# Getting Started: Credit Cards in YNAB > Learn how credit cards work in YNAB, how the Credit Card Payment category sets money aside for your bill, and how to add a card and record payments. Source: https://support.ynab.com/en_us/getting-started-credit-cards-in-ynab-H1pdorTTWl Last updated: 2026-10-29T20:19:45.494Z Learn how credit cards work in YNAB, what the Credit Card Payment category does, and how to record your first payment. Steps are included for iOS, Android, and Web. #### In This Article [How Do Credit Cards Work in YNAB?](#how) [How Do I Add a Credit Card Account?](#add) [Paying Down a Balance? Add a Target](#target) [How Do I Fix an Imported Payment or Record a Payment?](#payment) [Want to Go Deeper?](#deeper) * * * ## How Do Credit Cards Work in YNAB? In YNAB, a credit card purchase works just like any other purchase — it comes out of a category you’ve assigned money to. The difference is what happens next: with a credit card, the cash you "spent" is still in your checking account until you pay down the card. You've just made a promise to pay it back. Since the money can't stay in the spending category anymore, YNAB automatically moves it to the Credit Card Payment category for you. Before you swipe, check the spending category — the amount in the Available column is how much you have set aside to spend. Here's the flow, using a grocery purchase as an example: 1. When you add a credit card account, YNAB automatically creates a corresponding **Credit Card Payment category**. 2. Assign money to your spending categories as usual. Let’s say you assign $400 to Groceries. 3. You buy $50 of groceries with your credit card, then enter that transaction in your credit card account. 4. YNAB automatically moves $50 from Groceries to your Credit Card Payment category. Groceries now shows $350 available, and the $50 for that purchase is already set aside for your bill. You’ll use the same spending categories whether you pay with cash or a credit card — the only thing that changes is which account the transaction is entered in. **Check your Credit Card Payment category before you make a payment.** The amount of money in the category tells you exactly how much of the money in your checking account is set aside to pay on your card. **Starting with an existing balance?** If you had a balance on your card when you joined YNAB, you'll need to assign that amount directly to the Credit Card Payment category. Those purchases happened before YNAB could track them, so the funds won't move automatically. [Back to Top](#backtotop) * * * ## How Do I Add a Credit Card Account? Adding a credit card account also creates its Credit Card Payment category automatically. This works for any card you're spending on, including cards you're paying down while you spend. If you're only paying a card down and won't spend on it, check out [Paying down a credit card balance over time](https://support.ynab.com/en_us/paying-down-a-credit-card-balance-over-time-SkWj0Ls8Me#not-spending). ### iOS 1. Tap the _Accounts_ tab. 2. Tap _Add Account_. 3. Search for your bank to link your account and import transactions automatically, or tap _Add an Unlinked Account_ to enter transactions manually. 4. Enter a nickname for the account. 5. Select **Credit Card** as the account type. 6. Enter today's current balance and tap the checkmark. (Linked accounts will import the balance automatically.) 7. Tap _Next_, then _Done_. Your account and Credit Card Payment category are created. ### Android 1. Tap the _Accounts_ tab. 2. Tap _Add Account_. 3. Search for your bank to link your account and import transactions automatically, or tap _Add an Unlinked Account_ to enter transactions manually. 4. Enter a nickname for the account. 5. Select **Credit Card** as the account type. 6. Enter today's current balance. (Linked accounts will import the balance automatically.) 7. Tap _Next_, then _Done_. Your account and Credit Card Payment category are created. ### Web 1. Click the _Add Account_ button near the bottom of the left sidebar. 2. Search for your bank to link your account and import transactions automatically, or select _Unlinked_ to enter transactions manually. 3. Enter a nickname for the account. 4. Select **Credit Card** as the account type. 5. Enter today's current balance. (Linked accounts will import the balance automatically.) 6. Click _Next_, then _Done_. Your account and Credit Card Payment category are created. [Back to Top](#backtotop) * * * ## Paying Down a Balance? Add a Target If you're carrying a balance on your card, add a target to its Credit Card Payment category for the amount you want to pay toward that balance each month. YNAB will prompt you to assign that amount, just like any other target. Your target will prompt you to assign money toward the _existing_ balance. New purchases still work the same way: when you fund them, money moves to the Credit Card Payment category automatically. So if your target is $200 and you spend $50 on groceries, you'll have $250 available to pay. Without a target, the Credit Card Payment category shows an Underfunded alert until you've set aside enough to pay the full balance. With a target, the alert tracks your monthly payment goal instead. For setup steps and tips on handling interest, check out [Paying down a credit card balance over time](https://support.ynab.com/en_us/paying-down-a-credit-card-balance-over-time-SkWj0Ls8Me#spending). [Back to Top](#backtotop) * * * ## How Do I Fix an Imported Payment or Record a Payment? For [linked accounts](https://support.ynab.com/en_us/linked-accounts-in-ynab-B1991f2Cc), credit card payments will import once they clear. If it's the first payment between two particular accounts, YNAB may not know to make it a credit card payment. If a payment imports as a regular transaction or imports and asks you for a category, you can [manually set the payment as a credit card payment](https://support.ynab.com/en_us/how-to-handle-imported-credit-card-payments-SkXcoodci), and YNAB will remember for next time. If you’d like to manually enter a credit card payment, check out [Credit Card Payments](https://support.ynab.com/en_us/credit-card-payments-a-guide-r1_506Q1j). [Back to Top](#backtotop) * * * ## Want to Go Deeper? For a full breakdown of how credit cards work in YNAB — including the scenarios where you'll need to assign money directly to the Credit Card Payment category — check out [Handling Credit Cards in YNAB](https://support.ynab.com/en_us/handling-credit-cards-overview-ry7cNub1s). For everything related to making and managing payments, including imported payments, visit [Credit Card Payments](https://support.ynab.com/en_us/credit-card-payments-a-guide-r1_506Q1j). If you rely on credit cards to bridge gaps between paychecks, [The Credit to Cash Roadmap](https://support.ynab.com/en_us/the-credit-to-cash-roadmap-r11FgcqJx) is the place to start. Not sure what to fund first when money is tight? [Getting Started: Frequently Asked Questions](https://support.ynab.com/en_us/getting-started-frequently-asked-questions-r1EiQk75Ml) covers that and other common questions about getting started. [Back to Top](#backtotop) * * * ## Help Us Help You **Are you stuck or do you need more help?** [Tell the chatbot you need a human or send us an email](https://support.ynab.com/en_us/how-to-get-help-SygqcvtC5) to ensure that your message gets to our Support team!