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Credit Card Minimum Payment Calculator

This Page's Content Was Last Updated: September 24, 2024
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Assumptions:

  • It is assumed that you do not have any overdue minimum payments.
  • It is assumed that your balance did not exceed your credit limit.
  • For Quebec residents, it is assumed that the accounts were opened after August 1, 2019.

How to Use a Credit Card Minimum Payment Calculator

Our credit card minimum payment calculator is easy to use. It requires the most basic credit card information to calculate your minimum payments, the number of months you will need to contribute the minimum payments to pay off your credit card balance, and the total interest you pay.

If you own a credit card, the best practice is always to pay off the balance in full by the due date to avoid any interest charges. You do not have to pay your credit card amount in full, but you must pay a minimum amount indicated on your credit card statement.

To see how your payment schedule will look like with a minimum payment, follow these steps:

  • Pick Your Province: Most provinces in Canada have the same rules for minimum credit card payments. A notable exception is Quebec, which usually has higher minimum payment requirements that allow Quebec residents to save a lot on interest.
  • Pick Your Credit Card Provider: Different providers may have unique minimum payment requirements that you should be aware of to avoid a surprise bill.
  • Enter Your Credit Card Balance: Your balance determines the interest you pay over time and your monthly minimum payment amounts.
  • Enter Your Credit Card Interest Rate: Your interest rate affects the interest paid on your balance, which will affect your total interest paid.

In the results section, you will be able to see your initial minimum credit card payment. You will also be able to see how much time it will take you to pay off your credit card bill with minimum payments and how much interest you will pay over that time. The amortization schedule will show you a clear breakdown of your principal, interest charges, and payments for every month of amortization.

About Credit Card Minimum Payment

Credit cards are a popular mode of payment in Canada, with the best Canadian credit cards offering an array of perks and benefits to cardholders. You could get a credit card that offers travel perks, credit cards offering rewards on grocery purchases or rewards on gas purchases, store credit cards, prepaid credit cards, credit cards with an instant approval and more. Credit cards, when used wisely, can help you build your credit history and credit score, which helps you get better mortgage rates when you borrow. If you own a credit card, the best practice is always to pay off the balance in full by the due date to avoid any interest charges.

However, if for some reason you are not able to pay your credit card bill in full, you are expected to pay a minimum amount which is indicated on your credit card statement. Even though paying the minimum amount is an option, it is not recommended to keep paying just the minimum for long. It is advisable to pay off as much as you can to reduce interest pile-up and the time it takes to pay off the balance.

What Is a Minimum Payment on a Credit Card?

The minimum payment for a credit card is the smallest amount you must pay for your credit card bill. Failing to pay the minimum amount can result in the following:

Paying off the minimum can help you avoid the negative consequences of not paying your debt obligations, but it will not help you avoid interest charges that may become large over time. The interest keeps adding up every month, proportional to your remaining balance. You may even pay more interest than the initial balance if you keep contributing the minimum required amount only. Additionally, it could take you several years to pay off the balance.

How Is Credit Card Minimum Payment Calculated?

You can always find the credit card minimum payment on your credit card statement. You do not need to calculate your own minimum payment unless it is for a hypothetical scenario.

Your minimum payment is calculated based on your lender and provincial laws. Most provinces and lenders have similar credit card minimum payment rules. Only Quebec has different laws that affect credit card minimum payments in the province. Generally, Quebec residents have higher minimum payment requirements, which saves them a lot in interest compared to other provinces.

The following calculations are often used to identify the minimum payment required:

  • Most of Canada: A flat dollar rate (usually $10) plus interest and fees.
  • Quebec Residents: 3% to 5% of your account balance.
  • The higher of a dollar amount or a percentage of your account balance.
  • If your balance is less than the flat dollar amount, it must be paid in full.

Credit Card Minimum Payment Example

Let us assume that your credit card balance is $2,000 and your minimum payment is $10 + Interest + Fees. If you paid off your last statement’s balance in full, you have no interest or late fees to pay. Assuming you did not go over the credit limit and don’t need to pay any other fees, your minimum payment for the current statement would be $10.

In contrast, if your credit card balance is $2,000 and the minimum payment required is 5% of your balance, the minimum payment required would be $100.

What Is the Minimum Payment on My Credit Card?

The minimum payment calculation information can be found on your cardholder’s agreement or a disclosure statement. When you start a credit card application online, you are prompted with the cardholder's agreement or disclosure statement for review before proceeding to enter your details.

If you already have a credit card, you can find the agreement by logging into your account online or in the information leaflet that you received with your credit card. You can also contact your credit card issuer through a customer service phone number or chat portal for this information.

Listed below are the credit card minimum payment criteria for the major credit card issuers in Canada for your reference.

Amex
BMO
Canadian Tire Bank
Capital One
CIBC
Desjardins
Manulife Bank
MBNA
Meridian
National Bank
Neo
PC Financial
RBC
Scotiabank
Simplii Financial
Tangerine
TD Bank
Company/BankMinimum Payment
amex logoAmex
For non-Quebec residents:

$10 + Interest + Fees + Previously billed unpaid minimum balance + Installments if applicable

For Quebec Residents:

For accounts opened on or after August 1, 2019: 5% of the remaining balance owing that month

  • August 1, 2022 – 3.5%
  • August 1, 2023 – 4%
  • August 1, 2024 – 4.5%
  • August 1, 2025 – 5%

Any previously billed unpaid minimum amount and any applicable installments would be added to the minimum payment.

