How to pay off credit card debt

Written byEmily Tye

Updated:Feb 19, 2026

5 min read

If you’re struggling to pay off your credit card debt, there are steps you can take to turn things around and reclaim your financial independence. First, stop making new purchases, then create a budget to help you identify how much income you can direct towards debt repayment. Next, decide which method you’ll use to pay off your debt.

Let’s walk through the different methods together.

1. The high-rate method

The high-rate method, also known as the ‘debt avalanche’ method, is a strategy where you prioritise paying off the credit card with the highest interest rate first while making minimum payments on everything else.

Mathematically, this is the most efficient way to get out of debt because it minimises the total amount of interest you pay in the long run.

For this strategy, follow these steps:

1. List every credit card you have along with each card’s APR.

2. Rank them in order of APR, starting with the highest.

3. Use any extra money you have in your budget to lower the debt on the card at the top of your list (the card with the highest interest rate), while paying the minimum balance on the rest of your cards. It’s important you continue to pay the minimum amount on the other cards to protect your credit score.

4. Once the highest-rate card is paid off, take the amount you were paying on it and add it to the minimum payment of the next highest-rate card, and so on.

2. The snowball method

While the high-rate method focuses on the math, the snowball method focuses on momentum.

With this strategy you pay off your debts in order of size, starting with the smallest balance first, regardless of the interest rate. It’s designed to give you quick, visible ‘wins’ that keep you motivated.

For this strategy, follow these steps:

1. Write down every balance you owe, from the smallest amount to the largest. 

2. Use any extra money you have to lower the smallest balance on your list, while paying the minimum amount on all of your other cards.

3. Once the first balance is paid off, take the amount you were paying on it and add it to the minimum payment of the next smallest debt.

4. As each debt disappears, your monthly ‘snowball’ payment gets bigger and bigger, eventually helping you to tackle your largest debts with a bigger monthly payment.

3. The balance transfer method

A balance transfer credit card allows you to move debt from one or more existing credit cards to a new balance transfer card with a low or 0% interest period. The idea here is that during the 0% period, the money you would otherwise have spent on interest goes towards lowering your balance. 

However, when this promotional period ends, any remaining balance will begin to accrue interest, so it’s important to consider how this new APR would compare to your current APR before you move forward.

This method may work well for you if you’re able to pay off your transferred debt entirely within the promotional period. For example, if the promotional period is 6 months and you transfer a £1,000 balance, pay £167 per month to clear this balance without paying interest.

Note: Balance transfers typically come with a balance transfer fee, so you’ll need to factor this in, too.

4. The debt consolidation method

Here the idea is to take out a new debt consolidation loan to combine existing credit card debts into one single loan. 

If the new loan's APR is lower than the average rate of your current debts, you could save money on interest. You may also find it easier to make one fixed, monthly payment rather than juggling different payment dates with different companies. 

For this strategy, follow these steps:

1. Figure out the total amount that you owe across all of your credit cards. 

2. Check your eligibility for a debt consolidation loan that would cover the total amount that you owe. Checking your eligibility before you apply will ensure you don’t trigger a hard credit check unnecessarily, which could impact your credit score.

3. Once you receive your quote, compare the total cost of the consolidation loan against the total cost of your current debt. Remember, if the new interest rate is higher than your current debts, or if you choose a long repayment term, the total amount of interest you pay could increase. 

4. If you proceed, you can pay off all of your credit cards once the loan lands in your bank account. 

5. You continue to pay off your loan for the agreed loan period.

Note: If you’re using this to also pay off existing loans, check whether you’ll be charged an ‘early repayment fee’, and factor this into the total cost.

5. Reach out for help

Remember that you’re not alone in this. You can seek help and advice from charities or directly from your credit card provider. At Zable, we work with PayPlan, but you can also get free, confidential support from charities like:

• National Debtline (0808 808 4000)

• MoneyHelper (0800 138 7777)

• StepChange (0800 138 1111)

Above all, remember that while it might feel as though your monthly credit card statements are in control right now, the reality is that it’s entirely possible to put you back in the driver’s seat, with time, patience, and a strategic shift. 

If you’ve struggled with debt in the past and are now looking to move forward and re-build your credit, we may be able to help. Read about our credit cards for bad credit scores.

FAQs about credit card debt

This blog is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Please speak to a qualified financial adviser before making financial decisions.