Aussies 'struggle paying credit card bills'

The timely payment of credit card bills is an area of difficulty for a significant number of Australians.

Research carried out for Dun & Bradstreet reveals that just under a quarter (23 per cent) of those receiving a credit card bill over the last 12 months admit that they have been late in meeting such a financial commitment.

Meanwhile, 14 per cent of Aussies claim their credit card bills are the one demand for payment they would be least likely to pay.

However, credit cards were shown to have a useful role in paying other outstanding commitments as 16 per cent of those who have been tardy claim that it is their most preferred method of payment among those who have been tardy in meeting demands over the past 12 months.

The study also showed 57 per cent of those questioned claim that if they were made aware that making a late payment would show up on their credit history file then they would be more likely to pay their bills on time.

Aussie credit card holders may be interested to hear recent comments from Donna Elliot, a debt advisor and agreement administrator based in Melbourne, recently made to The Sheet, where she pointed a number of card providers are becoming willing to negotiate with borrowers on the overall amount of money they owe.