DayCents

Minimum Payment

The minimum payment is the smallest amount you can pay on a credit card to keep the account in good standing — often around 2% of the balance. Paying only the minimum is a trap: it stretches repayment over years and can more than double what you pay through interest.

Because minimums shrink as the balance falls, they extend payoff dramatically. Paying even a fixed amount above the minimum every month — rather than a percentage — slashes both the timeline and the total interest, as a payoff calculator makes vivid.