{"id":18713,"date":"2026-05-04T11:26:08","date_gmt":"2026-05-04T18:26:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.soundcu.com\/?p=18713"},"modified":"2026-10-14T14:52:28","modified_gmt":"2026-10-14T21:52:28","slug":"how-do-credit-cards-work","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.soundcu.com\/es\/blog\/how-do-credit-cards-work\/","title":{"rendered":"\u00bfC\u00f3mo funcionan las tarjetas de cr\u00e9dito? Explicaci\u00f3n de intereses, l\u00edmites y pagos."},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"co-flex_row co-flex_row__blue co-flex_row__long-form-text co-flex_row__next_row__blog-contributors\" >\n\t<div class=\"co-flex_row--row co-row\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"co-long_form\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"co-long_form--block co-long_form--block__nomedia prow items-start \">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"co-long_form--text pcol-md:8\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"co-long_form--content\"><p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.soundcu.com\/personal\/credit-cards\/\">Credit cards<\/a> are everywhere. If you&#8217;re new to credit or curious about what happens behind the scenes when you swipe, tap, or click, you might wonder: how do credit cards actually work?<\/p>\n<p>At <a href=\"https:\/\/www.soundcu.com\/\">Sound Credit Union<\/a>, we believe that understanding credit cards doesn&#8217;t have to be complicated. At their core, they&#8217;re a financial tool that lets you borrow money up to a set limit and pay it back over time. When used responsibly, credit cards help you build credit, earn rewards, and enjoy financial flexibility.<\/p>\n<p>This guide breaks down exactly how credit cards work, from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.soundcu.com\/rates\/personal\/credit-cards\/\">interest rates<\/a> and credit limits to monthly payments and statement cycles. Whether you&#8217;re thinking about applying for your first card or just want to make smarter choices with the one in your wallet, this post will walk you through everything you need to know.<\/p>\n<h2>What Is a Credit Card?<\/h2>\n<p>A <a href=\"https:\/\/www.soundcu.com\/personal\/credit-cards\/\">credit card<\/a> is a payment card issued by banks and credit unions that allows you to borrow money to make purchases. Instead of paying with cash or funds directly from your checking account, you&#8217;re borrowing from the card issuer with a promise to pay it back later.<\/p>\n<p>Credit cards are a type of revolving credit. That means you can borrow, pay down your balance, and borrow again without needing to reapply. As long as you stay within your credit limit and make your payments on time, you can continue using the card.<\/p>\n<p>Here&#8217;s what makes credit cards different from other payment methods:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Credit Cards vs. Debit Cards:<\/strong> Debit cards pull money directly from your bank account. Credit cards let you borrow money that you&#8217;ll repay later.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Credit Cards vs. Loans:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.soundcu.com\/personal\/personal-loans\/\">Personal loans<\/a> give you a lump sum upfront with fixed monthly payments. Credit cards give you ongoing access to a revolving credit line.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Credit Cards vs. Charge Cards:<\/strong> Charge cards require you to pay your full balance every month, while most credit cards let you carry a balance (though interest will apply).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Let&#8217;s jump into how credit cards work.<\/p>\n<h2>How Credit Cards Work: The Basics<\/h2>\n<p>When you use a credit card, here&#8217;s what happens:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Step 1 &#8211; You Make a Purchase:<\/strong> You swipe, tap, or enter your card information at checkout. The merchant sends the transaction details to their payment processor.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Step 2 &#8211; The Payment Network Gets Involved:<\/strong> Your transaction moves through a payment network like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visa.com\/en-us\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Visa<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mastercard.com\/us\/en.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Mastercard<\/a>. The network connects the merchant&#8217;s bank with your card issuer.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Step 3 &#8211; Your Card Issuer Approves or Denies the Transaction:<\/strong> Your card issuer checks whether you have enough available credit and verifies the transaction is legitimate. If everything looks good, the transaction is approved.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Step 4 &#8211; You Receive Your Card Statement:<\/strong> At the end of each billing cycle (typically 30 days), your card issuer sends you a statement showing all your purchases, fees, and the total amount you owe.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Step 5 &#8211; You Make a Payment:<\/strong> You&#8217;re required to pay at least the minimum payment by the due date. Paying your full balance helps you avoid interest charges.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>This entire process happens in seconds and ensures your transaction is secure and processed correctly.<\/p>\n<h2>Understanding Credit Limits: What Are They?<\/h2>\n<p>Your credit limit is the maximum amount you can borrow on your credit card. Card issuers set your limit based on several factors:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Your credit score<\/li>\n<li>Your income<\/li>\n<li>Your existing debt<\/li>\n<li>Your payment history<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Let&#8217;s say your credit limit is $5,000. If you charge $2,000 in purchases, you have $3,000 in available credit remaining. When you pay down your balance, your available credit will go back up.