Using a credit card to pay a car loan only replaces one debt with another; it doesn't lower your overall indebtedness. The interest rate may be higher on the credit card than on the car loan you're paying off. You may be swapping a fixed-rate loan for a variable-interest credit card.
FAQ about paying off a car loan early and your credit
In the short term, paying off a debt and closing credit accounts can result in a drop in credit scores. But over time, it can improve a person's DTI ratio, which lenders may look at when considering your credit application.
It's generally not a good idea to pay a loan with a credit card, but this also depends on what your reason is for doing it. The most common reasons are: You can't make the loan payment. In this case, you may want to pay by credit card so you don't miss your monthly payment and get hit with a fee.
The bottom line
Paying off a car loan early can save you money — provided the lender doesn't assess too large a prepayment penalty and you don't have other high-interest debt. Even a few extra payments can go a long way to reducing your costs.
Most lenders don't accept credit cards for auto loan payments, but even if your lender does, you need to think twice before using that option. If you aren't careful, you could end up paying more than your original auto loan amount.
According to experts, a car payment is too high if the car payment is more than 30% of your total income. Remember, the car payment isn't your only car expense! Make sure to consider fuel and maintenance expenses. Make sure your car payment does not exceed 15%-20% of your total income.
Depending on the type of bill and the merchant, you may be able to use a credit card to pay bills. Mortgages, rent and car loans typically can't be paid with a credit card.
Provided the down payment is $5,000, the interest rate is 10%, and the loan length is five years, the monthly payment will be $531.18/month. With a $1,000 down payment and an interest rate of 20% with a five year loan, your monthly payment will be $768.32/month.
While paying off your car loan early is typically the best move to reduce your debt and save money, it is not for everyone. If you can't afford to make a larger down payment or pay extra each month it may not be a good idea. Refinancing a car loan can be a better option in this case.
Bottom line. If you have a credit card balance, it's typically best to pay it off in full if you can. Carrying a balance can lead to expensive interest charges and growing debt.
"In general, if you have good credit, personal loans have lower interest rates than most credit cards," says Amy Maliga, financial educator at Take Charge America, a nonprofit financial counseling agency. Also, you can often get a personal loan in a much larger amount than the limit you can expect on a credit card.
When prioritizing paying off your debt, start with the balance that has the higher interest rate (likely your credit cards) and go from there. No matter what type of debt you'll be dealing with, though, the most important factor is that you pay your bills on time.
The most likely possible reasons for your credit score dropping after paying off debt are a decrease in the average age of your accounts, a change in the types of credit you have or an increase in your credit utilization.
Lenders like to see a mix of both installment loans and revolving credit on your credit portfolio. So if you pay off a car loan and don't have any other installment loans, you might actually see that your credit score dropped because you now have only revolving debt.
To reach an 800 credit score, you'll want to demonstrate on-time bill payments, have a healthy mix of credit (meaning accounts other than just credit cards), use a small percentage of your available credit, and limit new credit inquiries.
Payments would be around $377 per month. According to the results, it will take you 60 months, an interest rate of 5% of $2,645, to fully pay your $20,000 car loan. However, the monthly cost of a $20,000 car loan will depend on your repayment period and the annual percentage rate (APR).
Your car payment won't go down if you pay extra, but you'll pay the loan off faster. Paying extra can also save you money on interest depending on how soon you pay the loan off and how high your interest rate is.
Because of the high interest rates and risk of going upside down, most experts agree that a 72-month loan isn't an ideal choice. Experts recommend that borrowers take out a shorter loan. And for an optimal interest rate, a loan term fewer than 60 months is a better way to go. You can learn more about car loans here.
If you do it consistently, you can cut months off the life of the loan. If you borrow $25,000 at a 6% APR for 72 months, the monthly payment is $414.32 per month. If you add $50 per month, you'll shorten the loan term by 9 months and save $633.42 in interest.
Yes, credit card companies do like it when you pay in full each month. In fact, they consider it a sign of creditworthiness and active use of your credit card. Carrying a balance month-to-month increases your debt through interest charges and can hurt your credit score if your balance is over 30% of your credit limit.
6 Expenses You Shouldn't Charge on Your Credit Card. Avoid charging taxes, medical bills, rent or mortgage payments, cryptocurrency, college tuition, money orders, wire transfers and other cash-like transactions to a credit card because of third-party processing fees.
You don't have to answer
Lenders are required to give customers a way to opt out of having their information shared with third parties, said Daniel Podhaskie, financial services attorney at the Warren Group. No matter how you answer, there could be an impact on your credit limit, Howard said.