Chase processes most credit card payments within one to two business days
When you send a payment to Chase, the time it takes to reach your account depends on how you send it and when you send it. A payment made online through your Chase account typically posts within one business day. A payment mailed by check usually takes five to seven business days from the day Chase receives it — not from the day you mail it. A payment made by phone or in person at a Chase branch posts the same business day if made before the cutoff time, usually 8 p.m. Eastern.
The key word is business days, which means Monday through Friday, excluding federal holidays. A payment you make on Friday evening may not post until Tuesday. A payment mailed on a Friday might not arrive at Chase until the following Wednesday or Thursday, then take another one to two business days to post.
Your payment is considered received when Chase's system records it, not when you send it. For online payments, this happens almost when ready. For mailed checks, this happens when the mail room opens the envelope. For phone payments, this happens when the agent processes it. The posting time — when the payment actually reduces your balance and stops interest from accruing — comes after that.
Key Takeaways
- Online payments through your Chase account post within one business day and are the fastest method.
- Mailed checks take five to seven business days after Chase receives them, not from when you mail them.
- Phone and in-person payments post the same business day if made before the cutoff time, usually 8 p.m. Eastern.
- Business days do not include weekends or federal holidays, so a Friday payment may not post until Tuesday.
- Interest stops accruing on the day your payment posts, not the day you send it, so timing matters if you are close to your due date.
Why the timing matters for your due date
Chase considers a payment on time if it posts to your account by 5 p.m. Eastern on your due date. If your due date is a weekend or holiday, Chase extends it to the next business day. This means a check mailed five business days before your due date might arrive too late if it gets held up in the mail.
If you are cutting it close to your due date, online payment is the only method that guarantees posting in time. A check mailed even a week early can miss the important date if it sits in transit or in Chase's mail room. If you have missed a due date before or know your mail is slow, use online payment or call Chase to pay by phone.
Online payments through Chase.com or the Chase app
Online payments are processed the fastest and give you the most control. Log into your Chase account, go to the payments section, enter the amount, and choose the date you want the payment to post. You can schedule a payment for today, tomorrow, or any date up to 365 days in the future.
If you schedule a payment for today and it is before the cutoff time (usually 8 p.m. Eastern), it posts the same day. If you schedule it for tomorrow or later, it posts on that date. Chase will show you a confirmation number when ready after you submit the payment, and you can check the status in your account at any time.
One thing to watch: if you set up a payment but do not have enough money in the account you are paying from, the payment will fail. Chase will notify you, but the failure might happen after your due date has passed. Make sure the money is there before you schedule the payment.
Mailed check payments and why they take longer
If you mail a check to Chase, the clock does not start when you put it in the mailbox. It starts when Chase's mail room receives it and opens the envelope. Depending on where you live and where the Chase payment processing center is, mail can take three to five business days just to arrive. Then Chase has to open it, scan it, and enter it into the system, which adds another one to two business days.
The address you mail to matters. Chase has different payment processing centers depending on your account type and location. The address is printed on your statement and in your online account. Mailing to the wrong address adds days to the process. If you cannot find the address, call Chase customer service and ask for the correct mailing address for your account.
Never mail a check less than seven business days before your due date. Even then, there is risk. If you are within a week of your due date, use online payment or phone payment instead.
Phone and in-person payments at a Chase branch
If you call Chase to make a payment by phone, an agent will process it while you are on the line. The payment posts the same business day if you call before the cutoff time, usually 8 p.m. Eastern. You will get a confirmation number when ready. Chase's phone number is on the back of your card.
If you walk into a Chase branch and make a payment in person, it posts the same business day. You will get a receipt showing the payment amount and the date it will post. This is useful if you have questions about your account or need to discuss a late payment, because you can talk to someone face-to-face.
Both methods work well if you are already close to your due date, but online payment is faster and does not require you to be available during business hours.
What happens if your payment posts after the due date
If your payment posts after your due date, Chase will report the late payment to the credit bureaus. A single late payment can lower your credit score by 100 points or more, depending on your score and credit history. The late payment stays on your credit report for seven years.
If you realize a payment will be late, call Chase when ready. Explain what happened and ask if they will waive the late fee. Chase sometimes waives one late fee per year if you have a good payment history. They cannot erase the late payment from your credit report, but they can remove the fee from your bill.
If you are struggling to make payments on time, set up automatic payments through your Chase account. You can choose to pay the full balance, the minimum payment, or a fixed amount on a date you pick each month. Automatic payments remove the guesswork and the risk of forgetting.
Automatic payments and recurring payment schedules
Chase lets you set up automatic payments that deduct money from your bank account on a date you choose each month. You can have the payment go out on the same date every month, or on different dates for different cards. This is the most reliable way to never miss a due date.
To set up automatic payments, log into your Chase account, go to the payments section, and choose "Set up automatic payments." You will need to provide the bank account you want to pay from. Chase will verify the account by depositing two small amounts, which you then confirm in your account. After that, the payments happen automatically.
You can change or cancel automatic payments at any time. If you set up automatic payment for the full balance, your payment adjusts each month based on what you owe. If you set it for a fixed amount, you pay the same amount every month, which means you might not cover the full balance if you carry a large amount.
Frequently Asked Questions
If I pay online today, will it post today or tomorrow?
If you pay before 8 p.m. Eastern, it posts today. If you pay after 8 p.m., it posts tomorrow. You can check the exact cutoff time in your Chase account under payment settings. When you submit an online payment, Chase tells you the posting date right away.
Does mailing a check to Chase take the same time no matter where I live?
No. Mail from the West Coast takes longer to reach a processing center than mail from the East Coast. The address on your statement is the correct one for your account, so use that. Even so, plan for five to seven business days after Chase receives it, plus three to five days for mail to arrive.
What if I schedule a payment for a date that is a weekend or holiday?
Chase automatically moves it to the next business day. If you schedule a payment for Saturday, it posts on Monday (unless Monday is a holiday, in which case it posts Tuesday). You will see the adjusted date when you schedule the payment.
Can I pay my Chase credit card with a payment from another bank?
Yes. You can set up a bill pay through your other bank's website and have them send a check to Chase, or you can transfer money from another bank account to your Chase account and then pay from there. The timing depends on how your other bank processes the transfer, which can take one to three business days.
If my payment fails because I do not have enough money, will Chase charge me a fee?
Chase will not charge you a fee for a failed payment, but you will still be late if the payment was supposed to post by your due date. Make sure the money is in your account before you schedule the payment. If a payment fails, Chase will send you a notice, and you should reschedule it as soon as you have the funds.