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What Is a Credit Card Grace Period?

A credit card grace period is the window between your statement closing and your payment due date during which purchases carry no interest, as long as you paid last month’s balance in full.

Most cards offer 21 to 25 days of grace period. During that window, interest does not accrue on new purchases, effectively making it free credit.

The grace period only applies if you paid your previous statement balance in full. Carry any balance forward and the grace period disappears: new purchases start accruing interest immediately, with no free window at all.

Cash advances are typically excluded from the grace period entirely, starting to accrue interest the moment they post, regardless of your payment history.