Credit Card Payoff Calculator | Capital One (2024)

April 25, 2024 |5 min read

    Letting credit card debt build up—like dishes in the sink—can quickly turn something manageable into a mess. But if you fall behind, it’s still possible to pay off your debt.

    You can start by understanding how much you owe, how much interest you’re being charged and how much you can afford to pay each month. Once you have this information, using a credit card payoff calculator like the one below can give you a timeline for paying off your debt.

    Key takeaways

    • Using a credit card payoff calculator can help you understand how long it may take to pay off your debt.
    • To use the credit card payoff calculator at the bottom of this article, you’ll need to know your current balance, interest rate or annual percentage rate (APR) and your card’s annual fee.
    • With a timeframe in mind for paying off the debt, you can estimate the size of your monthly payments. Or you can estimate the timeline if you know what you can pay per month.
    • The debt snowball and debt avalanche methods are two strategies the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) says can help reduce debt.

    Key credit card terms to know when using a credit card payoff calculator

    Before you use a credit card payoff calculator, there are some helpful terms to know:

    • Credit card balance: Generally refers to the amount of money you owe on your credit card.
    • APR: The yearly interest rate you’ll be charged on a credit card if you carry a balance. Credit cards can have various types of APRs. For example, purchases may have a different APR from cash advances. And some cards may offer special introductory rates.
    • Annual fee: The amount you’re charged per year for using a credit card. Not all credit cards have an annual fee.
    • Minimum monthly payment: The lowest amount you can pay each month to help keep your account in good standing. Paying at least the minimum on time can help you avoid penalties and fees. Keep in mind that interest charges may apply if you only pay the minimum each month.

    Strategies for paying off credit card debt

    If you have multiple credit card accounts, there are two strategies the CFPB says might help you manage your debt:

    • Debt avalanche method: This method, also known as the highest interest rate method, involves identifying debts with the highest interest rate and paying those off first. It’s still important to try to keep up with minimum payments for all debt.
    • Debt snowball method: Using this method, you address your smallest debt first. In the meantime, you can make minimum payments on all the other, larger debts while using the rest to knock out the smallest debt.

    Credit Card Payoff Calculator | Capital One (1)

    The debt avalanche and snowball methods aren’t the only credit card debt relief options. And they can also be applied if you’re trying to manage other debts. You could also consider how credit card debt consolidation might help you manage payments. For example, you may be able to simplify your payments and lower your interest rate by using a balance transfer.

    If you’re having trouble keeping up with payments, consider reaching out to your credit card issuer to understand your options.

    Paying off credit card debt FAQ

    Here are some common questions about paying off credit card debt:

    Paying off your credit card balance in full every month could help your credit scores. That’s because your credit utilization ratio, which measures how much of your available credit you’re using, is a factor in calculating your credit scores. Experts recommend keeping your credit utilization ratio at or below 30%.

    The CFPB says it’s best to pay credit card balances in full each month. If you carry a balance, you may have to pay interest. Plus, a higher balance might increase your credit utilization ratio, which affects your credit scores.

    The CFPB says it’s best to pay off the entire balance every month. But if you can’t do that, it’s a good idea to pay at least the minimum amount due on time every month. Experts recommend keeping your credit utilization ratio at or below 30% to avoid it negatively impacting credit scores.

    The Capital One CreditWise Simulator can help you see how paying off credit card debt can affect your credit scores.

    The length of time it takes to pay off any credit card debt depends on how much you can pay off a month, the credit card’s interest rate and whether the card has an annual fee. You can try it for yourself using the credit card payoff calculator below.

    So say you have a $2,000 balance on a card with no annual fee and an APR of 20%. If you can pay $100 a month, it might take you 25 months to pay off the debt. If the card has the same APR but an annual fee of $100, it might take 29 months. And if you can pay $300 a month for a 20% APR card with a $100 annual fee, it might take you 8 months to pay off $2,000.

    How to use the credit card payoff calculator

    To use the calculator below, enter your current balance, interest rate or APR and your annual fee, if you pay one. You can then enter your monthly credit card payment amount or the time frame in which you’d like to pay off the debt. You can use the calculator for any card you have—not just Capital One cards.

    Once you have your results, you can explore ways to consolidate your credit card debt. A balance transfer credit card with a low introductory APR might be a good fit. You could even check to see if you’re pre-approved. It’s quick and only requires some basic info. And checking it won’t affect your credit scores.

    Scroll down to start calculating your debt payoff plan.

    Credit Card Payoff Calculator | Capital One (2024)

    FAQs

    How do I figure out my payoff amount? ›

    How to Obtain a Payoff Quote. You can calculate a mortgage payoff amount using a formula. Work out the daily interest rate by multiplying the loan balance by the interest rate, then dividing that by 365. This figure, multiplied by the days until payoff, plus the loan balance, gives you your mortgage payoff amount.