<\/p>\n<h3>Why Credit Limits Matter<\/h3>\n<p>Your credit limit directly affects your credit utilization ratio, which is the percentage of your available credit you&#8217;re using. Credit utilization accounts for about <a href=\"https:\/\/www.soundcu.com\/blog\/the-5-factors-that-affect-your-credit-score-and-simple-ways-to-boost-them\/\">30% of your credit score<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><em>Example:<\/em> If your credit limit is $5,000 and your balance is $1,500, your utilization is 30%. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.experian.com\/blogs\/ask-experian\/credit-education\/score-basics\/credit-utilization-rate\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Financial experts<\/a> generally recommend keeping your utilization below 30% to maintain a healthy credit score.<\/p>\n<h3>Can Your Credit Limit Change?<\/h3>\n<p>Yes. Card issuers may increase your limit if you consistently make on-time payments and demonstrate responsible credit use. On the other hand, they can lower your limit if you miss payments or your financial situation changes.<\/p>\n<p>You can also request a credit limit increase, though this may involve a hard inquiry on your credit report, which could temporarily lower your score. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.soundcu.com\/contact\/\">Contact our team<\/a> if you have any questions.<\/p>\n<h2>How Credit Card Interest Works<\/h2>\n<p>Credit card interest is the cost of borrowing money when you don&#8217;t pay your full balance each month. Understanding how interest works can save you hundreds to thousands of dollars. To begin, let\u2019s define APR.<\/p>\n<h3>What is APR?<\/h3>\n<p>APR stands for Annual Percentage Rate. It&#8217;s the yearly interest rate you&#8217;ll pay on any balance you carry from month to month. Most credit cards have variable APRs, which means the rate can change based on market conditions.<\/p>\n<h3>How Credit Card Interest is Calculated<\/h3>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">If you pay your full statement balance by the due date, you typically won\u2019t pay any interest on purchases. This is called the grace period.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">If you carry a balance, interest is calculated daily based on average end-of-day balance during your statement period (a.k.a. the <\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">average monthly balance<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Here&#8217;s an example:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span data-contrast=\"auto\">During a 31-day statement period, you ended 21 days with a balance of $1,000, and 10 days with a balance of $5,000.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Your <\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">average monthly balance<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">: $2,290.33<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><span data-contrast=\"auto\">($1,000 x 21 days) + ($5,000 x 10 days) = $71,000<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-contrast=\"auto\">$71,000 \u00f7 31 days = $2,290.33<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Your<\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> APR<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">: 18%<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Your<\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> monthly periodic rate<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">: 18% \u00f7 12 months = 1.5%<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Your<\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> monthly interest<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">: $2,290.33 \u00d7 1.5% (monthly periodic rate) = $34.35<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span class=\"TextRun SCXW63158227 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW63158227 BCX0\">Over time, interest <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun ContextualSpellingAndGrammarErrorV2Themed SCXW63158227 BCX0\">adds up<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW63158227 BCX0\"> quickly, especially if <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW63158227 BCX0\">you\u2019re<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW63158227 BCX0\"> only making minimum payments.<\/span><\/span><span class=\"EOP Selected SCXW63158227 BCX0\" data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>Different APRs for Different Transactions<\/h3>\n<p><span class=\"TextRun SCXW129417881 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW129417881 BCX0\">Your credit card may have different interest rates for <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW129417881 BCX0\">different types<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW129417881 BCX0\"> of transactions. Examples of these include:<\/span><\/span><span class=\"EOP Selected SCXW129417881 BCX0\" data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Purchase APR:<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u202fApplied to regular purchases<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Balance transfer APR:<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u202fApplied when you transfer debt from another card<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Cash advance APR:<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u202fApplied when you withdraw cash (usually higher than purchase APR)<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>Reading Your Credit Card Statement<\/h2>\n<p>Your monthly credit card statement is a detailed breakdown of your account activity. Understanding what&#8217;s on it helps you stay on top of your spending and avoid surprises. Here&#8217;s what you&#8217;ll find:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Account summary:<\/strong> Shows your previous balance, new purchases, payments, credits, fees, and your new balance.