Paying Aqua card well before due date

Chappaz

Hi folks.

I feel a bit daft answering this question, but I just want to be 100% sure I get it right considering that it's my first credit card and I'm using it to build credit.

My first statement from Aqua came through the online portal on the 14th of October for £30.

The statement says that the due date is the 2nd of November, so almost 2 weeks from now.

The question is, now the statement with the statement balance has been issued, can I pay off that statement balance now without any risk of interest or other issues, even if it's 2 weeks before the due date?

The main reason is that I just want to get it settled now, as whilst I do have a direct debit set up, I've heard it can take multiple weeks to become active, so I'd rather do the first few monthly payments manually and then let the DD take over from there.

I'd also like to do this one quite early just so I can catch any payment problems early and rectify them with plenty of time before the due date (just being overly cautious).

So providing the payment is AFTER the statement date, but well before the due date, would that be okay?

TheShape

Yes, you can pay it now. Better to do it well in advance of the due date before they begin the process of taking the DD.

Does the statement say they will take the full balance by Direct Debit on the due date?

Chappaz

TheShape wrote: »

Yes, you can pay it now. Better to do it well in advance of the due date before they begin the process of taking the DD.

Does the statement say they will take the full balance by Direct Debit on the due date?

The statement says that there's a direct debit amount of £30, and that this will be taken on the "direct debit payment date" of the 2nd of November, when the payment is due.

Chappaz

dfub wrote: »

What I would do is pay, say £10 now and then let the direct debit pay the other £20, that way if it hasn't been set up you won't have a late payment as you'd have paid over the minimum. But if you pay it all off, you won't know if the DD has been set up correctly.

Good idea. I may try this eventually, but for now I think I'll do at least the first two months manually. If it hasn't been set up by then, then there must have been a big error somewhere.

TheShape

Chappaz wrote: »

The statement says that there's a direct debit amount of £30, and that this will be taken on the "direct debit payment date" of the 2nd of November, when the payment is due.

It clearly states they will take the full balance by Direct Debit so I'd just let the Direct Debit take care of it.

If you instead pay it manually each month, how will you ever know it's been set-up correctly?

A good secondary check though, would be to log in to your internet banking where the payment is due to come from and check there is a Direct Debit set up by Aqua against that account.

Jlawson118

Yeah it's absolutely fine, and shows you can manage your credit well. I usually pay mine off straight away too. Plus I got my Aqua card earlier this year and they gave me a £300 limit and they sent me a letter saying they monitored my spending habits and things and upped my limit up to £1050. So it is good to pay it on time.

I don't have my Aqua anymore, I changed services, but they are good for building credit

darkidoe

Chappaz wrote: »

Good idea. I may try this eventually, but for now I think I'll do at least the first two months manually. If it hasn't been set up by then, then there must have been a big error somewhere.

Good Idea. I would always pay the first month manually as sometimes the DD doesn't get set up on time for the first payment date although your statement clearly states that is has been set up already.

Just make sure it is for full balance, those Aqua rates are nasty.