How Do I Request an Extension on My Visa Credit Card Bill?

When you hit a financial low in your life, you can seek hardship relief for your Visa credit card bill by contacting your card issuer. Hardship relief programs for Covid-19 or job loss are available, but you will need to make the call and request assistance while you work to improve your financial situation.

Anyone can fall on hard times at any point in their lives and have trouble meeting their monthly bills. When the economy takes a turn for the worst, it is even more difficult for some to make monthly payments. If you are experiencing financial difficulty and have trouble making your Visa credit card payment, you may need to request an extension. How do you request an extension on your Visa credit card bill? You can contact Visa customer support here for information and assistance. Below are the steps need to request an extension on your Visa credit card bill.

Reasons for Extensions

Requesting an extension on your Visa credit card bill depends on the reason you are requesting an extension and your financial institution's policies for hardship relief. Visa does not directly issue credit cards to cardholders. Instead, it partners with banks, credit unions and retailers to issue the cards, and Visa is the payment processing network that administers the credit card. That is why extensions are often at the mercy of the financial institution that issued your card.

There are several reasons you may need to extend your Visa credit card payment. These include being impacted by Covid-19, losing your job, incurring unplanned medical expenses, or suffering some kind of loss of assets. A couple of these reasons and how to handle them are explained below.

Covid-19 Relief

Many issues of Visa credit cards provide hardship relief to cardholders who have been negatively impacted by Covid-19. To request a pandemic-related deferment, call your card issuer and explain what impact you have suffered and ask what kind of hardship relief is available.

Job Loss

If you have lost your job, call your financial institution and explain your situation. The bank or credit union may be able to put your payments temporarily on hold while you seek new employment. Be honest if you have lost your job or suffered a cut in pay.

Steps to Requesting an Extension

If you need to request an extension or deferment on your Visa payment, follow these steps:

Contact Visa here or call the financial institution that issued your card.
Provide the issuer with the circumstances that require hardship relief.
Submit any documentation requested by the Visa credit card issuer as quickly as possible.
Keep track of your statement during the deferral period.
If you can start making payments before the relief period is up, do so.

About Extensions

When you request an extension, there are some things you need to know, such as the following:

Interest will continue to accrue on your Visa credit card.
Your financial institution may freeze your credit card while you are enrolled in the hardship program.
The bank, credit union or retailer that issued your card may close your account or lower your credit limit when you request an extension.

Financial hardships can happen to anyone. If you find yourself experiencing financial burdens and need to request an extension on your Visa credit card, you have options. Contact Visa here for more information on hardship relief. Setting up an extension will protect your account and your credit score.

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