A $2,400 purchase on a store card at 29.99%. Pay all of it within twelve months and there is no interest. You pay $190 a month, and at the deadline $120 is still owed.
About how much deferred interest can be added to the account?
About a minute. No sign-up. Nothing you type leaves your phone.
The real number
$406
You guessed . The real figure is more.It comes to $406.
Your guess—
The real figure$406
Interest has been building since the purchase date on whatever was still owed each month. Leave even part of the promotional balance unpaid and all of it can be added at once. The exact amount depends on your balance and payment history.
Divide the price by the months, and set the payment to automatic.
$190 a month
$120still owed at the deadline
$406about, in deferred interest added
$200 a month
$0still owed at the deadline
$0interest charged
Ten dollars a month more clears the $2,400 in time, and the interest that built up is waived.
An estimate from monthly balances with a payment at the end of each month. The minimum payment on the statement is usually not enough to clear the balance before the deadline.
$120 is still owed at the deadline, so about $406 of deferred interest can be added. Paying $200.00 a month clears it in time. An estimate: the exact amount depends on your balance and payment history.
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The whole story, as text
“Same as cash for 12 months.” What happens in month 13?
“Same as cash for 12 months.” A $2,400 purchase on a store card at 29.99%. Pay all of it within twelve months and there is no interest. You pay $190 a month, and at the deadline $120 is still owed. About how much deferred interest can be added to the account?
The answer
$406. Interest has been building since the purchase date on whatever was still owed each month. Leave even part of the promotional balance unpaid and all of it can be added at once. The exact amount depends on your balance and payment history.
Why
“Same as cash” means deferred interest, not zero interest. The interest is worked out on the balance going back to the day you bought it, then waived only if the whole balance is cleared in time. Not the same as 0% APR: A true 0% promotion ends when it ends; nothing is charged back. Deferred interest is the one that bites.
One move
Divide the price by the months, and set the payment to automatic. $190 a month: $120 still owed at the deadline, $406 about, in deferred interest added. $200 a month: $0 still owed at the deadline, $0 interest charged. Ten dollars a month more clears the $2,400 in time, and the interest that built up is waived. An estimate from monthly balances with a payment at the end of each month. The minimum payment on the statement is usually not enough to clear the balance before the deadline.
Deferred-interest promotions are common on furniture, appliances, electronics and dental work. The paperwork calls it “no interest if paid in full.” The “if” is the whole deal.
Written and reviewed by Riverbend Crossroads Digital LLC, Saturday, October 3, 2026. Figures from the Show Real Cost engine, computed exactly and shown to the cent. Educational, not advice; your lender's disclosures are the authoritative figures. How we calculate · Corrections.