What is a credit card negative balance- Bajaj Finserv (2024)

What is a credit card negative balance

The first thing you check on your credit card statement is the outstanding balance amount. A negative balance can leave you confused.But it's not something to worry about.

What is a negative balance

When your credit card balance goes below zero, it's called a negative balance. Instead of you owing money, the credit card company owes you. This usually happens when you pay more than you owe or get a refund added to your account.

Example: Suppose your credit card outstanding amount is Rs. 2,000, and you pay a bill of Rs. 3,000. It leaves your account with a negative balance of Rs. 1,000. Usually, the bank won't process a refund, but your credit limit stays the same until you have utilised the surplus of Rs. 1,000.

Reasons why you might have a negative credit card balance:

  • Overpayment: A negative balance can occur if you make a payment that exceeds the amount owed on the card. This means that you have a credit balance or overpayment on your account.
  • Refund: You may have returned a purchase or received a refund, resulting in a negative balance.
  • Rewards: If you redeem credit card rewards and the amount exceeds your current balance, it can cause a negative balance.
  • Credit card fees: Some credit card issuers may charge you an annual fee or other fees that may build up and result in a negative balance.
  • Merchant Error: Sometimes merchants may overcharge you or charge you twice for a transaction. This can result in a negative balance on your credit card if you receive a refund.

What to do about a negative balance on a credit card

Contact your card provider: If you are unsure of the reason for the negative balance, it is easy to find out the reason by contacting your bank’s customer care.

Request for a deposit: If it is a substantial balance, you can request a refund to your bank account or in cash. The refund will be at the bank’s discretion.

Spend: You can use the balance for one or more purchases at your convenience.

Having a negative balance is not actually negative. It means you have an extra balance that might have happened because of multiple reasons like an overpayment, cash back etc.

Keep track if you have a negative balance on your credit card, and make good use of it.

Explore some Bajaj Finserv co-branded credit cardshere.

It may sound strange but a negative balance may lower your credit utilisation ratio. Using more than 30% of your credit limit usually affects your credit score. So, a negative balance can be a good thing for your credit score.

If you have a negative balance on your credit card, keep track of it. It can be good your credit utilisation ratio, but be cautious to not overspend and accumulate debt. Always try to pay your bills on time and keep an eye on your credit card usage to avoid any financial trouble.

What is a credit card negative balance- Bajaj Finserv (2024)

FAQs

What is a credit card negative balance- Bajaj Finserv? ›

Why does my credit card show negative balance? It means that you either overpaid against your card or you have received some cash back or rewards. Having a negative balance on your card is not something to worry about.

What if your credit card balance is negative? ›

A negative credit card balance is when your balance is below zero. It appears as a negative account balance. This means that your credit card company owes you money instead of the other way around. Typically, this happens when you've overpaid your outstanding balance or if you've had a credit returned to your account.

What is a negative amount due in a credit card? ›

A negative credit card balance happens when the balance on your credit card account is below zero. This is called a negative account balance. It means that the credit card company owes you money as you have paid in excess.

Can I spend a negative available credit? ›

Depending on how far into the negative your balance is, you can use your card like normal to cover future purchases in the amount of the negative balance. Ask for a refund. You could ask your creditor to give you the funds they owe via check, cash, money order, or direct deposit to your bank account or debit card.

What does a negative loan balance mean? ›

A negative balance on a loan indicates that the loan has not been repaid in full, while a negative bank balance indicates that the account holder has overspent.In the retail brokerage space, this phenomenon occurs when a position's losses in an account exceeds the available margin on hand from a given trader.

Is it bad to have a negative balance on credit card Capital One? ›

And if that happens, don't worry. It just means that your credit card issuer owes you money—instead of you owing your issuer.

What if my account balance is negative? ›

A negative balance occurs when you make payments that exceed the funds in your account. Overdraft protection can help cover the difference, but it comes with fees. A negative bank balance can lead to overdraft fees, non-sufficient funds fees, account closure, and credit impact.

How to remove negative credit card balance? ›

It's not often that you'll have a negative balance on your credit card, but don't fret if it happens. If you use the card for everyday purchases, you can get that money back simply by making purchases—the card issuer will cover them until you reach a $0 balance.

What if the total amount due is negative? ›

A negative balance indicates that your bill was overpaid and that you may be eligible for a refund.

Can I overpay my credit card? ›

There's no penalty for overpaying your credit card. If the negative balance isn't significant and you use the card regularly, you can just spend the statement credit on purchases. Once you've spent it, you'll be using your regular credit line again. Request a refund.

How long can negative credit stay? ›

Under the provisions of the Fair Credit Reporting Act, adverse information—for example, collection actions, charge-offs, suits, and judgments—may remain on your credit report for seven years.

Can I withdraw money from a negative credit card? ›

Any cash you withdraw from your credit card will be from your negative balance – it won't be borrowed from your credit. You'll avoid high cash advance interest rates (which start accruing immediately).

Can credit card limit go in negative? ›

A negative balance on a credit card is possible. It simply means that one's credit card provider probably owes them money as they have paid an excess amount.

Does negative balance help credit score? ›

No, a negative balance does not affect a credit score. Most credit models consider negative balances equivalent to a $0 balance, which means negative balances don't hurt credit scores.

Can you buy with a negative balance? ›

In some cases, you may be able to make purchases even if you have a negative balance. Some banks even offer debit card overdraft coverage to help eligible transactions go through at the bank's discretion.

What happens if balance of payments is negative? ›

A balance of payments deficit means the nation imports more commodities, capital and services than it exports. It must take from other nations to pay for their imports.

What happens if I overpay my credit card balance? ›

There's no penalty for overpaying your credit card. If the negative balance isn't significant and you use the card regularly, you can just spend the statement credit on purchases. Once you've spent it, you'll be using your regular credit line again.

Can you put extra money on a credit card? ›

Can I put extra money on my credit card? Yes, you can, and usually, this will show up as a “CR” next to the balance on your credit card statement. If you're thinking about doing this though, it's really worth asking yourself why first.

Can you overdraft a credit card? ›

You can't overdraft a credit card unless you've specifically opted into over-the-limit coverage with your card issuer. But spending more than your limit on a credit card isn't typically called overdrafting — that's a term you'd use with your bank account.

What happens if my credit card goes over-the-limit? ›

Any approved transactions above your credit limit are subject to over-the-limit (or over-limit) fees. This credit card fee is typically up to $35, but it can't be greater than the amount you spend over your limit. So if you spend $20 over your limit, the fee can't exceed $20.

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