A no-cost EMI can still cost more than the best non-EMI price. Rebuild the offer from the actual instalment schedule, processing fee, taxes, lost discount, and confirmed cashback before accepting the label.
What this calculator shows
- Total of all scheduled EMIs.
- GST on the processing fee.
- Estimated total amount paid.
- True cost above the best cash price.
True-cost formula
The calculator uses the amounts you enter rather than trying to infer the lender’s internal interest subsidy:
True-cost formulas
- Total paid = total EMIs + processing fee + fee GST + interest GST + lost cash discount – cashback
- True cost = total paid – best cash price
Use the lowest price genuinely available without taking the EMI, including a cash, card, or platform discount you would otherwise receive. Count cashback only after confirming the eligibility, cap, timing, and payment method.
Costs to check in the offer
Review the lender schedule, key fact statement where applicable, product invoice, fee invoice, and card statement. Look for processing or convenience fees, GST on fees, GST on the interest component, foreclosure charges, late-payment fees, and a discount that disappears when EMI is selected.
The calculator does not estimate the time value of deferred payments or the opportunity cost of paying cash. It also does not verify whether a merchant discount legally offsets the lender’s interest.
Common questions
Why can a zero-interest EMI have a positive true cost?
Fees, GST, and a lost cash discount can increase the total even when the sum of EMIs equals the displayed product price.
What if the total of EMIs is lower than the cash price?
Recheck whether the merchant has applied an upfront discount that offsets lender interest and whether tax on the interest appears separately on monthly statements.
Should an uncertain cashback be included?
No. Enter only cashback you have confirmed. Conditional or delayed rewards should be tested as a separate scenario.
More calculators
Use the credit card interest calculator for revolving balances, the personal loan EMI calculator for a standard reducing-balance loan, or the salary budget calculator to check monthly affordability.