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Credit card debt

Credit card debt. What to do if you cannot pay

Around 18 million people in the UK have credit card debt. If you are worried about it, you are not alone. Our guide explains all the different things you can do if you cannot pay your credit card bills. And what to expect if you do not pay.

On this page


  1. Frequently asked questions
  2. I cannot pay my credit card bills
  3. What happens if I do not pay?
  4. Consolidating credit card debt
  5. Credit card debt and my credit score
  6. Minimum payments and persistent debt
  7. Writing off credit card debt

Frequently asked questions

Credit card debt can become serious quite quickly because of high interest rates and the ease of signing up for credit cards in the first place.

There are so many different types of interest too, it can be difficult to understand exactly how much you will be paying for borrowing money.

Having lots of credit card debt can impact your mental wellbeing as well as your financial situation.

Here are some of the impacts credit card debt can create:

1. Owing even more interest than the money you originally borrowed

Interest rates vary and can change over time. For example:


  • If you owe £1,000 and have an interest rate of 20%
  • You could also owe £200 in interest after a year

This depends on the terms of your credit agreement.

If your debt keeps growing, so will the percentage of interest you owe. This makes your monthly repayments higher and in more danger of becoming too expensive.

Read our guide to interest and charges.

2. Persistent debt

Only making the minimum payments for over 18 months can mean you are in persistent credit card debt. Your lender will start to contact you about paying more each month or finding another way to deal with the debt.

It can sound scary, but it does mean the debt is at a stage where it needs to be dealt with.

3. A damaged credit file

When you make late payments often or miss multiple payments, it is noted on your credit file as a ‘default’. Your credit file will show that you did not make your agreed payments. And this impacts your credit score.

4. Difficulty taking out credit in future

If your credit file has lots of default notices for different debts, lenders might think you are a high risk to not pay them back.

This can make it harder to get new credit such as loans, credit cards, a mortgage, or even certain bank accounts.

5. Poor physical and mental health

People who come to us for help know all too well the emotional toll dealing with debt can have. Many describe sleepless nights and fear of talking about debt with their loved ones. But it does not need to be this way.

Asking for help can be hard. Whatever the barrier, let’s deal with it together.

The first thing you should do is immediately stop using the card you want to pay off. When the amount you owe stops growing, it becomes much quicker to pay it back.

Other ways to get out of credit card debt include:

1. Make a budget and stick to it

Create a household budget to see if you can make savings anywhere. This will free up money to increase your credit card repayments. This way the amount of interest added is lowered too.

Read our guide to making a budget that works for you.

2. Transfer the balance to another credit card

Many people use this to lower the amount of interest they are paying back. You may be able to find a 0% interest credit card and move what you owe to it.

There are some things to watch out for when transferring balances:


  • 0% interest does not mean 0% fees. Sometimes there is a balance transfer fee for moving the debt
  • These 0% interest offers are not forever. Check how long the offer applies for and judge if you think you can pay off the card before it ends

3. Take out an unsecured consolidation loan

This is a way of gathering all your separate credit card debts into a single loan. It can make it easier to manage repayments as you will only have one loan to pay back each month.

Unsecured loans mean your home is not at risk if you cannot pay the loan back.

Only do this if you can afford the repayments.

They are not always a bad thing. But we speak to a lot of people who end up deeper in debt after trying it.

Read our guide to debt consolidation loans for more information on how it works.

4. Get free debt advice

There may be other ways to get out of debt that suit your needs better. We helped 15,484 clients become free from problem debt in 2025. And we can help you too.

Get impartial advice online with our free debt advice and support service. You can start, pause and come back to it later. You set the pace.

There is no ‘7-year rule’ in the UK. It is often confused with statute barred debts.

When a debt is statute barred in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, it means creditors cannot take court action to recover it. It does not mean the debt is written off.

In Scotland, the debt is ‘extinguished’. This means it does not exist and creditors cannot recover it.

In England, Wales and Northern Ireland it takes six years from the last time of these things happened to become statute barred:


  • You ‘acknowledged’ the debt in writing
  • You made a payment to it
  • Court action was started to collect it

In Scotland it takes five years. It is also called ‘prescribed debt’ here.

Read more about statute barred and prescribed debt.

Credit card debt is a very common type of debt. And there is always a way to sort it out if you are struggling to pay it back.

