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First Progress Credit Card Payment Options, Processing Times and Payment Holds

I am going to explain the various methods of paying your First Progress Secured Credit Card and the implications of using each method of payment. They have different processing times and some involves payment holds.
 

By Check or Money Order - You can pay your bill via check or money order. All checks or money order should be mailed to First Progress, PO Box 84019 Columbus, GA 31908. Payments will be process the same day it is received as long as it is received by 5pm EST. If not, it will be processed the next day. It is best to mail your check a few days before your due date to make sure the Post Office has enough time to to deliver it before your due date.

Paying by your Banks Bill Pay - You can pay your statement bills via your Bank's Bill Pay. For the longest time, this was the only way to pay First Progress electronically was through your own Banks' Bill Pay. While it is not an issue for many of you, some banks charge a fee for that. If you choose to use this method to pay, First Progress may take up to 5 days to process the payment. Hence, you should pay at least 6 days before you due date if you want to use your own Bank's Bill Pay.

Paying via First Progress Portal - Until very recently, First Progress only allowed you to pay online via your own Bank's Bill Pay. Now in 2023, they have updated their payment backend system to allow you to via online through their website via ACH. This is much easier for many cardholders because you can pay directly through your online portal. Because there is no fee, it will also offer great news for those whose bank charges a fee for Bill Pay. Their online portal is cc.firstprogress.com

Paying via Mobile App - First Progress has also recently 2023 added the ability to pay your bills via their Mobile App. We are not sure how many days does it take for payment to process. So as a best practice, we suggest paying at least 6 days before your due date as well.

Expedited Telephone Payment - You can pay your bills over the phone by calling customer service at 1-866-706-5543. There will be a $10 charge for this service. Payment will be processed immediately. Paying by phone should only be used if you forgot to mail your check or money order early enough or if normally pay your bills electronically but there are less than 5 days to go before your due date.


Things You Need to Know: Payment Processing Time, Payment Holds

There are a few things you should also need to know about Payment Processing Times and Payment Holds.

1. Payment Processing Time - As mentioned earlier, the fastest processing time for payments are if you pay via mail with either a check or money order or over the phone. In the case of paying via check or money order, it will be processed the day First Progress receives it as long as they get it before 5pm EST. If it arrives after 5pm EST, it will be processed the next business day.

For any other method of payment, payment processing time may take up to 5 days. This means you should pay at least 6 days before you due date. Many cardholders pay a week early to make sure their payments arrive and are processed on time.

2. Payment Holds - First Progress may hold your payment (ie not make credit available for the payment amount despite having processed the payment) for up to 10 days. Many credit card companies have payment holds have payment holds as well so this is not unusual. The length of the payment hold will depend on the payment amount (ie correlated with your bill), how long your account has been open and whether any checks you have sent or electronic payments have been dishonored before. This is something you should be aware of.

3. No AutoPay - At this moment, First Progress does not offer autopay. This is something propective applicants should be aware of.