How Pre-Authorized payments work?

[Danyal]

I activated the pre-authorized payment on my account. Its due date for last bill, was yesterday. There is a record on bill history that shows the bill was paid yesterday. However, in my bank account there is no record to in order to deduct the bill till now.

I know it might take time, but I'm curious if this action affects credit score or not?

❗AI Summary:

Pre‑authorized payment delays with Virgin Plus are normal and depend on the payment method used. Credit card pre‑authorized payments may take up to 5 business days after the billing date to process, while pre‑authorized bank debits can take up to 18 calendar days and may shift to the next business day if they fall on weekends or holidays. Many customers also experience delays during the first billing cycle after setting up pre‑authorized payments, since automatic withdrawals typically begin only after a full cycle has passed, making a manual first payment common.

These timing differences generally do not affect a customer’s credit score, as Virgin Plus considers the payment on time as long as it is processed before the next billing date. Virgin Plus Community Members report that this behavior is expected and does not result in late fees or negative credit impact, although some choose to manually pay their first bill for added peace of mind. Understanding this predictable processing pattern helps explain why payments may appear late on a bank statement even when a Virgin Plus account shows the bill as paid.

[VirginPlusAntonie · Accepted solution]

Hey there @Danyal , 

Welcome to the Community and thanks for your post. 

Processing delays will differ depending on the pre-authorized payment method chosen:

• Pre-authorized Credit Card payments (PACC) are taken up to 5 business days after your billing date.
• If setting up your PACC for the first time; the first automatic withdrawal will begin the next full bill cycle.
• If updating or setting up your PACC on the day of the billing date or within the next 10 calendar days from the billing date - if you complete a manual payment you may be charged twice and end up with a CR on your account.
• Pre-authorized Debit payments (PAD) are taken up to 18 calendar days after your billing date. Important: if the PAD processing date falls on a Saturday, Sunday or on a holiday, the debit will be done on the next business day.

This information is provided at the moment of the registration and can be visible at any time on My Account under Payment details as shown on the below image (The Payment set for: ****-**-** is approximate and may not reflect the exact payment processing date).

For other payment methods, we invite you to check out Ways to pay your monthly bill and with help setting up a payment method, the How To article How to Find Your Virgin Plus Account Number or 14‑Digit Client ID for Online Banking and Pre-authori....

[Danyal]

Thanks for your reply. Actually, my question was about negative effect on credit score. Since the due date was Jun 18, but the bill was withdrawn from the bank account Jun 19.

[VirginPlusAntonie · Accepted solution]

As long as the payment is in your account before your next billing date it will not affect your credit score. 

[BYS]

I have set up my pre-authorized payment through credit card. Yesterday was the payment due date, but it did not show on my credit card or my virgin plus account. How would I know if the payment went through? If it was later revealed that the payment did not go through, would I be charged late payment fee?

[anacott · Accepted solution]

hopefully you proactively just manually paid it yourself. I haven't gotten a late payment fee but the understanding of pre-authorization is flawed.  It only works for the following months after setting it up. A full month has to pass before it kicks in.

[turner]

how do I set up pre-authorized limits to my account, like $200 so if there a mistake I can catch it?

[VirginPlusAntonie]

Hey there @turner , 

Welcome to the community and great question. 

You cannot set a custom "pre-authorized payment limit" (like a $200 cap) through your standard billing system. When you enroll in pre-authorized payment methods, the full balance is withdrawn.

You can track your billing and usage directly in your My Account profile at all times. 

Let the community know if you have more questions.