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Google Sheets

NPER function in Google Sheets

Calculates the number of payment periods for an investment based on constant-amount periodic payments and a constant interest rate.

=NPER(rate, payment_amount, present_value, [future_value, end_or_beginning])

NPER syntax and parameters

Five arguments, three required.

  • ratenumberRequired

    The interest rate.

  • payment_amountnumberRequired

    The amount of each payment made.

  • present_valuenumberRequired

    The current value of the annuity.

  • future_valuenumberOptional

    [ OPTIONAL ] - The future value remaining after the final payment has been made.

  • end_or_beginningnumberOptional

    [ OPTIONAL - 0 by default ] - Whether payments are due at the end (0) or beginning (1) of each period.

NPER examples

Formulas you'll actually reuse.

  1. How many monthly payments of $350 clear an $18,000 loan at 6%:

    =NPER(6%/12, -350, 18000)

    Result59.6

  2. Years for a deposit to double at 4% with no further payments:

    =NPER(4%, 0, -10000, 20000)

    Result17.67

NPER in Excel

Same name — your formula ports as-is.

Try NPER in the playground

Edit the example — nothing to install.

Preloaded with the NPER formula from Example 1 — change anything and watch it respond.

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NPER errors

What they mean — and the fixes.

  • #NUM!

    The payment can't cover the interest, so the balance never falls — raise the payment or check the signs (loan positive, payment negative).

Related functions

More ways Google Sheets gets this done.