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Payment information:<\/strong> Lists your minimum payment amount and payment due date.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Transaction details:<\/strong> A line-by-line record of every purchase, payment, and fee during the billing cycle.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Interest charges:<\/strong> Shows how much interest was applied to your account and the APR used to calculate it.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Available credit:<\/strong> Indicates how much of your credit limit you can still use.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Rewards summary:<\/strong> If your card earns cash back or rewards points, this section tracks what you&#8217;ve earned.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Key Dates to Know<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Statement closing date:<\/strong> The last day of your billing cycle<\/li>\n<li><strong>Payment due date:<\/strong> The date by which you must make at least your minimum payment<\/li>\n<li><strong>Grace period:<\/strong> The time between your closing date and due date (usually 21-25 days) when you won&#8217;t be charged interest if you pay your full balance<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Now that we know how to read the credit card statement, let\u2019s move on to how and when to make payments towards your credit card.<\/p>\n<h2>Making Credit Card Payments<\/h2>\n<p>Paying your credit card bill on time is one of the most important habits you can build. Here&#8217;s what you need to know about credit card payments.<\/p>\n<h3>Minimum Payment<\/h3>\n<p>Your minimum payment is the smallest amount you can pay to keep your account in good standing. It&#8217;s usually a percentage of your total balance (often 1-3%) or a fixed dollar amount, whichever is greater.<\/p>\n<p>Important: Paying only the minimum keeps your account current, but you&#8217;ll pay interest on the remaining balance. Over time, this can significantly increase the total amount you owe.<\/p>\n<h3>Paying Your Full Balance<\/h3>\n<p>Paying your full statement balance by the due date is the best way to avoid interest charges. It also helps you stay debt-free and improves your credit score over time.<\/p>\n<h3>Paying More Than the Minimum<\/h3>\n<p>If you can&#8217;t pay the full balance, paying more than the minimum reduces the amount of interest you&#8217;ll pay and helps you get out of debt faster.<\/p>\n<h3>How to Make a Credit Card Payment<\/h3>\n<p>Most credit cards offer multiple payment options:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.soundcu.com\/personal\/online-banking\/\">Online or mobile app<\/a>:<\/strong> Set up one-time or automatic payments through your card issuer&#8217;s website or app<\/li>\n<li><strong>By phone:<\/strong> <a href=\"tel:8005628130\">Call your card issuer<\/a> to make a payment<\/li>\n<li><strong>By mail:<\/strong> Send a check (be sure to allow enough time for it to arrive before the due date)<\/li>\n<li><strong>In person:<\/strong> Visit a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.soundcu.com\/branches\/\">branch location<\/a> if your card is issued by a credit union or bank with physical branches<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Sound Credit Union members can make payments through online banking, the mobile app, by phone, or at any branch location.<\/p>\n<h2>How to Use a Credit Card Responsibly<\/h2>\n<p>Credit cards are powerful financial tools, but they require discipline. Follow these best practices to use your card wisely:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Pay your full balance every month to avoid interest charges and stay debt-free.<\/li>\n<li>Set up automatic payments to ensure you never miss a due date.<\/li>\n<li>Keep your utilization low by charging only what you can afford to pay off.<\/li>\n<li>Review your statements regularly to catch errors, fraudulent charges, or unexpected fees.<\/li>\n<li>Avoid cash advances unless absolutely necessary. They come with high fees and immediate interest charges.<\/li>\n<li>Don&#8217;t apply for too many cards at once. Multiple applications can hurt your credit score.<\/li>\n<li>Use alerts and notifications to monitor your spending.\n<ol>\n<li>Sound Credit Union offers real-time purchase alerts via text and email to help you stay informed.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n<li>Take advantage of card features like fraud protection, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.soundcu.com\/personal\/mobile-banking\/\">mobile pay<\/a>, and card controls that let you lock or unlock your card with a tap in the <a href=\"https:\/\/itunes.apple.com\/us\/app\/sound-cu-mobile-di\/id1337160161?ls=1&amp;mt=8\" rel=\"noopener\">mobile app<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2>Ready to Choose the Right Credit Card?<\/h2>\n<p>Whether you&#8217;re building credit for the first time, consolidating debt, or earning rewards on everyday purchases, its important to choose the right credit card.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.soundcu.com\/\">Sound Credit Union<\/a> offers <a href=\"https:\/\/www.soundcu.com\/personal\/credit-cards\/\">credit cards<\/a> designed with members in mind. With <a href=\"https:\/\/www.soundcu.com\/rates\/personal\/credit-cards\/\">competitive rates<\/a>, flexible rewards, and member-focused benefits such as no annual fees, no balance transfer fees, and no foreign transaction fees, Sound cards are built to help you reach your financial goals.