 TITLE: What Can Increase Your Credit Card’s APR? CONTENT: What to Do if Your APR Increases\n--------------------------------\nHow you respond to an APR increase can vary depending on what prompted the increase and how you use your credit card.\n*   **If you pay your bill in full each month,** you generally don't pay interest on purchases. As a result, you won't be impacted if your card's APR rises or falls, and don't necessarily need to react.\n*   **If you occasionally carry a balance,** a higher APR could cost you money. You might want to compare your cards' APRs and use the card with the lowest rate for purchases.\n*   **If your card's promotional rate ends** and you're still paying down the balance, you might want to try to pay down the balance sooner. Or, you may want to open a new balance transfer card and move the remaining balance to take advantage of a new promotional rate—and pay off the balance before that promo period ends.\n*   **If you're over 60 days past due,** you could research credit counseling and financial assistance programs. These may be able to provide help with your credit card bills and other household expenses.\nYou don't necessarily need or want to cancel a credit card because its APR increases. Closed cards can continue to accrue interest, and card issuers can increase the minimum payment on closed accounts. And if it applies to existing balances, that may be true even if you close your card.\nKeeping your account open could help your credit scores, as you'll have more credit available to you—which may result in a lower credit utilization rate. Depending on the circumstances, you may also be able to call the issuer and try to negotiate a lower APR while your account is open. END