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# The 22% APR cap on revolving cards: where it stands

It isn't law. The draft consumer credit contracts law, which the Council of Ministers approved in a first reading on 7 January 2026, sets a transitional 22% cap on revolving cards, including existing ones. It never reached Congress, and the Cortes were dissolved on 5 October 2026 ahead of the 29 November election.

Filip Sardjoski ([About](https://orwanna.com/en/about/)) · Updated: 19 October 2026 · Reviewed by: Not yet · Next review: 20 November 2026

## What is the 22% cap?

It's a ceiling on the cost of consumer credit that the draft law sets until the permanent limits are approved. Until then, the maximum would be 22%.

According to the Council of Ministers' summary, the transitional cap would apply to credit signed after the law comes into force, and also to the settlement of existing revolving cards. The Ministry of Consumer Affairs describes it as a 22% APR (TAE) cap.

For contracts with no end date, such as revolving cards, the draft says the interest charged may not exceed 22 points. Alternatively, the lender could cancel the credit and keep the repayment terms for the debt you already have.

## Is it in force yet?

No. It's an anteproyecto: a draft the Government approved in a first reading on 7 January 2026 and put out for public consultation until 30 January. Banco de España points out that it isn't final and has to go through several stages before it's approved.

The Congress table of bills open for amendments, updated on 2 October 2026, doesn't list a consumer credit contracts law. A Finantres Noticias article of 14 September 2026 also describes it as pending.

On 5 October 2026 the Government dissolved the Cortes and called a general election for 29 November 2026. The bills still in Parliament lapsed, and no consumer credit law had reached it. The cap is still only a Government draft: none of the records we checked at La Moncloa, the Congress and the BOE on 19 October 2026 shows a later step.

## What would change for my card?

If it's passed as drafted, your revolving card couldn't charge you more than 22% until the permanent limits exist, including on the debt you already have. Several cards currently publish a higher APR on deferred payment.

| Card | APR (TAE) on deferred payment, per the issuer |
|---|---|
| Cetelem credit card | 23.99% |
| WiZink cards (MaX Dia, Aplazame, WiZink Click, WiZink Now) | 23.85% |
| Visa Pass Carrefour | 23.10% to 23.13% |
| IKEA Visa | 23% |
| Tarjeta Alcampo Dúa | 22.99% |
| CaixaBank Payments & Consumer cards | 22.42% |

Figures from each issuer's pages, checked on 16 October 2026.

The saving would be real, but small next to paying more. In the example of €2,000 with a €60 payment:

| | Months to zero | Interest |
|---|---|---|
| At 23.85% APR, €60 payment | 52 | €1,080 |
| At 22% APR, €60 payment | 50 | €948 |
| At 23.85% APR, €80 payment | 34 | €680 |
| At 23.85% APR, €100 payment | 26 | €501 |

Worked out with our calculator, converting each APR to a TIN without fees.

**When will you finish?** Enter your balance, TIN and payment. You'll see how many months you have left and how much interest you pay, with and without round-ups. [Open the calculator](https://orwanna.com/en/calculator/)

## What would the permanent limits be?

The average consumer credit rate plus a margin that depends on the amount. The Ministry of Consumer Affairs says Banco de España would publish the limit every quarter.

According to the Council of Ministers' summary, the margins would be:

- Up to €1,500: 15 points above the average rate.
- €1,500 to €6,000: 10 points above.
- Over €6,000 for under 8 years: 8 points above.
- Over €6,000 for over 8 years: 6 points above. The Ministry of Economy's press release gives 8 points here, not 6.

## Why now?

Because of a 2023 EU consumer credit directive. Spain had to transpose it by 20 November 2025, and its rules apply from 20 November 2026.

The directive asks countries to prevent excessively high interest rates or costs, for example with caps. In January 2026 the European Commission started proceedings against Spain and 22 other countries for not fully transposing it.

## How does it relate to usury?

They're different things. The cap would be a rule for all new credit and revolving cards. Usury is decided by a judge, case by case, under Spain's 1908 usury law.

In 2023 the Supreme Court held that, for revolving cards, interest is "notably higher" if it exceeds the average market rate by more than 6 points. The guide [Pay it off, consolidate or claim?](https://orwanna.com/en/guides/pay-off-vs-consolidate-vs-claim/) explains it.

## What can I do meanwhile?

Don't wait for the law. With the card you have today, raising your payment or making extra payments saves you more than cutting the rate to 22%. The [guide to getting out of revolving debt](https://orwanna.com/en/guides/get-out-of-revolving-debt/) explains how.

