 TITLE: Credit Card Balance and Statement Balance: What’s the Difference? CONTENT: When Do You Get Charged Interest?\n---------------------------------\nAs long as you pay off your statement balance in full by the due date each month, you won't be charged any additional interest. However, if you don't pay the full statement balance, any remaining balance rolls over to your current balance and begins to accrue interest going forward. If you can't pay your statement balance in full to avoid interest charges, you should at least make the minimum payment. This will avoid late fees and the potential damage to your credit score that comes from missing a payment.\nA good way to avoid missing payments on your credit cards is to set up automatic bill pay. This gives the credit card issuer permission to withdraw the statement balance from a certain bank account each month. You can set up automatic payments to be made on a date that's convenient for you, such as right after you get paid, to ensure that you always have enough money in your account to cover the credit card bill.\nWhat if you're not sure you can afford to pay your statement balance in full each month? Perhaps your income fluctuates from month to month, so you're never sure what your bank balance will be. In that case, you can also set up automatic payments for just the minimum payment due. This will keep you from missing a payment or making a late payment, both of which can have serious effects on your credit score. END