Credit card statements make the minimum due look manageable. It isn’t. Enter your actual balance and rate below to see exactly how long you’d be paying, and how much extra it costs you, if you only ever pay the minimum.
Why the Minimum Payment Is a Trap by Design
Card issuers set the minimum due (typically 2–5% of your balance in India) deliberately low. As your balance shrinks, your minimum payment shrinks with it — which means the interest keeps compounding on a slowly-shrinking base for years. It’s not that you’re bad with money; the payment structure itself is built to stretch repayment out for as long as legally allowed.
The Fix Is Almost Always the Same
Pay a fixed amount every month instead of the percentage-based minimum — even a modest fixed amount above the minimum collapses the payoff timeline dramatically, because you stop the shrinking-payment spiral. Use the calculator above to test your own fixed number against the minimum-only path and see the real difference in both time and money.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does my card’s minimum due keep going down each month?
Because it’s calculated as a percentage of your current balance, not a fixed amount. As you pay it down (however slowly), the required minimum shrinks too.
Is it ever okay to pay only the minimum?
Only as a short-term move during genuine cash-flow stress. As a long-term strategy it is close to the most expensive way to carry debt in personal finance.