How to Request Credit Card Interest Payments History

Learn about how to find your credit card interest rates and the history of interest accumulated and paid off on outstanding credit card balances. Interest on a credit card account is the fee charged by the credit card issuer on accounts in which the balance is not paid off in full by the bill's due date. Interest rates can vary widely from card to card, with some card issuers offering low-interest introductory offers and various grace periods. Interest can go up or down based on the size of the balance, new purchases, and issuer rates. 

The interest appears on the card statement each month. But you can also access the interest accrued on older statements going back years into the past.

Log onto your credit card issuer's online banking website if the issuer has one. Enter your user name and password or create one when prompted on the issuer's website. Look for a link that says "View Statements" (or something similar) and click on it.

Look for links such as "View Past Statements" or drop down menus that allow you to select a time period to look at. Some issuers may only keep online statements available for a few months while some may allow access to statements issued years ago. 2-5 years is a good example of the average period that past statements are kept active for viewing on online credit card accounts.

Call the credit card issuer if the statement that has the interest history you want to view is not available online. The telephone number is on the back of the credit card. A customer service number is also available on paper statements and on the issuer's website.

Tell the issuer that you want to know the interest amounts accrued and amounts paid on your account. Specify specific time frames if you want the interest history for certain statements. The issuer will be able to provide the amount of interest accrued and paid off during the time period as well as the interest rate at that time.

Use online account access to make payments, view transactions, and see past statements. Always create a secure username and password as this online account will include access to your account numbers and personal information.

Never give your account information through e-mail. Also never give your account information over the telephone if someone calls you and claims to be from the card issuer. Credit card issuers will never ask for this information over e-mail.