Can you pay bills with a credit card for points?

Credit card autopay is a feature offered by most credit card issuers that withdraws money from your bank account to pay your credit card bill every month. You can use a credit card’s autopay function to schedule payments for a specific day each month, and you can choose to pay the ... read full answerminimum amount due, the full statement balance, or a custom amount.

Payments made with autopay will be funded from whichever payment account you have entered to pay your credit card. Usually, your bank account and routing numbers will be required to make an automatic payment.

Key Things to Know About Credit Card Autopay

How to set up autopay

You’ll typically be able to set up your credit card autopay feature wherever you make online credit card payments. Simply log in with your credentials, navigate to the payment section, and look for “autopay” or “set up automatic payments.” If your card issuer has a mobile app, you should be able to set up automatic payments on the app, as well. Plus, you can typically enroll in autopay by calling the number on the back of your card.

Autopay options

When you set up autopay, there are usually three options available: pay the minimum payment, pay the full balance, or pay a fixed amount. By choosing to pay the minimum amount due, you will avoid late fees and potential credit score damage. Minimum payments vary, but most issuers charge either a flat rate or a percentage of your total balance, whichever is higher.

Choosing to pay the full balance each month is usually the best option because you can avoid interest charges and accumulating debt. Alternatively, you can choose to pay a custom amount above the minimum but below the full balance due.

Benefits of autopay

Autopay helps you pay your credit card bills on time by removing forgetfulness from the equation. As a result, you can avoid costly late fees and fill your credit report with positive information, boosting your credit score. Plus, if you choose to pay your full statement balance automatically, you’ll avoid interest charges on purchases.

What to watch out for

There are a few things to keep in mind when enrolling in autopay. For instance, if your account doesn’t have enough funds for the automatic payment, you will either overdraft your bank account or miss a credit card payment. To avoid this situation, make sure you have enough money in the payment account to fund your payment every month.

Also, if your automatic payment goes through before you review your statement, you could unknowingly pay for a fraudulent charge or an error. So, make sure to check your transactions regularly.

How to Set Up Autopay with Major Credit Card Companies

When setting up autopay, it is important to keep track of your credit score and the information on your credit report. So, make sure you sign up for free credit monitoring.

Ultimately, if you worry about fraudulent charges on your credit report, keep in mind that you will be covered by a $0 liability guarantee. This feature is offered by all major credit card issuers. You just have to point out any suspicious charges the credit card company doesn’t flag on its own within a reasonable amount of time.

The best credit card to pay bills is an all-purpose unlimited cash back rewards credit card, like the Citi® Double Cash Card – 18 month BT offer. This card offers 2% cash back on every purchase (1% when you buy and 1% as you pay for those purchases).

Some of the best credit cards to pay bills with:

With the Citi Double Cash Card’s universal 2% cash back on all purchases, you won’t have to worry about what you earn on each spending category. To earn the 2% cash back, you’ll just need to pay at least the minimum due on time, otherwise you’ll earn 1% back.... read full answer

This card also features an introductory APR offer of 0% for 18 months on qualifying balance transfers (subject to a 3% intro fee ($5 min) for each transfer in first 4 months, after that 5% ($5 min) for each transfer). The card's regular APR is 18.49% - 28.49% (V). It also has a $0 annual fee, making it easier to stay on top of your bills.

Blue Cash Preferred offers 6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets (up to $6,000 spent per year), 6% back on select U.S. streaming subscriptions, 3% back at U.S. gas stations and on transit, and 1% back on all other purchases, earned as statement credits.

This card also features an introductory APR offer of 0% for 12 months on new purchases and balance transfers. The card’s regular APR is 18.49% - 29.49% (V). As for the annual fee, it charges $0 intro 1st yr, $95 after. There is also a 3% (min $5) balance transfer fee.

Chase Freedom Unlimited offers 5% cash back on travel through Chase, 3% back at restaurants and drugstores, and 1.5% back on all other purchases (plus an additional 1.5% cash back on everything, up to $20,000 spent the first year).

It also comes with an introductory APR offer of 0% for 15 months on purchases and balance transfers. The card’s regular APR is 19.49% - 28.24% (V). Balance transfers are subject to a fee of either $5 or 3% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater in the first 60 days (5%, min $5 after). As long as you pay your minimum due on time, you won’t have to worry about the upkeep as the card features a $0 annual fee.

Capital One Savor offers 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, 4% cash back on dining, entertainment and popular streaming services, 3% back at grocery stores and 1% back on all other purchases (except for 8% back on Capital One Entertainment purchases and 10% back on purchases made through Uber & Uber Eats).

This card charges a regular APR of 20.24% - 28.24% (V). The $95 annual fee is charged from the first year. But its rewards cover the cost if you make purchases often in its spending categories.

To get a better picture of the cash back credit card landscape, you can take a look at our editors’ latest picks for the best cash back credit cards available right now on the market.

You can pay many bills with a credit card directly, including cell phone bills, insurance premiums, magazine subscriptions, streaming services, cable and internet, medical bills, tax bills, and more. If you pay bills with a rewards credit card, you can also earn what amounts to a discount in the process. That said, look out for fees when paying bills with credit cards. Some companies tack on an extra fee if they have to process a credit card payment, and the fee may be enough to negate any rewards you’d earn in the process.... read full answer

You can’t pay every bill with a credit card though – at least not directly. Some bills that don’t generally accept credit cards for payment include rent and mortgage payments, car loan payments, and credit card bills. However, you can pay some of these bills with a credit card by using third-party services, such as Plastiq, PayPal, RadPad (for rent only), or Paytm. These third-party apps charge a fee to send payments with a credit card, ranging from 2% to 3%, so make sure the benefits outweigh this cost.

On that note, it’s worth considering whether it’s a good idea to pay your bills with a credit card, especially if the billers don’t generally accept credit cards. If you’re paying your rent or mortgage with a credit card because you don’t have the cash, it may work as a temporary fix, but it probably won’t be sustainable for very long. Also, if you make a habit of leaving a balance on your credit card, you will end up with interest charges, debt, and potentially high credit utilization. All of those things could hurt your credit score. If you’re using a credit card for the rewards-earning potential, just be sure that you’re earning more rewards than you’re spending in extra fees.