Formula Guide

The Excel PPMT Function
explained simply

PPMT calculates just the principal portion of a specific loan payment — the counterpart to IPMT.

ExcelPro · 4 min read · Updated June 2026
Contents
  1. What does PPMT do?
  2. Syntax
  3. 3 examples
  4. FAQ

What does PPMT do?

PPMT calculates the principal portion of one specific payment in a loan schedule — how much of that payment actually reduces the amount owed, as opposed to covering interest.

It is the natural pair to IPMT: every payment splits into interest (IPMT) and principal (PPMT), and the two always add up to the total fixed payment.

Syntax

=PPMT(rate, per, nper, pv, [fv], [type])
ArgumentDescription
rate requiredThe interest rate per period.
per requiredWhich payment number to calculate.
nper requiredThe total number of payments.
pv requiredThe loan amount.
fv optionalThe remaining balance after the last payment. Defaults to 0.
type optional0 = end of period (default), 1 = start.

Examples

Example 1
Principal portion of the first payment
=PPMT(0.05/12,1,36,5000)

On a $5,000 loan at 5% over 36 months, the first payment's principal portion is about -$129.02.

Example 2
Confirm IPMT + PPMT = total payment
=IPMT(0.05/12,1,36,5000)+PPMT(0.05/12,1,36,5000)

Should equal the fixed monthly payment from PMT(0.05/12,36,5000) — a useful sanity check when building amortization tables.

Example 3
Principal portion of a later payment
=PPMT(0.05/12,24,36,5000)

By payment 24 of 36, more of the fixed payment goes to principal than it did at payment 1.

Common mistakes

⚠️ Mixing up which function gives interest vs principal

IPMT = interest portion. PPMT = principal portion. Easy to swap by mistake when building amortization schedules quickly.

FAQ

Do IPMT and PPMT need the exact same arguments?
Yes — both should be called with identical rate, nper, pv, fv, and type, varying only the per argument, to stay consistent with a single loan.

Practise Excel with real data

ExcelPro has 700+ hands-on Excel exercises across 7 career tracks — free to start, no download needed.

Start practicing free →

Related formulas

IPMT PMT RATE