Online credit card account set-up makes bill payment easy.

Guide to Paying Your Credit Card Bill Online

Last Updated: December 6, 2023

5 min read

Key Points About: How to Pay Credit Card Bill Online

You can pay your credit card bill online or through a mobile app.
To pay your credit card bill online, you need to register your account.
You can set up recurring payments on your online account so you don't miss a due date.

Online credit card bill payment is one of the easiest and most convenient ways to help manage your credit. But it is helpful to know how exactly to go about it and what you would need to set up your account.

Different ways of making credit card payments online

There are different ways that you can pay your credit card bill online:

Mobile bill pay: Some credit card issuers have mobile apps that you can use to pay your bill. All you would need is the information for your payment account.
Online bill pay: You can sign into your credit card account using your card issuer's website. Once you provide your bank account (or debit card) details, you can start to make your credit card payment online.

What are the benefits of online credit card payments?

There are many benefits when you pay your credit card online, including having instant access to many services to help you manage your account. For example, you have 24/7 access to:

Check your credit card balance and view your transactions on your credit card statement
Set up automatic payments on your credit card bill
View your billing statements
Download or print statements for your tax or personal records, and much more.

How to create an online account to pay your credit card bill

To pay your credit card bill online, you will need to create an account with your credit card issuer. To do so, you have to register your account, and you might be asked for the following information:

Card number
Expiration Date
Date of Birth
SSN

You may also have to create a username and password to sign into your account in the future. Be sure to keep this information in your records. Once you have made your online account, you'll be able to check your balance, review transactions, pay bills, and more (depending on your credit card company).

Did you know?

Discover^® Cardmembers can sign up for credit card alerts to keep track of their minimum payment due date. They can also set up alerts or reminders to track their spending.

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How to pay your credit card bill online

You have different options as to how you can pay your bill each month. Typically, you can make manual, automatic, and one-time payments on your credit card company's online cardmember portal. You can make these payments through your debit card or with your bank information using Automated Clearing House (ACH) payments.

ACH payments, also called ACH transfers, let you to transfer money from one account (like a bank account) to make a payment on another (like on your credit card account). You can set up ACH payments as one-time or even recurring automatic charges. Typically, you need to provide your credit card account information and banking information, like your routing and account number. Sometimes you can automatically connect these accounts using your online banking credentials if your credit card company allows it.

When to pay your credit card bill online

By law (specifically the CARD Act of 2009), your credit card bill must be due on the same date each month. Since your due date will be the same, it makes it easier to budget for your credit card bill payment. You should try paying your bill on the same day each month to avoid missed charges and fees.

Some credit card companies allow you to connect your bank account to your credit card account, so you can make automatic payments via your bank every month. With automatic payments, you can set things up so that your credit card company deducts a recurring amount every month from your bank account. Automatic payments may help you avoid late or missed payments.

Keep track of your credit card bill with mobile alerts

Moreover, some credit card companies will allow you to set up mobile alerts, where you'll get notified about your due date when you make a payment, when your statement is available, and more.

How do manage payments on more than one credit card?

If you have more than one credit card, you may be able to request the same due date for all of your accounts. To do this, contact your credit card issuer or make the request through your account profile online. With the same due date on all your cards, you won't have to keep track of different payment dates.

How much to pay on your credit card bill

When you view your credit card statement online, you will see your statement balance, minimum payment, and your current balance. But what does this mean, and how does it factor into the amount you have to pay each month?

Paying your statement balance

Your statement balance (also called your new balance) is the amount of money you spent during the previous billing cycle. When you pay off your statement balance, this is also considered paying your statement off in full.

Paying your minimum balance

Your minimum payment is the least amount you need to pay in a billing period to avoid a missed payment and keep your account in good standing. “Good standing” means you won't be hit with a penalty or late fee. If you make the minimum payment, the remainder of your balance is carried over into the next month. You’ll still need to pay what's left, but as long as you make the minimum amount due, you can wait to pay it.

If you’re on a tight budget you can make the minimum payment, but one downside is that any balance you have left will continue to be charged interest, so you’ll run the risk of accumulating credit card debt if you can't keep up.

Paying your current balance

Your current balance is the amount of money you have spent to date. This includes your statement balance plus any purchases posted on your account after the end of your billing cycle.

What happens if I miss a credit card payment?

If you miss a credit card payment, you may get hit with late fees, penalty interest rates, or have your missed payments reported to credit reporting agencies (which can impact your credit score). Paying your credit card bill online may help you keep track of your spending and make credit card bill payment easier.

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