Understand the difference between statement date and due date so your UPI Credit Card works harder without costing you interest.
What’s the “statement date”?
Your statement (or billing) date is when the card issuer closes the month’s transactions and generates your bill. Everything you spend up to this date appears on that statement.
What’s the “due date”?
This is the last day to pay your statement amount (in full to keep the interest-free benefit). It typically falls 15–21 days after the statement date.
Simple rule: Purchases after the statement date fall into the next cycle, giving you almost a full interest-free window.
Why timing matters with a UPI Credit Card
Scanning a merchant’s UPI QR with a RuPay Credit Card is still a credit transaction. The same billing-cycle rules apply as a normal card.
Example timeline
- Statement date: 5th of each month
- Due date: 25th of each month
- Spend on 4th → billed now, due by 25th (≈ 21 days interest-free)
- Spend on 6th → billed next month, due the 25th of the following month (≈ 45–50 days interest-free)
Practical strategies that help
- Plan big, necessary purchases just after your statement date to maximize the interest-free window.
- Keep utilization (total outstanding ÷ credit limit) under ~30% for credit-score health.
- Always pay in full by the due date; partial payments usually remove the interest-free benefit on the remaining balance.
- Use reminders or autopay so you never miss a due date.
- Track which spends are eligible for rewards vs excluded categories (details below).
How this looks with Kiwi
- Kiwi provides a RuPay Credit Card that you can link to UPI in the Kiwi app and use for everyday offline QR payments.
- Eligible offline UPI spends earn real cashback (standard 1.5%). Premium users who opt for Kiwi Neon (₹999/year) get milestone-based cashback: 3% at ₹50,000 annual spends, 4% at ₹1,00,000 (minus prior cashback), and 5% at ₹1,50,000 (minus prior cashback), plus three lounge accesses.
- Card is lifetime free (no joining/annual fees).
- 1% fuel surcharge waiver applies on eligible fuel transaction amounts (cashback on fuel category itself is excluded).
Rewards exclusions
Cashback isn’t awarded for certain categories such as utilities (electricity/telecom/water), government payments/taxes, fuel, jewelry, transport tolls/fees, many professional/business services, and others per Kiwi’s policy. When a merchant has credit-on-UPI disabled on their QR, your payment may have to be routed via bank balance instead.
Bottom line: Treat your UPI Credit Card exactly like any other card for cycle discipline. Buy right after the statement date, keep utilization in check, and pay in full by the due date—that’s how you stretch benefits without paying interest.
FAQs: Statement Date vs Due Date on a UPI Credit Card
1) What’s the exact difference between statement date and due date?
The statement date is when your issuer closes the billing cycle and generates your bill for all transactions posted up to that day. The due date is the last day to pay that statement (ideally in full). Purchases made after the statement date appear in the next cycle.
2) How many interest-free days do I really get?
It varies by issuer. Typically, you get about 15–21 days from statement to due date. A purchase made just after the statement date can enjoy a longer interest-free window (often ~45–50 days). A purchase made just before the statement date gets fewer days.
3) If I pay only the minimum due, do I still get interest-free days?
No. Paying only the minimum due usually removes the interest-free benefit on the remaining balance. Interest begins accruing on the unpaid amount and often on new purchases until you clear the full statement balance.
4) Does this work the same for a UPI Credit Card as for a traditional card?
Yes. When you scan a merchant’s UPI QR and select your UPI Credit Card (for example, a RuPay Credit Card linked in the Kiwi app), it’s still a credit transaction. Billing cycles, due dates, interest-free periods, and late fees work the same way as a normal card.
5) When should I time big purchases?
Right after the statement date. That way, the spend falls into a fresh cycle and enjoys the longest available interest-free window before the next due date.
6) What happens if my payment reflects a day late?
If your payment posts after the due date, issuers can levy late fees and interest on the outstanding amount. To avoid delays from bank transfers/UPI clearing, pay at least 1–2 days before the due date.
7) What’s the difference between “statement balance” and “current balance”?
Statement balance is the total you owed at the statement date. Current balance includes new transactions after the statement date. Paying the full statement balance by the due date preserves your interest-free benefit; paying the entire current balance is optional but keeps utilization lower.
8) Do refunds or reversals change my statement?
If a refund posts before the statement date, it reduces that cycle’s statement amount. If it posts after, it reduces the next cycle’s balance. Always check how the issuer shows the credit in your card app/statement.
9) How does utilization affect my credit score in this context?
High utilization (outstanding ÷ credit limit) can negatively impact your score. Try to keep utilization under ~30%, even if you plan to pay in full by the due date.
10) Are all UPI QR payments eligible for rewards?
Rewards apply only on eligible everyday offline UPI spends. Exclusions include (not exhaustive): utilities (electricity/telecom/water), government services/taxes, fuel, jewelry, certain professional/business services, auto dealers, tolls/fees, and others per policy. Some merchants disable credit acceptance on their QR; those transactions can’t be routed via credit.
