Amex will lock Pay Over Time on for eligible cards starting Feb. 1, 2027
Card members won't be able to turn the feature off. Anyone with AutoPay set to the minimum payment should check their settings before February.
Starting Feb. 1, 2027, American Express will no longer let U.S. card members turn off Pay Over Time on cards that have the feature. Amex says the setting will be "permanently set to 'Active' and the option to change the setting will be disabled," according to its Pay Over Time page.
Pay Over Time is the feature that lets you carry a balance with interest on cards that are otherwise meant to be paid in full. The Amex page lists the Gold Card and the Platinum Card as cards with the feature.
For people who pay in full every month, little changes in practice. For people who switched the feature off to avoid surprises, there are a few settings worth checking before February.
What Amex says is changing
Here is how Amex describes the change on its FAQ:
- From Feb. 1, 2027, any new eligible charges will be added to your Pay Over Time balance automatically, up to your Pay Over Time Limit.
- If your setting is already Active, nothing changes. You can still pay the full balance, the minimum or anything in between each month.
- If your setting is Inactive, you will see a new option, the Minimum Payment Due, starting with your first statement after the change.
The new terms on the page also say charges in your Pay In Full balance may be moved to your Pay Over Time balance on your closing date, subject to your limit.
Check your AutoPay setting
This is the part most likely to cost people money. Amex says that if your Pay Over Time setting is Inactive before Feb. 1 and your AutoPay is set to Minimum Payment Due, AutoPay will stay on Minimum Payment Due. In that case, "interest will be charged on your remaining Pay Over Time balance, as well as on new eligible charges."
Amex suggests switching AutoPay to Statement Balance, or to Adjusted Balance if you have active Plan It plans, before the change. You can manage AutoPay at americanexpress.com/autopay.
If you already carry a balance
Amex says that if your setting is Inactive and you already have a Pay Over Time balance, you will keep paying interest on it. New eligible charges added on or after Feb. 1 will start earning interest from their transaction dates.
The company suggests paying your statement balance in full before the effective date. That way you avoid interest on new charges in the billing period when the change takes effect.
How to avoid interest
The basic rule does not change. Amex says that if you pay your Statement Balance, or your Adjusted Balance if you have active plans, in full by the due date each month, you will not be charged interest.
The page also notes that using Pay Over Time does not change how you earn or redeem Membership Rewards points.
What the change means at a glance
| Your setting today | What happens Feb. 1, 2027 | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Active | No change to payment options | Nothing new |
| Inactive, no balance | Minimum Payment Due option appears | AutoPay amount |
| Inactive, AutoPay on minimum | AutoPay stays on minimum and interest applies | Switch AutoPay to Statement Balance |
| Inactive, existing balance | Interest continues and new charges accrue from transaction date | Pay in full before Feb. 1 |
How cardholders found out
Amex has been emailing card members about the change. Frequent Miler quoted the email as saying, "On 02/01/2027, Pay Over Time will be set to On for accounts that have this feature." Doctor of Credit also reported that there will be no opt-out.
Frequent Miler noted that Amex has in the past offered bonuses of 10,000 or more Membership Rewards points to get card members to turn Pay Over Time on. Those offers will make less sense once the feature can't be turned off.
Our take
For most points collectors, this is a paperwork change, not a cost. If you pay your full statement balance every month, you won't pay interest.
The risk is for people who set Pay Over Time to Inactive as a safety net and then set AutoPay to the minimum. Take two minutes before February to look at your AutoPay amount on each Amex card that has the feature.
What people are saying on X
The change drew a lot of attention from points accounts on X.