Bill Ranson

Pay Credit Card Bills on Time – Avoid Late Fees

Late fees can add up fast, and over time can damage your credit score. But they don’t have to get the best of you. If you regularly receive past due notices, now is the time to take action. Paying on time can improve your credit rating, save you money, and decrease the headaches of overdue bills. Here are a few ways to make sure your payments are on time, every time.

On Time, Online

Almost all credit card issuers let you pay through the Internet. If you haven’t already, you can register for online account access. Signing up takes just a few minutes. Once you have online access, you can pay your bills with just a handful of clicks. Keep in mind that most online transactions take a few business days to process; pay early to ensure the amount is received on time.

If you wish, credit card companies will send you reminders as the due date approaches to help you remember to make the payments. You can even set up automatic payments. Choose a day when you know you’ll have enough cash in your checking account. This way, the bills will literally pay themselves.

Pay by Phone

If you’re looking through your credit card statements and realize that the bills are due today, you can still get the payment in. Call the credit card issuer and make the payment over the phone. You may have to pay a fee for doing so, usually between $5 and $15. To avoid this cost, only make phone payments if absolutely necessary; otherwise, pay online or send a check in the mail.

Consolidate Due Dates

Even with the best intentions, it can be hard to keep track of all the due dates for your credit cards, especially if you are managing a few. To simplify your payment plan, call the toll-free number listed on the back of your credit card. Ask the company representative to change your due date. Most lenders will allow you to do this. Choose a date close to when you get paid; this way, you’ll have the money in your account when you need it. Grouping payment due dates will make it easier to keep track of your bills.

Set up Reminders

No matter what steps you take, setting up reminders for yourself can help you better manage your finances. Mark in a calendar or agenda when to pay the bills. Or place post-it notes in a visible place. Also jot down which bills you need to pay on that date. When the day comes, sit down and pay the credit card bills. Then make out a list for the following month.

Before you open up another credit card account, consider when the payments will be due. Make the due date coincide with other bills if possible. Staying organized is the key to consistent on time credit card payments.

Just having the satisfaction of avoiding late fees and managing your credit wisely is a good reason to pay your bills on time. If you continually make an effort, you will be greatly rewarded.
Taking small steps can lead to big returns, including a higher credit rating and solid history. If you work at it, you can avoid late fees and enjoy better credit.

Copyright Ed Vegliante. Free online reprints of this article are allowed provided the resource box remains intact with a live link back to http://www.credit-card-surplus.com

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Ed Vegliante runs the website http://www.Credit-Card-Surplus.com, a well organized credit card directory enabling the consumer to compare and apply for a variety of credit card offers. View more Credit Card Articles.

5 Simple Ways To Lower Your Monthly Bills And Save Lots Of Money!

Here you’re going to learn several ways to save money every month by lowering your monthly bills.

There are lots of ways to save money, no matter how much of it you have – or don’t have!

Having struggled for many years paying my own bills, I learned many ways to save money. From simple things like food, gas, and clothing, to bigger expenses, like insurance and your mortgage.

All you need to know is where to look to find the savings.

Several Ways To Save Money

The first thing you need to do is eliminate ALL of your unnecessary expenses:

eating out on the weekends
buying lunch at work every day
magazine and newspaper subscriptions (especially those you can get online and at the local library)
cable TV (you’d be amazed at how many other ways you’ll find to spend your time once you get rid of cable TV)
groceries (you can save lots of money with coupons and specials.)

It’s OK to reward yourself once in a while, but if you are really looking to get out of debt faster, you owe it to yourself to save every single penny you can!

To find other ways to reduce your expenses, take a close look at your checkbook and credit card statements. You should also call your credit card companies to see if they will lower your interest rates, even if it is only for a short time.

You’ll be amazed at how many ways you can save money, especially once you start looking carefully at how you spend your money every month.

Shop Around For The Lowest Prices

For those expenses you can’t eliminate, it’s time to start shopping around for the best prices.

Once I realized you can shop around for just about ANYTHING you spend money on every month, I learned how to save myself SEVERAL HUNDRED DOLLARS each and every month!

In fact, by shopping around I ended up saving myself more than $750 a year on car insurance alone!

The same is true of many of your monthly expenses – like long distance telephone service, internet service, all types of insurance, mortgages, and in some places even your utility bills.

It DOESN’T take any special skills. All it takes is a few clicks and you can save yourself a bunch of money in no time at all!

So, if youd like to save yourself lots of money every month – and who doesnt – start shopping around and looking for ways to lower your monthly bills right away!