Way back in the dark days when my credit card debt felt like a ball and chain around my neck I would have problems paying my credit card bills on time.
And man, was I so close a lot of those times!
I’d miss the due date by a day here, three days there. See, my budget was timed badly such that my paycheck and my credit card due date were within days of each other (I was living paycheck-to-paycheck for a while). By the time I could get my bills out they would already be late. You can always ask the credit card company to waive a late fee but I had too many to ask anymore.
One day I found out I could ask the credit card company to move my due date.
“They would do that,” I thought? I mean, why would they work with me since I owe them money?
Well, they would.
I called one company up and asked to move the date by about five days. This gave me enough time to make sure I had money in my account and get the bill sent out in time. They agreed. They saw that I was just missing the payment dates. After that I checked all of my remaining bills and figured out a timing schedule to make sure my bills would all be paid in time and called the remaining companies to work out new due dates.
This saved me so much in late fees!
This was also a huge step in getting a good hold of my debt. It was so dis-heartening to get charged a late fee when I was so close to paying on time. I finally found some power over my debt. And this is a huge point for those out there buried in debt – you can take control of your situation and make it better!
It seems like such an easy thing to do but back then I really didn’t have the head about me to think of asking for a new due date.
Nowadays, with online paying, it’s much easier to get payments in on time but it’s still tough when you’re living paycheck to paycheck.
So there you go! If your budget is real tight and you’re just missing due dates, call up your lender (or service provider) and ask to move the due date a few days. It can save you in late fees and help you stay on budget.
Congrats to you for getting out of credit card debt at least. I am still struggling with debt, hope to get out of it soon 🙂
Thanks Chef. Just remember, you can get out of it! Make a plan and stick to it!
Capital One won’t let me change my date even though I have had the same issue as you, and I usually make the late payment on the day it’s due, missing the deadline by a few hours.
What you might have to do is make a strong effort to follow their schedule for a few months then ask again. I know how it feels to just miss the deadline. Maybe you could try using something like Google Calendar to schedule the due date to remind you to pay before the date is up?
Our mortgage company will not let us change our due date (which is so simple), which extend approximately a week after the 15th of each month, which put us in a bind with the late charges are attached to the mortgage statement. Have called them numerous times and they say its against their policy to change the due date, my reply was: why can’t you work with the homeowner? They say, it’s there policy – HELP!
I didn’t know you could ask for this! I may have to ask to get all my credit card bills due on the same date. That would be really convenient.
Give it a try and let us know how it worked out!
If I didn’t automate all my bills, I would have my due dates changed to be the same day every month. However, since everything is automated and I’m still employed (so the money will be there for the auto pay) I don’t have to worry about it now. 🙂
Good to hear! For many though, the wrong due date could spell disaster for their finances.
That practice varies by bank. I know discover used to allow you to select when your billing cycle ended and it would use that day permanently going forward. It is a great tool to help get organized and time the payments based on whatever factors you choose.
It’s absolutely a great tool and I think one that many people don’t realize exists.
I think it’s because none of the credit card companies publicize the fact that it’s available. At least I don’t think any of them do.
I feel like I’ve the option mentioned in a commercial somewhere…but it’s definitely not one of the sexier features of a credit card for most.