Finanzas

Credit Card Payoff Calculator

Calculate months to pay off your credit card balance. Enter balance, APR, and monthly payment to see total interest and payoff timeline.

🗓️ Updated June 2026 Reviewed by Martín Rodríguez

Calculator Free · Private

Data updated: Apr 28, 2026

Reviewed by: Martín Rodríguez (editorial policy ) · Last reviewed: Jun 16, 2026

Current Balance ($)*

Annual Percentage Rate — APR (%)*

I want to calculate*

Fixed Monthly Payment ($)

Target Payoff (months)

🧮 Keep calculating

Credit Card Minimum Payment CalculatorSee exactly how much you'll pay in interest and how many months it takes if you only pay the minimum. Enter your balance, APR, and minimum % — get the full cost breakdown instantly.Student Loan Payoff CalculatorCalculate how extra monthly payments cut your student loan payoff time. Compare months to payoff, total interest paid, and your exact payoff date.Car Loan Monthly Payment CalculatorCalculate your exact auto loan monthly payment with sales tax, trade-in, and down payment. Average APR 2026: 7.5% new / 11.5% used.Loan Payment CalculatorCalculate monthly payment, total cost, interest, and APR for a personal or mortgage loan using the standard amortization formula. Rate, term, and principal…

Have a website? Embed this calculator for free Free — copy the code and paste it on your website Embed on your site

<iframe src="https://hacecuentas.com/embed/credit-card-payoff-time-calculator" width="100%" height="560" style="border:1px solid #e2e8f0;border-radius:12px;max-width:720px" loading="lazy" title="Credit Card Payoff Calculator"></iframe>
<p style="font-size:13px;text-align:center;margin:8px 0">Powered by <a href="https://hacecuentas.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hacé Cuentas</a> — <a href="https://hacecuentas.com/credit-card-payoff-time-calculator" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Credit Card Payoff Calculator</a></p>

Preview →

Paste it on your site. Keep the credit link — thanks for sharing. More widgets →

Carrying a credit card balance is expensive. At the average US APR of 22.5% in 2026, a $5,000 balance paid at $100/month takes 88 months and costs over $4,300 in interest. This calculator shows exactly how long payoff takes, total interest charged, and what happens if you pay more each month.

When to use this calculator

Find out how many months until your credit card is paid off at your current payment
Compare the interest cost of paying $150/month vs. $300/month
Calculate the monthly payment needed to pay off a balance within 12 or 24 months
Understand the minimum-payment trap before making only the required payment
Plan a debt payoff strategy after a balance transfer or consolidation
Estimate total interest before deciding whether to carry a balance

Months to pay off at 24% APR

At a typical 24% APR. Paying only the minimum on big balances can take years; doubling the payment more than halves the time.

Balance	$50/mo	$100/mo	$200/mo	$400/mo
$1,000	26 mo	12 mo	6 mo	3 mo
$3,000	never	47 mo	19 mo	9 mo
$5,000	never	never	36 mo	15 mo
$10,000	never	never	never	36 mo

How it works

What is credit card payoff time?

Credit card payoff time is the number of months required to eliminate your balance based on your APR, current balance, and monthly payment amount. At 22.5% APR, a $5,000 balance with $100 monthly payments takes 88 months, accumulating $4,321 in interest charges.

How It Works

Credit card interest compounds monthly. Each month, the card issuer applies one-twelfth of the annual APR to the remaining balance before subtracting your payment.

Formula

For a fixed monthly payment, the number of months to payoff is derived from the standard loan amortization formula:

monthly_rate  = APR / 100 / 12

months = -log(1 - (balance × monthly_rate) / payment)
         ÷ log(1 + monthly_rate)

total_paid    = months × payment
total_interest = total_paid - balance

When payment ≤ balance × monthly_rate, the payment does not cover the interest accruing that month and the balance never reaches zero — the minimum-payment trap.

For a target payoff period, the required monthly payment is:

payment = balance × monthly_rate × (1 + monthly_rate)^months
          ÷ ((1 + monthly_rate)^months - 1)

Worked Example — The Minimum-Payment Trap

Parameter	Value
Balance	$5,000
APR	22.0%
Monthly rate	1.833%
Fixed payment	$100
Months to payoff	88
Total paid	$8,766
Total interest	$3,766

Raising the payment to $200/month cuts payoff time to 30 months and total interest to $917 — a saving of $2,849.

