U.S. heads of household are having trouble keeping up with their debts, so much so that many are waiting until the last day of a given bill’s pay period to pony up the cash.
That’s the takeaway from the 2025 ACI Speedpay Pulse Report from ACI Worldwide, which notes that 31 percent of consumers have made urgent or same-day payments in the past 12 months.
That figure tracks a recent Pew Research report noting approximately one in four U.S. adults say they’ve experienced trouble paying for medical care for themself or their family or had to borrow money from friends or family.
The same report noted that about one in five Americans had problems paying their rent or mortgage and paying their daily transportation costs.
Additionally, according to Doxo’s 2025 State-by-State Bill Pay Market report, U.S. households pay $2,058 on essential bills, or about 31 percent of the U.S. median household income.
Americans Face Anxiety on Top of Bill Payment Problems
The cash crunch comes at a time when the cost of living is skyrocketing, and when many Americans are fearful that artificial intelligence will take their jobs, which would make it even harder to pay their monthly bills on time.
That’s led to U.S. consumers holding onto their cash until the last minute before paying the rent or a utility bill. Often, they choose to put food on the table or gas in the tank before covering a monthly household debt obligation.
Obsessing about bills is not a healthy mental health situation, money experts say.
“People waiting until the last day to pay bills is due to cash flow stress,” Devin Miller, CEO at SecureSave, a workplace emergency savings fintech company in Spokane, Washington, told NTD in an email.
A recent SecureSave survey found that 97 percent of workers report financial stress, and nearly half had to skip a basic necessity in the past six months. “When you’re living that close to the edge, delaying payments becomes a survival tactic,” Miller said.
U.S. bill payers also try to leverage technology to hang on to their household cash as long as possible.
“Often, creditors provide convenient automated options to pay right on the due date,” Todd Christensen, housing counseling and education manager at Money Fit by DRS, a nonprofit debt relief agency in Boise, Idaho, told NTD by email.
Doing so brings some financial risk to the consumer finance table. “Relying on balance updates from phone apps and not developing the habit of tracking future obligations makes it easy to overlook upcoming bills,” Christensen said.
How to Break the ‘Last Minute Payment’ Cycle
U.S. consumers who play the waiting game not only risk fees and penalties by waiting until the last day of the payment period to cover a monthly bill, they could see their credit score suffer, which could lead to having credit curbed and higher interest rates when they do borrow money.
On the upside, there are several practical strategies to put into play to cover payments on time and avoid cash penalties and lower credit scores.
Your calendar is your best financial friend when it comes to paying bills on time, Christensen said. “Set reminders early and treat your bills like a court date you cannot miss,” he advised. “Keep a calendar or running list of all upcoming bills due dates and set reminders a few days in advance.”
If you’re finding it hard to manage a budget and you’re constantly bumping up against bill deadlines, try seeing a financial consultant. “They can assess your current financial situation and streamline your budget to make it easier to pay your bills on time, rather than at the last minute,” Andreas Jones, founder and editor at KindaFrugal, an online finance and budgeting platform, told NTD in an email.
You can also autopay your bills, but with flexibility. Bill payers can also set autopay for the minimum on credit cards and other debt payments. Not only do you save on late payment fees and penalties, but you can still go back and pay more on your credit card bill as your budget allows.
The views and opinions expressed are those of the interviewees. They are meant for general informational purposes only and should not be construed or interpreted as a recommendation or solicitation. NTD does not provide investment, tax, legal, financial planning, estate planning, or any other personal finance advice. NTD holds no liability for the accuracy or timeliness of the information provided.