Credit Cards, Insights

What Is Statement Balance on a Credit Card?

flik eco finance personal what is statement balalnce on credit card

If you're like most people, you probably don't know what statement balance on a credit card actually is. It's not surprising- the term isn't exactly self-explanatory! In this blog post, we will discuss what statement balance is and what it means for your credit card. We'll also provide some tips on how to keep track of your statement balance and ensure that you stay in good financial shape.

What Is Statement Balance on a Credit Card Table of Contents

What Is Statement Balance on a Credit Card?

What Does My Credit Card Statement Balance Include?

Should I Pay My Credit Card Statement Balance or Make The Minimum Payment?

What Happens if I Only Pay Statement Balance?

What Is the Difference Between a Statement Balance and Current Balance?

Why Does My Statement Balance Sometimes Differ From My Current Balance?

What's the Difference Between Credit Balance and Statement Balance?

Why Is My Statement Balance More Than My Current Balance?

Why Do I Have a Statement Balance If I Paid My Credit Card in Full?

Should You Pay Off Credit Card Before Statement?

Why Do I Have a Statement Balance When I Paid Off My Credit Card?

Does My Current Balance Include My Statement Balance?

What Is Statement Balance on a Credit Card?

Statement balance is the outstanding balance on your credit card at the end of your billing period. This balance includes any new charges, interest, and fees that have accrued since your last statement.

Your statement balance is what you will be required to pay in full by the payment due date. If you do not pay your statement balance in full, you will be charged interest on the outstanding balance.

While your statement balance is important, it is not the only factor that determines how much you owe on your credit card.

Your current balance may be higher or lower than your statement balance depending on whether you have made any payments or changes to your account since your last statement.

For example, if you made a purchase using your credit card after receiving your last statement, your current balance would be higher than your statement balance.

Similarly, if you made a payment to your credit card after receiving your last statement, your current balance would be lower than your statement balance.

It is important to keep track of both your current balance and your statement balance so that you can budget accordingly and avoid paying interest on your outstanding balances.

You can find both balances on your monthly credit card statements or by logging into your account online.

What Does My Credit Card Statement Balance Include?

Your monthly credit card statement balance includes all of the transactions that posted to your account during the billing period, including any interest or fees charged. Your statement balance is not your current balance - it's what you owed at the end of the last billing cycle.

If you have a revolving line of credit, like a credit card, your statement balance may be different from your current balance. That's because your current balance may include transactions that haven't posted to your account yet. So, if you're trying to pay off your credit card before interest accrues, you'll want to focus on paying down your current balance rather than your statement balance.

Should I Pay My Credit Card Statement Balance or Make The Minimum Payment?

If you're trying to decide whether to pay your credit card statement balance or make the minimum payment, there are a few things you should consider. First, what is your current financial situation? If you're struggling to make ends meet, it's probably not the best idea to put more money towards your debt. However, if you can afford it, paying off your balance in full is always the best option.

Not sure what a statement balance is? Here's a quick definition: Your statement balance is the total amount of money you owe on your credit card for the current billing cycle. This includes any new charges, interest, and fees that have been added to your account since the last billing cycle.

Paying off your statement balance in full each month is a great way to improve your credit score and keep your debt levels low. If you can't afford to pay the entire balance, aim to at least make the minimum payment. This will help you avoid late fees and keep your account in good standing.

What Happens if I Only Pay Statement Balance?

If you only pay the statement balance on your credit card, you may be charged interest on your remaining balance. The amount of interest you're charged will depend on your card's APR and your current balance. Paying just the minimum payment each month can also result in late fees and damage your credit score.

It's important to understand what your statement balance is and how it affects your credit card bill.

What Is the Difference Between a Statement Balance and Current Balance?

Your current balance is your statement balance plus any new charges made since your last statement was issued, minus any payments or credits that have posted to your account. Your current balance is what you actually owe at any given time.

Why Does My Statement Balance Sometimes Differ From My Current Balance?

