How to Pay Off $10,000 In Credit Card Debt (2024)

To pay off $10,000 in credit card debt within 36 months, you will need to pay $362 per month, assuming an APR of 18%. You would incur $3,039 in interest charges during that time, but you could avoid much of this extra cost and pay off your debt faster by using a 0% APR balance transfer credit card.

The average length of a 0% APR balance transfer intro period is 13 months, according to WalletHub’s Credit Card Landscape Report, and the average balance transfer fee is 3.1% of the transferred amount. Below, you can see how much you could save while paying off $10,000 over different time frames, assuming a 12-month 0% APR period, a 3% balance transfer fee, and an 18% regular APR.

Paying Off $10,000 with a 0% APR Balance Transfer Card

Months to Payoff

Monthly Payment

Total Interest Paid

Total Savings vs. Regular Card

12

$858

$0

$709

24

$450

$495

1,202

36

$322

$1,286

$1,453

48

$260

$2,182

$1,651

60

$224

$3,146

$1,833


Of course, these aren’t the only timelines that you could commit to with $10,000 in debt. To price out more options, try WalletHub’s debt payoff calculator. This calculator can also help you decide if transferring the $10,000 in debt to a 0% APR balance transfer credit card would save you money.

Getting a 0% APR credit card isn’t the only way to pay off $10,000 in debt. In fact, there are many options to consider, each suited for slightly different situations.

Ways to Pay Off $10,000 in Credit Card Debt

  1. 0% APR Credit Card
  2. Personal Loan
  3. Debt Settlement
  4. Debt Management Plan
  5. Bankruptcy

0% APR Card

0% APR credit cards allow you to avoid interest while paying down your debts. These cards can offer 0% introductory periods on new purchases or balance transfers for up to 21 months.

Keep in mind that you may have to pay a balance transfer fee, which is usually around 3% of the transferred amount. Also, if you decide to transfer your debt to one of these credit cards, do your best to pay it off before the 0% intro period ends and the typically-high regular interest rate kicks in.

Personal Loan

Personal loans can be used to pay off $10,000 in credit card debt, assuming you can qualify for a big enough loan with a lower interest rate than your current credit card interest rate. This depends heavily on your creditworthiness.

Debt Settlement

Debt settlement is when the debtor negotiates with the creditor to pay a lump-sum that covers less than the total amount of the debt. In return, the creditor will forgive part of the debt, as well as other outstanding fees. This option is good for people who have enough money to make a large payment all at once. When taking this route, just be careful not to overextend yourself financially, or you’ll likely just end up back in debt.

Debt Management Plan

Debt management plans allow the cardholder and the lender to amend the original payment agreement by lengthening the repayment term, lowering the interest rate, and perhaps even waiving fees. Each of these modifications is meant to make the repayment process more manageable for the cardholder. Keep in mind, though, that cardholders are still expected to pay the full $10,000 with these plans.

Bankruptcy

Bankruptcy should only be used as a last resort. While declaring bankruptcy may help you clear your debt, it will also damage your credit score for years.

This answer was first published on 02/07/24. For the most current information about a financial product, you should always check and confirm accuracy with the offering financial institution. Editorial and user-generated content is not provided, reviewed or endorsed by any company.

How to Pay Off $10,000 In Credit Card Debt (2024)

FAQs

How to Pay Off $10,000 In Credit Card Debt? ›

The debt snowball approach is an accelerated payoff strategy that can save you both time and money. To get started, make the minimum payment on all of your credit cards. Then, if you can put additional money toward your debt each month, apply it to the card with the lowest balance.

How to pay off $10 000 in credit card debt? ›

7 ways to pay off $10,000 in credit card debt
  1. Opt for debt relief. One powerful approach to managing and reducing your credit card debt is with the help of debt relief companies. ...
  2. Use the snowball or avalanche method. ...
  3. Find ways to increase your income. ...
  4. Cut unnecessary expenses. ...
  5. Seek credit counseling. ...
  6. Use financial windfalls.
Feb 15, 2024

What is the best strategy for paying off credit card debt questions? ›

The debt snowball approach is an accelerated payoff strategy that can save you both time and money. To get started, make the minimum payment on all of your credit cards. Then, if you can put additional money toward your debt each month, apply it to the card with the lowest balance.

How long will it take to pay off $10000 credit card? ›

1% of the balance plus interest: It would take 29.5 years or 354 months to pay off $10,000 in credit card debt making only minimum payments. You would pay a total of $19,332.21 in interest over that period.