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.soundcu.com\/personal\/credit-cards\/\">Explore your options<\/a> and get prequalified today without impacting your credit score.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"co-flex_row co-flex_row__blog-contributors co-flex_row__next_row__faqs\" >\n\t<div class=\"co-flex_row--row co-row\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"co-blog_contributors\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"co-blog_contributor\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"co-blog_contributor--img_wrap\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/www.soundcu.com\/files\/Sound-CU-May-20258643-Tammie-Atoigue_300x300.jpg\" class=\"co-blog_contributor--img\" alt=\"Tammie Atoigue VP Consumer Lending\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.soundcu.com\/files\/Sound-CU-May-20258643-Tammie-Atoigue_300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.soundcu.com\/files\/Sound-CU-May-20258643-Tammie-Atoigue_300x300-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.soundcu.com\/files\/Sound-CU-May-20258643-Tammie-Atoigue_300x300-75x75.jpg 75w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/div>\t\t\t\t<div class=\"co-blog_contributor--content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"co-blog_contributor--name\">Tammie Atoigue<\/div><div class=\"co-blog_contributor--title\">Vice President of Consumer Lending<\/div><div class=\"co-blog_contributor--bio text-component\"><p><strong>Tammie Atoigue<\/strong> is the Vice President of Consumer Lending at Sound Credit Union, where she utilizes her extensive experience to empower members in achieving their financial goals. She is passionate about member education, particularly around credit and smart borrowing, and frequently participates in industry speaking engagements to share her insights.<\/p>\n<\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"co-blog_contributor--social\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span>Connect<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/tammie-umawatari-atoigue-40463b61\/\" class=\"co-social_share--link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" aria-label=\"LinkedIn\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg class=\"icon-svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" role=\"img\" aria-label=\"Icon LinkedIn\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<use xlink:href=\"https:\/\/www.soundcu.com\/wp-content\/themes\/soundcu-theme\/images\/sprite-icons.svg#linkedin\" \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"co-flex_row co-flex_row__blue co-flex_row__last co-flex_row__faqs\" >\n\t<div class=\"co-flex_row--row co-row\">\n\t\t\t<section class=\"co-accords_section\" aria-label=\"Frequently Asked Questions\">\n\t\t\t\t<header class=\"co-intro_text\">\n\t\t\t<h2 class=\"co-intro_text--title\">Frequently Asked Questions<\/h2>\t\t<\/header>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"co-accordion\" data-animation=\"on\" data-multi-items=\"on\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"co-accordion--item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<button\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tdata-accordid=\"20293\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tco-accordion--header\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tjs-accord_toggle\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tclosed\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\n\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"text-md\">What happens when my promotional interest rate ends?<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg class=\"co-accordion--icon no-js:is-hidden\" viewBox=\"0 0 20 20\"><g class=\"icon__group\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\"><line x1=\"3\" y1=\"3\" x2=\"17\" y2=\"17\"><\/line><line x1=\"17\" y1=\"3\" x2=\"3\" y2=\"17\"><\/line><\/g><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/button>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tco-accordion--panel\n\t\t\t\t\t\tjs-accord_content\n\t\t\t\t\t\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">If you still have a balance remaining when your promotional period ends, any unpaid promotional balance will automatically move to your standard credit card interest rate after the next statement closing date following the promotion&#8217;s expiration.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Example:<\/span><\/i><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"4\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;multilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Promotional APR: 1.99%<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"4\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;multilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"2\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Promotion ends: July 31, 2026<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"4\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;multilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"3\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Your statement closes: August 13, 2026<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"4\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;multilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"4\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Remaining promotional balance on August 13: $1,000<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">In this example, the remaining balance will automatically convert to the standard APR beginning with the new statement cycle after the August 13 statement closes.