For all residents:

If the monthly balance is lower than the above, the minimum payment will be equal to the balance.

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What If You Pay off Your Credit Card with Minimum Payments?

The less you pay towards your balance, the more interest you will pay in the future. When you pay only the minimum, most of the payment goes towards paying off the interest and very little gets subtracted from the balance owed. The remaining balance will incur interest in the following month, which must be paid off. You may pay close to double your principal on a $1000 credit card balance that is being covered only with the minimum payments. Credit card debt at major financial institutions in Canada has increased from $84 billion in 2019 to $102 billion in 2024. Paying off even a little bit extra every month can save you a lot of money and help clear your debt much faster.

Minimum Payment Example - How Much Interest You Pay

If you have a credit card balance of $5,000 to pay with an interest rate of 19.99% and a minimum payment requirement of 5% of the balance every month, it will take you ten years to pay off the balance completely. You will also end up paying an additional $2,443 in interest on top of your original balance.

In contrast, if you pay an additional $100 on top of the required minimum every month, you could pay off the debt in 2 years and five months while paying an interest of $1,053. Paying more than the minimum can save you both – time and money.

Paying off only the minimum amount may also impact your credit score. Even though your account would not be reported to credit bureaus for credit card minimum payment your credit utilization may remain high for a long time.

You should keep your credit utilization under 30% of the credit limit to help maintain a good credit score. High credit utilization lowers your credit score until it drops to an acceptable limit. Paying the minimum required amount does not significantly reduce the balance, so your credit utilization remains high and hurts your credit score. Your credit score will recover from high utilization once you pay off most of your balance.

Other Factors That May Affect Your Minimum Payment

Apart from the balance, the interest and fees, there may be some other factors that affect your minimum payment.

  1. Overlimit amount: If you spent more than your credit limit in a particular cycle, your credit card company might require you to pay the overlimit amount along with your minimum payment. You may also be charged an overlimit fee for going above your credit limit.
  2. Overdue amount: If you failed to pay any previously due amount, you might also be required to pay that off along with the minimum payment.
  3. Installments: If you have opted for an installment plan to pay off your balances, the installments are usually added to the minimum payment, and you are required to pay off the installments due every month.

How to Pay Off Your Credit Card Debt?

Here are some strategies you could use to pay off your credit card debt.

  1. Transfer your balance to another credit card: Some credit cards offer a promotional balance transfer rate and a low interest for a certain period of time. By transferring your balance to such a card, you could start paying off the principal balance without having to pay a lot of interest. If you expect to be paying off the balance for a long time, you could transfer the balance to a low-interest credit card so that you could reduce the interest amount that you pay.
  2. Pay off the credit card with the highest interest balance first: This is applicable if you have debt on more than one credit card. By paying off the highest interest balance first, you can reduce the interest accrual and would ultimately end up paying less. Once the card with the highest interest is paid off, move to the card with the next highest interest rate. This method is known as the avalanche method. Be sure to keep paying at least the minimum amount on other cards while you are paying off the highest-interest credit card.
  3. Pay off the credit card with the least amount of balance first: The smallest balance might be the easiest to pay off completely, and paying it off may be a psychologically encouraging factor in your debt repayment journey. Paying off the smaller debts completely can make you feel like you have made progress as opposed to having paid off only a small portion of bigger debt amounts which might be discouraging. This method is known as the snowball method. However, it is noteworthy that you would likely end up paying more interest than the avalanche method.
  4. Consolidate your debt with a loan or line of credit: If you have multiple high-interest debts, you could consolidate all of them into one loan. You could apply for a debt consolidation loan or tap into your home equity through a home equity line of credit (HELOC) to start paying off the loan. Doing so can help you get organized and keep track of your debt repayment.
  5. Opt for an installment plan: If your credit card issuer offers an installment plan on your credit card, it may be worthwhile to consider the same. This can help you spread out the payments, and you may also end up paying less interest.

Bottom Line

The minimum credit card payment option can be useful during tough times, such as when you are in between jobs or when you are faced with an emergency. In an emergency situation, it may also be worthwhile to find out if you have balance insurance. However, it is not advisable to make it a habit to pay just the minimum. Paying even a little extra could save you thousands of dollars in interest and help pay off your debt much faster. The best option is to always pay off your credit card balance in full by the due date indicated on the statement.

Disclaimer:

  • Any analysis or commentary reflects the opinions of WOWA.ca analysts and should not be considered financial advice. Please consult a licensed professional before making any decisions.
  • The calculators and content on this page are for general information only. WOWA does not guarantee the accuracy and is not responsible for any consequences of using the calculator.
  • Financial institutions and brokerages may compensate us for connecting customers to them through payments for advertisements, clicks, and leads.
  • Interest rates are sourced from financial institutions' websites or provided to us directly. Real estate data is sourced from the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) and regional boards' websites and documents.