How to Eliminate Credit Card Late Fees

Many credit card companies have become extremely aggressive about charging excessive late fees from their customers.

Many credit card companies have become extremely aggressive about charging excessive late fees from their customers. In some cases, a late fee may be charged for a payment that is made on the day that it's due. Credit card companies often engage in tactics to get their payments earlier, increasing the chances that you will be charged late fees. Still, there are many things credit card customers can do to eliminate all late fees on their credit card bills.

Instructions

1. Make notes of when the credit card bill is due. Avoid late fees by placing a reminder on your computer monitor, in your checkbook, on a calendar or in a daily planner. Also consider installing bill reminder software on your computer to receive automatic reminders each month.

2. Check each credit card bill when it arrives in the mail. Sometimes, credit card companies move due dates earlier in the month than in previous months. If you make the payment on the usual date, this may result in the payment being charged a late fee.

3. Pay credit card bills at least two weeks before they're due. This is especially important if you're paying the bills by mail, since a late fee may be charged if a payment's arrival is delayed. Check credit card account balances on the telephone or online before the due date to ensure that the payments have been properly applied.

4. Pay credit card bills online. In many cases, credit card companies will credit online payments the next day. In some cases, they may even credit it the same day. If you're late and you have been charged late fees on that credit card in the recent past, make a rush payment even if there's a fee to do it.

5. Put the credit card bill on auto pay. This will deduct the payment amount automatically on the due date each month, preventing late fees. Provide the credit card company with your bank's name, its routing number and your checking account number. Set the amount that you would like to have deducted from your checking account each month. In most cases, the minimum payment is the best choice. You can always make additional payments to the credit card to reduce the principal.

6. Call the credit card company if you have a good payment history. Request to have the late fee reversed. If your payments are usually on time, most credit card companies will remove late fees as a courtesy. If you're a good, loyal customer with an excellent payment history, there's no reason why you should ever have to pay a late fee on any credit card account.

References

• Bankrate.com: How to Avoid Credit Card Late Fees