    How do you calculate which credit card to pay off first? ›

    Snowball method: pay off the smallest balance first

    Identify the card with the lowest balance and add its minimum payment amount to the amount of money you dedicated towards paying off your debt in the steps above (for example: $100) to get a set monthly payment you'll make until the entire balance is paid off.

    How long will it take to pay off $20,000 in credit card debt? ›

    It will take 47 months to pay off $20,000 with payments of $600 per month, assuming the average credit card APR of around 18%. The time it takes to repay a balance depends on how often you make payments, how big your payments are and what the interest rate charged by the lender is.

    What is the payoff amount on a credit card? ›

    For a credit card, the payoff balance is the statement balance plus any additional transaction made since the billing cycle closed.

    Is payoff amount less than balance? ›

    Your current balance might not reflect how much you actually have to pay to completely satisfy the loan. Your payoff amount also includes the payment of any interest you owe through the day you intend to pay off your loan. The payoff amount may also include other fees you have incurred and have not yet paid.

    How do you calculate real payoff? ›

    You can calculate the daily interest on your loan by multiplying your remaining principal balance by your mortgage rate, then dividing by 365. If you're paying off your loan on the 15th of the month, your payoff amount would be 15 multiplied by your daily interest amount plus your remaining principal balance.

    How to pay off $5000 credit card debt fast? ›

    Debt avalanche: Make minimum payments on all but your credit card with the highest interest rate. Send all excess payments to that card account. Once you pay that account off, send all excess payments to your next highest rate. Repeat until all of your debts are paid off.

    What is the correct way to pay off a credit card? ›

    Paying off high-interest debt first

    If you have debt across multiple cards, it's a good idea to use the avalanche method — where you pay off the balance on the card with the highest interest rate first, then work your way through the rest from highest to lowest APR.

    Is it better to pay off one credit card or pay them all down? ›

    Pay off cards with higher APRs or larger balances first. Determine exactly which card will cost you the most in fees and interest, then pay that card down until another card will cost you more. Always make minimum payments on time to protect your credit history.

    How long to pay off $5,000 credit card with minimum payment? ›

    2.5% of the balance (inclusive of interest): It would take 505 months to get rid of your $5,000 credit card balance making just minimum payments at 2.5% of your balance. That's over four decades of payments.

    How to get rid of $15,000 credit card debt? ›

    Here are four ways you can pay off $15,000 in credit card debt quickly.
    1. Take advantage of debt relief programs.
    2. Use a home equity loan to cut the cost of interest.
    3. Use a 401k loan.
    4. Take advantage of balance transfer credit cards with promotional interest rates.
    Nov 1, 2023

    How to get rid of $40,000 credit card debt? ›

    Options For Paying Off Substantial Credit Card Debt. There are a number of strategies to pay off large amounts of credit card debt. They include personal loans, 0% APR balance transfer cards, debt settlement, bankruptcy, credit counseling and debt management plans. You may be able to use more than one of these options.

    How much will Capital One settle for? ›

    December 15, 2022: Capital One to Pay $2 Million to Settle Debt Collection Lawsuit. Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón announced today that Capital One, N.A., will pay $2 million to settle a civil lawsuit alleging the company made unreasonably excessive calls to collect past due accounts.

    Does using payoff hurt your credit? ›

    Paying off debt might lower your credit scores if removing the debt affects certain factors like your credit mix, the length of your credit history or your credit utilization ratio. While in some cases your credit scores may dip slightly from paying off debt, that doesn't mean you should ever ignore what you owe.

    When should I pay off my Capital One credit card? ›

    The CFPB says it's best to pay off the entire balance every month. But if you can't do that, it's a good idea to pay at least the minimum amount due on time every month. Experts recommend keeping your credit utilization ratio at or below 30% to avoid it negatively impacting credit scores.

    What is my payoff amount on my car? ›

    The payoff amount on an auto loan includes the principal, interest payments and any prepayment penalties or any other lender costs. The fastest and most accurate way to find out what the payoff amount would be to get the quote from your lender.

    How do you calculate expected payoff? ›

    Expected value is a measure of what you should expect to get per game in the long run. The payoff of a game is the expected value of the game minus the cost. If you expect to win about $2.20 on average if you play a game repeatedly and it costs only $2 to play, then the expected payoff is $0.20 per game.

    Where can I find my payoff statement? ›

    There's a process to getting the mortgage payoff statement. First, you'll need to contact your lender and let them know you want the information. Depending on your lender, you may have to sign in to an online account, call a helpline, or send a formal letter to start the request process.

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