5 Ways You Can Avoid Costly Credit Card Late Fees
Credit card late fees are a fact of life for some consumers, but
they don't have to be for you. Legally, credit card companies
can hit you with pretty much whatever fees they want. On the
other hand, you don't have to pay them, but only if you avoid
them in the first place. Here are five sure fire ways you can
avoid costly credit card late fees:
1. Pay Before the Due Date. Of course, this makes the most
sense. However, this is also the single most important reason
why people get socked with fees: they receive their bill and
immediately forget about it! When you get your bill, open it up
and pay it promptly. Waiting means forgetting and forgetting
about your credit card bill will cost you money. 2. Pay on the
Internet. If you have access to a computer, then paying online
is the best way to make certain that your payment gets to your
credit card provider on time. Be careful, as there is still some
lag time from when you authorize funds to be released from your
checking account and when that payment is finally credited to
your credit card account. The gap between the two can be as long
as one week! 3. Schedule Automatic Payments. Some credit card
providers allow for you to set up a scheduled deduction from
your checking account which is then automatically sent to your
credit card provider. You should set it up to take money out of
your account well before the due date to ensure that your funds
are received on time. You can always send in a separate, extra
payment if you want to pay down your debt faster too. 4.
Question a Late Payment. Even if the credit card company claims
that your payment was late, it doesn't mean that you must be
charged a late fee. Contact the company and ask them to reverse
their charge -- which usually runs between $29 and $39 -- and to
expunge their records of your tardiness. You not only want to
avoid any fees, you want to avoid their possible notification of
your lateness to the three major credit report agencies
[Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax]. Any information supplied to
the credit reporting agencies can work against you in the form
of higher interest rates on current cards as well as on future
loans!
5. Go with the Citi Simplicity Credit Card. Now, consumers have
a new option to help them avoid late fees: Citi's new Citi
Simplicity card doesn't charge late fees. Please click the link
below for more information about this breakthrough card. Taking
the appropriate action can help you to avoid late fees and allow
for you to keep more of your money in your pocket. Become better
informed and start saving money today!