The Best Way to Pay off Your Credit Cards

Credit cards can be a great way to earn rewards, but paying them off can sometimes be challenging. If you’re currently carrying credit card debt, you’re not alone. Research shows that the average American has $5,313 of credit card debt and uses approximately 25.3% of their available credit.¹

If you’re looking for ways to pay off your credit cards, a few key steps can help you tackle your outstanding balances and use your credit cards more efficiently.

Take Stock of Your Current Balances

First things first. Before you can develop a plan to pay down your debt, you need to have a clear sense of exactly how much you owe. A simple way to do this is to make a list of your debts and write down the balance of each one.

Your list should include: 

• The names of your creditors
• The total amount of debt for each account 
• The amount of each monthly payment

To help you get a clear sense of how your debt stacks up, it’s important to also note the interest rate for each of your accounts. This will give you a better idea of where you’re incurring the most debt and how your balances may increase over time.

Assess Your Repayment Options

Once you know the total of your outstanding balances, you can examine your repayment options and find the one that’s right for you. If you’re carrying a relatively low balance, a balance transfer may be a viable option. This allows you to transfer your existing balances to another credit card with a low introductory rate. After the promotional period is over, the APR will generally increase to a higher variable rate so it’s important to pay down the balance within the promotional period whenever possible. 

 If you’re carrying a higher balance or you’d like to repay it over a longer period of time, a personal loan could be a better option. By allowing you to consolidate all of your existing balances into one set regular monthly payment, a personal loan eliminates the hassle of multiple bills while also giving you more control of your repayment schedule.

Choose a Solution That Allows You to Pay Down Your Debt Effectively

Once you have a clear idea of which option is right for you, it’s time to move to the next step. It’s also worth noting that different lenders offer different types of financing options so it’s important to find a lender that meets your needs.

With a fixed rate and flexible repayment terms, a Discover® personal loan could help you lower your monthly payments and pay down your debt faster. What’s more, there are no origination fees and there are no fees of any kind as long as you pay on time. Plus, you may be able to achieve significant savings on interest by consolidating your existing higher-rate credit card balances. And you can estimate your savings with Discover’s debt consolidation calculator.

When used effectively, credit cards can be a great way to manage spending and earn rewards. By paying down the outstanding balances on your cards, you can minimize concerns of overspending and use your credit cards in a way that benefits you.

¹Experian, “Experian 2020 Consumer Credit Review, https://www.experian.com/blogs/ask-experian/consumer-credit-review/.” Accessed October 11, 2021.