The Calculator App
Credit Card Payoff
Estimate how long a card balance takes to pay off and what it costs in interest, from the balance, APR, and payment you enter. This is not a creditor statement or a recommendation.
33 months
Illustrative $6,000 balance at 22.9% APR with $250 a month. Total interest $2,100.77. Not a statement.
How this credit card estimate works
You enter a balance, APR, and how you plan to pay each month. The schedule runs month by month until the balance reaches zero or the model stops after 600 months if the payment cannot cover interest.
Minimum payments follow the percent, floor, and interest rule you set — typical issuer wording, but your statement controls the real minimum. Fixed mode uses one payment amount plus any extra you add.
Questions
- How does credit card interest work?
- This calculator accrues interest monthly on the unpaid balance at the APR you enter, rounded to cents each month. Payments apply to interest first, then principal. It does not model daily accrual, penalty APR, or fees unless you fold them into the balance.
- Why do minimum payments take so long?
- Minimum payments are often a small percent of the balance plus interest, so the principal drops slowly while interest keeps accruing. The minimum-vs-fixed card compares your minimum rule to a fixed payment without extra amounts.
- What is the balance transfer what-if?
- It adds a transfer fee to the balance, applies a promo APR for the promo months, then the after-promo APR. It uses your fixed payment plus any extra. It is not an offer, approval, or recommendation.
- Should I use avalanche or snowball?
- Avalanche usually saves the most interest by paying highest APR first; snowball pays smallest balances first for momentum. This page models one card. The debt payoff calculator compares multiple balances.
- Does this affect my credit score?
- No score is calculated here. Utilization and payment history matter in real life, but this tool only estimates payoff timing and interest from numbers you type.