It is important to remember that any late payment is often reported in your credit report, which further reduces your credit score and makes it harder for you to apply for the best terms and interest rates on lenders’ loans and credit cards.
Late payment of dues goes hand in hand with your credit score. Here is the breakdown of your credit score of the consequence of late payment depending on the number of days you have been late in making your payments.
SUMMARY OF LATE PAYMENT IMPACT ON YOUR CREDIT SCORE
- If you’re less than 30 days late: You need to offer a late payment fee and maybe a higher APR, but if you pay before the 30 days, it doesn’t leave any impact on your credit score.
- 30 days late: If it’s too regular, this record will hurt your credit score. A single 30-day late payment will not cause your score to suffer permanent harm. A payment that has been due for at least 30 days could decrease your score by 100 points.
- 60 days late: One late payment does not cause your credit score to suffer long-term harm. If it is frequently, though, it can damage your credit score.
- 90 days late: For up to seven years, this record will damage your credit score. You’re deemed more likely to do it again if you have already skipped the payment once. Your credit scores will drop as a result.
- 120+days late: Your debt is typically “paid off” at this stage or transferred to a third-party collection agency. Both incidents are reported on your credit report and your credit score will also be further diminished.
EFFECT OF LATE PAYMENTS ON YOUR CREDIT REPORT
After the account was originally reported late, the late payments on your credit report will decrease your credit score. However, if you have been consistent with paying your unpaid dues on time, the effect on your credit decreases over time.
HOW TO AVOID LATE PAYMENTS?
You must recall their due date and strive to pay on time to avoid paying a late fee for non-payment whether you are a credit cardholder or borrower with some form of a loan. Here are the following tips that will enable you to ensure that your payments are not skipped:
- Opt for Auto-debit facility: The facility for auto-debits may be helpful for those who forget to make payments by the due date. Autopay means allowing the issuer or lenders of your credit card to subtract the unpaid balance or minimum amount automatically from your bank account every month on a certain date. This saves you from the hassle of remembering to pay on time for your debts.
- Set up reminders: Another way that you can pay your unpaid dues easily on time is to set up reminders rather than depending on your memory. The best ways to keep track of what you have to pay and when it needs to be paid are calendars or online reminders on a mobile. You may also ask your creditors to provide you with online alerts concerning your payment due date.
- Weekly payments: It’s better to pay into the account regularly instead of paying daily. You may find it easier to control your total balances by doing so and it will help you pay off everything a bit faster.
This will help you obtain an excellent credit score and keep you from paying late fees and high-interest rates.
