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Credit cards operate on roughly monthly billing cycles. Every time a cycle ends, the card issuer generates a statement that details all the activity on the card during that cycle (purchases, payments and so on) and tells you how much you owe.
Those billing cycles don't usually correspond exactly with calendar months, however. Each statement covers a period of 28 to 31 days, and the end date of the period could land on any date. It largely depends on when you opened the card. Regardless of when it is, the last day of the credit card billing period is referred to as the closing date, since that's when the cycle closes.
Here’s a look at how to determine your credit card closing date, why it differs from the payment due date and how this date can affect your monthly cash flow, your credit scores and even the rewards you earn.
» MORE: How to pay a credit card bill
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How to find your credit card closing date
Regardless of which credit card you hold, you should be able to find the closing date on your monthly statement — whether that statement comes in the mail or is available online or in the issuer's app. The information may be listed in one of a few ways. Here’s what to look for:
- Billing period. You’ll usually see this as a date range spanning about a month — something like “03/21/2025 - 04/20/2025.’’ The ending date of that range is your credit card closing date.
- Statement balance. Either on your account overview page, on the payment tab or your statement, you may see a statement balance listed along with a date. That date listed alongside your statement balance is the statement closing date.
- Statement closing date. In some cases, the closing date will be clearly labeled as such, often alongside a payment due date between 21 and 30 days later.
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If the default closing date on your credit card account isn’t ideal for your monthly budget, you may be able change it. Contact your card issuer’s customer service to ask for a date that better aligns with your schedule. Why your credit card closing date matters
Your credit card closing date signals the end of a billing cycle — an important marker in several ways. Among the things influenced by the closing date:
- Statement balance: This is the total amount you owe on your credit card as of the closing date. This includes new charges made during the billing cycle plus any remaining unpaid balance from earlier statements. Your statement balance is what you'll have to pay by the due date if you want to maintain a grace period and avoid interest.
- Credit utilization: Credit card companies typically report your credit limit and your statement balance as of the closing date to the major credit bureaus. These are the two data points that determine your credit utilization, or the percentage of your available credit that you're using. Utilization is a major element of your credit scores. If you're planning to apply for new credit, you'll want your keep your reported utilization low.
- Rewards: For most rewards-earning credit cards, the points or cash back you have earned are calculated at the close of each billing cycle and awarded afterward. However, some cards issue near-instant rewards after making a purchase, so you don’t have to wait until the end of your billing cycle.
Closing date vs. payment due date: What’s the difference?
- The statement closing date is the end date of your billing cycle. It’s when the credit card issuer calculates your statement balance and the minimum payment due. Charges incurred after the closing date will appear on the following month’s statement.
- The payment due date, as the name suggests, is when you’re expected to make at least the required minimum payment from your statement to avoid a late fee. It’s typically set 21 to 30 days after your statement closing date and will be clearly identified on your credit card statement.
If you pay the full statement balance by the due date every month, you'll have a grace period that will keep you from being charged interest on credit card purchases. On the other hand, if you make only the minimum payment — or anything less than the full statement balance — you’ll be paying interest on your outstanding debt.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can you change your credit card closing date?
Most credit card issuers will allow you to change your statement closing date by contacting customer service, either by calling the number on the back of your card or through the chat feature within your online account.
Changing your credit card closing date may be beneficial if you need to line up payment dates with your paycheck or to help you juggle payments on multiple cards. That's because if you change the closing date, the payment due date will also shift.
Do you have to make a credit card payment before the closing date?
In short, no. Your credit card payment isn’t due until the payment due date, typically between 21 and 30 days after the closing date for a given statement. The one exception to this rule is if you’re looking to reduce your credit utilization to improve your credit score.
What happens if you use your credit card on the closing date?
Transactions that are processed up to and including the date that your billing period ends (i.e., the statement closing date) are included in the statement balance for that billing period.
If you make a purchase on the statement closing date, though, it’s possible that the transaction amount won’t show up until the following statement. That’s because charges on your credit card typically list as “pending” for around 24 hours after the purchase, sometimes longer. Any pending charge at the time of statement closing will roll over to the following billing cycle.
Is there a grace period after your credit card closing date?
Your credit card payment is not due on the statement closing date. Instead, there is a delay of 21 to 30 days between the closing date and the payment due date. If you pay your credit card balance in full this month, a grace period may go into effect to help you avoid being charged interest during that time.
If you typically carry a balance on your credit card from month to month, though, the grace period will not apply.
When is the best time to pay your credit card?
Simply put, you need to pay your credit card bill by the payment due date. Paying early can help reduce your credit utilization, but it’s unnecessary to prevent interest if you consistently pay in full.
If you tend to carry a credit card balance from month to month but have an opportunity to pay early, doing so could help you save on interest. Just ensure that doing so won’t put you behind on other payments.
The information related to the Citi Custom Cash® Card has been collected by NerdWallet and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer or provider of this product or service.
