D&B

Daily interest calculator

What this balance costs per dayworked example

$4.11/day

Daily periodic rate
0.06847%APR / 365
Total over 30 days
$123.24
Per 30 days
$123.24

At 24.99% on a 365-day basis, $6,000 accrues $4.11 of interest every day — $123.24 over 30 days. Issuers apply the daily rate to your average daily balance and compound daily, so a real statement can differ by cents over one cycle; money that arrives mid-cycle lowers the average daily balance, which is why paying earlier in the cycle costs less than waiting for the due date.

Day-count basis
Most card agreements divide the APR by 365; some contracts, more often loans, use 360.

What a balance costs per day: the daily periodic rate, the dollars of interest each day adds, and the total over any number of days. The per-day figure is the most motivating number in debt math — it turns an abstract APR into what this morning cost.

How to use this calculator

  1. 1

    Enter the balance you want to see the cost of

    This tool answers one question: what does carrying this cost per day? Use whichever balance you are actually thinking about — a whole card, or the part of it you are about to pay off.

  2. 2

    Check whether your agreement uses 365 or 360 days

    Most card issuers divide the APR by 365; some loan contracts use 360, which makes each day slightly more expensive at the same APR. The toggle is there because the difference is real and your agreement states which applies.

  3. 3

    Use the per-day number as a timing argument

    Interest is charged on your average daily balance, so money that arrives mid-cycle lowers that average for the rest of the days. The per-day figure is what paying on payday instead of on the due date is worth.

  4. 4

    Expect a small gap against your statement

    Your balance moves during the cycle and issuers compound daily, while this shows simple per-day interest on a fixed balance. Over one cycle the difference is cents — it is a perspective tool, not a statement reproduction.

Everything you type here is computed in your browser. Nothing you enter is stored on a server, sent anywhere, or shared — there is no account, and your balances never leave your device.

Frequently asked questions

How do card issuers calculate daily interest?
They divide your APR by 365 (a few use 360) to get a daily periodic rate, then apply it each day to your average daily balance — that is the CFPB's description of standard issuer practice. This tool shows that daily rate and the dollars per day it produces on the balance you enter.
Why does my statement interest differ slightly from daily rate × 30?
Because your balance moves during the cycle and issuers compound daily, while this tool shows simple per-day interest on a fixed balance. Over one statement cycle the compounding difference is cents; the tool's methodology note says exactly this rather than pretending to reproduce your statement.
What is the 365 vs 360 day basis?
Most card issuers divide the APR by 365; some contracts, more often loans, use 360, which makes each day slightly more expensive at the same APR. The toggle exists because the difference is real and your agreement states which basis applies.
What is the per-day number useful for?
Perspective, mostly — and timing. A $6,000 balance at 24.99% accrues about $4.11 a day, which reframes both the balance and the value of paying a week earlier. Money that arrives mid-cycle lowers your average daily balance, so paying the day you get paid genuinely beats waiting for the due date.

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Every formula on this page is listed with its source on the methodology page, and changes to any reference value are logged in the data changelog. Canonical URL: https://debtandbills.com/daily-interest-calculator