PMT Function in SoftMaker PlanMaker 2026: Loan Payments and Examples
Learn PlanMaker PMT syntax, monthly loan payments, begin-versus-end timing, zero-interest loans, and Excel compatibility with reproducible examples.
Verification status: Official documentation referenced; example outcomes independently reasoned or arithmetically checked where stated. Not executed in SoftMaker PlanMaker 2026. How formula examples are checked
Quick answer: =PMT(6.5%,10,1000) has an expected result of -139.10, matching SoftMaker’s documented example. PMT calculates a constant payment each period for a loan or annuity with a fixed interest rate. A negative result is normal when the present value is positive: it represents money paid out. SoftMaker PlanMaker 2026 documentation.
Validation: Syntax, defaults, and the vendor’s worked result were checked against SoftMaker’s 2026 English documentation on 2026-10-12. Additional numerical results below were computed independently using decimal arithmetic; they are expected outputs, not observed PlanMaker or Excel execution. The web documentation does not verify function availability in every edition or operating-system build.
Syntax and argument order
=PMT(Rate, NPer, PV [, FV] [, Type])
| Argument | Required? | Meaning and values |
|---|---|---|
Rate |
Yes | Interest rate per payment period, as a numeric rate (for example 6%/12 for a monthly rate derived from 6% annual nominal interest). |
NPer |
Yes | Total number of payment periods (for example 3*12 for three years of monthly payments). |
PV |
Yes | Present value or initial loan amount, entered as a number or numeric cell reference. |
FV |
No | Desired remaining or future amount at the end. Defaults to 0 when omitted. |
Type |
No | 0 or omitted = payments at the end of each period; 1 = payments at the beginning. |
Square brackets indicate optional parameters in the documentation; do not type the brackets. For a beginning-period payment with default future value, enter 0 explicitly in the fourth position: =PMT(rate,nper,pv,0,1). Commas follow the English manual’s examples; the separator and decimal mark expected by your installed locale can differ. Check the formula editor rather than replacing separators mechanically. The rate and the payment count must use matching time units. Official syntax/definitions.
Reproduce a monthly loan-payment example
Enter this small worksheet into a blank sheet; the formulas below assume these exact cell addresses:
| Cell | Label (A column) | Value/formula (B column) |
|---|---|---|
| A2 / B2 | Annual nominal rate | 6% |
| A3 / B3 | Loan term in years | 3 |
| A4 / B4 | Initial loan principal | 12000 |
| A5 / B5 | Payment each month | =PMT(B2/12,B3*12,B4) |
Expected B5: approximately -365.06 (payment magnitude 365.06 per month). The rate is 6%/12 = 0.5% per month, and the number of monthly instalments is 3*12 = 36. A positive principal produces a negative payment according to the usual cash-flow sign convention. To display a payment as a positive expense, use =-PMT(B2/12,B3*12,B4); this changes presentation, not the loan mathematics.
For an independent check without any worksheet: =PMT(6.5%,10,1000) is documented by SoftMaker as -139.10; this is an independently calculated value around -139.104690, displayed to two decimals. Vendor example.
Advanced examples
Payment timing: beginning versus end
Using the same input cells, compare:
=PMT(B2/12,B3*12,B4,0,0)
=PMT(B2/12,B3*12,B4,0,1)
The first (end-of-month payments) is -365.06; the second (beginning-of-month payments) is -363.25. Earlier payments accumulate less interest, so their required magnitude is smaller under this constant-rate mathematical model. Do not change Type solely to force a preferred answer; use actual contract timing. SoftMaker timing definitions.
No-interest loan
=PMT(0,12,1200)
Expected: -100.00 per month. With zero interest, divide the 1,200 principal across twelve payments. This edge case was independently calculated, not natively tested for the application’s implementation.
Savings instead of loan repayment
=PMT(5%/12,12,0,1200)
Expected: approximately -97.73 per month for deposits at each period’s end, under a monthly compounding assumption. Here PV=0 and FV=1200; payments are negative because money leaves the depositor. Actual account conventions, taxes, fees, and timing may differ from this simplified calculation.
How the calculated payment is checked
For a nonzero rate r, a positive integer period count n, a starting value PV and goal FV, the independently calculated payment is:
PMT = -(PV*(1+r)^n + FV)*r / (((1+r)^n-1)*(1+r*Type))
With r = 0, the independent check uses -(PV+FV)/n. These are mathematical validation models, not an assertion that the PlanMaker implementation uses this internal algorithm or handles every unusual input identically. The financial model assumes a regular payment schedule and fixed interest per period.
Common mistakes and troubleshooting
| Symptom | What to inspect |
|---|---|
| Payment seems far too high or too low | Confirm Rate is per payment, not a full-year rate paired with monthly periods. For monthly payments, normally divide a nominal annual rate by 12. |
| Negative value looks like an error | A negative number commonly represents money paid out, not a calculation failure. Use -PMT(...) for a positive displayed expense if needed. |
| Beginning/end totals differ | Verify whether Type should be 0 or 1 and whether payments really occur on those dates. |
| Unexpected remaining balance | Check the optional FV, all signs, and whether payments are actually constant. |
| Error or unrecognized formula | Check the exact function spelling, decimal/list separators, numbers entered as text, and valid period count. Do not assume a specific PlanMaker error code without a native test. |
| Mortgage payment differs from a lender quote | Loan fees, insurance, tax, variable interest, day-count conventions, and real compounding may not match constant-rate PMT assumptions. |
Important limits: The official 2026 PMT entry documents the five arguments and Type choices but does not establish how every invalid input, negative NPer, nonnumeric value, locale or platform variant behaves. Those cases require native validation. PMT is not a variable-interest loan calculator.
Excel compatibility and PlanMaker versions
SoftMaker PlanMaker 2026 documents PMT(Rate,NPer,PV[,FV][,Type]). Microsoft’s current Excel PMT reference documents the same argument ordering and period-timing meanings, so the sample formulas are designed to be syntax-compatible for the shown cases. This does not establish identical native treatment of all edge cases, errors, coercions or regional settings. Excel documentation also clarifies that its standard PMT excludes taxes and extra loan fees; do not interpret that statement as a separate test of PlanMaker. Excel PMT.
Version/platform scope: The complete syntax above was verified against PlanMaker 2026 English web help. This batch did not independently verify PMT in PlanMaker 2021/2024 or execute it in the Windows, macOS, Linux or mobile editions. Do not treat earlier-edition or platform support as confirmed without further evidence.
Related verified resources
Source and review notes
- Official PlanMaker 2026 PMT: https://help.softmaker.com/planmaker2026/en/pmt_payment.html — accessed 2026-10-12, evidence for arguments/defaults/timing/vendor example.
- Microsoft Excel PMT: https://support.microsoft.com/en-US/Excel/pmt-function — accessed 2026-10-12, Excel syntax/compatibility comparison only.
- Independent mathematics: Python Decimal reference checks are recorded in the accompanying immutable evidence and validation files; they are expected, not native-observed results.