Is it a good idea to pay your bills with a credit card?

Yes, you can make your monthly bill payments using a credit card to earn rewards faster. Each bill is different and you should evaluate each to determine whether it can benefit you to pay them using a credit card.

Here are some of the advantages and disadvantages of making bill payments through a credit card:

Advantages:

• Rewards or points to be earned
• Automatic payments help save time
• No need for cheque writing
• Easy expense tracking since all payments will reflect on one statement
• Can get additional time to pay

Disadvantages:

• Could cost additional fees
• Increased debt since the credit card bill has to be paid
• Additional interest in case balance is not paid in full
• Credit utilization may increase and this could affect credit scores

Avoid making payments through credit card in the following cases:

• There is a fee for payments through credit cards - Some portals or vendors may charge a convenience fee for payments made using the credit card. In such cases, you should use alternative payment methods.
• When you have outstanding bills on your card - You should avoid using your credit card for bill payments in case you have an outstanding amount from prior months. This can result in high-interest payments and debt can accumulate faster than you realise.
• Opt for a Personal Loan – If you are experiencing financial distress, you should opt for a personal loan instead of relying on credit cards. This is because the interest rate on credit cards is far higher than on personal loans.

If you wisely use your credit card for bill payments, you can earn many benefits and save on your expenses. Credit cards can offer huge earnings which normally come in the form of reward points, cashback offers, discounts, etc. However, you should be careful while using a credit card as it can cost you more for making payments on certain portals.