Change payment due date on a credit card–is that even possible? Paying bills on time is very important to establishing good credit history. Sometimes circumstances change—such as pay dates and job status— that prevent people from paying bills on time. There is no need to worry. Situations like this generally have easy solutions that are available in a few easy steps.
Do Credit Card Companies Allow You to Change Your Due Date?
Many credit card companies allow customers to change the credit card due date to accommodate these situations. Not every credit card company offers this service so it is important to ask a customer service representative about this option. The credit card companies do not volunteer this information to cardholders. You must contact the companies to determine if the option is available. Credit card companies usually have no problem extending this service to you because the companies do not want to lose your business.
There are certain criteria that must be met in order for you to receive a change in your credit card due date, including:
· Your account must be current. Some customers try to change the credit card due date after the credit card account is past due. Credit card companies recognize this and do not allow cardholders to receive the due date change. Make sure that your account is current. You must realize that you may not be able to pay your bill before the account is past due, and the credit card company may be able to help you before the problem arises.
· The first payment must be made before this service is granted. Credit card due dates vary from credit card to credit card. When you apply for a credit card it is a good idea to ask a customer service representative to provide you with a due date so that you can factor this date into your current due dates for your bills. Do not bother asking the company to change the date until you have made this payment.
· This is your first request. Many credit card companies only grant one due date change during the life of the credit card. You must contact the individual credit card company to determine how many change requests are allowed during the life of the credit card.
· The new due date is within 15 days of your existing due date. This is generally the maximum number of days that the credit card company allows for your due date change.
How to Request a Change in the Due Date
Call the customer service telephone number on the back of your credit card. Make a verbal request to change your credit card due date. Some credit card companies may require a written request for the change. Follow the instruction that the representative provides to change your due date. You must request a particular week within 15 days of your current due date for the new due date. It may take up to two billing cycles for the requested change to take effect, making your billing cycles a little longer.
You never know until you ask. Contact your credit card company as soon as you decide that you want to change the billing date. The credit card company will likely do everything possible to grant you this request.