Caution here, many lenders report to the credit bureaus as late when it is one day. Not everyone is the same. No guarantees here.

Also being late once should not hurt your credit in anyway especially if you took care of the payment prior to 30 days delinquent. I would be shocked if it showed up on your credit score in any way.

I agree, I actually see the benefit of this, even though it may seem annoying. As long as they waived your late fee, I see this as a benefit. At some point, almost everyone forgets a payment. I personally don't mind getting a call after the fact telling me I forgot a payment

Finance Globe wrote: During the height of the recession, I was a few days late on a credit card payment from Chase. First time in 5 years, and I always pay off my balance each month. They called me 3 days after the payment was due, and asked if it was a mistake, or unable to pay. They were concerned about my ability to pay.

I was shocked when I first read this, how can a company gave no thought to your history with them before they make that kind of call. Then I wondered if it was actually quite a good thing - if they were truly concerned that your behavior was so out of character. Of course we will probably never really know the answer to that.

I don't think being late by a few days will "ruin" your credit but late payments are reported. If you're late enough to be charged a late fee, you're late enough to be reported and have that affect your score.

I think most cards will report after a few months of non payment. A few days being late should not affect your credit reports. I know a lot of creditors have gotten stricter with their guidelines but you should be ok as long as you don't make it a habit.

This will depend on the bank or issuer. Some card issuers are very strict and will report any late payments, even of only a day, while others won't report even if you miss a payment once. The best thing is to not be late, of course. In this day and age, there is no excuse other than not having the funds. Most cards will take a phone payment or you can set up to pay online, so not being able to get to the bank should not be a problem.

Jordane, that's what I was wondering. Paying online, or even setting up a direct auto-payment would remove the risk of being late with the payment.

You could always run a credit report on yourself to see if the late payments show up. If you are doing this often, the credit card company might report it. It's doubtful if you are not late often and pay it prior to the next bill. Why pay late fees though? Can't you pay your card online? You wouldn't need time to run to the bank if you did it this way.

FrugalFran wrote: I agree with calling your bank to see when and what they report, but it's my understanding that most lenders are concerned with accounts that are delinquent for 30 days or more. My husband and I have very good credit and I occasionally pay an account a couple days late.

I think the best thing to do is be honest with the lender. If you know you are going to be a day late or so, reach out to let them know. It is better to be safe than sorry. This also gives you the opportunity to learn more about how they deal with late payments.

During the height of the recession, I was a few days late on a credit card payment from Chase. First time in 5 years, and I always pay off my balance each month. They called me 3 days after the payment was due, and asked if it was a mistake, or unable to pay. They were concerned about my ability to pay.

I agree with calling your bank to see when and what they report, but it's my understanding that most lenders are concerned with accounts that are delinquent for 30 days or more. My husband and I have very good credit and I occasionally pay an account a couple days late.

They are having really very rigid rules, specially when there are money related concerns.

As noted by Mary, the best thing you can do is contact your credit card company. This will ensure that you are on the same page. You would hate to make a mistake that could have been avoided!

Rob, you may be charged a late fee, but it probably won't affect your credit report as long as it's paid before the next due date - or your credit report can get hit with a "30 day late" mark. Best way to know for certain is to call your bank.