How It Works

NPER (Number of Periods) calculates how long it takes to pay off a debt given a fixed payment amount. This is useful for credit cards or when making extra payments on loans.

Syntax

=NPER(rate, pmt, pv, [fv], [type])

rate: Interest rate per period (annual ÷ 12)
pmt: Payment per period (use negative)
pv: Present value/current balance
fv: Future value (optional, 0 for payoff)
type: When payments are due (optional)

Example

Credit Card Payoff:

Balance: $8,000
APR: 22%
Monthly Payment: $300

Formula: =NPER(22%/12, -300, 8000)

Result: 33.4 months (about 2 years 9 months)

Common Scenarios

Credit Card Minimum Payment Trap

$5,000 balance at 20% APR, paying only $100/month:

=NPER(20%/12, -100, 5000)

Result: 94 months (nearly 8 years!)

Aggressive Debt Payoff

Same $5,000 balance, but paying $500/month:

=NPER(20%/12, -500, 5000)

Result: 11 months

Student Loan Payoff

$35,000 at 5.5%, paying $400/month:

=NPER(5.5%/12, -400, 35000)

Result: 112 months (9 years 4 months)

Variations

Convert to Years and Months

=INT(NPER(...)/12) & " years, " & MOD(NPER(...), 12) & " months"

Calculate Payoff Date

=EDATE(TODAY(), NPER(rate/12, -payment, balance))

Returns the actual date you’ll be debt-free.

What Payment for X Months?

Flip it - find payment needed to pay off in 24 months:

=PMT(rate/12, 24, -balance)

Pro Tips

#NUM! error means your payment doesn’t cover interest - increase payment amount
Round up the result since partial months don’t count
Create a payoff tracker that updates as balance decreases
Compare scenarios - see impact of paying $50, $100, $200 extra

Debt Payoff Comparison Table

Balance	Rate	Payment	Months	Total Interest
$8,000	22%	$200	62	$4,324
$8,000	22%	$300	33	$1,984
$8,000	22%	$500	18	$1,014

Paying more per month dramatically reduces both time and total interest.