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 long does it take to pay off 10,000 credit card debt? ›

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 $10,000 a lot in credit card debt? ›

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.

What is the new program relieves over $10 000 in credit card debt? ›

National Debt Relief works with customers with $10,000 or more in unsecured debt, making it a good choice for people with large debts.

What is the minimum payment on 10000 credit card debt? ›

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 10k a lot of debt? ›

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 is the quickest way to pay off 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 is considered really bad credit card debt? ›

You want to maintain less than a 30 percent balance on each card and overall.

What percentage of Americans have $10000 in credit card debt? ›

Approximately 22% of Americans said they now owe between $10,000 to $20,000 in credit card debt, and 5% have more than $30,000. "In today's economic landscape, the surge in credit card debt is a stark indication of the financial strain many Americans face," Debt.com Chairman Howard Dvorkin said.

What is considered a big credit card debt? ›

The general rule of thumb is that you shouldn't spend more than 10 percent of your take-home income on credit card debt.

What is credit card forgiveness? ›

Credit card debt forgiveness is when some or all of a borrower's credit card debt is considered canceled and is no longer required to be paid. Credit card debt forgiveness is uncommon, but other solutions exist for managing debt. Debt relief and debt consolidation loans are other options to reduce your debts.

Will the government pay off my credit cards? ›

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

Is credit card forgiveness program real? ›

Credit card forgiveness from credit card companies is unlikely. You may be able to negotiate with credit card companies for other debt relief, like creating a debt management plan. A debt consolidation loan can help you pay down credit card debt faster.

How long should it take to pay off $10,000? ›

$10,000 with a 20% APR: Your minimum payment would be $266.67 per month and it would take 346 months to pay off $10,000 at 20% interest.

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?

What is 30% of a 10000 credit limit? ›

Most credit experts advise keeping your credit utilization below 30 percent, especially if you want to maintain a good credit score. This means if you have $10,000 in available credit, your outstanding balances should not exceed $3,000.

How to pay off 10k in debt in 12 months? ›

The simplest way to make this calculation is to divide $10,000 by 12. This would mean you need to pay $833 per month to have contributed your goal amount to your debt pay-off plan. This number, though, doesn't factor in the interest on your debt.

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

How long to pay off $5,000 credit card with minimum payment? ›

During that time, you'll pay a total of $9,332.25 in interest for a total payoff cost of $14,332.25. 2.5% of the balance (inclusive of interest): It would take 505 months to get rid of your $5,000 credit card balance making just minimum payments at 2.5% of your balance. That's over four decades of payments.

How fast can you pay off $5,000 in credit card debt? ›

It will take 32 months to pay off $5,000 with payments of $200 per month, assuming the average credit card APR of around 18%. The time it takes to repay a balance depends on how often you make payments, how big your payments are and what the interest rate charged by the lender is.

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