Find out if your current payments will clear your CareCredit balance before the interest bomb drops.
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CareCredit offers "No Interest if Paid in Full" promotions for 6, 12, 18, or 24 months. During the promotional period, interest accrues at your standard APR (typically 26.99%) but is not charged to your account — it's deferred. If you pay the full balance before the promotional period ends, all that deferred interest is waived. If even $1 remains on the last day of the promo, the entire deferred interest balance (every month of accumulated interest since the purchase) is charged at once. This is not interest going forward — it's a retroactive charge for the entire promo period.
For most CareCredit accounts opened after 2018, the standard (non-promotional) APR is 26.99%. Some older accounts have a 29.99% rate. Your specific rate is printed on your monthly statement and visible in your online account under "Account Details." The deferred interest penalty is calculated using this standard APR applied retroactively to every month of the promotional period.
No — this is one of the most expensive misconceptions in personal finance. A true 0% APR credit card (like those from Chase, Citi, or Discover) means no interest accrues at all. If you have $100 left when the promo ends, you owe $100. With CareCredit's deferred interest, that same $100 leftover triggers the full retroactive interest charge — potentially hundreds of dollars on top of your remaining balance. The phrases "No Interest if Paid in Full" and "0% APR" are legally different and financially very different.
CareCredit minimum payments are calculated as a small percentage of your balance — typically around 1–3%. On a $1,500 balance, the minimum might be $25–$40/month. Over 12 months, that's $300–$480 in total payments — nowhere near enough to pay off $1,500. The minimum payment keeps your account in good standing, but it does not protect you from the deferred interest penalty. You need to pay the full balance before the promotional deadline, not just the minimum.
On the day after your promotional period ends: (1) All deferred interest from the entire promo period is added to your balance instantly. (2) Your account transitions to standard revolving credit at 26.99% APR going forward on whatever balance remains (including the newly added deferred interest). CareCredit does not send a warning — it's your responsibility to track the deadline. Check your promotional expiration date in your online account or on your statement.
Yes — paying your full promotional balance before the expiration date eliminates the deferred interest penalty entirely. There is no prepayment penalty. If you can afford to pay the balance at any point during the promotional period, do it immediately. Every month you delay is another month of accruing hidden interest that will be waived if you pay in full, or charged if you don't make it to $0 by the deadline.
Also see: General Deferred Interest Calculator · What Is Deferred Interest? · Full FAQ