Put in each card and what you can pay across them all each month, and see when you’d be clear paying the highest rate first or the smallest balance first.
Card providers’ rules current for October 2026, last checked against each provider’s own published terms.
Results update as you type
Your results
Debt-free in
1 year 11 months
£1,008 of interest, paying the highest rate first
Minimums this monthSee how a card’s minimum is worked out, provider by provider. Open in Credit Card Minimum Payment Calculator.
£142.69
£107.31 of your £250 left for clearing a card
Your budget is less than the minimums.This month’s minimums come to £142.69, more than your £250 budget. Every card has to get at least its minimum, so the figures here pay the minimums, and nothing is left over to clear a card faster.
Your budget doesn’t clear the cards.It doesn’t cover the interest, so what you owe never falls to nothing. Pay more each month if you can, or look at moving the balances to a 0% deal, and talk to a free debt advice service.
Pays less
Highest rate first
1 year 11 months
£1,008 interest
Pays less
Smallest balance first
1 year 11 months
£1,076 interest
Paying the highest rate first costs £68 less in interest. Paying the smallest balance first clears your first card 3 months sooner, which some people find keeps them going.
Owed in all
£4,500
3 cards
First card clear
9 months
Card 2 (Santander) is clear first
Paying only the minimums
26 years 10 months
£7,310 interest, paying only the minimums
Your budget saves
£6,302
Less interest than paying only the minimums
Your budget, highest rate firstOnly the minimums
Card by card
When each card is clear, from this month, in each order.
Card
Minimum now
Highest rate first
Smallest balance first
Card 1 (HSBC)See this card on its own, at this month’s payment. Open in Credit Card Payoff Calculator.24.9% APR, £2,500
£71.75
1 year 9 months
1 year 11 months
Card 2 (Santander)See this card on its own, at this month’s payment. Open in Credit Card Payoff Calculator.29.9% APR, £1,200
£38.45
9 months
1 year 1 month
Card 3 (Lloyds Bank)See this card on its own, at this month’s payment. Open in Credit Card Payoff Calculator.19.9% APR, £800
£32.49
1 year 11 months
6 months
Each card gets its minimum every month, and the rest of your budget goes to one card at a time. When a card is clear, what you were paying on it moves to the next.
Using this calculator
Put in what you can pay across all your cards each month, then each card’s provider, balance and interest rate. There are three cards to start with: choose “Add another card” for up to five, or the × on a card to remove it. The results show when you’d be clear, and the interest, paying the card with the highest rate first or the one with the smallest balance first.
Each card’s minimum is worked out from its provider’s published rule. Where a provider sets the percentage card by card, choose yours, or leave it on “Not sure” to use the lowest.
If your provider isn’t listed or doesn’t publish its rule, choose “Not listed, or not sure” and enter the rule from your statement.
Your budget has to cover every card’s minimum; anything more goes to clearing one card at a time.
The figures assume nothing new goes on the cards, and that their rates stay the same.
Each month, every card is charged interest at the monthly rate behind its APR: 1.87% a month at 24.9% APR. Each card then gets its minimum payment, worked out by its provider’s rule on that month’s balance and interest, and what’s left of your budget goes to one card: the one with the highest APR, or the one with the smallest balance, depending on the order. When a card is clear, its share moves to the next. Real statements differ by a few pence, because providers count the exact days in each statement period. Fees and new spending aren’t included. If you enter a yearly rate (p.a.) instead of an APR, interest each month is that rate divided by 12, which is the same as using the APR behind it (22.44% p.a. is 24.9% APR).
Frequently asked questions
Should I pay off the card with the highest interest rate first?
Usually, yes. Putting every spare pound on the card with the highest rate, while paying the minimum on the rest, costs the least interest overall. It’s often called the avalanche. With £2,500 at 24.9%, £1,200 at 29.9% and £800 at 19.9% APR and £250 a month, it clears all three in the same time as paying the smallest balance first, for less interest. Enter your own cards above to see yours.
What is the debt snowball?
Paying off the card with the smallest balance first, then the next smallest, whatever their rates. It usually costs a little more interest than the highest rate first, but clears a card sooner, and seeing a card reach nothing helps some people keep going. The calculator shows both, so you can see what the snowball costs on your cards.
Do I still have to pay the minimum on every card?
Yes. Every card needs at least its minimum each month, or it counts as a missed payment, with a fee and a mark on your credit file. The calculator pays each card’s minimum first and puts the rest of your budget on one card at a time.
What if my budget is less than the minimums?
Then the minimums are all you can pay, and they won’t clear the cards for many years. Tell your card providers: they have to treat you fairly and consider what you can afford. Free debt advice services can help you set up a plan.
Would moving everything to one card help?
A 0% balance transfer can cut the interest a lot, if the new card’s limit is big enough and you clear most of it before the 0% ends. A personal loan is another way to put several cards into one fixed payment. The balance transfer vs loan calculator compares the two.
Where can I get free help with debt?
Free, confidential debt advice is available from MoneyHelper, StepChange, National Debtline and Citizens Advice. They can help you work out a budget, talk to the people you owe and find a way to repay. Avoid companies that charge for debt help: the free services give the same advice.