8 Clever Ways To Pay Off Your Credit Card Debt

Last updated May 27, 2026 | By FinanceBuzz Editors

If you want to pay off your credit card debt fast, you're not alone — over a third of Americans carry a credit card balance month to month.

But getting out of credit card debt might actually be easier than you think.

Read on to find clever ways you wouldn't normally consider that can help you pay off your credit card debt … potentially faster than you thought possible.

Try one of these smart payoff strategies

  1. Snowball Method: Pay off debts starting with the smallest balance first and working your way up. A small win early on can be just the motivation you need to keep going.
  2. Avalanche Method: Pay off debt starting with the highest interest rate first and working your way down. You could save money in the long run by accruing fewer interest charges.
  3. Biweekly Payment: Make half of your monthly payment every two weeks. This will result in an extra payment each year, helping you pay down your balance faster.
  4. Round-Up Payments: Round up your payment to the nearest $10, $50, or $100, depending on your budget. This will help you pay off your principal balance faster and save on interest charges.

See if your credit card debt is eligible for this debt relief program

If you have a lot of debt, getting rid of it can feel stressful (and nearly impossible). Here’s the problem: the longer you put off tackling it, the harder it may get to fix. If you don’t take control of it early on, it can add undue stress to your life for years. But what if there was a way to get rid of unsecured debt?

Freedom Debt Relief could help. If you have more than $30,000 in debt from credit cards, medical bills, collections, or personal loans, their certified debt specialists may be able to help you resolve your debt for less than you owe — with one low monthly deposit.

Best of all? There are zero upfront settlement fees, and you could reduce debt in as little as 24-48 months1. To get started, just answer a few simple questions and get connected with a Certified Debt Consultant. It only takes a few minutes to see if you qualify, and the consultation is completely free!

See if your $30k+ in credit card debt is eligible for Freedom Debt Relief

Understanding different types of debt products

  1. Balance Transfer: A balance transfer credit card offers an introductory 0% APR on existing high-interest balances you transfer over. This allows you to pay down your balance during the intro period without accruing more interest. You typically need at least good credit to be approved, and must be disciplined to avoid accumulating a high balance on your new card.
  2. Debt Consolidation: This is typically achieved with a personal loan or home equity product. You could pay off all your existing debts with the new loan, meaning you’ll only need to manage one monthly payment, potentially with a lower interest rate.
  3. Debt Settlement: If you qualify, debt relief companies will negotiate with creditors on your behalf to potentially reduce the total amount you owe. You typically will need to make monthly payments to the debt relief company to be used to pay down your remaining debt.

Pay no interest on balance transfers until 2028

Imagine getting an intro 0% APR for 21 months from date of account opening on balance transfers (APR then 16.49% - 27.24% (Variable)). Sounds great — right? You could dramatically change your financial picture with this industry-leading low-interest card - the Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card.

If you want to kick high-interest credit card debt to the curb, this is one of the leading get-out-of-debt cards available. Transfer your high interest debt to this card with a 0% intro APR on balance transfers for 21 months from date of account opening, then a 16.49% - 27.24% (Variable) APR (balance transfers must be completed within 4 months of account opening). Your payments can go directly to paying down your balance without incurring a pile of additional charges. That could save you hundreds of dollars in interest!

It doesn't just stop with balance transfers, though. Cardholders also get a generous intro APR of 0% for 12 months from date of account opening on purchases. After the intro period for purchases and balance transfers, the APR is 16.49% - 27.24% (Variable).

The best part? There's no annual fee with the Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card (Rates and fees).

Click here to Apply Now to the Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card

Borrow cash from your home (without touching your mortgage)

If you need cash, you do not need a cash-out refinance or home equity loan — get a HELOC instead. The Fed just cut interest rates, and a HELOC could help you take advantage of it without touching your mortgage.

Use LendingTree’s simple HELOC matching tool2to compare rates and see what works for you.

How a home equity line of credit is different: Your line of credit acts similar to a credit card during what’s called the “draw period,” which is usually 10 years. You can withdraw funds when you need them, and you’re only responsible for monthly payments toward the outstanding balance. After the draw period ends, you pay off the outstanding balance during the remaining term or “repayment period,” which can be up to 20 years.

The best part? HELOCs usually have variable interest rates, meaning you could access cash now at newly lowered rates and have the opportunity to access more down the road at potentially even lower rates.

To get started:

  1. Check out LendingTree’s HELOC matching tool.
  2. Answer a few questions.
  3. Be matched with personalized offers for you.

