What does a negative balance on my credit card account mean? Scotiabank Help Centre

For example, if you have a $5,000 credit limit but a credit balance of $100, you can spend up to $5,100. However, you’re technically not receiving a higher credit limit because once you spend $100, your balance will be $0 and your credit limit remains at $5,000. Bank deposit accounts, such as checking and savings, may be subject to approval. Deposit products and related services are offered by JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. Member FDIC.

Your payment history, credit utilization ratio, credit variety and length of credit history impact your credit score. A negative balance is typically interpreted as a $0 balance, which will have a neutral impact on your credit score. For example, let’s say you have a negative balance of $50 on your credit card. Then, you go out and use your card to pay for an $80 dinner with friends.

Is your credit limit higher when you’re carrying a negative balance?

1. While a negative balance won’t change your credit score, it can temporarily impact how much you can spend on your card — but it ultimately doesn’t raise your credit limit.
2. Your provider can verify that your credit card statement is correct and answer any questions you have.
3. For example, let’s say you have a credit card with a $1,000 credit limit and a negative balance of $50.
4. If you are confused or in doubt about the nature of your negative balance, you may want to contact your card provider.
5. Before you take any action to address your negative balance, you may want to confirm that you’re looking at your current balance.
6. It was interesting to know that refunds are a common reason why people get negative credit card balances.

Also, learn about the common tricks scammers are using to help you stay one step ahead of them. If you see unauthorized charges or believe your account was compromised contact us right away to report fraud. Getting a refund from a merchant is another way you might end up with a negative balance. If you pay off your balance before getting a refund or if the refund is more than your current balance, that refund will result in a negative balance. You are leaving Discover.com and entering a website operated by a third negative balance on credit card party.

Your card issuer waived fees that you previously paid

1. You can even get pre-approved for a credit card to get a better idea of which cards you may be eligible for—with no impact on your credit scores.
2. Your credit card company may sometimes waive fees, like penalties for first-time offenses.
3. It may be due to a refund from a third party, or a statement credit from your credit card issuer directly.
4. Greg Johnson, co-founder of Club Thrifty, explains that there are instances when you may be issued a statement credit, such as rewards card redemptions.
5. Other options available to you may include cash, check, money order or credit deposit.

For example, if you were to repay a $50 balance while waiting for a $50 refund to process, your balance would go down to -$50 once the pending transaction applies to your account. When you make a purchase on your credit card, the amount of that purchase is typically added to your credit card balance, which is how much you owe on that account at a given time. Paying off a credit card generally means bringing the account balance down to $0. If you notice your credit card balance has dipped below zero, don’t panic. A negative balance on a credit card is typically the result of an overpaid bill and is easily rectified.

Your credit card balance would then reflect an owed balance of $30. If you overpay a credit card, you’ll end up with a negative balance, the amount of which reflects how much you overpaid. If you’ve already paid down your balance and a fraudulent or disputed charge is credited to your account by your credit card company, it could lead to a negative balance. On one hand, you could do nothing and use your card as you normally would.

Simply call your card issuer and let them know that you would like the negative balance to be converted. A benefit to having your negative balance converted to a deposit is that you won’t have to worry about interest being applied when you spend it. Negative credit card balances act as a kind of temporary credit on your account. If you have a zero balance, they will give your credit limit a temporary increase.

How do I bring my credit card balance back up to $0?

Discover offers online and mobile banking, which could help you confirm whether you have a negative balance. It was interesting to know that refunds are a common reason why people get negative credit card balances. My friend should know this since he wants to get a business credit card without using a social security number. I should advise him to seek help from a company that can get a credit card for his business quickly and affordably. Bankrate.com is an independent, advertising-supported publisher and comparison service.

It just means that you can charge up to your existing credit limit plus the negative balance. However, the effect of a negative balance on credit utilization ratio is typically temporary. You usually can’t keep a negative balance on your card indefinitely, and the benefit will last only as long as the negative balance does.

Why is my credit card balance negative?

We are providing the link to this website for your convenience, or because we have a relationship with the third party. Discover Bank does not provide the products and services on the website. Please review the applicable privacy and security policies and terms and conditions for the website you are visiting. Discover Bank does not guarantee the accuracy of any financial tools that may be available on the website or their applicability to your circumstances.

So, if you have a limit of $5,000 and receive a statement credit for $170, your credit limit will temporarily be $5,170. Once you have spent the negative balance, your credit limit will return to $5,000. The temporary increase of a negative credit card balance can also lower your credit utilization, potentially boosting your credit score. With Chase for Business you’ll receive guidance from a team of business professionals who specialize in helping improve cash flow, providing credit solutions, and managing payroll.

A negative balance could potentially affect your credit utilization ratio—a measure of how much of your available credit you’re using. Experts recommend using no more than 30% of your available credit. And if you have a negative balance on a card, that card will not raise your credit utilization ratio. If you overpay your balance, this could mean you free up more available credit, leading to a lower credit utilization ratio. Lowering your credit utilization ratio could feasibly lead to a positive change in your credit score.

If you don’t take action, the negative balance will automatically get applied against future purchases. So simply using your credit card to make purchases that equal more than the existing negative balance will cancel it out. Chase online lets you manage your Chase accounts, view statements, monitor activity, pay bills or transfer funds securely from one central place. For questions or concerns, please contact Chase customer service or let us know about Chase complaints and feedback. View the Chase Community Reinvestment Act Public File for the bank’s latest CRA rating and other CRA-related information.

Request a refund

It can happen if you accidentally overestimate what you owe on your credit card or make multiple manual payments monthly. The payment window online usually shows you your “statement balance,” so you don’t risk going over if you wish to pay in full. An overpaid credit card can result in a negative balance and shrink what you owe on your next statement, but it won’t boost your credit score or credit limit. With Discover, you can redeem rewards for cash to pay any part of your bill, including your minimum payment.