Looking to pay off outstanding balances on multiple credit cards? The “snowball method” of repayment is a strategy of payoffs that start small but get bigger over time. To use this payoff method, list all your credit card balances in order of size, from the smallest balance to the largest. The smallest debt on your list is the one to focus on first. When it gets paid off, the next smallest debt becomes your focus, until there is no more. For many people, the satisfaction of seeing that first debt get paid off quickly makes the snowball method an effective strategy.