There are a few reasons why your statement balance might differ from your current balance. First, if you’ve made any new charges since your last statement was issued, those won’t be reflected in your statement balance. Second, if you’ve made any payments or credits since your last statement was issued, those also won’t be reflected in your statement balance. Finally, some credit card issuers use a method called average daily balance to calculate your interest charges, which can result in a slightly different balance than what’s shown on your statement.

What's the Difference Between Credit Balance and Statement Balance?

Your credit balance is what you owe on your credit card at any given time. Your statement balance is what you owed on your credit card at the end of your last billing period.

Here's a more detailed explanation:

Your credit balance is what you owe on your credit card at any given time. If you have a $0 balance, that means you've paid off your entire balance for the month. If you have a $500 balance, that means you still owe $500. Your credit balance can go up or down depending on your spending and payments.

Why Is My Statement Balance More Than My Current Balance?

Your statement balance is what you owed on your credit card at the end of your last billing period. Your current balance is what you owe now. So, if you've made any purchases or payments since your last billing period ended, your current balance will be lower than your statement balance.

Why Do I Have a Statement Balance If I Paid My Credit Card in Full?

If you paid your credit card in full before the end of your last billing period, you may still have a statement balance. This is because some companies don't process payments immediately. So even though you paid off your balance, it may not have been processed by the time your statement was generated.

Should You Pay Off Credit Card Before Statement?

No definitive answer exists, and what’s right for one person might not be the best strategy for another. That said, there are a few things to consider that could help you decide what’s best for you.

For example, if you typically carry a balance on your credit card from month to month, paying off your balance before your statement is generated could help you avoid paying interest on that balance.

Paying off your balance before your statement is generated could also help keep your credit utilization low, which is good for your credit scores.

Of course, if you pay off your credit card balance in full every month anyway, it probably doesn’t matter when you make the payment. In fact, making your payment closer to the due date could help you avoid paying any interest at all.

Why Do I Have a Statement Balance When I Paid Off My Credit Card?

If you've paid off your credit card balance in full, you may be wondering why you still have a statement balance. The answer lies in the way that credit card companies calculate interest.

When you make a purchase with your credit card, the amount of the purchase is added to your outstanding balance. This is the balance that accrues interest until you pay it off. However, your payment may not be applied to this balance immediately. Instead, it may be applied to purchases made earlier in the billing cycle.

This means that even if you've paid off your balance in full, there may still be a small amount of money owed on purchases made before your last payment was processed. This is what's known as your statement balance.

Paying your statement balance in full is a good way to avoid paying interest on your credit card purchases. However, you may not always be able to do this. If you can't pay your statement balance in full, it's important to at least make the minimum payment by the due date. This will help you avoid late fees and keep your account in good standing.

Does My Current Balance Include My Statement Balance?

Your current balance is the amount of money you owe on your credit card at any given time. Your statement balance is the amount of money you owed on your credit card at the end of your last billing cycle. In other words, your current balance is what you owe now and your statement balance is what you owed a month ago.

Most credit card companies will give you a grace period to pay off your statement balance before they start charging interest on that amount. For example, if your billing cycle ends on the first of the month and your payment is due on the 20th of the month, you have until the 19th of the next month to pay off that balance before interest starts accruing.

Keep in mind that your current balance can fluctuate based on new charges, payments, and interest charges. So, even if you pay off your statement balance in full, you may still have a higher current balance due to new charges or interest accruing since your last billing cycle.

author-avatar

About Jermaine Hagan (The Plantsman)

Jermaine Hagan, also known as The Plantsman is the Founder of Flik Eco. Jermaine is the perfect hybrid of personal finance expert and nemophilist. On a mission to make personal finance simple and accessible, Jermaine uses his inside knowledge to help the average Joe, Kwame or Sarah to improve their lives. Before founding Flik Eco, Jermaine managed teams across several large financial companies, including Equifax, Admiral Plc, New Wave Capital & HSBC. He has been featured in several large publications including BBC, The Guardian & The Times.

Related Posts