Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between the Snowball and Avalanche methods?
The Snowball method pays off your smallest balance first, regardless of interest rate, while paying minimums on everything else. The Avalanche method pays off your highest-interest-rate card first instead. Snowball tends to give you faster psychological wins since cards disappear sooner; Avalanche usually saves more money in total interest.
Which method should I use?
If your top priority is minimizing total interest paid, Avalanche is usually mathematically better. If you've struggled to stay motivated with debt payoff before, Snowball's quick wins can make it easier to stick with the plan. Run both in the calculator above and compare the actual numbers for your cards — sometimes the difference is small enough that the motivational benefit of Snowball wins out.
How is the debt-free date calculated?
We simulate your payoff month by month. Each month, interest accrues on every card's balance based on its APR, then minimum payments are applied to every card, and any remaining budget is thrown entirely at your priority card (smallest balance for Snowball, highest APR for Avalanche). Once a card is paid off, its minimum payment amount rolls into the extra payment pool for the next card. We repeat this until every balance hits zero.
Does adding an extra payment actually make a big difference?
Often yes, especially on high-interest cards. Even a modest extra payment reduces the balance that interest compounds against every month, which can shave months or years off your payoff timeline. Try adjusting the extra payment field in the calculator to see the effect on your own numbers.
Is my financial information stored anywhere?
No. Every calculation happens locally in your browser using JavaScript. Nothing you type into the calculator is sent to a server or stored in a database. See our privacy policy for details.
Is CardsPayoff free to use?
Yes, completely free, with no signup, no email capture, and no paywall.
Can I export my payoff schedule?
Yes — click "Export full schedule (CSV)" after entering your cards to download a month-by-month breakdown of your balances.
Want more detail? Read the full snowball vs avalanche comparisonor browse the blog.