More Options. More Control. More Flexibility with Pay Over Time.*
Life is full of big moments – and surprises. Whether you’re tackling car repairs, renovating your home office, or just looking for extra payment flexibility, Pay Over Time can help you manage what comes next.
How Pay Over Time Works
Find the Card that best fits your lifestyle
Pay Over Time is included as part of your Card, so you can use it when you need to – and still earn rewards on those purchases.
Make purchases with your Card
Eligible charges will be automatically added to your Pay Over Time balance, up to your Pay Over Time Limit.**
Choose how you pay
When it’s time to pay your bill, you can pay your balance in full, the minimum due, or any amount in between. Balances may incur interest.
**We assign a Pay Over Time Limit to your Account. The Pay Over Time Limit applies to the total of your Pay Over Time, Cash Advance, and Plan balances. Your Pay Over Time balance cannot exceed your Pay Over Time Limit. When there is a delay in posting cash advances or plans to your Account, the total of your Pay Over Time, Cash Advance, and Plan balances may exceed your Pay Over Time Limit. We may approve or decline a charge regardless of whether your card account balance exceeds or does not exceed your Pay Over Time Limit. This is not a spending limit. You must pay at least the Minimum Payment Due by the Payment Due Date each month. The Minimum Payment Due includes all charges that were not added to a Pay Over Time and/or Cash Advance or Plan balance plus a portion of your Pay Over Time and/or Cash Advance balance, any interest accrued, and any Plan Payment Due.
Which Card is right for you? Select a Card to learn more.
Pay Over Time - Frequently Asked Questions
Pay Over Time is easy to use. When activated, just make purchases like you normally do and eligible charges will be automatically added to your Pay Over Time balance, up to your Pay Over Time Limit. Then, you can choose whether you want to pay your balance in full or carry a balance with interest.
You won’t be charged interest on purchases added to your Pay Over Time balance when you pay your Account Total New Balance (or your Adjusted Balance, if you have any active plans) each month by the Payment Due Date.
When you activate Pay Over Time, we’ll automatically add eligible charges to your Pay Over Time balance. Activating Pay Over Time gives you the option to pay eligible charges over time, with interest. If you pay your Account Total New Balance in full by the Payment Due Date each month, you will not be charged interest on these charges. However, if at the time you activate Pay Over Time, you’re already carrying a Pay Over Time balance from your last billing period, you’ll be charged interest on new eligible charges starting from the transaction date.
You can manage your Pay Over Time setting by visiting Account Services in your online account. If your Pay Over Time feature is suspended, eligible charges will not be automatically added to your Pay Over Time balance regardless of setting.
With Pay Over Time, you have the option to pay eligible charges over time with interest. You can choose to pay your Account Total New Balance in full each month, the Minimum Payment Due, or any amount in between.
Your Pay Over Time Limit can be found in "Balance Details" on your account home page. The Pay Over Time Limit is the total amount that you can carry as a balance with interest or move into a Plan with a fixed monthly fee. This limit applies to the total of your Pay Over Time, Cash Advance, and Plan balances. This is not a spending limit. Your Pay Over Time balance cannot exceed your Pay Over Time Limit. When there is a delay in posting cash advances or plans to your Account, the total of your Pay Over Time, Cash Advance, and Plan balances may exceed your Pay Over Time Limit.
While you may be able to spend beyond your Pay Over Time Limit, keep in mind charges that are not added to a Pay Over Time, Cash Advance, or Plan balance must be paid in full by your Payment Due Date. In the event that a charge would cause your Pay Over Time balance to exceed your Pay Over Time Limit, that charge will not be added to your Pay Over Time balance. For example, if you have a $1,000 Pay Over Time available limit and you make a $1,500 purchase on your Card, that purchase will not be added to your Pay Over Time balance. Instead, it will be due in full on your Payment Due Date.
If you have previously been notified that you have a spending limit and it is less than your Pay Over Time Limit, you may not be able to use all of your Pay Over Time Limit.
* Pay Over Time
Eligible charges
Purchases (including any associated foreign transaction fees) and Annual Membership Fees are eligible. The following types of charges are ineligible for Pay Over Time: Cash Advances, including cash and other cash equivalents, certain insurance premiums, and any other fees owed to American Express. If you have an Introductory APR, the rate applies to new eligible purchases (excluding Annual Membership Fees) made starting the day your Card is approved through the end of the introductory promotional period up to your Pay Over Time Limit.
Pay Over Time
The Pay Over Time feature on your account has two settings: Active and Inactive. At Account opening, the Pay Over Time feature on your Account is set to Active. This means all eligible charges made on your account will automatically be added to your Pay Over Time balance. If the Pay Over Time feature is active at 8 p.m. Eastern Time on the transaction date provided by the merchant or on the date when an eligible Annual Membership Fee is charged to your Account, then we will automatically add the charge to your Pay Over Time balance. The transaction date provided by the merchant may differ from the date you made the purchase if, for example, there is a delay in the merchant submitting the transaction to us or if the merchant uses the shipping date as the transaction date. If the Pay Over Time feature is inactive at 8 p.m. Eastern Time, no new charges will be automatically added to your Pay Over Time balance. To view or change your Pay Over Time setting, visit your online account or call the number on the back of your Card.
Pay Over Time Limit
We assign a Pay Over Time Limit to your Account. The Pay Over Time Limit applies to the total of your Pay Over Time, Cash Advance, and Plan balances. Your Pay Over Time balance cannot exceed your Pay Over Time Limit. When there is a delay in posting cash advances or plans to your Account, the total of your Pay Over Time, Cash Advance, and Plan balances may exceed your Pay Over Time Limit. We may approve or decline a charge regardless of whether your card account balance exceeds or does not exceed your Pay Over Time Limit. This is not a spending limit. You must pay at least the Minimum Payment Due by the Payment Due Date each month. The Minimum Payment Due includes all charges that were not added to a Pay Over Time and/or Cash Advance or Plan balance plus a portion of your Pay Over Time and/or Cash Advance balance, any interest accrued, and any Plan Payment Due.
Interest on Your Pay Over Time Balance(s)
For charges added automatically to a Pay Over Time balance, we will charge interest beginning on the date of each charge. We will not charge interest on charges automatically added to your Pay Over Time balances if you pay the Account Total New Balance by the Payment Due Date each month. You must pay in full, by the Payment Due Date, all charges that are not added to a Pay Over Time, Cash Advance, or Plan balance. We will begin charging interest on cash advances on the transaction date.