● Money & small business
How long to pay off a credit card: table by balance, APR and monthly payment
✓ TestedMonthly interest (APR ÷ 12) · same model as the tested debt planner2026-09-26
How long a credit card takes to pay off depends on three numbers: the balance, the APR and what you pay each month. The table assumes a fixed payment, no new charges, and interest charged monthly at APR ÷ 12. Card issuers that compute daily interest will differ slightly. For several debts at once, the snowball vs avalanche calculator handles the order.
| Balance | APR | Monthly payment | Time to pay off | Total interest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,000 | 18% | $100 | 24 months (2.0 yrs) | $395.64 |
| $2,000 | 18% | $200 | 11 months (0.9 yrs) | $183.24 |
| $2,000 | 18% | $300 | 8 months (0.7 yrs) | $123.13 |
| $2,000 | 18% | $500 | 5 months (0.4 yrs) | $78.43 |
| $2,000 | 24% | $100 | 26 months (2.2 yrs) | $579.75 |
| $2,000 | 24% | $200 | 12 months (1.0 yrs) | $254.07 |
| $2,000 | 24% | $300 | 8 months (0.7 yrs) | $168.44 |
| $2,000 | 24% | $500 | 5 months (0.4 yrs) | $106.14 |
| $2,000 | 29% | $100 | 28 months (2.3 yrs) | $765.66 |
| $2,000 | 29% | $200 | 12 months (1.0 yrs) | $317.50 |
| $2,000 | 29% | $300 | 8 months (0.7 yrs) | $207.88 |
| $2,000 | 29% | $500 | 5 months (0.4 yrs) | $129.84 |
| $5,000 | 18% | $100 | 94 months (7.8 yrs) | $4,311.25 |
| $5,000 | 18% | $200 | 32 months (2.7 yrs) | $1,313.97 |
| $5,000 | 18% | $300 | 20 months (1.7 yrs) | $797.20 |
| $5,000 | 18% | $500 | 11 months (0.9 yrs) | $458.12 |
| $5,000 | 24% | $100 | never (payment ≤ interest) | – |
| $5,000 | 24% | $200 | 36 months (3.0 yrs) | $2,000.57 |
| $5,000 | 24% | $300 | 21 months (1.8 yrs) | $1,143.33 |
| $5,000 | 24% | $500 | 12 months (1.0 yrs) | $635.18 |
| $5,000 | 29% | $100 | never (payment ≤ interest) | – |
| $5,000 | 29% | $200 | 39 months (3.2 yrs) | $2,762.41 |
| $5,000 | 29% | $300 | 22 months (1.8 yrs) | $1,476.76 |
| $5,000 | 29% | $500 | 12 months (1.0 yrs) | $793.76 |
| $10,000 | 18% | $100 | never (payment ≤ interest) | – |
| $10,000 | 18% | $200 | 94 months (7.8 yrs) | $8,622.34 |
| $10,000 | 18% | $300 | 47 months (3.9 yrs) | $3,967.25 |
| $10,000 | 18% | $500 | 24 months (2.0 yrs) | $1,978.25 |
| $10,000 | 24% | $100 | never (payment ≤ interest) | – |
| $10,000 | 24% | $200 | never (payment ≤ interest) | – |
| $10,000 | 24% | $300 | 56 months (4.7 yrs) | $6,644.21 |
| $10,000 | 24% | $500 | 26 months (2.2 yrs) | $2,898.75 |
| $10,000 | 29% | $100 | never (payment ≤ interest) | – |
| $10,000 | 29% | $200 | never (payment ≤ interest) | – |
| $10,000 | 29% | $300 | 69 months (5.8 yrs) | $10,574.51 |
| $10,000 | 29% | $500 | 28 months (2.3 yrs) | $3,828.33 |
What stands out
- The payment matters more than the rate. Raising the payment cuts both the time and the interest sharply, far more than a few points of APR.
- Some payments never finish. If the payment is barely above the monthly interest, the balance hardly moves. At 29% APR, $10,000 accrues about $242 of interest a month, so a $300 payment takes 69 months and costs $10,574.51 in interest, more than the original balance.
- Minimum payments are designed to be slow. Many cards set the minimum near 1–3% of the balance plus interest. Paying a fixed amount above it is what shortens the timeline.
Figures come from the same month-by-month model as the tested debt planner, and a sample of them was re-checked with the live calculator on this site. Not financial advice.