National credit card rate averages

Here's a look at the state of interest rates on five common consumer banking products and the latest rates from Bankrate.com's weekly national survey of large banks and thrifts conducted Nov. 4, 2009.

Credit Cards

After 10 weeks at 12.34 percent, the average fixed rate for purchases dipped 3 basis points. The mean variable rate hiked 17 basis points to 11.68 percent.

Average purchase rates on standard cards didn't budge this week. The mean fixed rate rested at 13.46 percent and the variable rate kept to 11.48 percent.

Direct-mail credit card offers worsened and dwindled in volume in the third quarter, according to new research from Mintel Comperemedia. Credit card issuers sent 71 percent fewer offers than they did a year ago. Only 6 percent of the advertisements sent had fixed interest rates, down from 27 percent last year, and a mere 5 percent offered an introductory period for 13 months or more. Balance transfer fees of 4 percent and 5 percent appeared on 16 percent of solicitations, which were rare in 2008.

You can find your best credit card deal -- by type -- at Bankrate's interactive tool.

-- Leslie McFadden