Skip to content

Free, runs in your browser, no sign-up

Cash Advance Interest Calculator

A cash advance is not the same product as a regular purchase, and the math behind it is different in a way that catches a lot of people off guard. Enter the amount you're withdrawing, the fee your card charges, and the cash advance APR, and this calculator shows the true starting balance (amount plus fee) and how much interest accrues per day starting immediately, since cash advances skip the grace period purchases normally get. Add your planned monthly payment and it works out your full payoff timeline and total interest cost.

Interest accruing per day (starts immediately, no grace period) – Enter the cash advance amount, fee and APR above.
Fee added to balance –
Starting balance (amount + fee) –
Payoff date –
Total interest paid –
Time to pay off – Enter the amount, fee, APR and your monthly payment.
Was this tool helpful?
Send feedback

Why a cash advance costs more than it looks like it should

Three things separate a cash advance from a normal purchase, and all three raise the real cost:

Worked example

Withdraw $500 with a 5% cash advance fee and a 29.99% cash advance APR: the fee is $25, so your starting balance is $525 before a single day of interest is charged. At that APR, interest starts accruing at roughly $0.43 per day from day one. Pay $100 a month and it takes about 6 months to clear, with total interest of roughly $45, on top of the $25 fee already paid upfront, for a total cost of about $70 to access $500 in cash.

ATM fees are usually separate too

The cash advance fee your card issuer charges is often not the only fee involved. If you use an ATM to withdraw the cash, the ATM operator may charge its own fee on top, separate from and in addition to your card issuer's cash advance fee. This calculator only accounts for the card issuer's cash advance fee (the percentage field above), since ATM fees vary by machine and are not part of your card agreement's interest calculation, but it's worth checking your receipt for a second, separate charge.

When a cash advance might still make sense

Given the fee and immediate interest accrual, a cash advance is rarely the cheapest way to get cash, but there are situations where the alternatives are worse: an emergency with no other credit available, a merchant that only accepts cash, or a short timeframe where you're confident you can repay within days rather than months (which limits the interest, though not the upfront fee). Comparing the total cost above against a personal loan, a line of credit, or simply the interest on a regular purchase using the main credit card interest calculator is worth doing before treating a cash advance as the default option.

If you end up paying it off slowly

A cash advance balance you can only chip away at behaves the same, mathematically, as any other card balance once the fee is folded in: the same minimum-payment mechanics apply. See the minimum payment calculator to understand how issuers calculate that minimum and how long paying only the minimum would actually take on this balance. Your privacy is handled the same way here too: nothing you enter above leaves your browser, see the privacy policy for details.

Interest CalculatorEnter your balance and APR to see this month's interest charge and your payoff timeline.Minimum Payment CalculatorSee how issuers calculate your minimum payment, and how long minimum-only payments really take.

Frequently asked questions

Does paying off a cash advance before my statement closes avoid interest?
No. Unlike a purchase, a cash advance has no grace period, so interest accrues from the day you withdraw the money regardless of when your statement closes or when you pay. Paying it off quickly still reduces the total interest (fewer days of accrual), it just doesn't eliminate it entirely the way paying a purchase balance in full does.
Is a balance transfer the same as a cash advance?
No, they're usually treated differently by card issuers even though both move money rather than pay a merchant directly. Balance transfers often get their own promotional APR (sometimes 0% for a limited time) and their own transfer fee, while cash advances typically use the higher cash advance APR with no promotional period. Check your specific card's terms, since the two are genuinely separate categories on most statements.
Why is my cash advance fee sometimes a flat dollar amount instead of a percentage?
Many issuers charge whichever is greater: a flat minimum fee (commonly $10) or a percentage of the amount withdrawn (commonly 3 to 5%). For small withdrawals the flat minimum often applies; for larger ones the percentage usually takes over. This calculator uses a straight percentage field, so for a small withdrawal, check whether your card's actual fee floor is higher than the percentage alone would suggest.
Does a cash advance affect my credit score differently than a purchase?
The cash advance itself is reported the same way as any other balance on your card, it adds to your utilization like any charge would. It doesn't get flagged separately to credit bureaus as 'cash' versus 'purchase' in most reporting, though the cost to you (fee plus immediate interest) is higher, which can make the balance harder to pay down quickly.

Carrying a regular balance instead of a cash advance?

See this month's interest charge and your full payoff timeline.

Go to the credit card interest calculator

Free. No sign-up.

Credit Card Interest Calculator (https://creditcardinterestcalculator.xyz)