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The minimum
costs the most.

Your balance and rate, paid at the card’s minimum or a fixed amount. See how long it takes, what it costs in interest, and what a little more each month saves. Then buy now, pay later, side by side with the card.

Months to zero · Payment to clear it in 12, 24 or 36 months · Pay in 4 vs the card

Start Buy now, pay later

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Paid off at the card’s minimum

17 yrs 1 mo

Total interest

$5,964

Total paid

$11,964

The balance, month by month Card minimum $250 a month

Your card

$
%
You pay
$/mo
The rate starts at 22.36%, the US average on cards that charge interest (Federal Reserve, third quarter of 2026). Use the APR on your statement.
Fine-tune 2 more inputs
$
%

The minimum here is the greater of the floor, or this month’s interest plus 1% of the balance. Many large issuers use that shape with a $25 to $35 floor; yours is in your card agreement.

Pay a little more

$50

What it costs

Interest at the card’s minimum

$5,964

over 205 months

MeasureMinimumfrom $95$250 a monthfixed
Months to zero20531
Paid off
Total interest
Total paid

To clear it in

12 months
$564
24 months
$311
36 months
$230

Illustration only. Interest is charged monthly at the APR ÷ 12 on the balance, with no new purchases, fees or rate changes. Card issuers compute interest daily and each sets its own minimum formula, so your statement will differ a little.

Figures checked November 2026. Sources: Federal Reserve G.19, card rates, accounts assessed interest (22.36%, Q3 2026) · Brookings, how US minimum payments are set · Afterpay US installment agreement (late fees).

Buy now, pay later

Split a purchase into payments, or put it on the card and pay it off on the same schedule. Which costs more depends on the fees and on whether every payment lands on time.

$
% of price
$
Missed payments
The late fee starts at $8, Afterpay’s US maximum (capped at 25% of the order). Affirm says it charges no late fees. Check your plan’s terms.

Each payment

$150

The card figure assumes you carry the price at your APR and pay it down on the same schedule, with interest charged daily on what is left. If you pay the full statement by the due date, most cards charge no interest at all.

Why the minimum takes so long.

It shrinks with the balance

  • Interest plus 1%. Most of an early minimum is interest; only about 1% of the balance is paid off each month.
  • So the payment falls too. As the balance drops, so does the minimum, and the tail stretches for years.

A fixed payment fixes it

  • Pick a number and keep it. Paying the same amount every month, even as the minimum falls, ends the debt years sooner.
  • Small changes are large. The slider shows what $25 or $50 more a month is worth.

Pay in 4 is not free if you miss

  • On time, it costs nothing. Most pay-in-4 plans charge no interest.
  • Late fees are steep for small amounts. An $8 fee on a $150 payment is more than a month of card interest on the whole price.