Set Up Automatic Payments on Credit Cards and Avoid Late Fees

Some credit card companies have little tricks to squeeze out late fees from more cardholders.  You remember when you used to have a full 30 days grace period to pay your credit card bill before interest or late fees would be added?  You would get a credit card statement with a good two weeks or more before the payment was due.

These days, many credit card users are lucky to get their credit card statements a week before you need to get the check written and in the mail.  In fact, I have been noticing my own credit card due dates changing, and by the time the statement comes in the mail, I have to write the check the second I open the mail and practically hand it to the mail lady before she drives away if I hope to have a chance of getting the bill back before the due date and avoid my late fee!

Instead of stressing over it, I’ve switched to using online account managers for each of my credit card accounts.  I log in, set up automatic payments and make sure the date is set for two or three days before the bill is due.  The only thing I have to be careful of is if the credit card company due date changes - in which case I have to go in and change the date the payments will come out.

If you’re automatically scheduling your payments for credit cards, it doesn’t matter how long the card companies mail sits in a bin before going out to cardholders.  You can receive your statement after it’s due for all you’ll care - your payment will have been made before it was due therefore avoiding the $39 + late fee.