Check Your Credit Card Balance
If you’re on the cusp of making a purchase but can’t quite recall if you have enough credit available, there are several different ways to access this information and put your mind at ease. The best way to check your balance really depends on two things: the amount of information you’re looking for and the connectivity and resources available to you. Not knowing the credit available on your card can be stressful but with one of these methods you can figure it out quickly and easily.
Contents
Steps
Checking Your Balance Online
- Get online if possible. If you have access to the internet, your very best option is accessing your balance online. Most credit card issuers offer an online banking or bill pay service that allows you to not only view your balance but also initiate balance transfers or pay your credit card bill online. This can be done either through a computer or a smartphone.
- Go to your credit card provider's website or open the provider's app on your smart phone. If you have a computer, you will simply go to the company's website. It should be listed on the back of your credit card. If you have a smartphone, download your credit card provider's app if they have one. Otherwise you will need to use the web browser on your phone.
- Create an online account, if you don't already have one. If you've never signed up for online banking with your credit card provider before, be prepared to supply identifying information, such as your full credit card number, date of birth, and billing address.
- You will need to pick a username and password for your new online account. Pick a username and password that you will remember without writing it down but that no one else will be able to guess. It is a good idea to have different usernames and passwords for your different online accounts, so don't just use the same ones you use for other online accounts.
- Many financial websites will make you link your account to an email address. In order to set up your account, the credit card provider will send you an email that will have a link to set up your account.
- Log into your account. To do this you will need to enter your username and password, whether you’re using the app or a computer. Once you’re logged in, find the link for “balances” and click on it. Here, you’ll find everything you’re looking for: real-time account balance, recent transactions, and anything pending that might affect the credit available.
- If you're going to make online payments, you must also provide information about the bank account from which the payments will be drawn.
- Some online services will also allow you to view archived statements, so you can compare your credit card balances over time.
Calling Your Bank For Your Balance
- Find a phone to use. If you have access to a phone and are only interested in acquiring your balance, calling your card’s customer service is the best choice.
- The benefit of calling is that you can speak with a live representative and access the information you need.
- The downside is that the wait time to reach a representative may be long.
- Another downside is if you have math-intensive questions about previous transactions and their effect on your balance, it may be difficult to follow along over the phone.
- Gather the information you will need before calling. You will need a few pieces of information. First, the customer service representative will need some personal details in order to verify your identity. These would include your social security number, birthdate, and answers to safe questions that you created, such as your mother’s maiden name.
- Secondly, make sure the card you are inquiring about is available. You may be asked for the account number of the card you’re calling about.
- Call the customer service number for your bank. The number you want to dial is located on the back of your card. The vast majority of customer service numbers will route you through an automated system that either tells you your balance automatically, or gives you an option to hear your balance before you reach a representative.
- Verify your identity. If you are talking to an actual person, they will ask you questions in order to verify your identity. If you are connected to an automated service, you will need to input answers to security questions with the buttons on your phone.
- Indicate that you would like to hear your balance. An automated system will walk you through the steps to get your balance. You will most likely be asked to input numbers on your keypad to indicate what choices you have picked. If you talk to a representative, they will be able to share your balance with you and answer any other questions you have.
- You may have to navigate through several menus to get to your balance information. The first menu may ask you to press a certain number for the account you want to access. For instance, if you want to check your business credit card you need to press the number 2. Then the next menu will usually ask you what type of information you want on that account, in this case it will be the credit card balance.
- If for any reason you cannot access balance information through the automated system, a representative will be able to give you the same information. You can usually get transferred to a representative by pushing the zero key when in an automated menu.
Checking Your Credit Card Statement
- Dig out your credit card statement. If you aren’t inquiring about fraud or contesting a transaction, questions regarding previous or pending activity may be best addressed by reviewing your monthly paper statement.
- Some people choose to get their credit card statements electronically. If this is the case for you, you will need to check your credit card account online or check any statements that have been emailed to you.
- Look for the balance on your statement. It should be located in a clear and well-marked spot on your statement.
- You will also be able to look at the dates that the statement covers, in order to assess whether you have made any additional purchases since the statement was made.
- The upside of checking your credit card statement is that you'll be able to review additional information, such as your total credit limit, remaining credit available for
- Add the total of any purchases you have made since the end of the billing period to your statement balance. The statement you have on hand may not reflect your most recent charges.
- If you cannot remember if you have made further purchases, it may be advisable to check your balance through some other method.
- The downside of checking your statement is that since roughly a month passes between statements, the information won't include any of the transactions made since your last statement.
- A statement will also give you a variety of other information, including purchases, the default interest rate, and remaining credit available for cash advances.
Warnings
- Note that however you access your balance information, any recently made purchases that have not yet posted to your account will not be included in the reported balance.
Tips
- If you keep a ledger of your credit card purchases between statements, you can use a checkbook style ledger, you won't need to worry about making last-minute checks on your credit card balance.
- Checking the balance of prepaid credit cards should be very similar to checking the balance of those that are not. Look for the phone number or website where you can check your balance on the back of your card.
- Keeping up to date on how much you owe is a sobering way to remind yourself of the importance of living within your means and paying debt off as soon as possible.
- If you're close enough to your maximum limit on a given credit card to be making last-minute balance checks, you're probably carrying more than 50 percent of that credit card's spending limit. Although specific figures vary, experts recommend keeping your balances below 30 to 50 percent of your credit limit on each card. Letting the balance creep above that mark can lower your credit score.
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