Reference
How each calculator works — inputs, formulas, and what the results mean.
Installment Calculator
Philippine banks charge interest on the original principal for the entire term — not on the declining balance. This is the add-on or flat-rate method used across credit card installment programs and most unsecured loans.
The effective interest rate (EIR) is roughly 1.8×–2.0× higher than the stated add-on rate. BSP caps the monthly add-on rate for credit card installments at 1.00% per month (Circular No. 1098, updated by No. 1165).
Installment Calculator
Converts existing credit card purchases or outstanding balances into fixed monthly installments using the add-on interest method. You choose a term and the bank applies a flat rate to your balance.
Cash price, monthly add-on rate (%), term, optional 0% installment amount, optional processing fee, optional monthly budget.
Monthly payment, total interest, factor rate, effective interest rate (EIR), and a side-by-side comparison against any 0% merchant plan you enter. If you provide a 0% amount, the calculator uses binary search to find the optimal bank principal where the bank's total stays just under the merchant's total.
Installment Calculator
Converts available (unused) credit limit into cash deposited to your account. Known as Cash2Go (Metrobank), Ready Cash (Security Bank), YourCash (RCBC), or CashLite depending on the bank. The math is identical to Balance Conversion — only the context differs.
Cash amount needed, monthly add-on rate (%), term, optional processing fee, optional monthly budget.
Monthly payment, total interest, factor rate, and effective interest rate (EIR).
Typical rates: 0.49%–1.00% monthly add-on. Terms up to 60 months. Processing fee ₱250–₱500 per availment.
Installment Calculator
Standalone unsecured bank loans, separate from credit cards. The key difference is Documentary Stamp Tax (DST) on loan amounts above ₱250,000.
You borrow ₱500K but receive less — and still pay interest on the full ₱500K.
Card FX Comparison
When you pay in a foreign currency, your card issuer converts the amount to PHP using a rate marked up above the interbank (wholesale) rate. The all-in cost combines two charges: a bank-imposed forex conversion fee and a network cross-border assessment fee added by Visa or Mastercard.
Visa adds ~1% and Mastercard ~0.2–1% as their network assessment. Most banks bundle these into a single quoted markup. Cards advertised as "0% forex" waive the bank fee — the network assessment may still apply.
Card FX Comparison
The base PHP-per-unit rate is fetched live from open exchange rate APIs. Three sources are tried in order, and the first successful response is used:
Rates are cached server-side for 1 hour (Next.js revalidation). The sidebar shows which source responded and when the rate was last updated. This is a reference rate — your actual billing rate may differ slightly from what your bank applies.
Car Financing Comparison
The Car Financing Comparison tool puts three options side by side: a Bank Auto Loan, a Credit-to-Cash / Personal Loan used to buy the car as cash, and Dealer In-House Financing. You enter the figures each lender quotes you, and the tool lines them up so the real cost is obvious.
Monthly amortization for the bank and in-house options is whatever the lender quotes you — there is no single formula, since quotes come from rate tables. Enter the quoted figure directly.
Car Financing Comparison
Dealer discounts often apply to some financing channels but not others — a cash-style credit-to-cash purchase may get a bigger discount than a bank loan, for example. The "Discount applies to" selector controls which options have the discount netted from their price, so a freebie is never subtracted twice.
Fees are entered as plain numbers. If a fee is waived as a promo, enter 0 — it simply drops out of the total. If it is charged, enter the amount. Each option also has a free-form notes field for promo eligibility rules (e.g. "free chattel mortgage only on the 60-month term").
Car Financing Comparison
The payment type determines whether the first monthly amortization is collected at signing.
OMA raises the upfront cash but does not change the lifecycle total — it only shifts the timing of one payment. Upfront cash for the bank and in-house options is therefore Down Payment + OMA (if any) + Total Fees.
Car Financing Comparison
A secured loan from a bank, using the vehicle as collateral. Usually the cheapest option overall, but it requires a credit check, comprehensive insurance, and a chattel mortgage registered with the LTO.
Chattel mortgage, bank fees, documentary stamp tax, notarial fee, LTO encumbrance, registration, comprehensive insurance, CTPL, and any other fees. The loan amount should normally equal the discounted price minus the down payment — the tool flags a warning if it does not, which usually means a discount has been applied inconsistently.
Car Financing Comparison
You borrow cash — from a credit card limit or a personal loan — and pay the dealer in full. From the dealer's side it is a cash sale, so there is no chattel mortgage.
If your bank quotes a fixed monthly payment, enter it as the override — it is used instead of the add-on formula and labelled "bank-quoted monthly". The add-on rate is not the same as the effective rate; enter the EIRPA separately to compare true borrowing cost across products.
When the loanable amount is lower than the car's price, you must pay the difference (the cash portion) upfront — so credit-to-cash can mean a lower monthly payment but a higher cash requirement at signing.
Car Financing Comparison
Direct financing from the car dealer. No bank credit check, so it is the easiest to get approved — but it is treated separately because its discounts, fees, and monthly amortization can differ from a bank loan, and it is often the most expensive over the full term.
It is computed the same way as the bank auto loan: down payment, quoted monthly amortization, payment type, and free-form fees (chattel mortgage, processing, documentation, registration, insurance, CTPL, other dealer charges).
Car Financing Comparison
Results are shown as five tables: Key Assumptions, Upfront Cash, Monthly Payment, Total Cost, and a Recommendation Summary. The recommendation highlights the lowest monthly payment, lowest upfront cash, lowest total cost, and the simplest process.
You can also pick a priority — lowest total cost, lowest monthly, lowest upfront, no chattel mortgage, fastest approval, or ownership flexibility — and the tool names the best option for that priority with a short rationale.
All calculations are for reference purposes only. Rates, fees, and regulatory requirements change over time. Always verify details directly with the relevant bank or financial institution before making any financial decision.