Pago de Tarjeta de Crédito
Calculate how long to pay off your credit card and total interest cost.
Principal vs Interest
Payment Breakdown
| Month | Payment | Principal | Interest | Remaining Balance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 200,00 US$ | 95,88 US$ | 104,13 US$ | 4904,13 US$ |
| 2 | 200,00 US$ | 97,87 US$ | 102,13 US$ | 4806,25 US$ |
| 3 | 200,00 US$ | 99,91 US$ | 100,09 US$ | 4706,34 US$ |
| 4 | 200,00 US$ | 101,99 US$ | 98,01 US$ | 4604,35 US$ |
| 5 | 200,00 US$ | 104,11 US$ | 95,89 US$ | 4500,24 US$ |
| 6 | 200,00 US$ | 106,28 US$ | 93,72 US$ | 4393,96 US$ |
| 7 | 200,00 US$ | 108,50 US$ | 91,50 US$ | 4285,46 US$ |
| 8 | 200,00 US$ | 110,76 US$ | 89,24 US$ | 4174,71 US$ |
| 9 | 200,00 US$ | 113,06 US$ | 86,94 US$ | 4061,64 US$ |
| 10 | 200,00 US$ | 115,42 US$ | 84,58 US$ | 3946,23 US$ |
| 11 | 200,00 US$ | 117,82 US$ | 82,18 US$ | 3828,41 US$ |
| 12 | 200,00 US$ | 120,27 US$ | 79,73 US$ | 3708,13 US$ |
| 13 | 200,00 US$ | 122,78 US$ | 77,22 US$ | 3585,36 US$ |
| 14 | 200,00 US$ | 125,33 US$ | 74,67 US$ | 3460,02 US$ |
| 15 | 200,00 US$ | 127,95 US$ | 72,05 US$ | 3332,08 US$ |
| 16 | 200,00 US$ | 130,61 US$ | 69,39 US$ | 3201,47 US$ |
| 17 | 200,00 US$ | 133,33 US$ | 66,67 US$ | 3068,14 US$ |
| 18 | 200,00 US$ | 136,11 US$ | 63,89 US$ | 2932,03 US$ |
| 19 | 200,00 US$ | 138,94 US$ | 61,06 US$ | 2793,09 US$ |
| 20 | 200,00 US$ | 141,83 US$ | 58,17 US$ | 2651,26 US$ |
| 21 | 200,00 US$ | 144,79 US$ | 55,21 US$ | 2506,47 US$ |
| 22 | 200,00 US$ | 147,80 US$ | 52,20 US$ | 2358,67 US$ |
| 23 | 200,00 US$ | 150,88 US$ | 49,12 US$ | 2207,79 US$ |
| 24 | 200,00 US$ | 154,02 US$ | 45,98 US$ | 2053,76 US$ |
| 25 | 200,00 US$ | 157,23 US$ | 42,77 US$ | 1896,53 US$ |
| 26 | 200,00 US$ | 160,50 US$ | 39,50 US$ | 1736,03 US$ |
| 27 | 200,00 US$ | 163,85 US$ | 36,15 US$ | 1572,18 US$ |
| 28 | 200,00 US$ | 167,26 US$ | 32,74 US$ | 1404,92 US$ |
| 29 | 200,00 US$ | 170,74 US$ | 29,26 US$ | 1234,18 US$ |
| 30 | 200,00 US$ | 174,30 US$ | 25,70 US$ | 1059,88 US$ |
| 31 | 200,00 US$ | 177,93 US$ | 22,07 US$ | 881,95 US$ |
| 32 | 200,00 US$ | 181,63 US$ | 18,37 US$ | 700,32 US$ |
| 33 | 200,00 US$ | 185,42 US$ | 14,58 US$ | 514,90 US$ |
| 34 | 200,00 US$ | 189,28 US$ | 10,72 US$ | 325,63 US$ |
| 35 | 200,00 US$ | 193,22 US$ | 6,78 US$ | 132,41 US$ |
| 36 | 135,16 US$ | 132,41 US$ | 2,76 US$ | 0,00 US$ |
Pago de Tarjeta: Guía Completa
Cost of Minimum Payments
Minimum payments on $5K at 25% APR takes 30+ years and $12K+ in interest. More than double the original balance.
Payoff Strategies
Avalanche method (highest rate first) saves the most. Snowball method (smallest balance first) provides psychological wins. Balance transfers offer 0% intro periods.
Understanding APR
Credit card APR compounds daily. 24.99% APR means 0.0684% daily interest, making debt grow quickly.
Ejemplo Práctico
$5,000 at 24.99% APR
Minimum only: 26 years, $11,500+ interest.
$250/month: 24 months, $1,382 interest.
$500/month: 12 months, $672 interest. Doubling payment saves $700+.
Preguntas Frecuentes
What if I only make minimum payments?
You will pay dramatically more interest and take decades to pay off. Always pay more than minimum.
Should I get a balance transfer?
If you can pay off during the 0% intro period (12-21 months), it saves hundreds. Watch for 3-5% transfer fees.
Large vs multiple small payments?
Paying early reduces your average daily balance, saving money. Pay as soon as you have funds.
Good utilization rate?
Below 30% is acceptable. Below 10% is ideal for credit scores.
Can I negotiate my rate?
Yes. Call your issuer. Success rate ~70% with average 6 point reduction.
Estimaciones. No es asesoramiento financiero.
📚 Referencias
- Consumer Financial Protection Bureau - Credit Card Payoff (consumerfinance.gov)
- Federal Reserve - Understanding Credit Card Interest (federalreserve.gov)