-93 | 16.31 | NA | 10.31 | NA | 3.91 | 6.6 | 3.39 |
| Feb-94 | 16.09 | NA | 10.09 | NA | 3.62 | 6.6 | 3.29 |
| May-94 | 16.15 | NA | 9.16 | NA | 3.18 | 6.1 | 3.06 |
| Aug-94 | 16.32 | NA | 8.81 | NA | 3.29 | 6 | 2.92 |
| Nov-94 | 15.69 | 15.77 | 7.54 | 7.62 | 3.3 | 5.6 | 3.13 |
| Feb-95 | 16.1 | 15.28 | 7.1 | 6.28 | 3.48 | 5.4 | 2.94 |
| May-95 | 16.14 | 16.26 | 7.14 | 7.26 | 3.57 | 5.6 | 3.33 |
| Aug-95 | 15.92 | 15.9 | 7.17 | 7.15 | 3.9 | 5.7 | 3.63 |
| Nov-95 | 15.81 | 15.74 | 7.06 | 6.99 | 3.99 | 5.6 | 4.01 |
| Feb-96 | 15.8 | 15.42 | 7.55 | 7.17 | 4.04 | 5.5 | 4.21 |
| May-96 | 15.44 | 15.33 | 7.19 | 7.08 | 4.12 | 5.6 | 4.53 |
| Aug-96 | 15.66 | 15.66 | 7.41 | 7.41 | 4.53 | 5.1 | 4.45 |
| Nov-96 | 15.62 | 15.52 | 7.37 | 7.27 | 4.68 | 5.4 | 4.73 |
| Feb-97 | 15.88 | 15.15 | 7.63 | 6.9 | 4.67 | 5.2 | 4.92 |
| May-97 | 15.74 | 15.72 | 7.24 | 7.22 | 4.55 | 4.9 | 5.4 |
| Aug-97 | 15.8 | 15.79 | 7.3 | 7.29 | 4.77 | 4.8 | 5.38 |
| Nov-97 | 15.76 | 15.74 | 7.26 | 7.24 | 4.9 | 4.6 | 5.6 |
| Feb-98 | 15.68 | 15.34 | 7.18 | 6.84 | 4.72 | 4.6 | 5.26 |
| May-98 | 15.65 | 15.7 | 7.15 | 7.2 | 4.56 | 4.4 | 5.08 |
| Aug-98 | 15.82 | 15.84 | 7.32 | 7.34 | 4.8 | 4.5 | 5.24 |
| Nov-98 | 15.67 | 15.73 | 7.78 | 7.84 | 4.82 | 4.4 | 5.3 |
| Feb-99 | 15.39 | 14.73 | 7.64 | 6.98 | 4.61 | 4.4 | 5.04 |
| May-99 | 15.19 | 14.94 | 7.44 | 7.19 | 4.29 | 4.2 | 4.38 |
| Aug-99 | 15.07 | 14.8 | 7.01 | 6.74 | 4.64 | 4.2 | 4.4 |
| Nov-99 | 15.12 | 14.78 | 6.75 | 6.41 | 4.63 | 4.1 | 4.64 |
| Feb-00 | 15.55 | 14.3 | 6.82 | 5.57 | 4.35 | 4.1 | 4.62 |
| May-00 | 15.6 | 14.76 | 6.36 | 5.52 | 4.32 | 4 | 4.24 |
| Aug-00 | 15.98 | 15.37 | 6.48 | 5.87 | 4.62 | 4.1 | 4.29 |
| Nov-00 | 15.99 | 15.26 | 6.49 | 5.76 | 4.7 | 3.9 | 4.7 |
| Feb-01 | 15.63 | 14.63 | 7.13 | 6.13 | 4.75 | 4.2 | 4.77 |
| May-01 | 15.06 | 14.65 | 7.82 | 7.41 | 4.75 | 4.3 | 5.24 |
| Aug-01 | 14.59 | 14.67 | 7.92 | 8 | 5.09 | 5 | 5.25 |
| Nov-01 | 14.21 | 13.9 | 9.11 | 8.8 | 4.86 | 5.5 | 6.43 |
| Feb-02 | 13.62 | 13 | 8.87 | 8.25 | 4.85 | 5.7 | 7.85 |
| May-02 | 13.53 | 13.36 | 8.78 | 8.61 | 4.61 | 5.8 | 6.27 |
| Aug-02 | 13.36 | 13.29 | 8.61 | 8.54 | 4.96 | 5.7 | 5.94 |
| Nov-02 | 13.11 | 12.78 | 8.76 | 8.43 | 5.05 | 5.9 | 5.63 |
| Feb-03 | 12.26 | 11.96 | 8.01 | 7.71 | 4.57 | 5.9 | 5.77 |
| May-03 | 12.12 | 12.89 | 7.87 | 8.64 | 4.38 | 6.1 | 6.11 |
| Aug-03 | 12.47 | 13.13 | 8.47 | 9.13 | 4.29 | 6.1 | 5.4 |
