Credit Card Payoff Calculator: when will your card be paid off?
See the month your card will be paid off and how much of your money goes to interest, in plain words. Enter your balance and rate, add what you pay each month, and compare it with the minimum. Free, no sign-up, and nothing you type leaves your browser.
You came from Normdale episode EP000.
This is the example from the video: a $3,000 TV on a credit card at 22.36% APR, paying only the minimum or $150 a month.
- Minimum only:
- $150 a month:
Your result
Your payoff date and total interest show here. Fill in your balance and APR above, then press Show my payoff date.
Paid off in
- Total interest you'd pay
- Total you'd pay (balance + interest)
- Your last payment
- Usually smaller than the others. We count it, so the number of months is never one short.
- Your first payment
Side by side
| Plan | Months | Interest | Total paid |
|---|
Touch or hover the chart to see a month.
What this calculator assumes
- Interest is calculated once a month: balance × APR ÷ 12. Card issuers usually use a daily rate, so real numbers can be slightly different.
- No new purchases, fees or rate changes on the card while you pay it off.
- Every payment is made on time, starting next month.
- We estimate the minimum payment as this month's interest plus 1% of the balance, or $25 if that's more. This is an example rule, modeled on the formula described in CFPB credit card market reports. Your card's own rule is in your card agreement and may be different.
- Your statement's "Minimum Payment Warning" box shows how long your own balance would take at the minimum. Card issuers have to print it (Regulation Z, CFPB).
How it's calculated, step by step: How we calculate
Example only, not financial advice.
This calculator shows how the math works for the numbers you enter. It doesn't know your full situation and can't tell you what to do. For decisions about your own debt, check your card agreement and consider talking to a qualified professional.
How to read your result
- Paid off in is the month your last payment clears the balance, if nothing else changes. The first payment is counted next month.
- Total interest is the extra you pay for borrowing, on top of what you owed.
- Your first payment shows how much of it goes to interest and how much actually lowers the balance.
- Your last payment is usually smaller than the others. We always count it, so the number of months is never one short.
- Side by side puts your amount next to the minimum. The balance is the same in every row; only the payment changes.
- Heads up notes appear when a payment never lowers the balance, when a plan takes more than 30 years, or when your amount is below this month's example minimum.
These numbers are estimates. Your card issuer's numbers will be a little different, and the assumptions above explain why.
Three ways to use the Payoff Calculator
- As a payoff date calculator. See the month your card is paid off, next to what paying only the minimum would take. Type your balance, your APR and what you plan to pay each month.
- As a minimum payment calculator. See how long paying only the minimum takes and what it costs in interest, using the example minimum rule. Leave "How much do you want to pay each month?" empty.
- As a credit card interest calculator. See the total interest for each plan in every result, and how much of this month's payment is interest under "Your first payment".
Example: a $3,000 balance at 22.36% APR, paid five ways
On a $3,000 credit card balance at 22.36% APR, paying only the minimum takes 180 months (15 years) and costs $4,515 in interest. A fixed $100 a month takes 45 months and $1,435 in interest. A fixed $200 a month takes 18 months and $552.
| Monthly payment | Months to pay off | Interest | Total paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum only (example rule) | 180 (15 years) | $4,515 | $7,515 |
| $100 a month | 45 (3 years 9 months) | $1,435 | $4,435 |
| $150 a month | 26 (2 years 2 months) | $789 | $3,789 |
| $200 a month | 18 (1 year 6 months) | $552 | $3,552 |
| $300 a month | 12 (1 year) | $351 | $3,351 |
Why the minimum takes so long: it shrinks as you pay
A credit card minimum payment usually shrinks as the balance shrinks, so the debt slows down as it gets smaller. With the example rule on a $3,000 balance at 22.36% APR, the minimum is $85.90 in month 1, $76.91 in month 12, $47.48 in month 60 and $25.98 in month 120.
Paying the first month's minimum, $85.90, every month instead pays off the same $3,000 in 57 months (4 years 9 months) with $1,895 in interest. Paying the shrinking minimum takes 180 months and $4,515 in interest. (Example only; same assumptions as above.)
See what a steady payment would do for your own card: type this month's minimum from your statement into "How much do you want to pay each month?". The result shows that same amount paid every month, next to the shrinking minimum (example rule).
How much a month to pay it off by a certain date
To pay off $3,000 at 22.36% APR in 1 year, you'd pay about $281.31 a month; in 2 years, about $156.17; in 3 years, about $115.14. The longer you take, the more of the money goes to interest.
| Paid off in | Monthly payment | Interest | Total paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 year (12 months) | $281.31 | $376 | $3,376 |
| 2 years (24 months) | $156.17 | $748 | $3,748 |
| 3 years (36 months) | $115.14 | $1,145 | $4,145 |
How credit card interest is worked out
Many card issuers charge interest with a daily rate on your average daily balance (CFPB, 2024). The Payoff Calculator uses a simpler monthly version: balance × APR ÷ 12. At 22.36% APR, that's about $18.63 a month for every $1,000 you carry.
