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How to Pay Your Credit Card Bill Online

7 min read

Last Updated: September 30, 2025

Table of contents

Key Takeaways

You can pay your credit card bill online or through a mobile app.
To pay your credit card bill online, you need to register your account.
You can set up recurring payments through your online account so you don't miss a due date.

Online credit card bill payment may be a convenient way to manage your credit account. Setting up online payments only takes a couple of steps. Once you’re connected to your account, you may enjoy 24/7 account access as well as the option to set up automatic payments and mobile alerts.

When you pay your credit card bill online, you don’t have to worry about writing a check, getting a money order, purchasing stamps, or taking a trip to the post office.

Different ways to make credit card payments online

Choose a device you’re comfortable using—whether that’s your phone, laptop, or a tablet—to make online credit card payments.

You may be able to pay your bill through your credit card issuer’s online banking portal on your phone or computer, or by downloading a mobile app. Just make sure you’re on a secure network before entering your payment information, like your bank details or debit card number.

To make an online payment, you might use a debit card or transfer funds directly from a checking or savings account through Automated Clearing House (ACH) payments. An ACH payment is a secure electronic payment method that allows money to move between two accounts (like your checking account and your credit card account), streamlining payments. You may need to provide each account number and your bank’s routing number to initiate the transfer.

Manual vs. automatic payments

You can pay your bill manually each month or set up automatic payments.

To make a manual payment, you log into the payment portal, input your payment information, enter an amount, and submit. The manual payment option may make sense for you if you don’t typically carry a balance or rarely use your card. You may also want to opt for manual payments if you’re concerned about overdrawing your checking account.

If you enroll in automatic payments, your credit card company deducts your monthly payment from your linked bank account or debit card. Typically, you have to authorize automatic payments one time. Then, your payment is automatically deducted on the same date each month. You might set your automatic payment to the monthly minimum amount, statement balance, or any amount in between. If you have a busy lifestyle, autopay takes a task off of your plate.

Benefits of online credit card payments

Online payments offer many advantages over payments by mail or over the phone:

Convenience. Save time and effort by paying your bill from your couch using your phone or computer.
Easy payment management. Easily update your payment method or payment amount online or through a mobile app.
Automatic payments. Autopay makes online payments even easier and protects you from late payment penalties.
Security. Paying bills by mail leaves you vulnerable to fraud, and paying over the phone may expose your payment information to anyone within earshot. Online payments offer some additional security, though fraud may still occur.
Sustainability. Paper bills may produce a lot of waste. With online bill pay, you can go paperless.

Plus, you may be able to use your credit card issuer’s app or online banking tool to check your credit card balance, access your billing statement history, track your expenses, and redeem rewards.

How to create an online account to pay your credit card bill

Many credit card issuers require cardmembers to set up an online account before making a payment. To create an account, you may need to provide personal information, like your credit card number and expiration date, your birthday, and your Social Security number. You’ll likely also have to choose a username and password.

Once you’ve made your online account, you may be able to check your balance, review transactions, pay bills, and more (depending on your credit card company).

When to pay your credit card bill online

Under the CARD Act of 2009, your credit card bill must be due on the same date each month, unless you request a change. Make sure you pay your bill on or before your payment due date each month to avoid a late payment fee.

Keep track of your credit card bill with mobile alerts

Some credit card companies offer mobile alerts to notify cardmembers of due dates, new statements, and suspicious transactions.

Did you know?

Discover^® Cardmembers can sign up for credit card alerts to keep track of their payment due date. They can also set up reminders to track their spending.

Learn more

How to manage payments on more than one credit card

If you have multiple credit cards, you may struggle to manage multiple bills throughout the month. Credit card issuers may allow you to adjust your due dates, so they all fall around the same time. To do this, contact your credit card issuer or make the request through your account profile online.

How much to pay on your credit card bill

Whenever possible, it’s a good idea to repay your entire balance to avoid interest charges and keep your credit utilization ratio to a minimum. But if you can’t afford to cover all of your credit card debt, you have a few other options.

Pay your statement balance

Your statement balance includes every charge that has posted to your account in the last billing cycle, plus interest, fees, and unpaid amounts from your previous statements. You can find your statement balance on your monthly credit card statement. Credit card issuers calculate your minimum monthly payment based on your statement balance.

Your statement balance doesn’t include any charges or other transactions that have posted to your account since your billing cycle ended. So, if you pay your statement balance in full, you may still owe some money after the next billing cycle.

Pay your current balance

Your current balance includes all your transactions, payments, interest, and other fees, including those that have posted to your account since your last billing cycle closed. You may check your current balance through your card issuer’s online banking portal or mobile app. When you repay your current balance, you completely pay off your credit card and restore your credit limit. Paying off your card helps you avoid interest charges and build positive credit history.

Pay your minimum payment

Your minimum monthly payment is the smallest amount you can pay to keep your account current. If you pay less than the monthly minimum, your card issuer may consider your payment overdue and charge you a late fee.

While sticking to your minimum monthly payment keeps your account in good standing, it’s usually better to pay more when you can. It may take you a long time to chip away at your debt through the minimum monthly payment, as interest charges might pile up quickly. That also means spending more money in the long run.

Pay another amount

You may also choose to pay any amount, as long as it’s more than your minimum payment. Even if you can’t pay down your entire balance at once, paying more than the minimum amount may help you pay that balance down quicker. Some cardmembers even set autopay for the monthly minimum payment, but pay extra whenever possible. That way, when you have a tight budget, you may still avoid missing a payment.

What happens if I miss a credit card payment?

Missing payments may seriously affect your credit score. When you fall behind, your credit card issuer typically reports your missed payments to a credit bureau, so they appear on your credit report. Your payment history typically makes up 35% of your total FICO^® credit score.¹ If your bill remains unpaid, the card issuer may also charge you late fees and even increase your APR until you catch up.

Paying your credit card bill online may help you keep track of your spending and make credit card bill payment easier.

The bottom line

Paying your credit card bill online is a convenient option that may save you a phone call or a trip to the post office. Plus, your credit card issuer’s online portal or mobile app may offer other tools that make managing a credit card account easier, like expense tracking, autopay, and fraud alerts.

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