| Nov-03 | 12.35 | 12.93 | 8.35 | 8.93 | 4.62 | 5.8 | 6.07 |
| Feb-04 | 12.67 | 12.42 | 8.67 | 8.42 | 4.1 | 5.6 | 5.38 |
| May-04 | 12.69 | 12.93 | 8.69 | 8.93 | 4.02 | 5.6 | 5.39 |
| Aug-04 | 13.02 | 13.6 | 8.59 | 9.17 | 4.12 | 5.4 | 4.67 |
| Nov-04 | 12.51 | 13.92 | 7.58 | 8.99 | 4.2 | 5.4 | 4.71 |
| Feb-05 | 12.21 | 14.13 | 6.72 | 8.64 | 3.62 | 5.4 | 4.63 |
| May-05 | 12.77 | 14.81 | 6.79 | 8.83 | 3.56 | 5.1 | 4.35 |
| Aug-05 | 12.48 | 14.75 | 6.04 | 8.31 | 3.95 | 4.9 | 4.33 |
| Nov-05 | 12.58 | 14.49 | 5.58 | 7.49 | 3.65 | 5 | 6.05 |
| Feb-06 | 13.3 | 14.38 | 5.8 | 6.88 | 3.8 | 4.8 | 3.13 |
| May-06 | 13.16 | 14.77 | 5.23 | 6.84 | 4.01 | 4.6 | 3.52 |
| Aug-06 | 13.06 | 14.67 | 4.81 | 6.42 | 4.17 | 4.7 | 3.87 |
| Nov-06 | 13.31 | 15.09 | 5.06 | 6.84 | 4.05 | 4.5 | 4.03 |
| Feb-07 | 13.41 | 14.64 | 5.16 | 6.39 | 3.96 | 4.5 | 3.93 |
| May-07 | 13.46 | 14.47 | 5.21 | 6.22 | 3.9 | 4.4 | 3.85 |
| Aug-07 | 13.59 | 15.24 | 5.34 | 6.99 | 4.45 | 4.6 | 4.05 |
| Nov-07 | 12.75 | 14.38 | 5.25 | 6.88 | 4.68 | 4.7 | 4.15 |
| Feb-08 | 12.47 | 13.77 | 6.47 | 7.77 | 4.8 | 4.8 | 4.7 |
| May-08 | 11.88 | 13.51 | 6.88 | 8.51 | 4.74 | 5.4 | 5.47 |
| Aug-08 | 11.94 | 13.64 | 6.94 | 8.64 | 4.83 | 6.1 | 5.62 |
| Nov-08 | 12.03 | 13.36 | 8.03 | 9.36 | 5.72 | 6.8 | 6.30 |
| Feb-09 | 12.97 | 13.54 | 9.72 | 10.29 | 6.61 | 8.2 | 7.62 |
| May-09 | 13.32 | 14.43 | 10.07 | 11.18 | 6.53 | 9.4 | 9.77 |
| Aug-09 | 13.71 | 14.9 | 10.46 | 11.65 | 6.51 | 9.7 | 10.10 |
| Nov-09 | 13.6 | 14.37 | 10.35 | 11.12 | 6.43 | 9.9 | 10.12 |
| Feb-10 | 14.26 | 14.67 | 11.01 | 11.42 | 5.88 | 9.7 | 10.16 |
| May-10 | 13.84 | 14.48 | 10.59 | 11.23 | 4.9 | 9.6 | 10.97 |
| Aug-10 | 13.59 | 14.22 | 10.34 | 10.97 | 4.59 | 9.6 | 8.55 |
| Nov-10 | 13.44 | 13.67 | 10.19 | 10.42 | 4.22 | 9.8 | 7.70 |
| Feb-11 | 13.43 | 13.44 | 10.18 | 10.19 | 3.89 | 9.0 | 6.96 |
| May-11 | 12.89 | 13.06 | 9.64 | 9.81 | 3.50 | 9.0 | 5.58 |
| Aug-11 | 12.28 | 13.08 | 9.03 | 9.83 | 3.47 | 9.1 | 5.63 |
| Nov-11 | 12.36 | 12.78 | 9.11 | 9.53 | 3.32 | 8.7 | 4.53 |
| Feb-12 | 12.34 | 13.04 | 9.09 | 9.79 | 3.11 | 8.3 | 4.37 |
| May-12 | 12.06 | 12.76 | 8.81 | 9.51 | 2.79 | 8.2 | 4.24 |
| Aug-12 | 11.95 | 13.22 | 8.70 | 9.97 | 2.83 | 8.1 | 3.83 |
- The 10-year average delinquency rate is 4.62% (May 2001 to May 2011)
- The 20-year average delinquency rate is 4.53% (May 1991 to May 2011)
(Sources: Federal Reserve, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, CardHub.com)
