1. CREDIT CARD DEBT

Best Apps to Payoff Credit Card Debt

Five Free Debt Payoff Apps You’ll Want to Use Now
Key Takeaways:
  • There are many free and affordable apps to track credit card debt and manage payments.
  • You can choose your payment strategy, like debt snowball or debt avalanche.
  • Some apps offer extra features like a credit line or prepaid debit card.

If you have a few credit cards and you’re working to pay them down, tracking balances, interest rates, and payments can be a lot of work. No need to do it all with a pencil or wonder if you’re doing it right. Many apps can make your debt repayment journey easier.  

Below are five apps to consider, some free, some paid.

3 free apps to pay off credit card debt

Here’s our list of best apps with free or affordable plans and helpful features.

1. Tally

Tally lets you link your credit cards and checking accounts and automate repayments. You can select a payment strategy like debt snowball (from smallest to largest balance), debt avalanche (from highest to lowest interest rate), or highest to the lowest utilization (the percentage of available credit used). 

Tally also offers revolving credit lines to pay off debt. They use a soft inquiry that doesn’t impact your credit score to check if you qualify for a cheaper credit line than your cards. Tally can use these funds to pay off your credit cards with more expensive annual percentage rates (APRs) than the credit line. You’ll repay Tally monthly. 

Even without a credit line, you can still use the free features to track your credit card debt and manage payments. 

Membership levels:

  • Tally: free debt management and repayment features.

  • Basic membership: for users who qualify for a credit line. 

  • Tally+: $25 per mo. deducted annually from the credit line. You get benefits like discounts on the credit line principal for timely payments. 

Key features of the credit line:

  • According to Tally, you’ll usually need a FICO score of 580.

  • Low fees: no origination, balance transfer, prepayment, late payment or over-limit fees. 

  • Late fee protection option: Tally can pay off minimum balances on your credit cards using your credit line if you forget to pay. You’ll pay this amount and any interest to Tally.

  • Not available in Nevada, Vermont, and West Virginia. 

  • Value of $2,000-25,000 with APRs of 7.90-29.99%.

  • Tally may report your credit line and payment history to credit bureaus, which can show up on your credit report. 

What we like the most: 

Tally is a one-stop debt payoff app that lets qualifying users manage credit cards, automate payments, and get a credit line to pay off debt at a lower cost compared to what they are currently paying.

2. Debt Payoff Planner

Debt Payoff Planner is great if you want to compare and select the best repayment plan. 

Once you enter your debt info the app generates a default payment plan based on first paying off the most expensive debt. But you can change your repayment plan to debt snowball or list your debts in the order you want to pay them off. 

This app doesn’t let you link any creditor or bank accounts. But you can record your payments. You need to record only the principal amount. 

Membership plans:

  • Free plan - ad-supported. 

  • Pro plan - $2 per mo. with extra features. 

What we like the most: 

Its free plan might be enough for many users to plan and pay off various debts, including credit cards. 

3. Undebt.it 

Undebt.it is a web-based debt payoff tool compatible with mobile devices. 

They offer several debt payoff plans other than snowball and avalanche. For example, you can plan to pay off your debt starting with the highest monthly payment, credit utilization, or interest amount. You can also export your debt info, including your payoff plan, to Microsoft Excel. 

The app doesn’t let you link credit cards or automate payments. But you can link your YNAB (You Need A Budget) app account with the premium plan. 

Membership plans:

  • Free plan - helps you track all your debts, select a payoff plan, and keep tabs on your progress. 

  • Pro plan - $12 a year with a 30-day free trial. This has extra features, like creating customized debt repayment methods, managing other bills, and text payment reminders. 

What we like the most:

The variety of debt payoff strategies and the low-cost premium plan. 

2 membership apps to pay off credit card debt

1. Qoins

Qoins lets you link five debt accounts to the app, set a repayment goal, and automate your payments. This app isn't just for debt management. You can also use Qoins to reach your ‌financial goals. 

Qoins also offers a prepaid debit card with cash-back rewards. This might be ideal if you’re trying to limit your credit card usage while repaying debt. The Qoins card comes with an option to round up your transactions to the next dollar and use the extra amount to pay your credit cards or build your savings. 

Membership plans: $4.99 per mo. or $49.99 per year.

What we like the most:

The option to reduce debt while making day-to-day purchases with a Qoins card.

2. Qapital

Qapital lets you take control of your personal finances, including paying off debt, budgeting, saving, and investing. 

Its debt management features can help you select a repayment strategy, automate payments, and check your refinancing options.  

Membership plans (with a 30-day free trial):

  • Basic: $3 per mo. with limited features. 

  • Complete: $6 per mo., Premier: $12 per mo. Both of these plans have the option to automate debt repayments. 

Qapital also has a debit card with a roundup feature. The app says it can be used toward financial goals, but the focus is more on savings than debt.

Why use an app to pay off credit card debt?

An app can help you track your debt, select the right repayment plan, automate payments, and check your progress, which can help you stay motivated to continue.

Stay on top of your debt 

Apps are at your fingertips. So you can track your debt info and repayments easily.

Select the right payoff plan

You can compare and select the best payoff plan to suit your budget. Once you select a strategy like debt snowball or avalanche, an app can generate a detailed repayment plan.  

Automate payments

Some apps allow you to link your debt ‌and checking accounts and automate payments. That way, you can easily pay off your debt on time and avoid delayed payments that can hurt your credit score. 

Track your progress

Apps can show you a visual snapshot of your current debt and repayment progress. This can motivate you to keep moving forward. It's possible to make serious headway or even get rid of your debt in as little as 12 months. 

>>Learn more: Watch Freedom Debt Relief reviews

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I get rid of credit card debt for free?

Getting out of debt isn’t free. You might be able to get rid of your credit card debt for less than what you owe if you:

  • File for bankruptcy. With Chapter 7, you may not have to pay your credit card debt, but you might lose some assets. Chapter 13 can get you reduced fees and a repayment plan with more time to pay. All bankruptcies have court fees and most have attorney fees. 

  • Negotiate a debt settlement with your lenders to pay a lower amount than you owe. 

Which app rounds up purchases to pay off credit card debt?

Qoins. When you make purchases with the Qoins prepaid debit card, it can round up your transactions to the nearest dollar and apply the difference to your credit card debt. For example, if you buy something for $30.65, Qoins can round it up to $31 and use $0.35 to pay your debt. They send out the payments once a month.

Are there credit card debt forgiveness programs?

If you’re struggling to repay your credit card debts, here are some options to explore:

  1. Debt settlement or debt resolution: negotiate with your creditors to pay less than your outstanding balance. You can negotiate on your own or get help from a reputable organization.

  2. Debt management plan: work with a credit counseling agency to create a repayment plan. They can negotiate a lower interest rate with your credit card companies. 

  3. Bankruptcy: this might help you get a payment plan or get rid of credit card debt. But you may have to give up assets.