What Are Credit Card Late Charges?
Posted July 25th, 2010 and last modified June 27th, 2011Avoiding late charges on your credit card is very simple. Making payments on time can be done by organising your finances so that you know when all the due dates are for your credit cards, and by sending your payments in early for processing. Sometimes mistakes can happen though, and when they do you need to know how to handle the situation and get it resolved.
Credit card late charges
By reviewing the policies of a credit card before applying for one you’ll know exactly what to expect and avoid any unnecessary charges and fees. The credit card company has the right to implement and enforce these charges so find out exactly what the policies are beforehand.
First-time late payments
If it is your first time that you have made a late payment on a credit card you can try calling the credit card issuer and letting them know why the payment is late. There is a chance that they will waive the penalties and fees if you can convince them that there was a good reason and let them know that it won’t happen again.
It is always best to use honesty when you are talking with the card companies. These credit card companies tend to be quite accommodating because they want to keep their customers happy and want you to remain a loyal client.
If you make late payments that are infrequent you can also try talking to the company and working something out. It never hurts to try, and it does not count as a strike against you if you call up your card company to just ask. If your late payments are not infrequent, you can ask the company to work out some sort of payment schedule and find out what they can do to help you out.
Giving advance notice
Credit card companies are usually quite flexible if you let them know ahead of time that you will have to make a payment late. They can adjust your due date to the time when your payment can be made in many cases. This is a much better approach than making your payment late and then calling and it shows much more responsibility and initiative on your part.
You can avoid late charges on your credit card in many cases when you make a late payment if it is your first time or you only make them infrequently. Try calling the card company the next time this happens and see what they say. The bank always wants to keep a company with a business credit card happy because they would like you to remain a loyal customer.
Check out today's featured offers:
| Westpac Low Rate | Citibank Clear Platinum | Qantas AMEX Discovery | ANZ Platinum |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
0% p.a. for 6 months on purchases & balance transfers |
2.9% p.a. for 12 months |
$0 annual fee Up to 10,000 Bonus QFF Points |
0% p.a. for 6 months on purchases & balance transfers |
Subscribe to our newsletter and get "The Ultimate Guide to Balance Transfers"
If You Like This Post...
Get all the latest deals, guides and loopholes go in Credit Card Finder's free bi-monthly email. Don't miss out - join the thousands who get it emailed!









Ask A Question