A Cash Advance Interest Calculator is an interactive web tool that estimates the interest and fees charged on a credit-card cash advance over time, showing numeric totals and a visual accrual curve.

How to use the Cash Advance Interest Calculator

Quick overview

This calculator estimates the short-term cost of a cash advance. Many cash advances carry higher APRs and include fixed or percentage fees; this tool combines those inputs to compute interest accumulated daily and the total amount owed after a chosen number of days. It fits inside a standard WordPress content column (responsive, max-width 740px) and includes a Plotly.js chart to visualize accrual.

Why it matters

Users often underestimate how quickly cash-advance interest grows because many cards assess interest daily and charge higher APRs than purchases. Enter the advance amount, APR, fee, and days until repayment to get immediate interest, total cost, and a chart showing the trajectory.

Inputs explained

• Advance amount — The cash you withdraw; the base balance that accrues interest.
• APR (annual percentage rate) — Enter as a percent (e.g., 24 for 24%). Daily rate = APR / 365.
• One-time fee — Fixed (e.g., $10) or percent (e.g., 3%). Choose type and value.
• Days until repayment — Days you carry the advance; interest accrues daily.
• Compound daily — Toggle to see compounded vs simple accrual.

Outputs

• Interest amount — Total interest over the period.
• Fee amount — Based on fee-type.
• Total owed — Principal + interest + fee.
• Chart — Plotly.js line chart showing cumulative interest per day.

Math in plain language

Simple daily interest: daily rate = APR / 365; cumulative interest = principal × daily rate × days. If compound is enabled, each day’s interest is added to the balance and next day accrues on the new balance. One-time fee is added at start.

Step-by-step usage

1. In WordPress, add a “Custom HTML” block or use a custom-code area.
2. Paste the provided HTML/JS. CSS keeps the tool within typical post columns.
3. Enter amount, APR, fee, and days — results and chart update instantly.
4. Toggle compound to compare outcomes. Use results to plan repayment or compare options.

Practical tips

• Short emergency (e.g., $500 for 7 days): Check both APR and percent fees — fees can dominate short-term cost.
• Longer carry (30+ days): Compounding increases cost quickly; consider alternatives like a low-interest personal loan or balance transfer.
• Large advances with percent fees: A 3% fee on $2,000 is $60 — factor this immediately.

Accessibility and appearance

The calculator uses semantic labels and keyboard-friendly controls. It has a white background and responsive design suited for WordPress content columns.

Troubleshooting

• If the chart doesn’t appear, confirm your editor preserves script tags. Some security plugins strip scripts; use a plugin that allows custom JS or add the code to a child theme.
• If results seem off, ensure APR is a percentage (not decimal) and the fee type is correct.

Example calculations

To make this concrete, two examples show typical outcomes:

1. Simple interest: $500 principal, 24% APR, no fee, 7 days. Interest ≈ $2.30. Total ≈ $502.30.
2. Fee-heavy: $1,500 principal, 28% APR, 3% fee, 30 days. Fee = $45; simple interest ≈ $34.52. Total ≈ $1,579.52. The tool computes these instantly and plots daily accrual.

Plotly and UX notes

Plotly renders an interactive, responsive line chart with hover details and legend labels for simple vs compounded interest. The chart uses a white background to match the calculator and keeps default styling for compatibility.

Security and performance

All calculations occur client-side; no server resources are used. Plotly is loaded from a CDN—if external scripts are blocked, host Plotly locally. Avoid placing untrusted scripts in shared theme editors.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Entering APR as a decimal: Input 24, not 0.24.
• Ignoring fees: Percent fees can exceed interest for short durations.
• Assuming grace periods: Cash advances rarely have grace periods; interest often starts immediately.

Final wrap-up

This tool gives a quick, transparent estimate so you can compare short-term borrowing options and see how fees and compounding affect cost. Use the chart to visualize choices. Now.

FAQ

Q: Can I include multiple fees?
A: The current version supports one one-time fee (fixed or percent). You can add multiple fees by summing them and entering the total as a fixed fee.

Q: Does the tool assume payments during the period?
A: No — it models a single advance carried unchanged for the entered number of days. For partial repayments, run multiple scenarios or adapt the inputs accordingly.

Q: Does this calculator include interest on fees?
A: The one-time fee is added to total owed. If you enable compounding and add the fee to the principal, interest will effectively accumulate on that amount.

Q: Should I use the cash-advance APR?
A: Yes — cash-advance APR is usually higher than purchase APR. Use the cash-advance APR for accuracy.

Q: Will this match my statement exactly?
A: It models daily-accrual and optional compounding. Issuers may calculate differently by billing cycles, so results are estimates.