How long a credit-card balance takes to clear at a fixed monthly payment — months, total interest, and what an extra payment saves.
months to payoff
How to use this tool
The amount owed and the card’s annual rate.
The same amount every month — minimum payments shrink as the balance falls, so a fixed payment clears debt far faster.
See how even $50 extra a month cuts months and interest.
A payment at or below one month’s interest is flagged: the balance would never fall.
Formula & worked example
$5,000 at 20% APR with $200 a month: 33 months, about $1,522 of interest, $6,522 paid in total. Adding $50 a month ($250 total) cuts it to about 25 months and roughly $1,170 of interest.
Limitations — read this before you rely on it
Assumes a fixed APR, no new purchases, no fees and no missed payments. Real cards vary the APR and the minimum payment, and penalty rates change the picture sharply.
Frequently asked questions
About 33 months at $200 a month, with roughly $1,522 of interest on top of the $5,000.
Minimum payments fall as the balance falls, stretching repayment over many years and roughly doubling the interest versus a fixed payment.
Yes — on the example above it saves about 8 months and roughly $350 of interest. Small extras compound.
If it does not cover one month’s interest, the balance grows despite paying. The calculator flags this and shows the interest-only amount.
For this calculation, the APR is used as the annual interest rate. Fees and penalty APRs are separate and not included.