Move the sliders. See how long your card actually takes to clear, and what an extra £100 a month does to it.
Built by Richard Bate, founder of TrySnowball
The UK average credit card APR is 24.9% (Bank of England, Q1 2026 unsecured lending data). Most UK issuers set the minimum payment as the greater of 1% of the balance plus monthly interest, or £25, whichever is higher.
A £3,000 balance at 24.9% APR on that minimum takes about 15 years 7 months to clear and costs around £5,090 in interest. You end up paying roughly £8,090 to clear a £3,000 balance. Adding £100 a month on top brings it down to 1 year 8 months and around £660 in interest: about £4,400 less paid, and almost 14 years sooner.
The calculator above uses your real balance and APR so you can see the exact numbers, not a generic example.
Got more than one card? Click Build my full plan and the calculator picks up where you left off, ready to add the rest.
What you'll pay depends heavily on your credit profile and the type of card. The Bank of England's Q1 2026 unsecured lending data puts the average representative APR at 24.9%, but the spread is wide.
The "representative" APR is what 51% of accepted applicants are given. If your credit file is thinner or has marks against it, the rate you're offered can be meaningfully higher than the headline number.
The exact numbers depend on your APR and how much you pay each month, but the pattern is consistent across UK cards at the 24.9% average APR. Rounded approximations:
Fixed monthly payments clear cards faster than minimums because the minimum shrinks as your balance shrinks. Use the calculator above for your exact balances.
Three UK rules can change what you can do and what your provider has to do for you while you're paying down a card.
At 24.9% APR (UK average) with a 1% of balance plus interest minimum, about 15 years and 7 months. That costs roughly £5,090 in interest, meaning you pay around £8,090 in total to clear a £3,000 balance. The minimum payment drops as the balance falls, which is what makes the timeline so long. The calculator above shows your exact numbers for any balance.
Pay more than the minimum. Even £50-£100 a month extra cuts years off the timeline. If you have multiple cards, use snowball (smallest balance first, which most people find motivating) or avalanche (highest APR first, which saves the most in interest). The calculator above shows both.
24.9%, the UK average credit card APR per Bank of England Q1 2026 unsecured lending data. If your card has a different rate, the difference is small at this scale. The bigger lever is the monthly payment.
The calculator uses the greater of 1% of the balance plus monthly interest, or £25, capped at the balance. This matches how most major UK issuers (Barclaycard, NatWest, Halifax) set their minimums.
No signup required. Use the calculator free, without an account. If you want to save your plan and track debt reduction over time, you can optionally create a free account.
The Bank of England's Q1 2026 unsecured lending data puts the average representative APR at 24.9%. Mainstream cards typically sit between 21.9% and 26.9%, credit-builder cards between 30% and 39.9%, and store cards often above 29.9%. Your actual rate depends on your credit profile and which card you're approved for.
Persistent debt is when you've paid more in interest, fees, and charges than off your balance over an 18-month period. UK card providers must contact you at 18 months in persistent debt, again at 27 months, and at 36 months they have to offer a way to clear the balance, typically over 3 to 4 years and sometimes with reduced interest. Check letters from your provider; they're required to flag this.
Yes. For any purchase between £100 and £30,000 on a UK credit card, your provider is jointly liable with the retailer for things like undelivered goods, faulty products, or businesses that have gone bust. You can claim even if you only paid part of the purchase on the card. This protection doesn't apply to debit cards.
You'll clear the card eventually, but at the UK average APR it can take decades and the total interest can end up larger than the original balance. The minimum payment is designed to cover interest plus a small fraction of the principal, which is why it shrinks as your balance shrinks. That's why minimum-only timelines stretch so long.
If you stop paying entirely, your provider can pass the debt to a collection agency or apply for a County Court Judgment (CCJ). Most providers will agree a reduced payment plan if you contact them before it gets to that stage. Free, independent advice from StepChange or Citizens Advice is the right starting point if you can't keep up with payments.
If your minimum payments alone are out of reach, free debt advice helps more than a calculator can. These UK charities offer free, confidential support:
No fees, no obligation. They'll explain your options including debt management plans, breathing space, and IVAs where appropriate.