How to Pay Your Scheels Card and What Happens If You Don't

How to make a payment on your Scheels Card

You can pay your Scheels Card through three main routes: online through the Scheels website, by phone, or by mail. The online method is fastest — you log into your account, enter the amount you want to pay, and choose your payment method (bank account or debit card). Payments made online before 8 p.m. Eastern time typically post the same business day.

To pay by phone, call the customer service number on the back of your card. A representative will walk you through the payment and can answer questions about your balance or due date in real time. Phone payments also usually post within one business day.

Mailing a check takes longer — typically five to seven business days from the time Scheels receives it — so use this method only if you need to pay well before your due date or prefer not to use digital methods. Write your account number on the check and mail it to the address listed on your statement.

Key Takeaways

• Online and phone payments post within one business day, while mailed checks take five to seven days to arrive and process.
• Your minimum payment and due date appear on your monthly statement; paying only the minimum means you will pay interest on the remaining balance.
• A late payment stays on your credit report for seven years and can raise your interest rate even after you catch up.
• If you miss a payment, contact Scheels immediately — many issuers offer hardship programs or payment deferrals for customers facing temporary financial strain.

Understanding your minimum payment and due date

Your Scheels Card statement shows both a minimum payment amount and a due date. The minimum is usually 1 to 3 percent of your total balance, plus any fees and interest that have accrued. Paying only the minimum keeps your account in good standing but does not reduce your debt quickly — the rest of the balance continues to accrue interest, usually at a rate between 18 and 24 percent depending on your creditworthiness and current promotions.

The due date is the last day you can pay without triggering a late fee. Most issuers give you at least 21 days from the statement closing date. If you pay after the due date, a late fee (typically $25 to $40 for the first offense) is added to your balance, and your interest rate may jump immediately.

What happens when you miss a payment

A single missed payment has immediate and long-term consequences. Within 30 days of missing your due date, the card issuer reports the late payment to the three credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion). This report stays on your credit report for seven years, even after you pay what you owe. A late payment can lower your credit score by 100 points or more, depending on your current score and payment history.

Beyond the credit report, your interest rate usually increases — sometimes to a penalty rate of 29 percent or higher — and you will owe a late fee. If you miss a payment by 60 days, the issuer may freeze your account and stop allowing new charges. At 180 days (six months) past due, the account may be sent to a collection agency, which means a third party now owns the debt and will contact you to collect it.

Even after you catch up, the late payment remains on your report. Some lenders will not approve you for new credit, and those who do may charge you higher rates because the late payment signals risk.

Setting up automatic payments to avoid missed deadlines

The simplest way to prevent a late payment is to set up automatic payments through your bank or through the Scheels website. You can choose to pay a fixed amount each month (such as your minimum payment or a set dollar amount) or the full statement balance. Automatic payments deduct money from your bank account on the date you choose, usually a few days before your due date.

If you set up automatic payments for the full balance, you will never carry a balance and will not pay interest. If you set up automatic payments for the minimum, you will still pay interest on the remaining balance but will avoid late fees and credit damage. Either way, you retain control — you can log in anytime to change the amount or pause the payment if your circumstances change.

What to do if you cannot pay on time

If you know you cannot make your payment by the due date, contact Scheels customer service before the due date passes. Many card issuers offer hardship programs that temporarily lower your payment, defer a payment, or reduce your interest rate for customers facing job loss, medical emergency, or other documented hardship. These programs are not automatic — you have to ask — but they exist specifically to help people avoid the damage of a missed payment.

Explain your situation honestly and ask what options are available. Some programs require you to make a smaller payment instead of the full minimum; others allow you to skip one payment without penalty. The key is that you contact them before you miss the deadline, not after. A proactive call shows good faith and gives the issuer a reason to work with you.

How payment timing works with your billing cycle

Your Scheels Card operates on a monthly billing cycle. The cycle opens on a specific date each month (for example, the 5th) and closes on another date (for example, the 4th of the next month). Your statement is generated on the closing date and shows all charges made during that cycle. Your due date is typically 21 to 25 days after the closing date.

Charges you make after the closing date appear on your next month's statement and are not due until the following month's due date. This means if you make a purchase on the 5th (the day after the cycle closes), you have roughly 50 days before that charge is due. Understanding this timing helps you plan larger purchases and avoid accidentally missing a payment because you misread when a charge was posted.

Interest charges and how they compound

If you carry a balance on your Scheels Card, interest accrues daily on the unpaid portion. The card issuer calculates interest using your average daily balance — they add up your balance at the end of each day during the billing cycle and divide by the number of days. That average is multiplied by your annual interest rate and divided by 365 to get the monthly interest charge.

This means that even if you pay down your balance partway through the month, you still pay interest on the full balance for the days you carried it. If you carry a $1,000 balance at 20 percent annual interest, you will owe roughly $16.67 in interest that month. If you never pay it down, that $1,000 balance grows by $16.67 each month, and next month's interest is calculated on $1,016.67. Over time, interest compounds and the balance grows faster than your payments shrink it — which is why paying more than the minimum is crucial if you want to reduce what you owe.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I pay my Scheels Card with a different payment method, like a gift card or cryptocurrency?

No. Scheels Card payments must come from a bank account, debit card, or check. You cannot pay with a gift card, credit card, or any other method. This is standard across most credit card issuers.

What if I pay more than my minimum payment — does the extra go toward interest or principal?

Any amount you pay above the minimum goes toward reducing your principal balance. This means extra payments reduce the amount that accrues interest next month, saving you money over time. Paying in full each month eliminates interest entirely.

If I make a payment online, when does it actually leave my bank account?

The payment posts to your Scheels Card account within one business day, but your bank may take an additional one to two business days to deduct the money from your checking account. Check with your bank for their specific processing timeline.

Does paying late hurt my credit score even if I catch up later?

Yes. The late payment is reported to credit bureaus and remains on your report for seven years, lowering your score even after you pay what you owe. The damage decreases over time, especially if you make all future payments on time, but it does not disappear after you catch up.

What happens if my automatic payment fails because my bank account does not have enough money?

The payment will not go through, and you will be considered late. Your bank may charge you an overdraft fee, and Scheels will report the missed payment to credit bureaus. Contact Scheels immediately to make the payment manually and ask whether they can reverse the late fee or late report given the circumstances.