Do you ever struggle to pay your credit card bill on time? For some people, it’s not that they don’t have the money to pay the bill. The problem is the timing. Their credit card payment is due at the same time as a lot of other expenses. If you’ve ever been in this situation, it might be worth a quick call to your credit card company to negotiate a new due date for your credit card bill.

How Your Credit Card Due Date Might be Costing You Money

Not everyone is great at budgeting. Some consumers literally live from one pay day to the next. When too many bills come due at the same time, they can’t afford to pay all of them off. Credit cards generally aren’t as high on the list of priorities as rent, mortgage payments, or putting food on the table, yet these bills might cost the most in interest and fees when they’re not paid on time.

By paying even a few days late you could be hit twice:  with a late payment fee and with interest you wouldn’t otherwise have to pay. If your balance is normally paid off in full each month but you’re late one month, you can lose the interest free days you’re accustomed to.

How to Change Your Credit Card Due Date

Your credit card company wants to be paid. You want to be able to pay them on time to avoid unnecessary fees. It’s in your best interest to try to negotiate with your credit card company. Give them a call.

Even if they won’t give you an extension on this month’s payment deadline to make the adjustment, you might be able to compromise by paying a little early this month in order to get a new regular payment schedule.

It’s possible that your original payment schedule was set based on the day your credit card application was approved, or there might be a standard due date with a specific credit card company. Either way, their due date won’t always work with your schedule and when you have money coming in to pay them. Choose a date that’s more realistic for you.

If most of your bills are due around the first of the month, see if you can set up mid-month due dates with your credit card company. You’ll avoid the mad rush on your bank account early in the month, and avoid a cycle of late fees.

On the chance that your credit card company refuses to work with you, you do have other options. Sometimes your utility companies will let you adjust your payment date for example. Even if your credit card bill is due at the first of the month still, you might be able to move other due dates to reduce some of that burden.

If not, there’s always the option to look into balance transfers. By switching credit card companies not only do you send a strong message to your existing bank that aren’t happy with their customer service, but you might also be able to find a credit card issuer who can work with your due date requests.

No one is going to approach you and ask how they can tailor your credit card billing to your needs. If you need a change, it’s up to you to ask.