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Sometimes, you may find yourself in a situation where you can only afford to make the minimum payment on your credit card balance. While making the minimum payment is preferable to missing or skipping a payment, it’s important to note that doing so will result in accruing additional interest fees over time, ultimately costing you more in the long run.
If you want to calculate the estimated time it will take to pay off your credit card by making only the minimum payments each month, you can use our credit card minimum payment calculator to find the amount.
Use this calculator to determine how long it will take you to payoff your credit cards if you only make the minimum payments. Enter your credit card information below and press "View Report" to see your payoff details.
Information and interactive calculators are made available to you only as self-help tools for your independent use and are not intended to provide investment or tax advice. We cannot and do not guarantee their applicability or accuracy in regards to your individual circumstances. All examples are hypothetical and are for illustrative purposes. We encourage you to seek personalized advice from qualified professionals regarding all personal finance issues.
Credit card interest is calculated on a daily basis. Let’s say that your credit card has an annual interest rate of 19% - this doesn’t mean that you are charged 19% interest once a year. Instead, the 19% is divided by 365 (representing each day in the year) and then multiplied by your average daily balance for the month.
What if I only make the minimum payment each month?
If you choose to make only the minimum payment on your credit cards, it will significantly prolong the time it takes to pay off your balances, sometimes by several years. On top of that, your credit card issuers will continue to apply interest charges until your balance is completely paid off.
If you fail to make at least the minimum payment or if you make a late payment, there are potential risks: Your interest rate may increase, your credit score could be negatively impacted, and you may lose the benefit of any promotional rate offer you currently have. It’s important to fulfill your payment obligations to avoid these consequences.
It’s generally advised by experts to pay the full statement balance each month. However, there may be situations where this is not feasible. In such cases, it’s crucial to make at least the minimum payment in order to keep your account up to date and avoid any late fees or penalty APRs. To ensure that you stay on top of your credit card debt and pay it off as soon as possible, consider using a budgeting app.
Amy Tokic is an SEO content editor for Money.ca. She holds a B.A. in Communications from the University of Windsor. Amy is an award-winning author and has been writing professionally for 15 years, publishing articles in the lifestyle and health sectors.
In her free time, Amy loves perusing used book and record stores, and chasing squirrels with wild abandon (a habit attributed to spending too much time with her pooches).
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