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Credit card - Is there a negative to paying your balance before the new statement?

Posted on 4/2/19 at 9:33 am
Posted by HailToTheChiz
Back in Auburn
Member since Aug 2010
48907 posts
Posted on 4/2/19 at 9:33 am
As in, making continual payments on a credit card versus building the balance and making one payment at the new billing cycle?

Does it matter? The points accumulated should be the same right?
Posted by castorinho
13623 posts
Member since Nov 2010
82010 posts
Posted on 4/2/19 at 9:35 am to
Points wise? No.

Credit wise? Some claim it's good to have 10-20% of limit on statement so it can show utilization.

Posted by TheWiz
Third World, LA
Member since Aug 2007
11672 posts
Posted on 4/2/19 at 9:38 am to
I pay my credit card down every few days. Partly because I like to make individual payments to each charge so that I can budget better. It also keeps me in check since I use it more like a debit card. My credit score is great, so I do not believe that has any impact in doing it that way.
Posted by Neauxla_Tiger
Member since Feb 2015
1870 posts
Posted on 4/2/19 at 10:12 am to
As the posters above me pointed out, the only real effect is your credit. It won't "hurt" your credit to pay off before the statement hits, but it can improve your score if you let it hit, then pay off. That's what I do. Sometimes if it was an abnormal spending month I'll pay a little early before the statement hits to help with budgeting, but still leave a bit just for appearances. If your credit is already good, then you may see minimal benefit from doing this.

Another benefit to waiting to pay is interest. Might as well let that money sit in your savings account an extra couple weeks before the payment is due. Just as long as you are disciplined enough to make sure you always pay off balances before the due date
Posted by The Spleen
Member since Dec 2010
38865 posts
Posted on 4/2/19 at 12:48 pm to
I pay mine off twice a month, and I haven't noticed any negative impact to my credit. I got in the habit when we switched to running everything through the CC to paying it off on the same schedule as our payday. We both get paid the 15th and last day of the month, so that's when I'd go in and pay it off.

I'm going to start paying it off just once a month at the end of the billing cycle to see if that improves the score.
Posted by RedHawk
Baton Rouge
Member since Aug 2007
8841 posts
Posted on 4/2/19 at 1:03 pm to
I pay mine off almost every day. I basically use it as a debit card.
Posted by tigersnipen
Member since Dec 2006
2085 posts
Posted on 4/2/19 at 1:18 pm to
I pay mine off every week, sometime a balance hits most of the time it doesn't. Last I checked my credit score is 832 so it paying it off early doesn't appear to be hurting my credit.
Posted by HailToTheChiz
Back in Auburn
Member since Aug 2010
48907 posts
Posted on 4/2/19 at 1:19 pm to
Good deal. Thanks
Posted by Junky
Louisiana
Member since Oct 2005
8362 posts
Posted on 4/3/19 at 6:59 am to
I just pay it off each statement as I run everything through two CC’s. For larger payments on bigger purchases I go ahead and move the money I saved over and pay it off before the statement hits. This keeps my income/expenses on a month to month basis to a sane view.

I’ve tried different apps for budgeting and hated everything. So I created my own excel file that I enjoy so far.
Posted by unclejhim
Folsom, La.
Member since Nov 2011
3703 posts
Posted on 4/3/19 at 5:00 pm to
quote:

I pay my credit card down every few days. Partly because I like to make individual payments to each charge so that I can budget better. It also keeps me in check since I use it more like a debit card. My credit score is great, so I do not believe that has any impact in doing it that w

This is what we do as well. Credit scores 800+ for the wife and I.
Posted by Ace Midnight
Between sanity and madness
Member since Dec 2006
89484 posts
Posted on 4/4/19 at 7:45 am to
quote:

same schedule as our payday.


I pay all the revolving credit every payday as well. From monitoring credit scores, it appears that utilization checks are really hit and miss, just depending on when they sample your balances. However, I've found little to no negative effect on scores and I'm typically showing 0% utilization. Obviously, if you allowed it to get above 30% and stay above 30% (or higher, 50%, for example), that is clearly going to negatively impact your score over time.
This post was edited on 4/4/19 at 7:46 am
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