Being late on your credit card payments can be very dangerous for your financial health. Late payments attracts fees, increases interest and could affect your credit record.

1. You must pay your bill on time each month. A series of guidelines on how to pay are listed on the back of your credit card bill. These guidelines may include the payment address or the time of day by which you must send the payment. Make sure you've read and understood everything; otherwise your payment might not go through on time.
2. If just one of the guidelines is not met, the credit card issuer can take several days to credit the payment. Your payment can become late during this period, so be careful.
3. If you feel you really can't pay, then you can use Skip-A-Payment services. Make sure you qualify for this type of service, by checking with your bank or credit card provider. You can also use the services of a private company that will allow you to skip payments, no matter what bank you work with.
4. Try to pay the minimum due as soon as you receive the bill. This will prevent you from being charged a late fee. Of course, you can send more money later.
5. If you receive your credit card bill at a time of the month when you are out of money, you can always move your due date. Most credit card issuers will allow you to do that. If you have trouble saving money and you are low on cash when the bill comes, you can move the due date to the day you get your paycheck.
6. If you are the type of person who always postpones everything to the last minute, you can pay your bill by phone. Most issuers will allow you to pay by phone, but, obviously, they will charge you an extra fee. However, if your bank does not offer this kind of service, you can use other express methods like express mail or Western Union. Express service can be expensive, but they will be cheaper than late fees