Credit Card Payoff Calculator
See exactly when your card hits zero and what the interest really costs — right in your browser, with nothing uploaded.
📖 How it works & FAQWhat this calculator shows
Credit card interest is charged on whatever balance remains each month, so a slice of every payment disappears into interest before a single dollar touches the debt itself. This calculator runs that month-by-month math for you: enter your balance, your APR, and what you plan to pay, and it instantly shows how many months until you reach zero, your projected debt-free date, and the total interest you’ll hand over along the way. Everything runs privately in your browser — nothing is uploaded or stored.
Two ways to plan your payoff
In fixed monthly payment mode, the tool answers “how long will this take?” It simulates each month — interest added, payment subtracted — until the balance hits zero. In target months mode, it flips the question and tells you the exact monthly payment needed to be debt-free by your deadline. If your payment doesn’t even cover the monthly interest, you’ll see a warning instead of a payoff date, because a payment that small means the balance grows forever.
How to use it
- Enter your current card balance from your latest statement.
- Enter the APR — the purchase APR shown on your statement or in your card app.
- Pick a goal: a fixed monthly payment, or a target number of months.
- Type your payment (or months) — results update live as you type.
- Experiment with higher payments to see how much interest you can avoid.
These figures are estimates only, not financial, tax, insurance, or legal advice — your issuer’s actual charges depend on their exact billing method.
FAQ
- Why does paying the minimum take so long?
- Minimum payments are usually set near 1–3% of the balance, barely above the monthly interest. Almost nothing reaches the principal, so payoff can stretch out for decades and the interest can exceed the original debt.
- Is this exact to the penny?
- No — it’s a close estimate. Card issuers typically use an average daily balance method, and new purchases, fees, or a changing APR will shift the real numbers. Assumes no new charges on the card.
- Where do I find my APR?
- Check the “Interest Charge Calculation” table on your paper statement or the card details screen in your banking app. Use the purchase APR unless most of your balance is a cash advance.
- Does my financial data leave my browser?
- Never. The math runs entirely on your device — nothing is sent to a server, saved, or tracked.