How long will it take to pay off my credit card?

You have control over some of the factors that determine your credit card’s interest rate. A better credit score gets you better credit card options. And if your score has improved significantly, you can try asking the issuer for a lower rate. But regardless of the stated APR on your card, you can reduce the effective rate in several ways:

  • Pay your bill in full every month, if possible, to avoid interest
  • Make more than the minimum payment if you can’t pay your bill in full
  • Make payments more than once a month to shrink your average daily balance
  • Now that you understand how it all works, you’re in a better position to take charge of your interest.

Just by lowering the interest rate, this card could be paid off 13 months sooner!