See how much cash you could get

This plan helps protect select Ohio homes from many expensive appliance and home repairs (see if you qualify)

Everyone talks about home insurance, but hardly anyone talks about this. If you live in Ohio and own your home, you could save $1,000s on home repairs without much work at all.

American Home Shield is currently helping homeowners slash appliance repair bills. Instead of paying $1,000s, you pay for a monthly plan and a simple one-time service fee per covered repair.

Getting a monthly plan could help you tap into immense savings for nearly any system or appliance in your home that’s covered.

Not everyone is eligible for this plan so here’s how to check:

  1. Click the link below and enter your name, address, phone number and email.
  2. Hit the “Get Free Quote” button.
  3. If you qualify, select a plan.

Complete this short form to see if you qualify

P.S. Use the link above, and you'll get 50% off your first year on select plans!3

Get creative with ways to earn or save extra money

  1. Negotiate Your Bills: You can always try to negotiate with creditors and businesses for a lower price, better rate, or other deals. Ask about available discounts or payment plans, or bring up competitors. A little time and research could go a long way.
  2. Find Unique Side Hustles: There are a ton of services that can help you earn a little extra cash. You could rent out storage space with Neighbor, walk dogs through Wag, sell advertising space on your car via Wrapify, and more. You just need to look!
  3. Utilize Free Services: From free college courses on Coursera to free items on Facebook Buy Nothing Groups, there are numerous free services available that you may not be aware of. Also, don’t sleep on your local public library, where you could rent out devices like laptops and tablets, access free entertainment like movies and board games, or find valuable personal and professional growth resources.

Ask this company to help you pay off your late tax debt

Past-due tax debt is overwhelming.

It weighs on your mind and causes massive anxiety. You end up emotionally and physically drained. Even worse when the IRS starts sending letters threatening wage garnishment and huge fines.

Alleviate Tax is designed specifically to help you get out of tax debt faster and could reduce some of the debt you owe.

While most tax companies just put you on a payment plan and file your taxes for you, Alleviate Tax talks to the IRS directly. They can help you pay off your tax debt faster while potentially reducing what you owe.

Important: Not everyone will qualify. To take advantage of this special program you must owe more than $10,000 in past-due taxes.

Answer a few questions to get started

Get up to $600,000 from your home (no monthly payments ever)

This is really cool. If you own a home and want to take equity out (to pay down debt or fund home renovations, for example) you can — but usually, you have to make payments each month. This company gets rid of that.

It sounds crazy, but it’s called Point, and it lets you take money out of your home right now without making monthly payments.4It's called a home equity investment (HEI), and it’s a partnership with you and Point where you get money now in return for a portion of your home’s future appreciation in value.

Point can give you access to up to $600,000, but you can take what you need based on what you qualify for. You can also leave the partnership at any time by buying back your equity. To get started, go to their website, enter your address, and put in the amount you need. It’s incredible.

Enter your address here to get started

Stop getting ripped off by credit card companies

If you have credit card debt, you know that paying your bill each month is anxiety-inducing … and sometimes close to impossible with what you have in the bank.

If that’s you, a company called LendingTree2wants to help.They can match you with loan providers that could help you pay off your debt quickly.

Think about it this way: For example, $30,000 in credit card debt at 25% APR will cost you $622.60 every single month in interest alone. But, with a rate as low as 6.50% APR (possible through LendingTree’s lenders), you’d only pay $160.69 interest.

That’s over $460 a month you’d get to keep for yourself in this scenario! Even better, you don’t need a perfect credit score, and checking for loans won’t affect your credit.

Truthfully, this company exists to help you get ahead in life. They have a 4.5/5 rating on TrustPilot with more than 15,000 verified reviews, and you can see your options in a matter of minutes. It’s certainly worth a shot if you’re feeling suffocated by debt.

See if your $30K+ credit card debt is eligible for options with LendingTree

Save potentially $1,000 or more on home insurance

If you want better or more affordable home insurance, there is ONE thing you should never skip in the process of finding a policy: Getting multiple options from a variety of home insurance providers.

Too many homeowners skip this step — not realizing that they could save potentially $1,000s over the lifetime of owning their house just by switching. And yes, you can switch your home insurance at any time.

Provide Home Insurance is a company that matches you with home insurance options from a variety of lenders to meet your home insurance needs … including lower overall cost or better overall coverage.

Just answer a few questions, and they will find options that are right for you. And heads up — the insurance company you choose may call you. Do NOT ignore the call, as they want to work with you to find the best rate possible.

Enter your zip code to get started

National Debt Relief
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National Debt Relief Benefits
  • No upfront fees5
  • One-on-one evaluation with a Certified Debt Specialist
  • For people with $30,000 in unsecured debts and up
Visit National Debt Relief