CareCredit & the Deferred-Interest Trap
"0% APR if paid in full within 12 / 18 / 24 months" reads like waived interest. It usually is not. Miss the payoff date by one dollar and interest at 26.99–32.99% APR retroactively posts back to day one.
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Deferred vs. waived interest
Waived interest is truly 0% — no interest is calculated during the promo. Deferred interest is calculated the whole time and only forgiven if the balance hits zero on or before the promo end date. CareCredit, Wells Fargo Health Advantage, and Alphaeon Credit are all deferred-interest products by default.
The one-dollar cliff
A $6,000 balance on a 24-month, 26.99% deferred promo that ends with $12 unpaid can trigger a retroactive charge of roughly $1,600–$2,000. The industry calls this "look-back interest."
The safe payoff schedule
Divide the balance by (promo months − 1) and autopay that amount so the account clears at least one full statement cycle before the promo end date. Model alternatives in the Credit Card Payoff Calculator or move the balance with the Balance Transfer Calculator.