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Credit Card Payoff Calculator: Germany

See how long a credit card takes to pay off at your APR, the interest it costs, what minimums really cost, and the payment to be debt-free by a date.

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Germany: revolving credit is the expensive way to do this

The first thing to say about a German card balance is that most people do not have one. The standard German card is a charge card: the full balance is collected by direct debit from the current account once a month, and no interest arises at all. Where a revolving option exists it is usually opt-in, and the calculator's minimum-payment mode only describes what happens once it is switched on.

That matters because Germany has a much cheaper alternative sitting next to it. A Ratenkredit, a fixed instalment loan from a bank, is the normal way to carry a large purchase here, and it is typically priced several points below revolving card credit with a fixed term and a fixed payment. Anyone modelling a German card balance over more than a few months is usually modelling the wrong product; the loan calculator is the better tool.

Germany sets no statutory interest cap. Courts instead treat a rate roughly double the market average, or more than about twelve points above it, as usurious under section 138 of the Burgerliches Gesetzbuch, which voids the contract. It is a soft ceiling and it moves with the market.

Revolving credit here typically requires about 3% of the balance a month, with the interest taken from within that payment and a floor of about €25.

For how the calculation works, the formula behind it and what it leaves out, see the full guide. For help interpreting a result or comparing it with a quote or statement, read the questions and answers.

Data sources

German consumer finance conventionsDeutsche RentenversicherungNot yet in effect

Every document each dataset was read from, its notes and how the figures were checked are listed in the guide's data sources.

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Each country has its own rates, thresholds and rules, and its own page that runs the calculator on them and cites the official sources they came from.

CentExactCalculator publisher

CentExact publishes the calculation method, worked examples and available data sources. Automated checks cover reference calculations; they do not certify a result for your circumstances or imply approval by a lender or tax authority.

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This calculator is for general information only and is not financial advice. Results are estimates based on the figures you enter and the stated formula; lenders and providers may round or calculate differently. Check any decision with the institution involved or a qualified adviser.