How long will that card balance really take to clear — and how much interest will it cost you on the way? Enter the balance, the card's APR and the fixed amount you can pay every month.
If your payment does not cover even one month's interest, the balance grows instead of shrinking and can never be cleared. The warning tells you the first month's interest — any lasting payment must be above it.
Yes — the estimate assumes no new spending on the card, no fees, and the same fixed payment every month. New purchases or missed payments will lengthen the payoff.
Enormously — every extra amount reduces the balance that next month's interest is charged on. Try raising the payment above and watch the total interest fall.