Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority
There are many reasons to consider turning on autopay for your cellular and other major bills. Not only is it a convenient way to ensure you’re never late on a bill, but sometimes this feature includes paperless discounts and other benefits as well. The only downside to autopay is that you have less control over when your bill will be paid.
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Typically, an autopay charge happens a few days ahead of your official due date, giving your carrier and the bank time to process the transaction on both ends. It also gives you time to fix any payment issues before you get slapped with a late fee or other penalties. That said, you may have noticed that your autopay charge isn’t tied to a firm date but rather a general window. For example, my bill has historically ranged from the 20th to the 24th of every month.
Have you ever experienced drift with your autopay dates? 4 votes Yes 50 % No 50 %
What happens when it starts swinging earlier and earlier, or even later than expected? That’s exactly what happened to me with my Verizon account. Over time, the date slowly drifted further and further back. At first, it wasn’t enough for me to really care. Then, in September, the charge hit on the 17th for the first time. As someone who carefully budgets everything based on a bi-monthly schedule, this was dangerously close to messing with my budgeting plans.
Then, in October, the charge hit on the 14th. While it wasn’t a financial problem for me, if a major bill had gone out early or something similar, it certainly could have been. This made me curious, so I decided to dig deeper to find out what causes drift in autopay due dates and whether anything can be done to prevent it.
What are some of the reasons autopay dates can drift?
Aside from the time it takes for the charge to process through the banks, there are other factors that can lead to date drift. The drifting in my case came down to a few things. Most of it came from small issues, like my typical charge window falling on a weekend, leading to occasional charges that were earlier or later than planned.
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