Credit Card Payoff Calculator

Find out how many months it will take to pay off a credit card balance at a given monthly payment, or the monthly payment needed to clear it by a target date — plus the total interest either way.

Results Live
Total Months to Payoff
Total Interest Paid
Total Paid
Est. Monthly Payment

How it works

Enter your current balance and the card's APR, then check either "Pay a monthly amount" or "Pay off in" — whichever matches what you already know. The calculator fills in the other side: a fixed monthly payment tells you how long payoff will take, and a target payoff time tells you what monthly payment you'd need.

Example: paying a fixed amount
$10,000 balance, 12% APR, $500/month Total months to payoff: 23   Total interest: $1,213.48
Example: targeting a payoff date
$10,000 balance, 12% APR, paid off in 24 months Est. monthly payment: $470.73

Frequently asked questions

Why does my payment never seem to pay off the balance?

If your monthly payment is smaller than the interest charged that month, the balance grows instead of shrinking, no matter how long you keep paying. Credit card APRs are often high enough that a "minimum payment" can fall into exactly this trap. The calculator flags this directly rather than showing a misleading payoff time.

Does this account for new charges I might add to the card?

No — this assumes you stop using the card and only make payments against the existing balance. Any new charges would extend the payoff time and increase the total interest beyond what's shown here.

Is APR the same as the interest rate on my statement?

APR (annual percentage rate) is the yearly rate; most credit cards compound interest monthly, so the calculator divides it by 12 to get the monthly rate used in the payoff math. Check your card's terms if you're unsure which rate to enter, since some cards vary the rate by transaction type (purchases, cash advances, balance transfers).

Disclaimer: For educational and planning purposes only. Not financial advice. Actual card terms may include fees, promotional rates, or minimum payment rules not reflected here.