How Changing Your Credit Card Due Date Can Affect Your Credit Score

Changing your credit card due date won't directly harm your credit score. However, this simple adjustment can set off a chain reaction that indirectly impacts key scoring factors if not managed carefully.

1. Initial Billing Cycle Adjustment: When you change your due date, your issuer might create an unusually short or long initial billing cycle to align with the new schedule, which can be confusing.
2. Disruption to Payment Routine: A new due date can throw off your established payment schedule. This increases the risk of forgetting a payment, especially in the first couple of months following the change.
3. Credit Utilization Ratio Fluctuation: Your statement closing date may not change. If your new due date is after this date, a higher balance could be reported, temporarily increasing your credit utilization and potentially lowering your score.
4. Risk of a Late Payment: The biggest danger is missing the new due date by 30 days or more. A reported late payment is one of the most significant negative events for a credit score.

How Much Will Changing Your Credit Card Due Date Affect Your Credit Score?

Changing your credit card due date doesn't directly impact your credit score, but related factors can. Here are a few things to consider to ensure the process goes smoothly.

• Payment History. A missed payment during the transition can hurt your score. Confirm the new date and pay on time to maintain a positive payment history, which is a major credit score factor.
• Credit Utilization. Aligning due dates can help you better manage payments and potentially lower your statement balances. This can improve your credit utilization ratio, which positively influences your score over time.
• Billing Cycle Adjustments. The first billing cycle after the change may be shorter or longer than usual. This could affect your interest charges for that month, so review your statement carefully.

How You Can Avoid Changing Your Credit Card Due Date Affecting Your Credit Score

Set Up Automatic Payments

A foolproof method is to enable automatic payments. This ensures your bill is paid on time, regardless of the new due date. Autopay eliminates the risk of forgetting the change, thereby protecting your credit score from the negative mark of a late payment.

Update Your Personal Calendar

If you prefer making manual payments, update your personal calendar or set new digital reminders immediately. This simple organizational step helps you adjust to the new schedule and prevents an accidental oversight that could lead to a late payment and a lower credit score.

Monitor Your Credit Report

Regularly check your credit reports after the due date change. This allows you to quickly spot and dispute any erroneously reported late payments. Proactively monitoring ensures that any administrative mistakes from your card issuer don't unfairly damage your credit history during the transition.

Ways to Improve Your Credit Score

Improving your credit score is an achievable goal that significantly impacts your financial well-being, from loan terms to credit card approvals. With consistent positive behavior, you can boost your score using an expert guide of proven methods.

• Monitor your credit reports. Regularly check your reports from all three major bureaus—Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax—to dispute inaccuracies and track your progress.
• Set up automatic payments. Since payment history is the biggest factor in your score, automating payments ensures you never miss a due date.
• Lower your credit utilization. Aim to use less than 30% of your available credit, as high balances can negatively affect your score.
• Become an authorized user. You can get a boost by being added to a credit card account that has a long history of on-time payments and low utilization.
• Diversify your credit mix. Lenders like to see that you can responsibly manage different types of credit, such as credit cards, installment loans, and mortgages.
• Limit hard inquiries. Space out applications for new credit and use prequalification tools whenever possible to avoid temporary drops in your score.

The Bottom Line

Changing your credit card due date won't directly harm your credit score. The key is to manage the transition carefully to avoid any late payments that could negatively affect your credit.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will changing my due date lower my credit score?

Changing your due date won't directly lower your credit score. The key is to make payments by the new date to avoid late payment reports.

How often can I change my credit card due date?

Policies vary by issuer, but many banks allow you to change your due date once or twice per year. Always confirm with your card provider first.

Does changing my due date affect my credit utilization?

It can temporarily. A new due date may shift your statement closing date, which could alter the balance reported to credit bureaus for that specific month.