Credit Card Payoff
How long to clear a card balance and the interest it will cost.
Enter values
$
% p.a.
$
—
—
Balance declining month by month
Step by step
The formula
each month: balance = balance × (1 + APR/12) − payment
Card interest compounds monthly on whatever balance remains. Each payment first covers the interest just accrued, and only the remainder reduces the debt — so a payment barely above the monthly interest can take years to clear a modest balance.
All calculations run locally in your browser and update instantly as you type.
Example calculations
Common questions this calculator answers — select one to load its values.
Related calculators
Frequently asked questions
Why does a small payment increase take so long off the payoff?+
Early payments go mostly to interest. Anything you pay above the monthly interest reduces the balance, which shrinks future interest — so even $50 extra a month compounds into months saved.
All calculations run locally in your browser. Nothing you type is sent to a server.