Limitations and When NOT to Apply

This calculator assumes a constant APR for the entire repayment period. Promotional 0% APR periods, variable-rate cards, and balance-transfer fees are not modeled.

It does not account for new purchases added to the balance each month.

Minimum payments on real cards are typically the greater of a fixed floor (e.g., $25) or a percentage of the balance (1–3%). This calculator uses a fixed payment you specify.

Results are estimates. Actual payoff may vary by a month due to billing-cycle timing and rounding by the issuer.

Disclaimer: Los resultados son orientativos y no constituyen asesoramiento financiero individualizado. Antes de tomar decisiones con impacto, consultá con un asesor financiero registrado en la CNV o contador público matriculado.

Frequently asked questions

What is the average credit card APR in the US in 2026?

The Federal Reserve reported the average credit card interest rate at approximately 22.5% APR for accounts assessed interest in late 2025, entering 2026. Rates vary from about 18% on lower-risk cards to over 29% on retail and subprime cards.

What happens if my monthly payment is less than the monthly interest?

If your payment is less than or equal to balance × (APR / 12 / 100), the balance grows every month instead of shrinking. The calculator will flag this as 'payment too low to pay off balance' rather than returning an infinite number of months.

How does this differ from using the card's minimum payment?

Card issuers typically set the minimum at 1–3% of the outstanding balance (or a $25–$35 floor). Because that percentage shrinks as the balance falls, total interest can exceed the original balance. This calculator assumes a fixed dollar payment, which pays off debt far faster.

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

No. The calculator assumes no new purchases. Adding new charges while paying down a balance extends the payoff timeline significantly and would require a separate month-by-month simulation.

What if I have a 0% balance transfer offer?

During a 0% promotional period, set APR to 0. The calculator will divide the balance evenly over the number of months you specify — no interest accrues. Be sure to account for the balance-transfer fee (typically 3–5%) by adding it to the balance field.

What is the monthly interest rate and how is it calculated?

The monthly periodic rate is APR ÷ 12. At 22.5% APR, the monthly rate is 22.5 / 12 = 1.875%. On a $5,000 balance, that is $93.75 of interest in the first month alone — so a $100 payment reduces the balance by only $6.25.

Why does increasing my payment by $50/month make such a big difference?

Each extra dollar reduces the principal faster, which reduces the balance on which future interest is calculated — a compounding effect in reverse. On a $5,000 balance at 22.5% APR, going from $150 to $200/month saves roughly 18 months and over $700 in interest.

How accurate is the months-to-payoff calculation?

The logarithmic formula gives the exact theoretical result assuming a constant rate and fixed payment. Real issuers may round to the nearest cent and apply payments on specific cycle dates, so actual payoff may differ by one month.

Does APR include fees?

APR as disclosed on US credit cards under the Truth in Lending Act includes the periodic interest rate but generally excludes penalty fees like late fees or over-limit fees. For most payoff calculations, the stated purchase APR is the correct figure to use.

Sources & references

Federal Reserve — Consumer Credit (G.19 Release) — Federal Reserve (2026)
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau — Credit Cards — CFPB (2026)
Truth in Lending Act — Regulation Z (12 CFR Part 1026) — CFPB / eCFR (2026)
Federal Reserve — Charge-Off and Delinquency Rates (E.15) — Federal Reserve (2026)

Methodology & trust

Editorial

Calculadora de finanzas revisada por el equipo editorial de Hacé Cuentas, contrastada con Federal Reserve — Consumer Credit (G.19 Release), según nuestra política editorial y metodología.

Updates

Última revisión: June 16, 2026. Los parámetros se verifican periódicamente con las fuentes citadas.

Privacy

Calculations run 100% in your browser. We do not store or transmit your data.

Limitations

Indicative results. For critical decisions, consult a professional.

📌 How to cite this calculator

Rodríguez, M. (2026). Credit Card Payoff Calculator. Hacé Cuentas. https://hacecuentas.com/credit-card-payoff-time-calculator

Contenido bajo licencia CC-BY 4.0 — reutilizable citando la fuente con enlace a Hacé Cuentas.

✉️ Reportar un error en esta calculadora