Late credit card payment - help!??

[MerLOWnomore]

I'm a bit confused as to how this has even happened. I have a Santander all in one credit card, 0% interest for another 9 months. Just logged onto my online banking and I'd got a late payment alert on my credit card and a late payment fee. I know I should have had a DD set up, but I always pay at least the minimum on payday or shortly after so has never been an issue.

As an example, if it was Sept payday and my pament is due by Oct 15, I'll pay Sept 28 or something like that. Like most people, I got paid early in Dec so paid up on Dec 18, rather than 28 or when I usually pay. I'm not sure if something has just gone wrong due to the difference in when I'm paid :(

Even worse, they seem to have removed the 0% as the due payment is more than double what I normally pay.

I've never missed or been late with a payment :( I could honestly cry. I'll ring them and do some begging tomorrow but in the meantime I can't sleep as so worried. Also, haven't received any comms in the form of email or anything from Santander about this.

By paying early, did that make two payments from November statement and none from December statement?

Was the bill payment amount generated when you paid on the 18th?
If it wasnt, they would of taken that amount off what you owed but they wouldnt of classed it as minimum payment

Yes once you’ve paid late your 0% will no longer apply.

like pp have said, it sounds like you’ve made your December payment before the bill was generated so have missed the following month.

always, always set a dd for credit cards. The bill and payment dates vary, so they’re easy to miss.

Oh crap :( Sounds like it was because the bill hadn't generated. Santander has been my bank for years - is there any chance they'll reinstate the 0% if I explain what happened?

I would ask and explain what happened.

Always worth a try!

Try not to lose sleep or worry to much

It's probably due to the difference in when you paid - that you made two payments in one month and not in the next.

It's worth a try getting in touch with them - my circumstances were different but I got at least one late payment fee waived when I rang up to talk to them, as I knew what had happened and had a proposed solution.

In your case, the solution is probably to set up a minimum payment (or more, if you prefer) direct debit, but get it set closer to your actual (normal) pay day. This still leaves you flexibility to make extra payments, but also having the minimum payment in place when there is (still) money in your bank account to pay it will avoid losing interest offers, late payment fees etc.

I’ve had this happen in the past, though not with Santander. If you call them and explain what’s happened they will hopefully reinstate the 0% but you’ll have to pay whatever minimum payment is due now. It was an honest misunderstanding on your part so they should be fine, especially since this has never happened before.

making 2 or more payment in 1 month’s cycle does not excuse you from not paying in the next cycle.

this hopefully will be a life lesson to set up a DD.

I had this once with my Virgin credit card, I usually paid on the 20th of every month but paid on the 19th one month as I had a bit extra left over. I thought my bill renewal date was the 19th so it would be ok, only it was the 20th so when I paid early that classified as 2 payments in one month.

I got a message from them reminding me to pay that month which I stupidly ignored as I thought "Oh I've already paid, it must not have registered it yet" but then I got the message about the late payment.

I called them, was very polite and explained my stupid error and asked if they would consider removing the late payment fee on this occasion, but if they didn't I understood.

They removed it and classified the early payment for the month I thought it was, but did tell me if it happened again they wouldn't be able to do that again.

Try giving them a call, be really polite and ask if they could help. I worked in a similar role and would always go above and beyond to help people who were nice and I could see had just genuinely made an error.

Of course there's a chance, politely explain what happened ask for the 0% to be reinstated and keep your fingers crossed

If they won't your next job is to look for a new 0% card to do a balance transfer to and remember to set up a payment dd

I have occasionally either forgotten to pay my CC or paid on the day of the statement generation, and got a late payment registered.

Any time it has happened, I have called them up, they look at my payment history and pattern, and waive it. In the 15 years I've had this card, it's probably happened less than 5 times, so they can see I'm being genuine.

I would call them and explain, and ask for reversal of the late payment (otherwise it will be marked on your credit history) and reinstatement of the 0%.

Call and apologise that you may have mixed up your payments. Barclaycard have been good with me, but Tesco credit card virtually said tough.

I used to work in a credit card call centre and we would always reimburse you in this situation. Like the others said, give them a ring and explain. They will understand what has happened.

Thanks for all the advice everyone. They apparently hadn't removed the 0% - they'd just lumped the missed payment in with the next one, hence why it looked a lot more. They've kindly reversed the £12 fee so all ok now.