With a daily rate (22.36% ÷ 365) on the same $1,000, a 30-day month costs about $18.38 and a 31-day month about $18.99, so the two methods land close. (Example only; balance unchanged during the month, no daily compounding.)
Interest only builds up on a balance you carry. If your card has a grace period, you aren't carrying a balance, and you pay the full statement balance by the due date, you usually pay no interest on purchases. Cash advances usually charge interest from the day you take them (CFPB, 2024).
What to do next
- Want to try another amount? Change "How much do you want to pay each month?" above. After your first result, the numbers update as you type.
- Want to keep this result? Use Print this result under the chart. Nothing is saved on our side.
- Want to check the math? Every step, with a worked example you can redo by hand, is on How we calculate.
- Got more than one card? Normdale's Debt Payoff Planner is in the works: one plan for all your cards, with what to pay on each card this month. Join the waiting list and we'll email you once when it opens. No date yet.
Questions about paying off a credit card
What happens if I only pay the minimum?
Your balance goes down slowly, because part of each payment goes to that month's interest first. Example: on a $3,000 balance at 22.36% APR, the first month's interest is $55.90. With a minimum of interest + 1% of the balance, the payment is $85.90, so $55.90 goes to interest and only $30 lowers the balance. At that pace, paying off the $3,000 takes 180 months (15 years) and $4,515 in interest. (Example only; rate from Federal Reserve G.19, August 2026, preliminary.)
Is it bad to pay only the minimum?
It's the slowest and most expensive way to pay off a balance. In our example, the same $3,000 costs $7,515 in total at the minimum and $3,789 at $150 a month. Whether you can pay more is your call; the calculator shows what each choice costs.
Where do I find my APR and my minimum payment?
Both are on your monthly statement. The APR is usually listed under "Interest charge calculation", and it's also in your card's app. The statement also has a "Minimum Payment Warning" box that shows how long your balance takes at the minimum. If your card has more than one APR (for purchases, cash advances or balance transfers), use the one for the balance you're paying off.
How much interest will I pay each month?
Roughly your balance × APR ÷ 12. At 22.36% APR, that's about $18.63 a month for every $1,000 you owe, so a $3,000 balance costs about $55.90 in its first month. Many card issuers use a daily rate on your average daily balance, so your statement can differ a little (CFPB, 2024). The Payoff Calculator adds up the interest for every month until the card is paid off. (Example only.)
Why is my credit card balance not going down?
Usually because most of each payment goes to interest, or because new purchases are added. In our example ($3,000 at 22.36% APR, minimum payments only), the first 12 payments add up to $975.95, and $635.11 of that is interest, so the balance drops by only $340.85 in a year. If a payment isn't more than the month's interest, the balance never goes down, and the calculator says so.
How much should I pay each month to pay off my card?
Enough to finish by the date you want. For $3,000 at 22.36% APR, about $281 a month pays it off in 1 year, $156 in 2 years and $115 in 3 years (see the table). Your statement's Minimum Payment Warning box usually shows the 3-year payment for your own balance. Type any amount into the Payoff Calculator to see the exact month. (Example only.)
Does paying more than the minimum really make a difference?
Yes. For $3,000 at 22.36% APR, paying only the minimum takes 180 months and $4,515 in interest. A fixed $100 a month takes 45 months and $1,435 in interest; $200 a month takes 18 months and $552. Type your own amount in "How much do you want to pay each month?" and the calculator puts it next to the minimum. (Example only; same assumptions as above.)
Why are the calculator's numbers different from my statement?
Because the calculator simplifies three things: it uses a monthly interest rate where your card probably uses a daily one, it uses an example minimum-payment rule (interest + 1% of the balance, or $25) that may not match your card's, and it assumes no new purchases, fees or rate changes. Your statement is the final word on your own numbers; the calculator shows how the math works.
Can the Payoff Calculator handle more than one card?
It works on one card at a time. You can run each card separately and print each result. It doesn't tell you which card to pay first or how to split one budget across several cards. Normdale's Debt Payoff Planner (a spreadsheet, not on sale yet) is being built for that: one plan for all your cards, with what to pay on each card this month.
Sources
- Federal Reserve, Consumer Credit G.19, credit card interest rate on accounts assessed interest: 22.36% (August 2026, preliminary). federalreserve.gov/releases/g19/current Checked October 28, 2026; next release expected about Nov 6.
- Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Regulation Z §1026.7(b)(12) (the "Minimum Payment Warning" on statements, including the 3-year payment). consumerfinance.gov
- CFPB, "How does my credit card company calculate the amount of interest I owe?" (last reviewed January 2024). consumerfinance.gov
- CFPB, "What is a grace period for a credit card?" (last reviewed September 2024). consumerfinance.gov
- Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Consumer Credit Card Market Report, 2023, page 40 (minimum payment of 1% of the balance plus interest, fees and past-due amounts, with a dollar floor of $20 to $41, most commonly $35). Checked October 28, 2026.
- Every other number on this page is calculated by Normdale with the method on How we calculate.