Loans & credit
Billing cycle
The monthly period over which your credit card tracks spending before generating a bill.
A billing cycle is the roughly 30-day window in which your card totals up your purchases.
At the end of the cycle, the card generates a statement, and you then get a few weeks to pay before the due date.
Timing a big purchase right after your cycle starts gives you the longest possible interest-free period.
For example
If your cycle ends on the 5th, buying something on the 6th gives you almost 50 interest-free days before payment is due.