When Do Credit Card Issuers Report To Credit Bureaus?

There are three main steps involved in your credit card usage impacting your credit score.

First, you use the card responsibly — or not — by paying your balance on time and in full.

Second, the card issuer reports your recent activity to the credit bureaus, including your outstanding balance and any late payments.

Third, the credit bureaus create and update your credit report, which is then used by credit-scoring companies like FICO and VantageScore to calculate your credit score.

Having a good credit score can help you qualify for the best credit cards, personal and auto loans, mortgages and more. So you might wonder how soon or when credit card companies report to the credit bureaus. We’ll get into the details and talk with an expert at TransUnion, one of the three major credit bureaus.

What day of the month do credit cards report to credit bureaus?

The short answer is there’s no universal day or frequency for when a card issuer reports your credit card activity.

Margaret Poe, head of consumer credit education at TransUnion, explains card issuers typically report cardholders’ balances and payment history to the bureaus every 30 to 45 days.

“But the timing of that can vary,” Poe says. “Consumers will see that, if they have a couple of cards, they might notice that the balances are updated at different points.”

Some dates regarding your credit card are firm — like the card’s grace period and the due date for when to pay your credit card bills. If you don’t make the minimum payment by the due date, it’s considered a late payment. And if you carry any leftovers from your statement balance after the due date, it’ll start accruing interest.

But credit reporting is voluntary, and issuers might report to all, some or none of the credit bureaus. Many issuers and lenders report your activity once a month, around the end of your billing cycle. But others might report more or less frequently. Also note that your billing cycle might not align with calendar months.

For example, one of my Chase card’s billing cycles ends on the 20th of each month, the same day my card activity was last reported. My payments are due on the 17th of the following month.

Meanwhile, my activity on two other credit cards was reported on the 14th and 24th, aligning with those cards’ billing cycle end dates.

When do credit scores update?

If your main question is when your credit score might improve — or take a hit — after a recent billing cycle, there’s still no firm answer, according to Poe.

“It’s pretty dynamic in terms of all the different relationships,” she says, referring to the card issuers, credit bureaus and credit-scoring companies. She also emphasizes there are multiple scoring models from both FICO and VantageScore.

“The scores can differ depending on the model, which isn’t cause for alarm,” Poe explains. “It’s normal to see those fluctuations.”

In fact, your score might vary from one day to the next, depending on recent reporting, hard inquiries and so on.

When is a late credit card payment reported?

It’s not ideal to make late payments on your credit card, but it can happen if you don’t have autopay set up or enough money in your bank account by the due date. Your payment history makes up 35 percent of your FICO score, so it’s important to know when it affects your credit report.

One or two late payments won’t immediately drop you to poor credit. But if a payment is more than 30 days late, it will likely be reported to the credit bureaus. It’ll also be reported when it’s 60, 90 and 120 days late. At that point, your credit score can be seriously impacted.

Even if you can’t pay the full balance, try to make at least the minimum payment by the due date. You’ll accrue interest on the remaining balance, but you won’t get dinged for late payments.

And as soon as you’re able to make the full payment, you should. “Because the sooner you can, the sooner you can start rebuilding your credit,” Poe advises.

Note that third party collections and Chapter 10 bankruptcy stay on your credit report for seven years, and Chapter 7 bankruptcy for 10 years. It’s best if you can get ahead of your debt well before then.

How is credit utilization reported?

Your credit utilization ratio — also called “amounts owed” by FICO — makes up 30 percent of your FICO score. It measures how much of your available credit you’re using. And if you’ve recently made a large purchase on a credit card, it’s worth knowing when that affects your credit.

If the card issuer reports your balance at the end of the billing cycle before you’ve paid it off, that high credit utilization could be a slight hit to your credit if it’s above 30 percent. It will level out by the next billing cycle, if you pay the balance off by the due date.

But if you hope to access new credit — like a top rewards card or auto loan, for example — and need your best score now, Poe recommends paying off a portion or all of the balance before the billing cycle ends. That way, by the time the card issuer reports your amount owed to the credit bureaus, it will be back down to low or zero.

“As soon as you have the funds available, try to pay off some of that balance,” Poe says.

The bottom line

Knowing when your credit card activity will be reported to the credit bureaus can help you manage things like your payment history and credit utilization to improve your credit score. It’s likely to be reported at the end of each billing cycle, but try calling your card issuer to confirm. You can also check your free credit report with the credit bureaus weekly at AnnualCreditReport.com.