An outstanding balance on a credit card is the total amount of money owed at the time of checking the account. It includes all charges on the account that have not been paid, such as purchases, cash advances, balance transfers, issuer fees, and interest that have posted to the account. The outstanding balance is a living number that can change daily, and it is also known as the current balance. The outstanding balance and current balance are essentially the same thing. The statement balance, on the other hand, indicates only how much you owe since the close of your last billing cycle, usually a period of around 30 days. Its possible for these two balances to be the same, but they may not be if you use your card or make a payment toward it after your statement closing date. Paying the outstanding balance guarantees that the credit cards balance resets to zero, which isnt always the case when you pay the statement balance. The outstanding balance changes every time you use your card, even from one minute to the next.