Forgot to pay my Costco Anywhere (Citi) card, 30 day late?

[simicalif]

I totally thought I paid it, but I didn't. My due date is the 10th each month, I missed my November payment. I realized I was 3 days late for my December payment and went to pay it and it said 33 days late! I immediately paid the previous months payment and will catch up with the December payment tonight after I get to the bank and make a deposit. I called Citibank to see what I could do to avoid it being reported as 30 days late, and they told me that their credit department could have gaven me a one time only removal, but they no longer have a credit department (a credit card without a credit department?). He said they HAVE to report it or they will be fined for not reporting accurately, and he said once it's reported, they don't as a company remove it. He said that if I send a goodwill letter it will not go anywhere. He said what I CAN do is dispute it with the credit bureaus and state my reasoning was a life event. In this case, my life event is I will be filing for divorce in the next few weeks (waiting for after the holidays so that I don't miss Christmas with my daughter), I recently retained my attorney and have been dealing with a huge amount of stress for obvious reasons. I currently have 100% on time payments and zero baddies, though I do have a high debt to income ratio and have a few late payments (just a few days, not 30 days so not reported). My scores are all around low-mid 600's.

I have read that Citibank rarely removed from GW's, pending some kind of huge event (like a debilitating injury, act of God kind of stuff), but I also have read that IF I were to pay BEFORE the end of the billing cycle, it shouldnt report. Well, my billing cycle is the 14th through the 13th of each month according to my statement, and I made my payment today (the 13th), 3 days after 30 day late payment mark though... 

Has anyone seen such a thing happen? Or am I just gonna sit here and cry until I get a late payment added to my report lol. I'm going to refinance my truck loan tomorrow to hopefully get a better rate before it hits if that's the case.

I'm honestly super upset, I've been busting my rear trying to keep things afloat with my wife but now that I know it's not happening I had to scramble to get my retainer fee together... I do have signed contracts from a few weeks back, so I could provide documentation to the Citi if they would entertain it... or the credit bureaus...

Any advice fellas?

[Jeffster1]

I may be wrong but I have always believed that it's not reported as 30 days late to the CRAs until you hit 30 days BEYOND the due date without making at least the minimum payment.

[simicalif]

Right but I'm at 33 days. I did just pay it all current and it's set to auto pay now. My concern now is that they will report it late. That being said, my cousins wife used to work for Capitol one and she said back then they reported after the billing cycle and after the end of the month, so my billing cycle ends after tomorrow, but I'm now current, and this months report with this months payment taken into account should report after the first of the year, and she says they report for the status as of the day they're reporting, so it should, in theory, report as current... 

[Jeffster1]

So sorry, I completely misunderstood, I had it stuck in my mind that you were only 3 days beyond the due date. Good luck, man.

[Kforce]

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@simicalif wrote:

Right but I'm at 33 days. I did just pay it all current and it's set to auto pay now. My concern now is that they will report it late. That being said, my cousins wife used to work for Capitol one and she said back then they reported after the billing cycle and after the end of the month, so my billing cycle ends after tomorrow, but I'm now current, and this months report with this months payment taken into account should report after the first of the year, and she says they report for the status as of the day they're reporting, so it should, in theory, report as current... 

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Yes it all depends on when they really look at the numbers, how the programmers wrote the date checking code.

You might slide under the radar because of the 3-4 day window between due date and statement, or even EOM numbers.

However there also might have been an instant flag thrown from the umpire, the day you were late.

You are in the danger zone, can only wait and see what happens.

When I was writing programs you would have been caught  

Good luck, hope it does not report as late.  

[FinStar]

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@simicalif wrote:

Right but I'm at 33 days. I did just pay it all current and it's set to auto pay now. My concern now is that they will report it late. That being said, my cousins wife used to work for Capitol one and she said back then they reported after the billing cycle and after the end of the month, so my billing cycle ends after tomorrow, but I'm now current, and this months report with this months payment taken into account should report after the first of the year, and she says they report for the status as of the day they're reporting, so it should, in theory, report as current... 

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As mentioned in the above post, you'd have to monitor CRs to determine what Citi's systems reported. Keep in mind that by contractual agreement (i.e. CCA) lenders go by the due date as the factual reporting of the data, regardless of the 'buffer' that may exist between the payment due date and the statement cycle. That said some lenders assess a LF shortly after the payment due date has lapsed while others may do so when the next statement cycle generates.

