Can You Pay a Credit Card Bill With Cash?

You can pay a credit card bill with cash, but not by mailing it. Your issuer has to accept the route you use, so call the number on the back of your card or check its website first. The route also decides when the payment counts as received. Cash handed to a teller at your issuer’s branch is credited the same day, while a money order or a payment at a store counter can take days to post. If your due date is close, it's a gap worth considering.

How to pay a credit card bill with cash

Pay in person at a bank branch

If your card issuer has a branch, this is the most direct route. Tell the bank teller you want to make a credit card payment, hand over the cash, and keep the receipt as proof. You may need to show ID and your physical card.

A payment made with a teller before the branch closes counts as received that day, according to federal rules. Dropping it in a branch mail slot doesn’t qualify.

Of course, this only works if there's a location near you, which rules out online-only card issuers. If you’re choosing a new card, one from a bank or credit union you can walk into keeps this option open.

Use a money order

You can buy a money order with cash at the post office, a bank, or many grocery and convenience stores. Mail it to your card issuer’s payment address with your account number written on it. Mail can take several days, so send it well before the due date.

Keep the receipt or stub. Unlike cash, a money order can be traced if it goes missing.

Pay at a store counter or payment center

Some pharmacies, grocery chains, and dollar stores take cash bill payments through payment networks. Your issuer has to partner with that network, so ask your issuer which stores it accepts. Bring your account number or the barcode the issuer gives you, and keep the receipt. These payments may carry a fee and can take a few days to post, so ask about both.

Load cash onto a prepaid debit card

You can load cash onto a reloadable prepaid card at a store counter, then use the card to pay your bill online or by phone. Before you do, ask your issuer whether it takes payments from a prepaid card and what information it needs. This adds a step, and you may pay a reload fee.

Read more >> What Happens if You Miss a Credit Card Payment?

Why someone might need to pay a credit card with cash

Cash is the main way some households pay for everything. According to an FDIC household survey, 5.6 million U.S. households have no bank or credit union account, and two-thirds of them rely entirely on cash.

Even with an account, cash can be what you have on hand if:

• You’re paid in cash, for example in tips from waiting tables.
• Your card isn’t linked to a bank account.
• You got cash as a gift and want to put it toward your balance.

Read more >> When Is the Best Time to Pay Your Credit Card Bill?

Bottom line

Cash works as well as any other method for your credit card, as long as the payment arrives on time. Your issuer reports it to the bureaus either way.

On-time payments are one part of your score. Another big part is how much of your available credit you’re using, and every balance you carry counts against it. A Kikoff Credit Account adds a credit line to your Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion reports, which can help lower your credit utilization. There’s no credit check, and plans start at $5 a month.