How to Calculate Payment in Excel?

In this article, we will demonstrate how to:

  • Apply a direct formula to calculate monthly payment.
  • Use the PMT function to calculate monthly payment.
  • Use the PMT function with a compound period to calculate monthly payment.
  • Use the Formulas tab to calculate monthly payment.
  • Calculate monthly payments on a loan, including a mortgage loan payment, a credit card loan payment, a down payment calculation, a loan payoff time, and a monthly payment goal.

We have used Microsoft 365 to prepare this article, but these methods are also applicable to Excel 2021, 2019, 2016, 2013, 2010, and 2007.

Calculate Payment in Excel


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What Are the Ways to Calculate Monthly Payment in Excel?

We will apply Excel’s PMT and PV functions to compute monthly payments depending on various scenarios.


Method 1 – Using a Direct Formula to Calculate Monthly Payment

First we’ll apply the conventional or direct formula to calculate the monthly payment in Excel.

Steps:

  • Enter the following formula in cell C9:
=(C5*C6)/(C8*(1-(1+(C6/C8))^(-C7*C8)))
  • Press Enter to return the loan repayment schedule in terms of monthly payments.

 Apply Direct Formula to Calculate Payment in Excel

 


Method 2 – Using PMT Function to Calculate Monthly Payment

We will now use the PMT function to calculate the loan payment amount.

Multiple Examples of PMT Function

  • Enter the following formula in cell C9:
=PMT(C6/12,C7*C8,-C5,0,0)

After pressing Enter, the function will display the monthly payment after taking into account all the parameters.

Formula Explanation:

The interest rate is 12% per year. Thus, the monthly interest rate is 12% divided by 12, or 1%. Thus, the rate argument for the PMT function is 1%.

The $10,000 principal amount is the amount actually received the bank. Thus, the PV of the PMT function is 10,000.

We have three years to pay off the principal and interest. Since this is a monthly payment, the total period is 36 months (12 months * 3).

The PMT function will return a value of $332.14 in cell C9. Since we placed a minus sign (-) before the loan amount, the value is positive. The PMT function returns negative values otherwise.

Apply PMT Function to Calculate Monthly Payment in Excel


Method 3 – Using PMT Function with Compounded Period to Calculate Monthly Payment

To calculate the loan payment with compounded interest using the PMT function:

  • Enter the following formula in cell C8:
=PMT((C5/2+1)^(1/6)-1,C7,-C6)
  • Press Enter to return the output.

Apply PMT Function with Compounded Period to Calculate Monthly Payment in Excel

Formula Explanation:

Here, the interest rate will be compounded semi-annually (every six months), so we divide 12% by to get 6%.

The total period length will be 36 months (12 months * 3 years).

The payments are made on a monthly basis. So over the course of six months, we will pay an interest rate of 6%. This means the calculation is (1+x)6 = 1.06, where x is the monthly interest throughout the 6 months of payments. Using this equation, we can compute the value of x = 1.06(1/6) – 1 = 0.00975879


Method 4 – Using Formulas Tab to Calculate Monthly Payment

We can access the PMT function from the Insert Function dialog box on the Formulas tab.

Steps:

  • Select cell C8.
  • Go to the Formulas tab.
  • Click on the Insert Function command.

Choose Insert Function command

The Insert Function dialog box will open.

  • Choose PMT.
  • Click OK.

Choose PMT from the Insert Function dialog box

Now we place the necessary function arguments in the Function Arguments dialog box.

  • Select cells C5, C7, and C6 for the Rate, Nper, and Pv arguments.
  • Click OK.

Write PMT Function Arguments

The monthly loan repayment amount is returned.

Output of Monthly Payment


How to Calculate Monthly Mortgage Payment in Excel?

  • Enter the following formula in cell C10 to calculate the monthly payment on a mortgage:
=PMT((C9/12,C8*12,C7)
  • Press Enter to return the monthly EMI to repay the mortgage loan.

Apply PMT Function to Calculate Mortgage Payment Loan in Excel


How to Calculate Monthly Credit Card Payment in Excel?

  • To determine the monthly payment amount, enter the following formula in cell C8:
=PMT((C5/12,C7*12,C6)
  • Press Enter to return the monthly credit card loan repayment.

Apply PMT Function to Calculate Credit Card Payment Loan in Excel


How to Calculate Down Payment in Excel?

We will calculate the down payment in Excel using the PV function.

  • To compute the total loan amount paid with monthly payments, enter the following formula in cell C10:
=PV((C8/12,C7*12,-C6)
  • Press Enter.

The loan amount paid in monthly payments is returned.

Apply PV Function to Calculate Loan Amount in Excel

  • Compute the required down payment by subtracting the loan payment from the car’s value.

Apply Subtraction Formula to Calculate Down Payment in Excel


How to Calculate Loan Paying Off Time in Excel?

To calculate the number of repayment periods in any month, quarterly, or semi-annually using the NPER function, refer to the overview image below.

Multiple Examples of NPER Function

  • Enter the following formula in cell C8:
=NPER(C5/12,-C7,C6)

After pressing Enter, the number of periods required to repay the loan for the given loan conditions is returned. In our example, if we pay $150 monthly, we will need 17 years to pay off the loan.

Apply NPER Function to Calculate Loan Payoff Time in Excel


How to Calculate Monthly Payment Goal in Excel?

We use the PMT function to calculate the monthly payment goal, or how much you need to pay monthly to pay off the loan within the desired time period .

  • Enter the following formula in cell C11:
=PMT((C9/12,C10*12,C8)
  • Press Enter to return the result.

To pay off the loan within 12 years under these conditions, a payment of $586.60 monthly is needed.

Apply PMT Function to Calculate Goal Monthly Payment Loan in Excel


Things to Remember

  • To maintain readability and consistency, format cells containing payment amounts as Currency, Accounting or any specific Number format.
  • Check that the interest rate and the number of payment periods are entered correctly. Take note of whether the rate must be divided by 12 for monthly computations or adjusted for other periods.

Frequently Asked Question

1. What is the PMT formula’s Complete form? 

Several examples are provided in this article.

2. In Excel, how can I compute a basic payment?

Apply the formula “=PMT(rate, nper, pv)” to generate a basic payment. Substitute “rate” for the interest rate, “nper” for the number of payment periods, and “pv” for the present value or loan amount. 

3. In Excel, is PMT negative?

The PMT function returning a negative result indicates that you are making payments to your lender. Input the Loan Amount as a negative number to have the PMT function produce a positive value.


Calculate Payment in Excel: Knowledge Hub


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Bishawajit Chakraborty
Bishawajit Chakraborty

Bishawajit Chakraborty, a Rajshahi University of Engineering & Technology graduate with a B.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering, has been associated with ExcelDemy since 2022. Presently, he is a content developer, specializing in Excel Power Query, Data Analysis and VBA. It is worth mentioning that he has authored more than 90 articles on VBA content development. His profound interest lies in the fields of data analytics and data science. He possesses expertise in VBA, Power BI, machine learning, and Python... Read Full Bio

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