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The Daily Insight Hub

Should you pay the minimum or full balance?

Author

William Jenkins

Updated on February 09, 2026

If you can, paying the balance in full each statement period is the better option. If you pay off the balance in its entirety, it can help you save some serious money by helping you avoid costly interest payments. Paying in full may also help your credit score.

Should you only make minimum payment on your credit card each month?

The minimum payment is the absolute least amount of money you must pay towards your credit card every month to maintain your account in good standing and ensure: You don’t get hit with additional late fees. You don’t face an increase in your credit card’s annual interest rate.

Why is it * not * a good idea to pay only the minimum payment on your credit card each month?

While it’s important to make at least the minimum payment, it’s not ideal to carry a balance from month to month, because you’ll rack up interest charges (unless you’re benefiting from an intro 0% APR) and risk falling into debt.

Does paying minimum payment hurt credit?

Paying only the minimum amount due on your credit card bill could impact your credit scores and cause you to pay a lot in interest. On the other hand, paying more than the minimum helps you save money, pay off your credit card balances faster and possibly improve your credit scores.

Why do I have to make minimum payments on my credit card?

Consequently, making credit card minimum payments can keep the credit card account in good standing, but this is usually an expensive way to manage the account. Why? Because the balance at the end of every month will accrue interest, making it even more difficult to pay off your balance. 2. You Pay off Your Credit Card Balances Faster

Do you have to pay your credit card balance every month?

While you’re required to make at least the minimum payment on your statement balance by the due date to keep your account current, you should always aim to pay it off in full each month. However, that’s not always possible, especially now due to coronavirus-related layoffs and record unemployment rates.

How long does it take to pay off a minimum credit card payment?

If you only make the minimum payment, it will take you more than 18 years to pay off the entire balance. But if you increase your payment to $100 a month, it will take about 3 years to pay it off. An extra $25 a month can get you out of debt nearly 15 years faster! Looking to qualify for a better mortgage rate? Want to increase your credit limit?

What’s the minimum payment on a Barclaycard credit card?

This means it can take a long time to clear your balance. For example, on a card with 19.9% annual interest rate, the minimum payment in the first month on a balance of £3,000 would be around £75 (assuming you don’t make any other purchases). However, in the last few months it would only be a few pounds.