How Bank of America handles missed payments

Bank of America reports a payment as delinquent to the credit bureaus when it is 30 days past due. This means if your statement closes on the 15th and you miss the due date, you have until day 30 to pay before the delinquency appears on your credit report. During those first 30 days, you will receive phone calls and emails from Bank of America asking you to pay, but no mark goes on your credit history yet.

Once a payment reaches 30 days late, Bank of America sends the delinquency report to Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. At this point, the late payment becomes visible to other lenders, landlords, and employers who pull your credit. Bank of America continues to report the account as delinquent each month until you bring the account current — meaning you pay all past-due amounts in full.

The longer the delinquency sits, the more damage it does to your credit score. A 60-day late payment hurts more than a 30-day late payment. A 90-day late payment hurts more than a 60-day late payment. Bank of America can also charge you a late fee (usually $25 to $35 for the first offense, up to $39 for subsequent ones within six months) and may increase your interest rate if your card terms allow it.

Key Takeaways

  • Bank of America reports delinquency to credit bureaus after 30 days past due, and the mark stays on your report for seven years from the original missed payment date.
  • You can stop the delinquency from worsening by paying the full past-due amount at any point, even after 30 or 60 days — the sooner you pay, the less damage occurs.
  • Late fees and interest rate increases happen automatically once you miss a payment, but you can call Bank of America to ask about fee reversal if this is your first late payment.
  • If your account reaches 180 days past due, Bank of America may close the account and send it to collections, which creates a separate negative mark on your credit.

What happens in the first 30 days

During the first month after you miss a payment, Bank of America will contact you repeatedly. You will receive automated calls, text messages (if you have opted in), and emails. The bank's goal is to collect the payment before it becomes reportable to the credit bureaus.

If you can pay the full past-due amount during this window, do so when ready. Paying within 30 days stops the delinquency from appearing on your credit report at all. Bank of America will still charge a late fee, but no credit damage occurs. You can make a payment online through your Bank of America account, by phone at the number on the back of your card, or in person at a branch.

If you cannot pay the full amount but can pay something, contact Bank of America before day 30. Explain your situation. The bank may offer a payment plan or temporary hardship arrangement. These are not may provide, but asking is worth the call — some customers have had late fees waived or payment arrangements made, especially if this is the first time you have missed a payment.

The 30 to 90 day period and credit reporting

Once your payment hits 30 days late, Bank of America reports it to the three credit bureaus. Your credit score drops when ready. The exact drop depends on your score before the late payment — someone with a 750 score might drop 100 points, while someone with a 650 score might drop 50 points. The damage is real but not permanent if you act.

Between days 30 and 90, Bank of America continues to report the account as delinquent each month. The bank may also increase your interest rate. Many credit card agreements allow the issuer to raise your rate to the "default rate" (often 29.99% or higher) once you are 60 days late. This means any balance you carry will accrue interest much faster.

You can still stop the damage by paying the full past-due amount at any point during this window. Once you pay, the account becomes current again. The late payment stays on your credit report for seven years, but it stops getting worse. Future lenders will see that you were late, but they will also see that you eventually paid.

What happens after 90 days

If your account reaches 90 days past due, Bank of America typically closes the card and may send the debt to an internal collections department or an outside collections agency. At this stage, you are no longer just behind on a payment — you are in default on the entire account. The bank can pursue legal action to recover the debt, though Bank of America usually tries to settle first.

A collections account creates a second negative mark on your credit report, separate from the original late payment. This is worse than the late payment alone. Your credit score drops further, and the collections mark stays on your report for seven years as well.

Even at this stage, you can still pay. If you contact Bank of America or the collections agency and pay the full amount owed, the account stops getting worse. The collections mark will remain on your report, but it will show as "paid" rather than "unpaid," which is better for your credit than leaving it unpaid.

How to bring your account current

To stop the delinquency, you must pay the full past-due amount — not just the minimum payment for the current month. If your statement shows you owe $500 past due plus $200 for this month's charges, you need to pay $700 to bring the account current.

You can pay online through your Bank of America account, by phone at 1-800-432-1000, by mail, or in person at a branch. Online and phone payments usually post within one business day. Mail payments take five to seven business days, so if you are close to the next reporting date, use online or phone payment instead.

After you pay, Bank of America will update your account status. The next time the bank reports to the credit bureaus (usually within 30 days), it will show your account as current. The late payment itself stays on your report for seven years, but it stops being reported as "currently delinquent," which helps your credit score recover over time.

Negotiating with Bank of America about late fees

Bank of America charges a late fee automatically when you miss a payment. The fee is usually $25 for the first late payment within six months, and up to $39 for subsequent late payments. However, you can call and ask the bank to reverse the fee, especially if you have a good payment history or if this is your first late payment.

Call the customer service number on the back of your card and ask to speak with someone in the collections or hardship department. Explain your situation honestly — job loss, medical emergency, unexpected expense. Tell them this is your first late payment or that you have been a customer for a long time. Ask if they can waive the late fee as a one-time courtesy.

Bank of America does not have to waive the fee, but many representatives will do so if you ask politely and have a reasonable explanation. Even if they will not waive the full fee, they may reduce it. Getting the fee waived or reduced saves you $25 to $39 and shows Bank of America that you are taking the situation seriously.

Rebuilding your credit after delinquency

After you pay off the past-due amount, your credit score will not bounce back when ready. The late payment stays on your report for seven years, but its impact weakens over time. A late payment from two years ago hurts your score much less than a late payment from two months ago.

To rebuild faster, keep your Bank of America card open and use it for small purchases that you pay off in full each month. This shows lenders that you can manage credit responsibly now, even though you were late in the past. Do not close the card, because closing it reduces your available credit and can actually hurt your score.

If you have other credit accounts (other cards, a loan, a mortgage), make sure all payments on those accounts are on time going forward. Each on-time payment adds positive history to your report and gradually offsets the damage from the late payment. Within two to three years of consistent on-time payments, your score will recover significantly.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will Bank of America sue me if I don't pay?

Bank of America can sue you for unpaid credit card debt, but it usually does not do so until the account is at least 120 to 180 days past due and the amount owed is substantial (typically $5,000 or more). The bank prefers to settle or send the account to collections first. If you are sued, you will receive a court summons — do not ignore it. Respond to the court or contact Bank of America to discuss a settlement.

Can I remove the late payment from my credit report?

You cannot remove a late payment that is accurate. However, if Bank of America made an error — for example, if they reported you late when you actually paid on time — you can dispute it with the credit bureaus. Send a written dispute to Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion with proof of your on-time payment. If the bank cannot verify the late payment, it must be removed.

What if I can only pay part of what I owe?

Call Bank of America and explain that you cannot pay the full amount right now. Ask about a payment plan or hardship program. The bank may agree to let you pay in installments over several months. Any payment you make stops the delinquency from getting worse and shows good faith. Even partial payments are better than no payment.

How long does a late payment stay on my credit report?

A late payment stays on your credit report for seven years from the original missed payment date. After seven years, it falls off automatically. You do not need to do anything to remove it — the credit bureaus remove it on their own once the seven-year period ends.

Will my interest rate go back down after I pay?

Not automatically. If Bank of America raised your interest rate to the default rate because of the late payment, the rate stays at that higher level unless you call and ask for it to be lowered. After six to twelve months of on-time payments, call customer service and ask if they will reduce your rate back to the original rate. Some representatives will do this; others will not. It is worth asking.