Is $10 K in credit card debt bad? ›

Having any credit card debt can be stressful, but $10,000 in credit card debt is a different level of stress. The average credit card interest rate is over 20%, so interest charges alone will take up a large chunk of your payments. On $10,000 in balances, you could end up paying over $2,000 per year in interest.

How can I pay off $10000 fast? ›

To pay off $10,000 in credit card debt within 36 months, you will need to pay $362 per month, assuming an APR of 18%. You would incur $3,039 in interest charges during that time, but you could avoid much of this extra cost and pay off your debt faster by using a 0% APR balance transfer credit card.

What is the fastest way to get out of credit card debt? ›

Strategies to help pay off credit card debt fast
  1. Review and revise your budget. ...
  2. Make more than the minimum payment each month. ...
  3. Target one debt at a time. ...
  4. Consolidate credit card debt. ...
  5. Contact your credit card provider.

What are 3 ways to pay off credit card debt fast? ›

4 strategies to pay off credit card debt faster
  1. To tackle credit card debt head on, it helps to first develop a plan and stick to it.
  2. Focus on paying off high-interest-rate cards first or cards with the smallest balances.
  3. When you pay more than the monthly minimum, you'll pay less in interest overall.

What are two tips to pay off credit cards faster? ›

Do a balance transfer to a 0% APR card and aggressively pay that down.
  1. Take advantage of debt consolidation, using something like a personal loan, which could offer a lower interest way to consolidate debt. ...
  2. Pay more than the minimum on all your cards all the time.
Dec 27, 2022

What are the 3 biggest strategies for paying down debt? ›

What's the best way to pay off debt?
  • The snowball method. Pay the smallest debt as fast as possible. Pay minimums on all other debt. Then pay that extra toward the next largest debt. ...
  • Debt avalanche. Pay the largest or highest interest rate debt as fast as possible. Pay minimums on all other debt. ...
  • Debt consolidation.
Aug 8, 2023

How can I pay off my credit card debt if I have no money? ›

  1. Using a balance transfer credit card. ...
  2. Consolidating debt with a personal loan. ...
  3. Borrowing money from family or friends. ...
  4. Paying off high-interest debt first. ...
  5. Paying off the smallest balance first. ...
  6. Bottom line.
Feb 9, 2024

Is the National debt Relief Program legit? ›

National Debt Relief is a legitimate company that has helped hundreds of thousands of people negotiate their debts. The company's debt coaches are certified through the International Association of Professional Debt Arbitrators (IAPDA).

What's the minimum payment on a $15000 credit card? ›

A minimum payment of 3% a month on $15,000 worth of debt means 227 months (almost 19 years) of payments, starting at $450 a month. By the time you've paid off the $15,000, you'll also have paid almost as much in interest ($12,978 if you're paying the average interest rate of 14.96%) as you did in principal.

How much is a monthly payment on a $10000 credit card? ›

If you only make minimum payments, a $10,000 credit card balance will cost you $16,056.59 in interest and take 346 months to pay off. Minimum payments on a $10,000 balance would start at $267 and decrease as you paid down what you owe.

Is there a government credit card debt relief program? ›

Unfortunately, there is no such thing as a government-sponsored program for credit card debt relief.

What is considered really bad credit card debt? ›

If your total balance is more than 30% of the total credit limit, you may be in too much debt. Some experts consider it best to keep credit utilization between 1% and 10%, while anything between 11% and 30% is typically considered good.

Is 10k in debt a lot? ›

What's considered too much debt is relative and varies by person based on the financial situation. There's no specific definition of “a lot of debt” — $10,000 might be a high amount of debt to one person, for example, but a very manageable debt for someone else.

What are 4 ways to pay off credit card debt fast? ›

  • Using a balance transfer credit card. ...
  • Consolidating debt with a personal loan. ...
  • Borrowing money from family or friends. ...
  • Paying off high-interest debt first. ...
  • Paying off the smallest balance first. ...
  • Bottom line.
Feb 9, 2024

How many people have $50,000 in credit card debt? ›

Running up $50,000 in credit card debt is not impossible. About two million Americans do it every year. Paying off that bill? Well, that's not impossible either, though it is considerably less fun.

How to pay off $9,000 in debt fast? ›

7 ways to pay off debt fast
  1. Pay more than the minimum payment every month. ...
  2. Tackle high-interest debts with the avalanche method. ...
  3. Set up a payment plan. ...
  4. Put extra money toward paying off your debts. ...
  5. Start a side hustle. ...
  6. Limit unnecessary spending. ...
  7. Don't let your debt hit collections.
May 9, 2023

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