6 reasons to pay your credit card bill early (2024)

FAQs

6 reasons to pay your credit card bill early? ›

By making an early payment before your billing cycle ends, you can reduce the balance amount the card issuer reports to the credit bureaus. That means your credit utilization ratio—the total percentage of available credit you're using—will be lower as well. And lower credit utilization can boost your credit scores.

By making an early payment before your billing cycle ends, you can reduce the balance amount the card issuer reports to the credit bureaus. That means your credit utilization ratio—the total percentage of available credit you're using—will be lower as well. And lower credit utilization can boost your credit scores.

What is the 15/3 rule in credit? Most people usually make one payment each month, when their statement is due. With the 15/3 credit card rule, you instead make two payments. The first payment comes 15 days before the statement's due date, and you make the second payment three days before your credit card due date.

Save money on interest

If you have to carry debt into the next month, you don't need to wait until the next billing cycle ends to pay the balance. Most credit card issuers charge interest daily based on your annual percentage rate (APR), so the earlier you pay the balance, the less you'll pay in interest.

Yes, you can pay your credit card bill before the statement is generated. Making early payments reduces your outstanding balance, lowers credit utilisation, and can help avoid interest charges. It also frees up your credit limit for further use.

Do you still get points if you pay your credit card early? Yes. If you have a rewards card that earns points based on your spending, those points won't be lost if you pay your credit card bill early.

By paying your debt shortly after it's charged, you can help prevent your credit utilization rate from rising above the preferred 30% mark and improve your chances of increasing your credit scores. Paying early can also help you avoid late fees and additional interest charges on any balance you would otherwise carry.

Timing Requirements – The “3/7/3 Rule”

The initial Truth in Lending Statement must be delivered to the consumer within 3 business days of the receipt of the loan application by the lender. The TILA statement is presumed to be delivered to the consumer 3 business days after it is mailed.

The 75/15/10 rule suggests devoting 75% of your income to living expenses, 15% to investing, and 10% to savings. This guideline can be a flexible way to prioritize your long-term financial future when deciding how to budget and allocate your income, which you can adapt based on your situation.

This means you should take care not to spend more than 30% of your available credit at any given time. For instance, let's say you had a $5,000 monthly credit limit on your credit card. According to the 30% rule, you'd want to be sure you didn't spend more than $1,500 per month, or 30%.

When to pay a credit card bill to increase credit score? ›

Credit card companies report your balance to the credit bureaus every month, typically at the end of each billing cycle. If you make your payment shortly before your statement date, it could help reduce your credit utilization, which can help you increase your credit score or maintain good credit.

To avoid paying interest and late fees, you'll need to pay your bill by the due date. But if you want to improve your credit score, the best time to make a payment is probably before your statement closing date, whenever your debt-to-credit ratio begins to climb too high.

One late payment on a credit card, personal or auto loan, or mortgage might have an immediate negative effect, though it would likely be small if it was only a single late payment. Consistent on-time payments for those credit-related bills helps improve your credit score.

So, if you make payments to your credit card company before your due date, you'll have a lower balance due (and higher available credit) at the close of your billing cycle. That means less credit card debt gets reported to the credit bureau (or bureaus), which could help your credit score.

Down payment, cash advances or balance transfers

A good rule to abide by is to not rely on a credit card for any kind of down payment. It will add to a larger cost and may be a sign that you shouldn't make the purchase. In addition, cash advances usually charge a higher rate than purchases.

Paying off your monthly statement balances in full each month is the path to avoiding credit card debt. As long as you pay off your statement balance in full before the due date, you can continue making purchases on your credit card without paying interest until the next statement due date.

If you pay your credit card bill in full each month and don't regularly use more than 30% of your credit limit, timing doesn't matter much as long as it is on or before the due date.

Paying off your credit card balance every month is one of the factors that can help you improve your scores. Companies use several factors to calculate your credit scores. One factor they look at is how much credit you are using compared to how much you have available.

In order to enjoy an interest-free grace period, you need to pay off your card each month. “If you carry a balance from one statement period to the next, the grace period goes away and interest accrues every day — until you pay in full and regain the grace period the following month,” Rossman clarifies.