3 min
23-September-2024
Personal loans are a convenient financial tool for managing sudden expenses, funding big purchases, or consolidating debt. However, keeping up with the monthly EMI (Equated Monthly Installments) can sometimes become challenging, especially when unexpected financial constraints arise. One potential solution to manage these payments is using a credit card to pay off your personal loan EMIs. While this method may offer short-term relief, it’s essential to understand how it works, the steps involved, and the benefits and risks associated with using a credit card for EMI payments. In the following sections, we will explore how to pay your personal loan EMI using a credit card, outline the detailed steps for the process, and discuss the benefits this option offers. Keep in mind that using a credit card for such payments should be done carefully, ensuring you are aware of the interest rates and potential fees involved.
How to pay personal loan EMI through a credit card?
Using a credit card to pay your personal loan EMI is an option offered by some lenders. To do this, you'll need to check whether your lender allows credit card payments for EMI. If they do, you can typically make the payment through the lender’s online portal or mobile app. After logging in, navigate to the EMI payment section and choose the credit card option. Enter your credit card details and the amount to be paid. It’s important to note that paying EMIs through a credit card may incur interest if the full amount isn’t paid within the billing cycle. This option provides flexibility, but you should consider the credit card’s interest rate to avoid high costs in the long run. Additionally, some credit card issuers might offer cashback or reward points on such transactions, providing added benefits.Steps for paying personal loan EMI through credit card
- Check if your lender allows EMI payments through credit card.
- Log into your lender’s online platform or mobile app.
- Navigate to the EMI payment section.
- Choose the credit card payment option.
- Enter your credit card details and the EMI amount.
- Confirm the payment.
- Ensure your credit card balance can cover the EMI amount.
- Pay your credit card bill on time to avoid additional interest charges.
- Keep track of any additional fees or interest incurred by your credit card provider.
- Consider setting reminders for your EMI and credit card due dates to avoid late fees.
Benefits of using credit card for paying personal loan EMI
- Flexibility: It allows you to pay your EMI even if you're short on liquid cash for the month.
- Interest-free period: Many credit cards offer an interest-free period, giving you extra time to repay the EMI without additional charges.
- Rewards and cashback: Depending on your credit card, you may earn reward points or cashback on the EMI payment.
- Improved credit score: Timely repayment of both the EMI and credit card bill can help improve your credit score.
- Emergency assistance: It acts as a temporary solution during financial emergencies.
- Convenience: The process is quick and can often be done entirely online.
- Deferred payment: You can delay the actual cash outflow by a few weeks, helping with cash flow management.
- Special offers: Some credit cards may offer promotions on such transactions, like reduced interest rates or discounts.
Drawbacks of using credit card for paying personal loan EMI
- High-interest rates: If you don’t pay your credit card bill in full by the due date, you will incur high-interest charges, often higher than the interest on your personal loan. This can lead to increased debt over time.
- Credit card debt: Using your credit card to pay EMIs might shift your debt from a lower-interest personal loan to a higher-interest credit card balance, which can become challenging to repay.
- Additional fees: Some credit card providers charge extra fees for using a credit card to pay loan EMIs, such as processing fees or transaction charges.
- Debt cycle: Relying on credit cards to pay personal loan EMIs can create a debt cycle, making it harder to manage monthly expenses.
- Impact on credit score: Missing a credit card payment after using it to pay EMIs can negatively affect your credit score, even if you are current on your loan payments. Learn more about the consequences of personal loan missed payments.
- Limited interest-free period: The interest-free period on credit cards is limited, and failure to repay within that time can lead to substantial interest charges. To avoid penalties, ensure timely repayments and check your loan status by learning how to check Bajaj personal loan details.
- Late payment penalties: Failure to clear your credit card bill on time can result in a personal loan late payment fee, further increasing your debt burden.