Credit Card Interest Calculator
Estimate the finance charge on your Philippine credit card statement using BSP rules.
Compute Your Interest Charge
Based on BSP Circular 1098 — max 3% / month (36% APR) on unpaid balances
How to use this calculator: Enter the unpaid balance on your card, the purchase APR from your statement, and the number of days in your billing cycle. Results update instantly.
Use your Average Daily Balance for the most accurate result. A ballpark is the outstanding balance on your statement.
Enter your card's purchase APR. BSP caps this at 36% per year (3% per month).
Most PH billing cycles are 28–31 days. Use 30 as a default if you're unsure.
Frequently Asked Questions
Philippine credit card interest rules under BSP regulations.
How credit card interest is charged in the Philippines
Philippine credit card interest is capped by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas at 3 percent per month on unpaid balances, which compounds to roughly 42.6 percent a year if you carry a balance the whole time. Cash advances sit under a separate cap and start accruing interest from the transaction date with no grace period.
Interest only applies when you fail to pay the full statement balance. Pay the statement in full before the due date and you owe nothing extra. Pay anything less — including the minimum amount due — and interest is charged on the balance, and in many banks on new purchases too, until the account returns to zero.
The minimum amount due is designed to keep the account current, not to clear your debt. Because it is typically a small percentage of the balance plus fees, paying only the minimum on a large balance can take years and cost more in interest than the original purchase. Use the calculator above to see the difference between the minimum, a fixed higher payment, and a target payoff date.
- Always pay the full statement balance when you can; the grace period on purchases is the only free credit on a card.
- Avoid cash advances — the fee plus immediate interest makes them one of the most expensive ways to borrow.
- A 0 percent installment plan converts the purchase to a fixed schedule, but check the handling fee, which acts like hidden interest.
- If your balance is large, a balance transfer or a personal loan at a lower effective rate can cut months off your payoff.
Frequently asked questions
What is the maximum credit card interest rate in the Philippines?
The BSP caps the finance charge on unpaid credit card balances at 3 percent per month. Cash advance installment charges are capped separately, and a monthly processing fee cap applies to cash advances.
Does paying the minimum amount due hurt me?
It keeps your account current and protects your credit standing, but it barely reduces the principal. On a large balance, minimum-only payments can stretch the debt over many years and cost more in interest than the amount you originally charged.
When does the interest-free grace period apply?
Only on retail purchases, and only if you pay the full statement balance by the due date. Once you carry any balance forward, the grace period is lost until you clear the card. Cash advances never have a grace period.
What is the fastest way to clear a card balance?
Stop new charges, pay a fixed amount well above the minimum every month, and target the highest-rate balance first. If you hold several cards, list them by effective rate and attack the most expensive one while paying the minimum on the rest.