Credit Card Interest Calculator — Payoff Time and Total Interest
See how long it takes to pay off a credit card balance and how much interest you'll pay at your APR and monthly payment.
Enter your balance, APR, and fixed monthly payment to see payoff time and total interest.
About minimum payments
Many issuers use a percentage of balance with a dollar floor. Paying only the minimum can stretch payoff for years.
Months to payoff
52
Paying $150.00/mo at 21.52% APR on a $5,000.00 balance.
Total interest
$2,686.15
Total paid
$7,686.15
Interest saved vs minimum
$28,161.24
Total interest
$2,686.15
Total paid
$7,686.15
Interest saved vs minimum
$28,161.24
This month's payment split
$150.00
Interest $89.67 · 60%
Principal $60.33 · 40%
Early payments go mostly to interest at high APR.
Minimum payment vs your plan
You save $28,161.24 in interest and finish 548 months sooner.
Enter your balance, APR, and fixed monthly payment to see payoff time and total interest.
About minimum payments
Many issuers use a percentage of balance with a dollar floor. Paying only the minimum can stretch payoff for years.
Months to payoff
52
Paying $150.00/mo at 21.52% APR on a $5,000.00 balance.
Total interest
$2,686.15
Total paid
$7,686.15
Interest saved vs minimum
$28,161.24
Total interest
$2,686.15
Total paid
$7,686.15
Interest saved vs minimum
$28,161.24
This month's payment split
$150.00
Interest $89.67 · 60%
Principal $60.33 · 40%
Early payments go mostly to interest at high APR.
Minimum payment vs your plan
You save $28,161.24 in interest and finish 548 months sooner.
| # | Month | Payment | Principal | Interest | Balance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jul 2026 | $150.00 | $60.33 | $89.67 | $4,939.67 |
| 2 | Aug 2026 | $150.00 | $61.42 | $88.58 | $4,878.25 |
| 3 | Sep 2026 | $150.00 | $62.52 | $87.48 | $4,815.73 |
| 4 | Oct 2026 | $150.00 | $63.64 | $86.36 | $4,752.09 |
| 5 | Nov 2026 | $150.00 | $64.78 | $85.22 | $4,687.31 |
| 6 | Dec 2026 | $150.00 | $65.94 | $84.06 | $4,621.37 |
Swipe to see all columns
Planning estimates only — not financial or lending advice. Actual terms depend on your issuer's minimum payment rules, fees, and payment posting dates. Check your statement or issuer payoff quote before changing payments.
How this is calculated
PaydownBase calculates credit card payoff month by month: each period, interest accrues on the remaining balance at your APR divided by 12, your payment covers interest first, and any remainder reduces principal.
In fixed-payment mode, we iterate until the balance reaches zero. In target-date mode, we solve for the payment that clears the balance in your chosen number of months using standard amortization. Minimum-payment comparisons use a common issuer formula: max(2% × balance, $20), based on CFPB Regulation Z disclosure examples.
Monthly interest on revolving balance
Interestₘ = Balanceₘ₋₁ × (APR / 12)Principalₘ = Payment − Interestₘ. Balanceₘ = Balanceₘ₋₁ − Principalₘ.
Federal Reserve G.19 · CFPB Reg Z Appendix M2 · FinRED minimum payment guide · Our methodology →
Related calculators
Credit Card Interest Calculator
See how long it takes to pay off a balance and how much interest you'll pay.
Credit Card Minimum Payment Calculator
Model minimum-payment payoff and compare to a fixed payoff plan.
Debt Payoff Calculator
Compare snowball and avalanche strategies across multiple debts.
Common questions
Enter the APR on your statement for purchases or cash advances, whichever applies. Our default preset (21.52%) is the Fed G.19 average for accounts assessed interest in Q1 2026 — replace it with your actual rate.