Credit card payoff
Type the payment you can actually send. If it is blank, we use a typical minimum. The big number is months until the balance is gone.
What you repay
Principal versus interest at the payment you typed.
Balance over time
Your payment versus staying on the minimum.
How this credit-card payoff calculator works
U.S. card minimums are often about 1–3% of the balance, or a small dollar floor. At 20%+ APR, most of a small payment is interest, so the balance barely moves. This page amortizes a single balance at a fixed APR. If your payment is below the monthly interest charge, the tool says the debt never finishes — that is math, not a scare tactic.
A fixed extra $50–$100 a month is usually worth more than shopping another balance-transfer teaser you miss the fine print on. Transfers can still win if the fee is small and you actually pay the balance before the promo APR expires. This calculator does not model penalty APRs, late fees, or new purchases.
Several cards? Use snowball vs avalanche so the extra dollar is applied with a rule. The minimum-payment guide explains why a 2% minimum can last more than a decade.
FAQ
Why does it say “Never”?
The payment does not cover monthly interest, so the balance grows or stalls. Raise the payment until the months figure appears.
Is the minimum calculated the same as my issuer?
Issuers use different formulas (percent of balance, interest-plus-1%, floors). Type the minimum from your statement if you want their number, then add extra on top.
Should I pay extra or invest the extra?
A 22% card is a guaranteed return you will not match in a typical brokerage account after tax. High-APR revolving debt first is the usual order, then investing.
Several debtsPayoff guide