Rex says
Money math without the spreadsheet headache. Plug in your numbers and I'll show you exactly where the dollars land.
Try a scenario
Click to load — tweak from there.Inputs
Result
Months to pay off
34
Total interest paid
$1,750
Total amount paid
$6,750
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One click, a permanent link with your numbers baked in.
How to use this
- 1Enter current balance ($).
- 2Enter apr (%).
- 3Enter fixed monthly payment ($).
- 4Read your months to pay off on the right — it updates as you type.
- 5Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone.
About this calculator
Credit card payoff time depends on your balance, APR, and fixed monthly payment, since interest compounds on the remaining balance each month. This calculator simulates the payoff month by month, applying interest first and then your payment to principal, until the balance reaches zero, and totals the interest paid along the way.
Worked example
Using the values the calculator loads with:
Inputs
- Current balance: 5000 $
- APR: 22 %
- Fixed monthly payment: 200 $
Results
- Months to pay off: 34
- Total interest paid: $1,750
- Total amount paid: $6,750
What each field means
Inputs
- Current balance ($)
- The current balance used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 5000 $ so you have a working example on load.
- APR (%)
- The apr used in the calculation, measured in %. Starts at 22 % so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 0–40 %.
- Fixed monthly payment ($)
- The fixed monthly payment used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 200 $ so you have a working example on load.
Results
- Months to pay off
- Returned as a whole number and shown as the headline result. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Total interest paid
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Total amount paid
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
FAQ
How long will it take to pay off my credit card?
A $5,000 balance at 22% APR with $200/month fixed payments takes about 32 months (2 years 8 months) and costs around $1,470 in interest along the way.
Why does minimum payment take so long?
Minimum payments are often just 1-3% of balance, so most of the payment covers interest with very little going to principal, which can stretch payoff to decades on large balances.
What happens if my payment barely covers interest?
If your fixed payment is less than or equal to the monthly interest charge, the balance never shrinks and can grow indefinitely — you must pay more than the interest amount to make progress.
Does paying extra each month help a lot?
Yes — because interest compounds on the remaining balance, even modest extra payments early on dramatically cut total interest and months to payoff compared to sticking with a low fixed payment.
Accuracy and limitations
- Results are estimates before tax, fees, and inflation unless an input explicitly covers them.
- Rates are treated as fixed for the whole period — variable-rate products will drift from this projection.
- This is educational maths, not financial advice. Check anything contractual with the lender or your accountant.
Related tools
Cite this calculator
Writing about this topic? Grab a citation — every link helps keep these tools free.
RevenueLab. (2026). How Long Will It Take to Pay Off My Credit Card?. Retrieved from https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/how-long-to-pay-off-credit-card
<p>Source: <a href="https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/how-long-to-pay-off-credit-card" target="_blank" rel="noopener">How Long Will It Take to Pay Off My Credit Card? — RevenueLab</a> (2026).</p>
Source: [How Long Will It Take to Pay Off My Credit Card? — RevenueLab](https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/how-long-to-pay-off-credit-card) (2026).