Hopefully, you're in the clear🤞

[Anonymous]

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@FinStar wrote:

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@simicalif wrote:

Right but I'm at 33 days. I did just pay it all current and it's set to auto pay now. My concern now is that they will report it late. That being said, my cousins wife used to work for Capitol one and she said back then they reported after the billing cycle and after the end of the month, so my billing cycle ends after tomorrow, but I'm now current, and this months report with this months payment taken into account should report after the first of the year, and she says they report for the status as of the day they're reporting, so it should, in theory, report as current... 

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As mentioned in the above post, you'd have to monitor CRs to determine what Citi's systems reported. Keep in mind that by contractual agreement (i.e. CCA) lenders go by the due date as the factual reporting of the data, regardless of the 'buffer' that may exist between the payment due date and the statement cycle. That said some lenders assess a LF shortly after the payment due date has lapsed while others may do so when the next statement cycle generates.

Hopefully, you're in the clear🤞

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@FinStar    Interesting information. If I am clear, is this saying that a lender is reporting to the credit bureaus based on the due date rather than the "statement cycle" date? What happens if a payment updates after the due date but before the statement date? This could relate to Citi but also others? Do not want to side trip this thread but, this is an interesting an important bit of information. Suspect I would add more but again, no side trip.

[mgood]

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@Kforce wrote:

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@simicalif wrote:

Right but I'm at 33 days. I did just pay it all current and it's set to auto pay now. My concern now is that they will report it late. That being said, my cousins wife used to work for Capitol one and she said back then they reported after the billing cycle and after the end of the month, so my billing cycle ends after tomorrow, but I'm now current, and this months report with this months payment taken into account should report after the first of the year, and she says they report for the status as of the day they're reporting, so it should, in theory, report as current... 

---

Yes it all depends on when they really look at the numbers, how the programmers wrote the date checking code.

You might slide under the radar because of the 3-4 day window between due date and statement, or even EOM numbers.

However there also might have been an instant flag thrown from the umpire, the day you were late.

You are in the danger zone, can only wait and see what happens.

When I was writing programs you would have been caught  

Good luck, hope it does not report as late.  

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That's sort of what I was thinking, having no experience writing code for this sort of thing but having lots of experience in a former life dancing around due dates and what date my electricity would actually get cut off or whatever . . .He's technically 30+ days late, but if that doesn't get reported until after the next statement, and he's current at that time . . . it might not get reported at all. Nothing to do now but cross your fingers and hope their system is not quite as efficient as the ones Kforce built.

[Kforce]

If ever in doubt, make money for your employer.

Why fees get caught and pending charges post early on statement date.

[FinStar]

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@Anonymous wrote:

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@FinStar wrote:

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@simicalif wrote:

Right but I'm at 33 days. I did just pay it all current and it's set to auto pay now. My concern now is that they will report it late. That being said, my cousins wife used to work for Capitol one and she said back then they reported after the billing cycle and after the end of the month, so my billing cycle ends after tomorrow, but I'm now current, and this months report with this months payment taken into account should report after the first of the year, and she says they report for the status as of the day they're reporting, so it should, in theory, report as current... 

---

As mentioned in the above post, you'd have to monitor CRs to determine what Citi's systems reported. Keep in mind that by contractual agreement (i.e. CCA) lenders go by the due date as the factual reporting of the data, regardless of the 'buffer' that may exist between the payment due date and the statement cycle. That said some lenders assess a LF shortly after the payment due date has lapsed while others may do so when the next statement cycle generates.

Hopefully, you're in the clear🤞

---

@FinStar    Interesting information. If I am clear, is this saying that a lender is reporting to the credit bureaus based on the due date rather than the "statement cycle" date? What happens if a payment updates after the due date but before the statement date? This could relate to Citi but also others? Do not want to side trip this thread but, this is an interesting an important bit of information. Suspect I would add more but again, no side trip.

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@Anonymous 

The due date drives a variety of elements when it comes to a CC. All you have to do is pull up any CCA and review its payments section or clauses. Additionally, there are disclosures throughout a variety of CCAs that explain the grace period (again, driven by the due date, not the statement cycle date) and things like Finance Charges (accrued or otherwise), LFs, AFs, etc. Some FIs are also specific to the cut-off time for payments to be received in said due date -- Comenity/CCB/BF being one example.

So, programmatically, if a payment is received AND posts (remember that posting is key as well especially if the payment happens to be returned or NSF) on the due date, by the specified timeframe, then any internal batch processing that is typically executed by the FI (every FI has their own operational processes and timeframes) will consider the payment on time. If it is transacted and posts after the due date then it's treated as a late payment, but the reporting severity depends upon any existing past due conditions of an account. Legally, and by regulatory standards, the due date is clearly spelled in the CCA for a reason. Hence, the lender has a 'CYA' clause when it come to adverse reporting of a past due account if an accountholder challenges the reporting outcome.