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"co-accordion--item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<button\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tdata-accordid=\"20295\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tco-accordion--header\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tjs-accord_toggle\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tclosed\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\n\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"text-md\">Can I pay off my promotional balance before the promotional period ends?<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg class=\"co-accordion--icon no-js:is-hidden\" viewBox=\"0 0 20 20\"><g class=\"icon__group\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\"><line x1=\"3\" y1=\"3\" x2=\"17\" y2=\"17\"><\/line><line x1=\"17\" y1=\"3\" x2=\"3\" y2=\"17\"><\/line><\/g><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/button>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tco-accordion--panel\n\t\t\t\t\t\tjs-accord_content\n\t\t\t\t\t\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Yes. You can make payments at any time to reduce your balance.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">If you want to pay off only your promotional balance while keeping other balances on the card, please contact us for assistance.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Important:<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> If you have multiple promotional balances at the same time, you cannot choose which specific promotion to pay off first. Payments are applied using the card&#8217;s standard payment hierarchy.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"co-accordion--item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<button\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tdata-accordid=\"20296\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tco-accordion--header\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tjs-accord_toggle\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tclosed\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\n\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"text-md\">How are payments applied after a promotional rate expires?<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg class=\"co-accordion--icon no-js:is-hidden\" viewBox=\"0 0 20 20\"><g class=\"icon__group\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\"><line x1=\"3\" y1=\"3\" x2=\"17\" y2=\"17\"><\/line><line x1=\"17\" y1=\"3\" x2=\"3\" y2=\"17\"><\/line><\/g><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/button>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tco-accordion--panel\n\t\t\t\t\t\tjs-accord_content\n\t\t\t\t\t\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The system automatically applies payments correctly based on the balances and interest already billed.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"bold\"><b><i>Example timeline:<\/i><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"bold italic\"><b><i>Before the promotion expires<\/i><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"5\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;multilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Promotional APR: 1.99%<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"5\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;multilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"2\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Promotion ends: July 31, 2026<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"5\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;multilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"3\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Statement closes: August 13, 2026<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span class=\"bold italic\"><b><i>August 13 Statement<\/i><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"6\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;multilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Any remaining promotional balance is still used to calculate the interest billed for that statement period at the promotional rate.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"6\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;multilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"2\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">After the statement closes, the remaining promotional balance converts to the standard APR.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span class=\"bold italic\"><b><i>August 14 \u2013 September 13<\/i><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"7\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;multilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Payments made during this period are applied toward the interest that was billed on the statement cut on August 13 and other outstanding balances.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span class=\"bold italic\"><b><i>September 13 Statement<\/i><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"8\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;multilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Since the promotional balance has already converted to the standard APR, any new interest is calculated using the standard rate.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span class=\"bold italic\"><b><i>September 14 \u2013 October 13<\/i><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"9\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;multilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Payments made during this period are applied toward\u00a0the interest billed on the statement cut on September 14\u00a0and any remaining balances.