Credit card payoff by APR calculator
See how payoff time and total interest change across a range of APRs at your balance and payment.
We run the same month-by-month amortization at your balance and payment across a range of common APRs, so you can see how much the rate itself is costing you.
- Hold your balance and monthly payment fixed.
- Run the payoff math once per APR in the comparison range.
- Line up months-to-payoff and total interest side by side.
Example: Using the example numbers below, this works out to a months to pay off: 6 yrs, with a total interest paid of $5,185.
Your numbers
Prefilled with a typical example — edit to match your statement.
What you owe on the card today
What you pay toward this card each month
Your card's actual purchase interest rate — included in the sweep below
Months to pay off
6 yrs
July 2032
$5,185
$11,385
$6,200
Current plan
With 5 points lower APR
You save on months to pay off
1 yr 1 mo
Payoff time by APR — see the full breakdown
First and last 3 periods shown below; expand for all 9.
| APR | Months to pay off | Total interest | Total paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.0% | 3 yrs 3 mo | $0 | $6,200 |
| 10.0% | 3 yrs 11 mo | $1,318 | $7,518 |
| 15.0% | 4 yrs 6 mo | $2,331 | $8,531 |
| 24.0% | 6 yrs 4 mo | $5,853 | $12,053 |
| 27.0% | 7 yrs 9 mo | $8,576 | $14,776 |
| 30.0% | 11 yrs 9 mo | $16,257 | $22,457 |
Show all 9 periods
| APR | Months to pay off | Total interest | Total paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.0% | 3 yrs 3 mo | $0 | $6,200 |
| 10.0% | 3 yrs 11 mo | $1,318 | $7,518 |
| 15.0% | 4 yrs 6 mo | $2,331 | $8,531 |
| 18.0% | 4 yrs 11 mo | $3,155 | $9,355 |
| 21.0% | 5 yrs 6 mo | $4,255 | $10,455 |
| 22.9% | 6 yrs | $5,185 | $11,385 |
| 24.0% | 6 yrs 4 mo | $5,853 | $12,053 |
| 27.0% | 7 yrs 9 mo | $8,576 | $14,776 |
| 30.0% | 11 yrs 9 mo | $16,257 | $22,457 |
See if there's a better option
Dropping your rate closer to 0% could erase most of the $5,185 you're on track to pay.
Checking won't affect your credit score.
Key takeaway: At the same balance and payment, moving from a 24.35% average card APR down to a 0% promo rate doesn't just save "some" interest — it can cut years off the payoff, because every point of APR compounds against the same principal for as long as you carry it.
What does this table actually show?
Your balance and monthly payment stay fixed across every row — only the APR changes. That isolates exactly what the rate itself is costing you, separate from how much you owe or how aggressively you're paying it down. It's the same balance and payment you'd enter on the standard payoff calculator, just run across a spread of rates instead of one.
Why some rows say "never pays off"
At a high enough APR relative to your payment, the monthly interest charge can exceed what you're paying — meaning the balance would never shrink at that rate and payment combination. Seeing where that cutoff falls in the table is itself useful information: it tells you the APR ceiling above which your current payment simply isn't enough.
How we calculate this
For each APR in the comparison, we run the same declining-balance amortization used everywhere else on this site: interest accrues on the balance at that rate, your fixed payment is applied, and the remainder reduces principal, repeated until either the balance reaches $0 or the payment stops covering the monthly interest.
Frequently asked questions
Why compare APRs instead of just entering my own rate?
Entering your own rate only tells you your own payoff timeline. Sweeping across a range shows you what a rate you're shopping for — a balance-transfer card, a consolidation loan, a negotiated lower rate — would actually be worth, in the same units (months, dollars) as your current situation.
Why does a small APR difference matter so much on a big balance?
Interest is a percentage of the balance you're carrying, so the dollar impact of each APR point scales with the balance itself. A few points on a small balance is pocket change; the same few points on a five-figure balance is real money, which is exactly what the table below makes concrete.
Should I use this table to decide on a balance transfer?
It's a good first filter — if a lower APR saves a lot at your balance and payment, transferring is worth investigating further. Before applying, run the exact offer through the balance transfer breakeven calculator, since transfer fees change the math.
Sources
- Federal Reserve, G.19 Consumer Credit report (Federal Reserve G.19 Consumer Credit report, as of 2026-05-01)
Last updated 2026-07-01
Written by Centave Editorial Team — Centave's in-house calculator and content team
Reviewed by Centave Accuracy Review on 2026-06-15 — Centave's fact-checking and methodology review process
Not financial advice. This calculator is for education — confirm details with your card issuer before deciding.
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