The smallest card payment that keeps the account current.
The minimum payment is usually one to three percent of the balance, or a small floor amount, whichever is larger.
Because it shrinks as the balance shrinks, paying only the minimum stretches repayment over years and can cost more in interest than the original purchase. Any fixed payment above the minimum shortens the payoff dramatically.
At the 20.94% average APR, a $5,000 balance accrues about $87 of interest in the first month alone — so a $100 payment moves the balance by far less than $100.
See the card apr page