How many days does a person have to make a payment for their purchases on a credit card bill before interest starts to accrue?
William Jenkins
Updated on February 14, 2026
21 days
Legally, if a credit card company offers a grace period (as most do), it must give you at least 21 days from when you get your statement to pay before it starts charging interest on new purchases.
How long do you have from your billing statement to making a payment?
And your due date must be at least 21 days from the end of a billing cycle, giving you time to budget your payments. The period of time between the end of a billing cycle and when your bill is due is called your grace period, and if you pay your balance off within this time, you won’t incur interest.
How many days minimum before a payment is due must a credit card send you a statement?
Credit card issuers must adopt reasonable procedures designed to ensure that they mail or electronically deliver statements at least 21 days before the payment due date. Review your account agreement for policies specific to your bank and your account.
What are two consequences of making a late payment on your credit card?
There are three main ways a late or missed payment can impact you financially: You can be charged late payment fees. You may face having the interest rate on your card raised to the penalty rate. Your late payment may be added to your credit history and can end up affecting your credit score.
How long does it take for a credit card payment to process?
The time that it takes for a merchant who accepts a credit card as payment until the time the funds are deposited into the merchant’s bank account can vary depending on the type of merchant account the business owner uses. Typically, a payment can take anywhere from 24 hours up to three days to process the payment.
When to pay interest on a credit card?
Pay as soon as possible. You don’t have to wait until the end of the billing cycle to make a payment. Paying earlier or more than once a month may help reduce interest charges if you’re carrying a balance and not paying your full balance off each month. Use a credit card with a 0% introductory rate.
When do I have to pay my credit card balance?
Most credit card issuers report your balance to the credit bureaus on a certain day each month, and, as mentioned, that’s not necessarily your due date. In the example above, say your payment is due on the 20th of each month, but your issuer reports your balance on the 15th.
When does Statute of limitations on credit card debt begin?
It may vary by state, but generally the statute of limitations begins when a credit card account becomes delinquent — the date of the last payment. However, in some states the clock begins to tick six months after the last payment.
How long can a payment processor hold funds from my account?
“Typically if it is related to a risk and security issue, the payment processor can hold the funds up to 180 days.” Subscribe to get the week’s most important news in your inbox every week. Your credit cards journey is officially underway.