Bill payment and credit: everything you need to know

People live a busy life, and paying bills is just another matter delayed until the last minute. No one likes to pay the bills, but we all clench our teeth... eventually.


Unfortunately, paying on time is much more important than people realize. Paying bills seems like a trivial task, but it can make your credit score a success or failure and will affect you in the next few years. A bad credit score can prevent you from getting the loan you need, buying a house, or just getting a good interest rate from the down payment for utility bills.


However, if done correctly, good bill payment habits can help you build a solid foundation for financial success. Payment history affects 35% of your credit score, so it is an important part of building good credit. Continuous, punctual bill payments can help you maintain good credit and even increase your credit when you need it. Managing your bill payment in a streamlined manner can also reduce the pressure on bills, late fees and debts that can be avoided. Continue reading all about paying bills and credits and how to improve the bill payment process.


Which bills affect your credit


When it comes to paying bills, most people don't actually know which bills affect their credit and which bills don't affect their credit. The trickiest thing is that not every month has a lot of bills to help you improve your credit. However, almost all late bills will be reported and your score will be lowered.


Based on experience, whenever a bank provides you with a credit line, the amount you pay will be reported to the credit bureau. Examples of bill payments that are regularly reported to the credit bureau are as follows:


  • credit card
  • car loan
  • Student loan
  • Mortgage payment


For everything else, your good payment won't be part of your payment history... unless you pay late.


Cost of overdue payment


If you post the bill late, there may be many negative consequences. You will be hit by expensive late fees. Whether it's electricity, rent, car fees or overdue payment for gym membership fees, you will be hit by extra costs. You can expect to add at least $25 to any bill, which may increase over time. This will lower your credit score.


Although utility companies and other monthly bills do not directly affect your credit, they will send your overdue payment to a company that is available. Finally, all overdue notes are sent to the collection agency. When this happens, the collection agency will report the incident to all three major credit institutions and lower your credit score. It can increase your credit card interest rate.


If your credit card payment is delayed for more than 60 days, you may get a fine in April. This is an extremely expensive interest rate, which can be as high as 29.99%, forcing you to eventually spend more money. Not only can they apply this penalty rate to your outstanding payments, but they also apply to any new purchases you make in the coming months.


Late payment of bills is a terrible habit that can lead to even worse debt and more financial pressure. For these reasons, and for more reasons, paying your bills on time should be one of your top priorities. The good news is that everything can be done for you.


Make payment beneficial to you


If done correctly, paying the bill can actually help you, not hurt you. With good payment habits and some smart money flow, you can use your bills to benefit yourself.


Pay on time


Automated monthly billing is the easiest way to ensure that all your bills are paid on time, avoiding late fees, and your credit score is still not overlooked. It allows you to “set and forget it”, which means that when your bills are paid on time, your workload will decrease and your financial security will increase. To do this, you can set all bills to "automatic transfer" directly from each service provider. Just make sure that the card you use always has enough money to pay for your bill.


Create a credit with a monthly bill


If you need to build credit from scratch or raise a bad credit score, there are several ways you can use bill payment to help you. Also remember that continuing to pay all your bills on time will prevent your score from further damage. You can also choose to report your good rental payments to the credit bureau. Usually, rent is one of the things that will not be reported unless it is late. However, if you choose to rent, you can use your good payment to establish credit.