Credit Card Payments
YNAB makes it easy to know exactly what you can afford for your payment – right in your credit card payment category.
Need an overview of credit cards?
If you're just getting going with your credit cards in YNAB, check out Credit Cards: The Basics first! You'll be set up correctly from the start, and the more detailed information on payments here will be a breeze!
In This Article
What to Pay
There's nothing you could read that would explain credit card payments better than the 100-second video below. Pull up a chair and get comfortable (but not too comfortable, it is only 100 seconds).
Want to see the effect of your payment before you make it? Go ahead and select that credit card payment category, and you'll get a summary of what your balance will be, and how much debt (if any!) you're leaving behind.
Your credit card payments are now stress free, and you're a whole lot closer to debt free!
Never Guess Again!
No matter which of the methods below you use to enter your payment, the amount you can afford to pay is always the Payment amount in your card's payment category.
Entering Payments Manually
- 1
- Go to the credit card account register. In the top right, you'll see the amount you have available for the payment.
- 2
- Click the Record Payment button. (It's like Add Transaction, but better!)
- 3
- In the Payee field, choose the account from which you're making the payment. You're just shifting money from one account to another here, so no category is needed.
- 4
- If you're not planning to pay the full amount you have set aside in your budget, you can edit the amount – and then Save!
Imported Payments
If you're using Direct Import, the payment you already made won't import as a transfer the first time. Left this way, the payment won't pull the money from your credit card payments category. Here's how to make that connection.
- 1
- Select the imported payee to open the drop-down menu. At the top of the list, you'll see your Payments and Transfers options.
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- 2
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If you're in your checking account register, choose the one that says "To/From:" followed by your credit card account name. If in your credit card register, choose "Payment from: Checking" – or whichever account you used to make the payment.
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Your transfer will now be seen in both accounts. If you've already imported the payment in the other account, it will have matched with this transfer and need approval.
As long as your bank uses the same payee name for your future credit card payments, YNAB will know to make them a transfer, and all you'll need to do is approve them!