As Americans work to lower their credit card balances, you might be trying to get your ducks in a row when it comes to your finances. If you’ve realized your life would be so much easier if you could just move your credit card due date, I’ve got good news for you.
[Read: Best Credit Cards for Good Credit.]
What Issuers Let You Change Your Due Date?
Most credit card issuers allow you to change your credit card due date. However, the way you do that differs from issuer to issuer. It’s important to know that your new due date won’t go into effect until your next billing cycle at the earliest. So if you know you’re going to need to change your date, make sure you do so while giving yourself plenty of wiggle room until the change goes into effect.
[Read: Best Balance Transfer Cards]
Reasons to Change Your Credit Card Due Date
There are numerous reasons why you might want to change your due date. For instance:
— You want your due date to more closely align with payday. Probably the most common reason, moving your due date closer to payday can really help with budgeting.
— You want to pay all of your bills around the same time. It may be easier for you to pay all bills within a couple of days of each other, so you know how much disposable income you have left. This is especially helpful if you get paid only once a month.
— You want to space out your bills. Alternatively, if you feel overwhelmed paying most of your bills at once, as it leaves you with little money afterward, you can adjust your due date and space out your payments.
Changing your due date won’t affect your credit score, and, depending on the issuer, you more than likely are able to change your due date more than once.
[Read: Best Credit Cards.]
What to Do if You’re Denied
Now, just because you can ask to change your due date doesn’t mean the issuer has to say yes. If you’re denied a due date change, you may need to shift other payment dates.
Try other bills, like your utilities or phone bills. Request a different due date for those if your credit card payment date is unyielding.
Finally, work on your budget by figuring out what you can pay when. Paying down credit card debt is achievable; you just have to be diligent.
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Say When: These Credit Cards Let You Change Your Due Date originally appeared on usnews.com
