Final answer:
The finance charge on a credit card with a 10.5% APR interest rate is calculated using the average daily balance. For the given scenario, the average daily balance is $145, and when multiplied by the monthly interest rate of 0.875%, the finance charge comes out to approximately $1.27 for the month.
Step-by-step explanation:
To calculate the finance charge on a credit card with a 10.5% APR interest rate, you need to calculate the average daily balance and then apply the interest rate to this average balance for the 1 month period. To do this:
- Days 1-3: $150 balance for 3 days
- Days 4-20: $200 balance for 17 days (after a $50 purchase)
- Days 21-30: $50 balance for 10 days (after a $150 payment)
Average Daily Balance = [(150 x 3) + (200 x 17) + (50 x 10)] / 30
The APR is annual, so to get the monthly rate, divide by 12:
Monthly Interest Rate = 10.5% / 12
Now, apply the monthly rate to the average daily balance to find the finance charge:
Finance Charge = Average Daily Balance x (Monthly Interest Rate)
Plugging in the values:
Average Daily Balance = (450 + 3400 + 500) / 30 = 4350 / 30 = $145
Monthly Interest Rate = 10.5% / 12 = 0.875% per month
Finance Charge = $145 x (0.875 / 100) ≈ $1.27
Therefore, the finance charge for the month would be approximately $1.27, rounded to the nearest hundredth.