CC companies not creating statements where there's no activity

[cr101]

It drives me crazy when I'm browsing through my statements and see ONE missing statement. Grr. Was there an error? Did I not purchase anything? 

Amex and Discover are a few that don't create statements if there's no activity. I think that they should be required to create at least an e-statement (if not a paper one) each month. What do you think? 

[NRB525]

Citi is the one I notice where no statement is printed. That's because it is the one I am least likely to ignore / not use.

It can be frustrating, if you log all your statements in a sequence. I guess one could also either print out the web page showing zero balance, and either create a PDF in the squence, if you save all statements as PDF electronically in a series of yearly folders by card, as I do or even print it out if you are putting them in a paper file cabinet. Either way you end up at the same place, a positive record of the zero value, no payment required.

[cr101]

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@NRB525 wrote:

Citi is the one I notice where no statement is printed. That's because it is the one I am least likely to ignore / not use.

It can be frustrating, if you log all your statements in a sequence. I guess one could also either print out the web page showing zero balance, and either create a PDF in the squence, if you save all statements as PDF electronically in a series of yearly folders by card, as I do or even print it out if you are putting them in a paper file cabinet. Either way you end up at the same place, a positive record of the zero value, no payment required.

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That's a good idea. Thanks!

[RobertEG]

The Truth in Lending Act, 15 USC 1637 (1968) imposes a requirement upon credit card companies to provide a monthly statement for each billing cycle at the end of which there is an outstanding balance in that account or with respect to which a finance charge is being imposed.

It then elaborates a wide number of items that such a billing statement must include, the most important of which is the billing due date.

The legal billing due date is then the legal date upon which any subsequent account delinquency must be based.

If there is no balance due or no finance charge being imposed at the end of a current billing cycle, then no billing statement is required.

The legal criteria for a billing statement is thus not one of whether there is activity during the last cycle, but whether there is a balance or finance charge due at the end of the upcoming/current cycle.

That is the law.

If you disagree with its provisions, then the appropriate party to contact is your U.S. congressman or senator for revision of the Act.