Make Car Loan Payments
Cars are as important to most families as roofs over their heads. Needless to say, you probably will have to make payments on the vehicle. Fortunately, there are many ways to make car loan payments.
Steps
- Check with the loan company you use or the car dealership where you bought the vehicle to see the ways you can make your payments.
- One of their suggested options will be to make the payments by automatic withdrawal of the car payment funds from your bank account. They go directly to your loan account at a prearranged date and show that you are paid for the month.
- See what the purchase contracts say about payment methods. They should list the varied ways to pay. You will have a payment book with most loans. Start there and look for instructions.
- Decide on the best payment method for you to use. While you can make the occasional change, you will probably stick to one or the other each month as a rule of habit.
- Send a check to the address shown on your payment coupon. You need to include the coupon, which contains the loan number, with the check.
- Call your payment in directly to the phone number given on your loan paperwork. You will need to give your debit or credit card number as payment.
- Pull up the loan servicer online and set up a secure account. Most lenders provide a safe page for buyers to make payments. Log in and pay the car payment automatically by inputting your debit or credit card information. You will receive a verification number and email, which should be saved.
- Set up automatic payments through your bank so that the payment is sent to the lender at a certain time each month. This method is done through your bank and differs from automatic payments.
- Prevent overdraft fees by adding the car payment to your budget so it will be paid when you have the money each month.
Tips
- Refinance the loan if interest rates plummet well below the amount you accepted when signing the contract.
- Add a few dollars to the payment whenever possible. The amount you pay over the designated payment will go toward the principle and will help you pay the vehicle off sooner.
- No matter how you make your car payment, get it into your lender's hands several days before the due date. It will still take a day or so for processing and you will not owe a late charge. This also keeps you looking good on your credit report.
Warnings
- Let the lender know if you develop financial troubles and cannot make the payment in one or more months. Arrangements to wait are possible regardless of what method you choose to make your payment. This is particularly important if you have chosen to have the payment automatically withdrawn from your bank account each month.
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