Cox offers both extension options and low-income price reductions for customers that fall behind on their bills.
First off, Cox offers two delayed payment options: their bill extension program and their payment arrangement program.
To keep bills manageable in the future, Cox also offers two low-income bill reduction programs: a Federal subsidy via the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) and a dedicated low-income plan called Cox Connect2Compete.
In this article, I’ll provide step-by-step instructions on how to take advantage of each option.
Bill extension Payment arrangement ACP Discount Connect2Compete
How long can you not pay before service is cut off?
If you haven’t made a payment in a while and have no extension or arrangement, you might wonder how long it will be before your services are shut off.
According to Cox’s billing policy, your services will be shut off 60 days after your due date if no payment is received. If you establish a payment arrangement or bill extension, you can avoid service termination.
Here’s an outline of the timelines you should expect when working with Cox:
| Grace Period | Outstanding | Service Termination | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Delinquency timeline | Up to 5 days after your due date and | 6 to 59 days after your missed due date. | Sixty days after your initial due date. |
Will Cox take you as a customer if you previously failed to pay?
Customers will be accepted to re-establish services with Cox if there are no outstanding payments on their previous account. According to Cox’s billing and payment policy page, your “new” reactivated account may be subject to reactivation fees.
Check out the chat feature on the service support page to see if you will have to pay any reactivation fee(s) upon re-establishing service with Cox.
If you’re not comfortable signing up as a new customer again, many have found success by asking a family member or a friend to create an account for them. This can help prioritize your bill and can also help you avoid any potential reactivation fees if you’ve had a delinquent account in the past.
For more information on late payments and disconnection of services, check out Cox’s Residential Customer Service Agreement. The agreement explains important information regarding late fees, potential reactivation limitations, and more.
For your convenience, here is a list of main contact numbers for assistance with Cox services:
- Sign up for new services: (844) 451-2720
- Complete Care line: (877) 269-3993
- Service and Tech Support: (800) 234-3993
- Homelife service: (877) 404-2568
Cox bill extension requests
Extending your payment’s due date with Cox is straightforward. They are very transparent about allowing customers to extend their bill’s due date.
You can request additional time to pay your bill through your online account. The bill needs to be paid by 5:00 P.M. on the selected date to avoid service interruptions.
Customers may extend their bill up to 10 days. Extending your bill is allowed once every four months.
To extend your payment’s due date:
- Log in to your online account or check your paper bill to confirm that the due date of your next payment has not passed.
- Navigate to the “Billing “ section and click “Other Billing” in the “Payment and Billing” options window.
- In the “Payment Options” window, look for the “request additional time to pay” section. Click the “Extend Payment Date” option.
- You will then be prompted to choose the date you wish to pay and the payment amount. Confirm the extension but clicking the “Confirm extension” button once you’ve entered the date and amount.
- You’ll be asked to agree to the Terms of Service. Then click “Submit.” Congratulations! You’ve just scheduled your payment extension!
Again, if you’re not seeing the option to extend your payment, visit the support page for a list of helpful instructions. You may also call the Cox customer service line at 1-800-234-3993 to speak to a representative to request an extension on your bill.
Check this support page for a list of specific instructions on how to get a bill extension. Be aware that this option is not available for Cox mobile customers.
If you do not see the option to schedule the extension, call 1-800-234-3993 to speak to a representative and request an extension on your bill.
Cox payment arrangement requests
There is a payment arrangement available for Cox customers, meaning that Cox will allow some customers to pay off their accounts in scheduled payments over time. Depending on how much you owe and how late your bill is, you may be eligible to arrange this online through your account.
Note that this option is only available as a self-serve option the first time you need to use it. If you need another payment arrangement in the future, you’ll need to call Cox’s Collections Department. To connect with them, check out the customer support page and select the type of service support you need. You can chat with a representative or call them.
After chatting with a representative, I was able to confirm the steps below for setting up payment arrangements.
For a payment arrangement:
- Log in to your online account or check your paper statement to confirm that your current bill is past due.
- If this is the first time you’re requesting a payment arrangement, you should see the option to create the arrangement on your account. However, if this is not the first time you are trying to request one, you will need to contact Cox’s Collections department to assist you.
Call 1-800-234-3993 and request to be transferred to the Collections department to speak to a representative and get help with your payment arrangement.
Here is a brief scenario of your two options and important things to be aware of for each:
| Cox Bill Extension Option | Cox Payment Arrangement | |
|---|---|---|
| Qualifying Circ*mstance | You won't be able to pay your bill on time, but you only need a few extra days to pay it. | You cannot pay your regular Cox bills and need a special arrangement to ensure you do not default on your recurring bills. |
| Things to keep in mind | A late fee is typically charged after five days of the payment being late. You should not be charged this fee if you schedule the extension. | Services will be disconnected after 60 days of your missed due date (if no arrangement has been made). |
| Support Contact | Call 1-800-234-3993 or text 54512 for general questions. | Call 1-800-234-3993 or text 54512 for general questions. |
Sign up for a Cox ACP discount
The Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) is designed to help people experiencing financial hardship. This program helps individuals and families by granting them discounts on internet costs. The ACP offers a $30 monthly discount to qualifying Cox customers. This means that you can get the Cox Internet Essential plan (Essential 100 plan with 100 Mbps) for $19.99 if you qualify.
Under some circ*mstances, you may even qualify for free internet. Check out Cox’s page on the Affordable Connectivity Program to see if you qualify.
If you participated in the “emergency broadband benefit” used during covid to subsidize internet for those impacted by layoffs, be aware that the ACP replaces that benefit.
Sign up for Cox Connect2Compete
Finally, the best way to avoid high Cox bills for low-income households is to take advantage of their low-income plan offer, Connect2Compete.
You can review the details on this plan and all competing low-income internet plans on the market with our guide to low-income internet plans.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does it hurt my credit if I'm late paying Cox?
SPaying your Cox bill late will not affect your credit score in most cases. However, accounts that go unpaid for sixty days past the due date can be sent to collections, which may impact your credit score or the credit score of whoever holds the account. Cox may send bills to collections earlier than 60 days, but this is the standard period reported by our readers.
Will Cox give me a price reduction if my income goes down?
Cox has two low-income plan options for households that qualify on the basis of low or reduced income. These plans can be used for situations where an existing customer loses their job or income; however, it does not apply to the billing from previous months.
