Hello, I have a $7k balance on my Discover It 0% apr credit card. The promotional rate ends on 10/27/2025 and my credit card due date is the 24th of every month.
When should I make my $7k payment to pay off the balance on the card so that I can avoid any interest charge?
- Anytime before 10/27
- On 10/27
- Anytime after 10/27 but before 11/24
When exactly do I pay off a 0% APR credit card?
byu/sahdgin inpersonalfinance
Posted by sahdgin
13 Comments
Pay it off in full before the promotional period ends on 10/27. Remember that you do have to make the minimum payments on it each month until then.
If it were me, I’d call Discover and see if they would tell me for sure.
I would not take any chances and would pay it off several weeks before 10/27.
This should all be spelled it in the agreement you agreed to when getting the card. But the tl;dr: pay at least the minimum on time every month, make sure the whole balance is paid off before the permotional period ends. The way you word it though it seems like there’s confusion about the date that new charges would be considered no interest, and when you have to pay things off to keep them no interest.
Read your agreement or contact discover directly.
I would pay it off by the October monthly payment due date on the 24th. Trying to optimize a few days isn’t going to make a difference one way or the other.
Any balance still on the card after 10/27 will incur interest, because it was not paid in full by the end of the grace period which would have been the due date after the statement close in which the charge was originally made. The 0% promo rate is not a grace period. It’s just the rate you are being charged on that balance instead of the normal rate.
Since your due date and the promo expiration date are so close, keep it simple. Pay the balance by the 10/24 due date, make sure it posts and clears before the 10/27 promo expiration date.
Total payoff before the promotional end and pay on every months minimum payment until then.
Hey, if you’re gonna take advantage of different financial promotions like these, please understand them before you accept them and sign on the line.
Just because it’s an alluring, advantageous 0% interest offer, doesn’t mean this couldn’t have turned into a nightmare for you. In fact, the issuing bank is hoping you’ll end up paying more still.
Pay minimum payments every month. The safest bet is to pay it in full before your 0% promo rate ends – that combination gets you on times payment history and guarantees you pay no interest
My guess: The 27th seems to be your statement *issue* date, which is typical for many credit cards, giving a 25-28-day gap to the 24th due date. Hence, the bank will check, as soon as 10/27 is over, as they issue the statement, whether there is still any balance subject to interest, and apply the new interest rate from that point onward (but not in the statement period because it’s not a retroactive interest). So, don’t have balance subject to interest. Pay in full by the 10/24 due date to restart the grace period.
The couple times I’ve done 0% promos on a card I typically space out the payments so that it’s paid off in full a month in advance, just in case.
10/20
I always like to make the “final payoff” a week before the promotional period ends. This ensures I have enough time to catch and correct any issues.
Don’t worry about the couple of dollars a day or two might make and pay it off a couple of days before the promotion period ends or on the payment due date immediately before.
It’s rare with credit cards but I’ve seen it where if the balance isn’t paid off before the end of the promotion period,interest that would have been accrued during that period is added so I’d be damn sure that its paid and credited to the account on time.
If you have the money, just pay it off. Playing games like this demands too much brain energy for too few dollars. You’re more likely to be accidentally late than to earn enough to care.