## Sources

1. [Referencia del Consejo de Ministros, 7 January 2026](https://www.lamoncloa.gob.es/consejodeministros/referencias/paginas/2026/20260107-referencia-rueda-de-prensa-ministros.aspx), La Moncloa, 7 January 2026
2. [Press release on the draft consumer credit contracts law](https://portal.mineco.gob.es/es-es/comunicacion/Paginas/creditos-consumo.aspx), Ministerio de Economía, Comercio y Empresa, 7 January 2026
3. [Public consultation on the draft consumer credit contracts law](https://portal.mineco.gob.es/es-es/ministerio/participacionpublica/audienciapublica/Paginas/anteproyecto-ley-contratos-credito-consumo.aspx), Ministerio de Economía, Comercio y Empresa, open until 30 January 2026
4. [Text of the draft consumer credit contracts law](https://portal.mineco.gob.es/RecursosArticulo/mineco/ministerio/participacion_publica/audiencia/ficheros/ECO_TES_20260108_AP_APL_Credito_Consumo.pdf), Ministerio de Economía, Comercio y Empresa
5. [Las nuevas normas sobre créditos al consumo limitarán los intereses](https://portal-cec.consumo.gob.es/es/comunicacion/noticias/2026/las-nuevas-normas-sobre-creditos-al-consumo-limitaran-los-intereses-para), Ministerio de Derechos Sociales, Consumo y Agenda 2030, 24 April 2026
6. [Proyecto de nueva regulación de los créditos al consumo](https://clientebancario.bde.es/pcb/es/blog/proyecto-de-nueva-regulacion-de-los-creditos-al-consumo.html), Banco de España, Portal del Cliente Bancario, 25 February 2026
7. [Table of amendment deadlines, 15th legislature](https://www.congreso.es/webpublica/ficherosportal/cuadro_plazo_enmiendas_XV.pdf), Congreso de los Diputados, updated 2 October 2026
8. [Tarjetas revolving por encima del 22 %: la ley que debe limitar su coste sigue pendiente](https://finantresnoticias.com/bancos/tarjetas-revolving-por-encima-22-por-ciento-ley-debe-limitar-coste-sigue-pendiente/), Finantres Noticias, 14 September 2026
9. [Directive (EU) 2023/2225 on credit agreements for consumers](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/ES/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32023L2225), EUR-Lex, 18 October 2023
10. [January infringements package](https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/api/files/document/print/en/inf_26_115/INF_26_115_EN.pdf), European Commission, 30 January 2026
11. [El Tribunal Supremo resuelve el carácter usurario de los intereses pactados en una tarjeta revolving](https://www.poderjudicial.es/cgpj/es/Poder-Judicial/Noticias-Judiciales/El-Tribunal-Supremo-resuelve-el-caracter-usurario-de-los-intereses-pactados-en-una-tarjeta--revolving-), Poder Judicial, 21 February 2023
12. [Tarjetas de crédito](https://www.wizink.es/public/tarjetas-de-credito), WiZink
13. [Tarjeta de crédito](https://www.cetelem.es/tarjetas), Cetelem
14. [Solicitar la Tarjeta PASS Carrefour](https://www.pass.carrefour.es/solicitar-tarjeta), Servicios Financieros Carrefour
15. [Facilidades de crédito de las tarjetas](https://www.caixabank.es/particular/tarjetas/facilidades-credito.html), CaixaBank
16. [IKEA Visa](https://www.caixabankpc.com/es/particulares/ikea-visa), CaixaBank Payments & Consumer
17. [Tarjeta Alcampo Dúa](https://www.compraonline.alcampo.es/content/tarjeta-alcampo-dua), Alcampo and Oney
18. [Real Decreto 806/2026, dissolving the Cortes and calling a general election](https://www.boe.es/diario_boe/txt.php?id=BOE-A-2026-20742), BOE, 6 October 2026

## Read next

- [Pay it off, consolidate or claim?](https://orwanna.com/en/guides/pay-off-vs-consolidate-vs-claim/): If you can pay more than the interest each month, paying the debt down sooner is the simplest option and depends on no one else. If you can get a much cheaper loan, consolidating may save you more; if your interest was far above the average, it may be worth looking into a claim; and if you can't pay, the Segunda Oportunidad law lets debts be cancelled under conditions.
- [Get out of revolving debt](https://orwanna.com/en/guides/get-out-of-revolving-debt/): Stop using the card's credit, raise your payment or switch to paying in full, and make extra payments when you can: every extra euro goes straight to the debt. With €2,000 at 18% TIN, raising the payment from €60 to €100 cuts the time from 47 to 24 months and the interest from €793 to €396.
- [2026 report: what paying little costs](https://orwanna.com/en/reports/minimum-payment-cost-2026/): In our calculation with the rates of ten revolving cards, a €2,000 debt paid at 3% of what you owe each month, with a €25 minimum, takes between 82 and 121 months and costs between €694 and €2,120 in interest. With a fixed €60 payment, almost the same in the first month, it takes between 41 and 52 months.

**General information, not financial or legal advice.** For help or to complain: [Banco de España's Portal del Cliente Bancario](https://clientebancario.bde.es/pcb/es/), [Asufin](https://www.asufin.com/), [OCU](https://www.ocu.org/), [FACUA](https://facua.org/), [ADICAE](https://www.adicae.es/).

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