Credit Card Payoff Calculator

Estimate how long it could take to pay off credit card debt, how much interest you may pay, and how different payment strategies affect your payoff timeline. Test fixed monthly payments, minimum-payment style rules, extra payments, and balance transfer scenarios.

Burrow Tip: Credit card debt is expensive because small payments often barely reduce principal. The faster you raise the monthly payment, the more interest you cut.

Run a base case first, then compare it with an aggressive payoff plan so the trade-off is obvious.

Debt assumptions

Fixed monthly payment Minimum payment rule

Current balance

Enter the amount currently owed on the card that you want to pay off.

Credit card APR (%)

Use the annual percentage rate applied to revolving purchases. The calculator converts it to a monthly rate.

Fixed monthly payment

Used in fixed-payment mode. This is the amount you plan to pay every month.

Minimum payment (% of balance)

Used in minimum-payment mode. Example: 2% means each month’s payment starts at 2% of the balance, subject to the minimum dollar floor.

Minimum dollar floor

Many cards require at least a small fixed minimum payment, such as $25 or $35.

Extra monthly payment

Optional amount added on top of the chosen payment method each month.

Start month

New monthly charges

Optional. Use this only if you expect to keep adding new purchases each month while trying to pay down the card.

Balance transfer / promo APR (optional)

Enable promo APR period

Use this to model a balance transfer or temporary promotional rate.

Promo APR (%)

Promo months

Transfer fee (% of balance)

Comparison scenario (optional)

Enable comparison scenario

Comparison monthly payment

Comparison APR (%)

Comparison extra payment

Burrow Tip: Comparison mode is best for seeing the value of either a larger payment, a lower APR, or a balance-transfer-style promo period.

Results

Months to payoff

—

Estimated time to clear the balance

Payoff date

—

Based on the current payment plan

Total interest paid

$—

Interest accumulated over the payoff path

Total paid

$—

Principal + interest + transfer fee if applicable

Average monthly payment

$—

Average payment across the full schedule

Interest saved

$—

Compared with the base minimum-payment rule

Balance decline over time

Compares remaining balance against cumulative interest paid.

Total cost breakdown

—

Comparison results

—

Payoff schedule

The table below shows the first 24 months by default. Use “Show full table” for the full payoff path.

#	Date	Starting balance	Interest	New charges	Payment	Principal paid	Ending balance	Cumulative interest

Scenario timeline (Mermaid code)

If your site supports Mermaid elsewhere, you can paste this snippet into a Mermaid block. This tool does not load Mermaid.

How to use these results

Credit card payoff math is unforgiving. The key question is not just “What is my payment?” but also “How much of that payment is actually reducing the balance?”

Watch the payoff timeline: minimum-payment paths can stretch far longer than most people expect.
Compare payment levels: even a moderate increase in monthly payment can dramatically reduce interest.
Model ongoing spending honestly: if you keep adding new charges, payoff can slow or even stop.
Use promo APR carefully: balance transfers can help, but fees and the post-promo APR still matter.

This tool is best for planning fixed repayment paths. Real card issuer rules may differ around compounding, grace periods, and promotional terms.

Estimates only: This calculator is for educational use and does not constitute lending, tax, legal, or financial advice.

Assumptions: Results assume monthly compounding, regular monthly payments, and simplified minimum-payment and promo-rate rules. Actual issuer rules can differ.

Privacy note: Share links may include your inputs in the URL query string. Don’t share a link if you consider the numbers sensitive.