# Ways I can pay my credit card bill **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 15, 2005, 11:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ways-i-can-pay-my-credit-card-bill/331147 "2005-11-15T11:16:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![PinkShoes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/76d3ee/32.png) [@PinkShoes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PinkShoes)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2005, 11:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ways-i-can-pay-my-credit-card-bill/331147/1 "2005-11-15T11:16:36Z")
I recently got a credit card and my first payment is due on the 30th of November. Can I send a money order? I don’t have a checking account and I can’t pay it online. Is it possible to pay it at the bank in person? The only answers I’m getting from the bank’s site is to pay by phone with a check, pay online or send a check, or a Western Union wire, all of which I don’t want to do. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2005, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ways-i-can-pay-my-credit-card-bill/331147/2 "2005-11-15T13:18:40Z")
A money order should be fine. The fees for those things add up, though. You should look into getting a no-fee checking account with one of the major banks in your area. ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2005, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ways-i-can-pay-my-credit-card-bill/331147/3 "2005-11-15T13:36:43Z")
If you have no checking account, why did you get a credit card? The first rule of buying things is not to buy something you can’t afford, and if you can’t afford to have a checking account (because maybe you never have enough saved up money to open one up to have that min. balance) then a credit card might not be the best idea. Do you at least have a savings account of some kind? Usually even those you can pay bills from online. ---
**Author:** ![PinkShoes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/76d3ee/32.png) [@PinkShoes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PinkShoes)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2005, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ways-i-can-pay-my-credit-card-bill/331147/4 "2005-11-15T15:20:42Z")
> [@bouv](#): > > If you have no checking account, why did you get a credit card? The first rule of buying things is not to buy something you can’t afford, and if you can’t afford to have a checking account (because maybe you never have enough saved up money to open one up to have that min. balance) then a credit card might not be the best idea. > > Do you at least have a savings account of some kind? Usually even those you can pay bills from online. I just wanted to build credit by hopefully buying a few things on the credit card. I probably will charge something once every 3-4 months. I have enough money for a checking account, but I don’t want one right now. I wouldn’t be using it anyway except to pay my credit card bill. I have a savings account but I prefer not to move it around into a checking account if I’m not going to be using it. So about these money orders…do they have to be a certain money order, like a postal money order or any kind? Why would using a money order be expensive? I thought money orders cost 90 cents at the post office? ---
**Author:** ![caveman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/caveman/32/7242_2.png) [@caveman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/caveman)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2005, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ways-i-can-pay-my-credit-card-bill/331147/5 "2005-11-15T16:26:03Z")
You might consider asking your bank if they permit drafts from your savings account. I have a small book of “checks” that my bank sent me a few years ago that I can use to draw out of my savings account just as I would my checking. The catch is that they only permit you to do it once or twice a month. ---
**Author:** ![vetbridge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5e925/32.png) [@vetbridge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vetbridge)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2005, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ways-i-can-pay-my-credit-card-bill/331147/6 "2005-11-15T16:31:06Z")
> [@PinkShoes](#): > > So about these money orders…do they have to be a certain money order, like a postal money order or any kind? Why would using a money order be expensive? I thought money orders cost 90 cents at the post office? Unless you are sending a M.O. to another country, any old M.O. should do. IME convenience store M.O.s are cheaper than the ones from the post office. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2005, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ways-i-can-pay-my-credit-card-bill/331147/7 "2005-11-15T16:32:29Z")
> [@PinkShoes](#): > > So about these money orders…do they have to be a certain money order, like a postal money order or any kind? Why would using a money order be expensive? I thought money orders cost 90 cents at the post office? As far as I know, any money order will work, and the ones from the post office will definitely work. If you need to buy several money orders every month, the $0.90 charge would add up, but for occasional use, they are fine. ---
**Author:** ![La\_Llorona](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@La\_Llorona](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/La_Llorona)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2005, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ways-i-can-pay-my-credit-card-bill/331147/8 "2005-11-15T19:45:34Z")
AFAIK, my bank does not charge its customers for money orders, so that might be something to look into, as you say you do have a savings account. Of course, YMMV.