Amex Pay Over Time Locks On February 1, 2027: What Changes
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American Express is turning Pay Over Time on for good. Starting February 1, 2027, the Pay Over Time setting on personal Amex cards that carry the feature will be permanently set to Active, and the option to change it will be disabled. That includes charge cards like the American Express Gold Card and The Platinum Card from American Express. The new terms are on the Amex Pay Over Time page.
You will not be forced to carry a balance. Pay your statement in full each month and you still pay no interest. What changes is the default: eligible charges land in a Pay Over Time balance, your statement shows a Minimum Payment Due, and an AutoPay set to the minimum starts costing you interest.
What changes on February 1, 2027
- Pay Over Time setting: permanently Active, with no way to switch it off.
- New charges: automatically added to your Pay Over Time balance, up to your Pay Over Time Limit.
- Your statement: if your setting was Inactive, a Minimum Payment Due appears starting with your first billing statement after February 1, 2027.
- Payment choices: the Account Total New Balance in full, the Minimum Payment Due, or any amount in between.
- Statement credits: under the new terms, a statement credit for an eligible purchase can be applied to either your Pay Over Time balance or your Pay In Full balance, wherever the purchase originally posted.
If your Pay Over Time was already Active
Nothing changes for you. You keep the same three payment options every month, and charges keep flowing into the Pay Over Time balance the way they do today.
If you had turned Pay Over Time off
This is the group that needs to act. Once the switch flips, the Minimum Payment Due shows up on your statement and in the payment screen.
If you already carry a Pay Over Time balance from an earlier period, it keeps accruing interest. New eligible charges added on or after February 1, 2027 then accrue interest from their transaction date. Paying your Statement Balance in full before February 1, 2027 avoids interest on new charges in the billing period when the change takes effect.
Check your AutoPay before February 1, 2027
If your Pay Over Time setting is Inactive and your AutoPay is set to Minimum Payment Due, AutoPay stays on Minimum Payment Due after the change. Amex will then charge interest on the remaining Pay Over Time balance and on new eligible charges.
The fix takes two minutes: switch AutoPay to Statement Balance, or to Adjusted Balance if you have active Plan It plans, through the Amex AutoPay settings.
How to keep paying zero interest
Pay your Statement Balance, or your Adjusted Balance if you have active plans, in full by the Payment Due Date each month. Amex does not charge interest on your charges when you do.
A few rules stay the same:
- Spending: these cards keep no preset spending limit. The Pay Over Time Limit is not a spending limit.
- Charges above the limit: anything above your Pay Over Time Limit goes to your Pay In Full balance and is due in full.
- Rewards: using Pay Over Time has no impact on how you earn and redeem Membership Rewards points.
- Plan It: you can still split purchases of $100 or more into up to 10 active plans, each with a fixed monthly plan fee.
Carrying a balance on a rewards card is a losing trade. Interest on a few months of balance wipes out the value of the points you earned on those purchases.
Other Amex changes landing in 2027
Pay Over Time is one of several Amex changes on the calendar. Platinum cardholders should also read about the two-night minimum on the Fine Hotels + Resorts lodging credit from January 1, 2027. Amex cash back cardholders can also look at the new option to redeem Amex Reward Dollars into a high yield savings account.
Bottom Line
Log in to your Amex account before February 1, 2027. Set AutoPay to Statement Balance, pay off any existing Pay Over Time balance, and keep paying in full every month. Do that and the change costs you nothing. To compare charge cards and credit cards side by side, see our credit card guide, and get changes like this one as they happen with the Milesopedia newsletter.
When does Amex make Pay Over Time permanent?
On February 1, 2027. From that date the Pay Over Time setting on personal Amex cards with the feature is permanently Active, and the option to change it is disabled.
Can I still turn Pay Over Time off after February 1, 2027?
No. Amex disables the option to change the setting on February 1, 2027. Eligible charges are then added to your Pay Over Time balance automatically, up to your Pay Over Time Limit.
Will I pay interest if I pay my bill in full?
No. If you pay your Statement Balance, or your Adjusted Balance with active plans, in full by the Payment Due Date each month, Amex does not charge interest on your charges.
What changes on my statement?
If your setting was Inactive, a Minimum Payment Due appears starting with your first billing statement after February 1, 2027. You can pay the full balance, the minimum, or any amount in between.
Should I change my AutoPay setting?
Yes, if it is set to Minimum Payment Due. It stays on the minimum after February 1, 2027, and interest is charged on the remaining balance. Switch it to Statement Balance, or Adjusted Balance if you have plans.
What happens to an existing Pay Over Time balance?
It keeps accruing interest. New eligible charges added on or after February 1, 2027 also accrue interest from their transaction date if you carry a balance, so paying in full before that date is the safest move.
Does Pay Over Time change how I earn Membership Rewards points?
No. Using Pay Over Time has no impact on how you earn and redeem Membership Rewards points. Interest on a carried balance, though, quickly outweighs the value of the points earned.
Is the Pay Over Time Limit a spending limit?
No. It is the maximum you can carry as a balance with interest or put into Plan It plans. Charges above that limit go to your Pay In Full balance and are due in full each month.
