The best time to pay your credit card is before the due date, and ideally before the statement closing date if you want your credit score to look its best.
Think of it like this:
To avoid interest: pay at least the statement balance by the due date
To help your credit score: pay most of your balance before the statement closes, so a lower amount gets reported to the credit bureaus
Paying earlier (or even multiple times a month) is never bad—it just keeps your balance and risk lower.
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KOHO Can Help You Stay On Top of Payments
While KOHO isn’t a traditional credit card, it can still help you manage timing and credit building:
Use KOHO Essential as your everyday account to set aside money for your upcoming credit card payment
Park that money in KOHO High Interest Savings until you’re ready to pay, so it actually earns something
Add KOHO Credit Building to create a steady, on-time monthly payment that gets reported to Equifax and helps you build a positive history over time
Build your credit without a credit card
Two Dates That Matter
Every credit card has two key dates:
Statement closing date – The day your lender “takes a snapshot” of what you owe and reports it to the credit bureau
Payment due date – The last day to pay at least the minimum to avoid a late payment
For credit score:
Try to pay your balance down a few days before the statement closes, so the reported balance is lower.
For interest:
Pay at least the statement balance by the due date to avoid interest on new purchases (if you’re in the grace period).
Simple Strategies That Work
To make timing easy:
Set up automatic payments for at least the minimum before the due date
When possible, pay more than once a month—for example, right after payday
Aim to keep your balance well under 30% of your credit limit (lower is better)
These habits matter more than one “perfect” date.