Your card, cleared. Here’s the finish line.
Enter your balance, your rate, and what you actually pay each month — and see your debt-free date, the interest it costs, and how much a small extra payment changes both.
NZ credit cards typically charge around 13–23% p.a. on purchases
The amount you actually pay, not the minimum on the statement
Even $50 more each month changes the picture
Free, no signup — nothing you type leaves this page. The maths runs entirely in your browser.
Time to debt-free
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Assumes monthly compounding at a constant rate with no new spending on the card — a close planning approximation, not a bank statement. Owdyn’s Debt Cockpit runs this across every card you have, with avalanche and snowball strategies side by side.
Good questions. Clear answers.
Why does paying only the minimum take so long?
Minimum payments are typically 2–5% of the balance, sized so most of the payment goes to interest rather than the debt. At typical NZ card rates, a few thousand dollars paid at minimums can take over a decade to clear — the minimum is a floor, not a plan.
How accurate is this calculator?
It models monthly compounding at a constant rate with no new spending — a close planning approximation of how card interest accrues. Real statements vary slightly with daily balances and billing cycles, but the timeline and interest totals are honest guides.
Should I pay off my card before saving?
Generally, high-interest debt first: no savings account pays anything close to a card’s interest rate, so each extra dollar on the card “earns” that rate guaranteed. A small emergency buffer first — even $500 — stops new surprises landing back on the card.
What is the avalanche vs snowball question?
With several debts, avalanche pays the highest interest rate first (cheapest overall); snowball pays the smallest balance first (fastest wins, best momentum). Owdyn’s Debt Cockpit shows both side by side with the interest each costs.
One calculation is a snapshot. Owdyn keeps it live.
Import your transactions and Owdyn runs the numbers continuously — bills, BNPL and goals already subtracted from one honest Safe-to-Spend figure. Free during beta.
Free during beta · No credit card · Nothing you typed here was stored