Credit Card Interest

Are you being careful with watching the balance and charges on your credit cards? For some reason, every Christmas, Master Card seems to change their due date. I have the same due date every month all year long but it changes to an earlier date at Christmas. I always pay the full amount. I knew I had a bill to pay so I was looking at the charges making sure they were right and just like before - there was an interest charge from the month before. I had made my payment two days early. Now I will have to wait and see what happens. I wrote to them telling them that I do not owe them the interest. I have done this before and while they did not contact me, they did remove the charge. I'll have to hope they do the same this time or I'll have to find a way to go further. It isn't a lot of money but consider how much they make if they do that to all their customers.

I seem to remember Visa doing the same thing to me a few years ago. I don't believe in credit cards per se, but I couldn't live without my charge card or Visa debit card.

If you don't carry a balance, I suggest allowing automatic direct debit with your financial institution, then there's no need to worry about paying the bills off every month.

It sounds similar to the reasoning behind offering rebates that you have to send in. Most people will find it a hassle to complain/send it in so they don't bother, and the credit card companies make lots of money because of it.

I do not own any credit cards and I hope I never do.

Credit card companies are scum.

They're almost as bad as some insurance companies.

When my bill comes in, I sit down at the computer and set up a payment scheduled for 2 days before the bill is due.Except on those occasions when I put the bill by the computer to 'do later', and forget about it completely.So I have no idea if the due dates have changed or not.

No one but me looks after my bills. I sit down every December and set regular payments up for the whole year (hydro, phone, nat. gas etc.) I don't usually run a balance on a charge card so I just pay it when I charge something (or when my husband does). That's why I was looking at it last night. Just wanted to be sure there was not a balance I didn't know about. I don't like anyone with access to my account so I take care of it all myself. I also make sure that I check my bills when they come in so that I know all is going as it should be.

Interesting. I will keep an eye on the due dates. I don't normally pay at the last minute so I did not notice the change.

I did mine the cheap way ... made a reasonable offer from the loan manager's office and paid it off with a bank loan....