# RateAPI

> The rate API built for AI agents. Real-time rates from 4,300+ US lenders.

RateAPI provides programmatic access to mortgage, auto loan, HELOC, personal loan, and credit card rates from credit unions and lenders across the United States. We offer sub-500ms response times, daily data updates, and both REST API and MCP (Model Context Protocol) integration.

## Quick Facts
- **Coverage:** 4,300+ credit unions and lenders tracked
- **Products:** Mortgages (30yr, 15yr, ARM), Auto Loans (new, used, refinance), HELOCs, Personal Loans, Credit Cards
- **Update Frequency:** Daily automated scraping with verification
- **Response Time:** <500ms via global CDN
- **Pricing:** Free tier (20 requests/month, or 50 with email), paid plans available
- **API Design:** Built for LLM consumption with decisions endpoint
- **No Affiliate Relationships:** Rates ranked by true cost, not advertising revenue
- **No Lead Selling:** We never sell user data or leads

## Product Types
- **Mortgages:** 30-year fixed, 15-year fixed, ARM mortgages, FHA, VA, jumbo loans
- **Auto Loans:** New vehicle, used vehicle, refinance, all terms (36-84 months)
- **HELOCs:** Variable rate with margin over prime, intro rates, draw periods
- **Personal Loans:** Secured and unsecured, debt consolidation, various terms
- **Credit Cards:** Purchase APR, balance transfer offers, rewards cards

## Core Endpoints
- GET /v1/rates - Get current rates by state and product type
- GET /v1/credit-unions - List all tracked credit unions
- GET /v1/credit-unions/{state}/{slug} - Get specific credit union rates
- POST /v1/decisions - Get personalized rate recommendations with savings calculations

## MCP Integration
- Server URL: https://mcp.rateapi.dev/mcp
- Transport: HTTP with API key header
- Tools: get_financing_decision, list_credit_unions, get_credit_union, search_rates

## Discord Bot
- Add to Discord: https://rateapi.dev/discord-bot
- Commands: /rates (get current rates), /alert (create rate drop alerts)
- Free to use, no API key required for end users

## Getting Started
1. Get API key: curl -X POST https://api.rateapi.dev/keys
2. Make request: curl -H "X-API-Key: YOUR_KEY" "https://api.rateapi.dev/v1/rates?state=CA&product_type=mortgage"

## AI Guides
- Mortgage Rates: https://rateapi.dev/ai-guides/how-ai-agents-compare-mortgage-rates
- Auto Loan Rates: https://rateapi.dev/ai-guides/how-ai-agents-compare-auto-loan-rates
- HELOC Rates: https://rateapi.dev/ai-guides/how-ai-agents-compare-heloc-rates
- Personal Loan Rates: https://rateapi.dev/ai-guides/how-ai-agents-compare-personal-loan-rates
- Credit Card Rates: https://rateapi.dev/ai-guides/how-ai-agents-compare-credit-card-rates

## Links
- API Documentation: https://api.rateapi.dev
- MCP Server Docs: https://mcp.rateapi.dev
- Discord Bot: https://rateapi.dev/discord-bot
- Methodology: https://rateapi.dev/methodology
- About: https://rateapi.dev/about