How to get a lower credit card APR, bank by bank
Most cardholders who ask for a lower rate get one. Banks keep retention teams for exactly this call. Here is how often it works, and how five big banks compare.
Data as of Nov 14, 2026. Numbers with a source link are quoted from that source. Numbers marked Estimate are Haggle estimates until our own calls measure them.
Sorted by typical rate cut
American Express comes first on this measure. The highlighted column is the one the table is sorted by, and each column header says where its numbers come from.
| Bank | Typical rate cutEstimate | Wait to a personEstimate | Satisfaction scoreJ.D. Power 2025, via Clark.com | Late fee refunds grantedEstimate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Express | 6.5 pts | 4 min | 643 | 95% |
| Citi | 6 pts | 11 min | 608 | 90% |
| Chase | 5.5 pts | 9 min | 619 | 88% |
| Discover | 5 pts | 5 min | 617 | 96% |
| Capital One | 4 pts | 6 min | 621 | 85% |
Questions people ask
Does asking for a lower credit card APR work?
Most of the time. 84% (LendingTree survey, via KKTV) of cardholders who asked got a lower rate, and the average cut was 6.3 pts (LendingTree survey, via KKTV).
What is the average credit card APR right now?
On accounts that were charged interest, 22.36% (Federal Reserve G.19).
Which bank gives the biggest rate cut?
In our estimates, Amex, at about 6.5 pts (Estimate) when it says yes.
Will asking for a lower rate hurt my credit?
A rate request is usually a phone call, not a new application, so it does not normally need a hard credit check. Haggle asks the bank before accepting anything that does.
Haggle makes the call for you
It says it is an AI assistant, waits on hold, and asks for exactly what you want. You pay only if the bank says yes.
