Pay off credit card debt with the avalanche method

The avalanche method orders every credit card balance by APR, highest first. Pay the minimum on every card, then send every spare dollar at the top card until it hits zero — then roll that whole payment (its old minimum plus the extra) onto the next-highest-APR card. Repeat until the last balance clears.

The snowball method instead targets the smallest balance first, regardless of rate, for faster psychological wins. It can work if momentum is what keeps a plan alive, but it leaves the most expensive debt accruing interest longer — the avalanche order is the one that minimizes total interest paid.