Annual percentage rate (APR)

In the context of credit cards, the periodic rate times the number of periods in a year. For example, a 1.5% monthly rate has an APR of 18%. In the context of consumer lending, the APR takes into account more than the interest rate applied to the principal per period. Under the Truth in Lending Act, it has a specific definition and includes all the costs paid by a non-exempt consumer borrower that are considered a "finance charge," including fees paid to third parties by the lender if not properly disclosed and excluded from the finance charge (such as credit insurance).