Credit Card COVID-19 payment breaks
Here’s everything you need to know about pausing your credit card payments
To make sure this is the right choice for you, please select from the options below.
As a heads up, if you want to extend your payment break don’t hang around, you’ll need to apply quickly. Not sure when your payment break ends? It’s the date of the statement you receive telling you a payment is due again.
Have you had a Credit Card payment break?
My Credit Card COVID-19 payment break:
Unfortunately applications for an initial COVID-19 payment break closed on 31 March 2021.
If you’re struggling to make your payments and need more help now, please go to our financial difficulty page.
You can apply for a COVID-19 payment break extension
Bear in mind that if you’re eligible, your extension may be for less than three months - as we can only offer payment breaks lasting until 31 July 2021.
And just so you know, payment breaks allow you to delay your payments for a maximum of six months. So once you’ve had a payment break and a payment break extension, we can’t give you another.
You can apply for a COVID-19 payment break extension
Bear in mind that if you’re eligible, your extension may be for less than three months - as we can only offer payment breaks lasting until 31 July 2021.
If you’re not sure when your payment breaks ends it’s the date shown on the statement you receive telling you a payment is due again.
And just so you know, payment breaks allow you to delay your payments for a maximum of six months. So once you’ve had a payment break and a payment break extension, we can’t give you another.
Unfortunately you're not eligible for a payment break extension, as it’s been too long since your payment break ended.
If you’re struggling to make your payments and need more help now, please go to our financial difficulty page.
If you’re not sure when your payment breaks ends it’s the date shown on the statement you receive telling you a payment is due again.
Payment breaks allow you to delay your payments for a maximum of six months. So if you’ve already had a payment break and a payment break extension, we can’t give you another.
If you’re struggling to make your payments and need more help now, please go to our financial difficulty page.
Things you may need to know about payment breaks:
- When will my payment break start?
- Will a payment break affect my credit file?
- Will I be charged interest during a payment break?
- Will I be charged fees during a payment break?
- What about my 0% interest period?
- Can I still use my card during a payment break?
- Can I still make payments during a payment break?
- What happens when my payment break ends?
- Why am I receiving letters?
- Why am I not eligible for a payment break extension?
When will my payment break start?
We'll aim to start your payment break from the statement period in which you submit your application.
Once you submit a request we'll take care of everything, including pausing your Direct Debit. So there's no need to cancel it - it's best to leave it in place for when your break ends.
If you're unable to make your latest payment, it may be too late to stop your Direct Debit - so please call us now on 0345 671 0677.
You can find the payment date of your Direct Debit on your statement.
Will a payment break affect my credit file?
COVID-19 payment breaks won’t be reported as a missed payment to credit reference agencies. But bear in mind, lenders may look at other information – such as bank statements – when assessing credit applications.
You may receive letters from us notifying you of outstanding payments, for legal reasons we’re unable to stop these. Rest assured there’s nothing you need to do about any ‘missed payments’ related specifically to your COVID-19 payment break.
Will I be charged interest during a payment break?
Unless you’re on a 0% introductory period, during your break interest will continue to be charged on your credit card account balance as normal. This means your overall balance will increase and your minimum payment could be higher when your break ends - meaning it could take you longer to pay off your balance.
Here are some examples of how a COVID-19 payment break and extension might impact your credit card repayments.
|
Credit card payment break |
Example 1: Outstanding balance £1,800 at 19.9% per annum |
Example 2: Outstanding balance of £1,800 at 26.9% per annum |
|---|---|---|
|
Minimum payment before COVID-19 payment break |
£45.43 |
£54.09 |
|
Minimum payment after COVID-19 payment break |
£46.70 |
£57.30 |
|
Minimum payment after payment break extension |
£49.03 |
£60.65 |
The examples above are used for illustrative purposes only. Your minimum repayment amounts will depend on your individual circumstances and the minimum repayment terms for the specific credit card you hold.
The examples assume you have no additional spending on your credit card during the payment break and that the total outstanding balance is interest bearing throughout (this means the rate of interest being charged is greater than 0%).
Will I be charged fees during a payment break?
You’ll not be charged Late Payment, Over Limit or Returned Item fees during a COVID-19 payment break.
What about my 0% interest period?
A payment break will not change the terms of any 0% interest offer you currently have.
Due to the high number of requests we’re getting, it may take us some time to process your payment break. This could mean you see that your 0% interest rate has been removed. Don’t worry, this is just temporary – we’ll reapply your 0% interest offer once your payment break is set up.
If any interest charges have been applied, we’ll remove them.
Can I still use my card during a payment break?
Yes - when you're on a payment break, your credit card account can be used as normal.
Can I still make payments during a payment break?
If you’re able to make any payments towards your credit card during the payment break, no matter how small, it’s worth doing so. It means you’ll pay less interest - here are your ways to pay.
What happens when my payment break ends?
You don't need to do anything. We'll contact you towards the end of your payment break to let you know when your next payment is due. Your account will go back to your previous payment method - we'll restart your Direct Debit if you have one set up.
If you cancelled your Direct Debit, we can’t restart it automatically. You need to set this up yourself before your next statement date. If you don’t do this in time, you may need to make a manual payment. It’s easy to set up and make changes to your Direct Debit securely using Online Banking or our Mobile Banking App.
Remember, when your payments resume, your minimum monthly repayment amount could be higher than before the break.
If when your payment break comes to an end you still can’t make your payments, we can still help. Just go to our page on financial difficulty to find out how.
Why am I receiving letters?
You may receive letters from us notifying you of outstanding payments, for legal reasons we’re unable to stop these.
Rest assured there’s nothing you need to do about any ‘missed payments’ related specifically to your COVID-19 payment break.
Why am I not eligible for a payment break extension?
Unfortunately we can’t offer you a payment break extension if:
- You haven’t already had a payment break – applications for payment breaks closed on 31 March 2021
- You applied more than a month after your payment break ended
- Your account is two months, or more in arrears
- You’ve already had one payment break and one payment break extension
If you’re not eligible for a payment break extension and are struggling to make your payments, there are other ways we can help. Please go to our financial difficulty page to find out more.