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"co-accordion--item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<button\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tdata-accordid=\"20298\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tco-accordion--header\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tjs-accord_toggle\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tclosed\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\n\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"text-md\">Which balance gets paid first if I have multiple balances?<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg class=\"co-accordion--icon no-js:is-hidden\" viewBox=\"0 0 20 20\"><g class=\"icon__group\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\"><line x1=\"3\" y1=\"3\" x2=\"17\" y2=\"17\"><\/line><line x1=\"17\" y1=\"3\" x2=\"3\" y2=\"17\"><\/line><\/g><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/button>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tco-accordion--panel\n\t\t\t\t\t\tjs-accord_content\n\t\t\t\t\t\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Payments are applied according to federal and card servicing rules.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:278}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">In general:<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Fees and billed interest are paid first.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Remaining payment amounts are applied to balances with the <\/span><span class=\"bold\"><b>highest interest rate first<\/b><\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Balances with lower interest rates are paid afterward.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"bold\"><b>What if I have multiple promotional balances with the same rate?<\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">If two promotional balances have the same APR, payments are applied according to the system&#8217;s established order.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"bold\"><b>What if a promotional offer includes multiple transaction types at the same rate?<\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">When promotional purchases, cash advances, and balance transfers all share the same promotional rate, payments are applied in this order:<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-leveltext=\"%1.\" data-font=\"\" data-listid=\"11\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:0,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769242&quot;:[65533,0],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;%1.&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;multilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Purchases<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<ol>\n<li aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-leveltext=\"%1.\" data-font=\"\" data-listid=\"11\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:0,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769242&quot;:[65533,0],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;%1.&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;multilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"2\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Cash Advances<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<ol>\n<li aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-leveltext=\"%1.\" data-font=\"\" data-listid=\"11\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:0,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769242&quot;:[65533,0],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;%1.&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;multilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"3\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Balance Transfers<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/section>\n\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Aprende c\u00f3mo funcionan las tarjetas de cr\u00e9dito, incluyendo las tasas de inter\u00e9s, los l\u00edmites de cr\u00e9dito y las condiciones de pago. Comprende la TAE, los pagos m\u00ednimos y c\u00f3mo usar las tarjetas de cr\u00e9dito de forma responsable para construir tu futuro financiero. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.soundcu.com\/es\/blog\/how-do-credit-cards-work\/\">Contin\u00faa leyendo <span class=\"meta-nav\">\u2192<\/span><\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":17,"featured_media":18587,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"content-type":"","_searchwp_excluded":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[50],"tags":[162],"class_list":["post-18713","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-life-finances","tag-financial-education"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.soundcu.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18713","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.soundcu.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.soundcu.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.soundcu.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/17"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.soundcu.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18713"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.soundcu.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18713\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":20301,"href":"https:\/\/www.soundcu.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18713\/revisions\/20301"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.soundcu.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/18587"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.soundcu.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18713"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.soundcu.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18713"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.soundcu.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18713"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}