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0% APR Financing Trap Calculator
Is your store financing actually safe — or is deferred interest quietly piling up?
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Two very different deals share the same label
True 0% APR (e.g. Chase Freedom intro period): interest never accrues. Any remaining balance just rolls to the regular rate.
Deferred interest (e.g. most store cards, Care Credit, furniture/HVAC financing): interest accrues every month but is waived only if you pay the full balance by the deadline. Miss by even $1 and you owe all the accumulated interest retroactively.
My financing type
Your financing details
$
months
$
%
✅
You're on track to pay it off in time
At ,
you'll pay off your balance in month
of
— months before the deadline.
Interest waived
You got an interest-free loan
Total paid
Principal only
🚨
You'll still owe money when the promo ends
At ,
you'll still have left at month .
All the interest that accrued during the promo period gets charged retroactively.
Remaining principal
Retroactive deferred interest
Interest that silently accrued over months
Total owed when promo ends
To pay it off safely:
= ÷ months — pays the principal to exactly zero by the deadline
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You'll carry a balance when the promo ends
With true 0% APR there's no retroactive penalty — you'll just owe
at the regular APR going forward.
To pay off in time:
= ÷ months
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Enter your financing details above to see if you're safe.