When you owe money on credit cards, action can be taken against you if you stop paying it back. These are things like:


  • Letters and phone calls from the people you owe money to
  • Interest and fees added to your debt
  • Your debt is sold to debt collectors
  • CCJs (County Court judgments) in England & Wales, Decrees in Scotland, and Civil bills in Northern Ireland

But there are things you can do to avoid this. Read our step-by-step guide to paying off credit card debt.

I cannot pay my credit card bills

Thousands of people contact us every week with the same worry. Find out what to do.

What should I do if I cannot pay my credit card?

The first step to feeling more in control of your credit card bills is to work out a monthly budget and see how much you can afford to pay. Once you have done that, you can start to make a plan to tackle the debt.

Many of our clients say making that budget and starting to plan a way forward has helped them sleep well for the first time in ages. It could help you too.

While you sort out your budget:


  • Keep making at least the minimum payments each month
  • Make those payments on time
  • This will stop your accounts being marked as late or missed

Read our guide to paying off credit card debt to explore different options.

Can you have joint credit card debt in the UK?

No. There is no such thing as joint credit card debt here. Credit card accounts can only be in one name. But you can have more than one copy of the card.

Having another card just allows another person (like another family member) to spend with it.

If your name is on the account, you are responsible for paying back what is owed. Even if someone else spent the money.

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What happens if I don’t pay my credit card bills?

If you make late credit card repayments or don’t pay, your lender will contact you. They will explain what you need to do and offer support to help you pay.

They may also tell you about other places you can get support, such as getting debt advice with charities like us.

Be aware that:


  • Your account will ‘default’ if you miss multiple repayments in a set period of time. This means it is recorded on your credit file and can affect being able to get credit in the future
  • Your lender may then start other ways to collect what you owe. Such as using debt collectors or applying for a CCJ (County Court judgment)

No debt is too big to deal with. And like the 700,000 people who got help from us online in 2025, you can do it too.

What support might my lender give me?

We cannot promise every lender will do this. But some may:


  • Look at your budget and agree to a payment plan based on what you can afford to pay
  • Offer a payment holiday. These can last up to three months
  • Lower interest rates to help you make lower payments
  • Then lower the limit when you reach certain balance milestones

Just be aware that payment holidays and changing credit limits can affect your credit file. Always think carefully about how this will affect how much you end up paying back.

Can I go to jail for not paying my credit card debt?

We know this is a big worry for people. But you cannot go to prison for simply not paying a credit card debt.

Creditors, debt collectors and bailiffs might say this can happen to scare you. You can make a complaint about them if they do.

Find out more about what types of debt could lead to prison.

Can you negotiate credit card debt?

Yes, you may not have to pay back all you owe. And you may be able to pay it back in stages.

Here are just some of the ways you can negotiate credit card debt.

Settlement offers

Some lenders will accept a 'partial' settlement offer. This is where you offer a lump sum less than the full balance you owe.

Not all lenders will accept offers. But they are more likely to if you can show them you:


  • Cannot afford to pay the full amount back in a reasonable amount of time, or
  • May never be able to pay the debt back in full

Read more about steps to making a settlement offer and how they can affect your credit file.

Debt management plans (DMP)

DMPs can help you pay off your debt at a rate you can afford. You make one monthly payment to your DMP provider, and it is shared out between the people you owe.


  • It is flexible, so your payment amount can change as your situation changes
  • Your DMP provider will take the stress away from dealing with the people you owe as they will speak to them for you
  • But this way of negotiating debt can affect your credit file as you will be paying less than what you agreed with lenders

DMPs are also not right for everyone. It is important to get free and impartial debt advice to see if it is the best way for you to deal with debt. You can get advice online whenever you need it.

Find out how DMPs work and if it is right for you.

Many debt management companies provide DMPs, but some charge fees. Our DMPs have no set-up charges or monthly fees.

How do I pay off my credit card debt?

Around 70% of the people we help have a credit card debt. Here is our step-by-step guide to starting to sort it out.

1. Work out your monthly budget and challenge yourself to stick to it

Work out how much money you have coming in and how much you are spending. Then see how much is left over to repay your credit cards and any other debts you have.

We also recommend adding a rainy-day fund to your budget for those unexpected expenses.

2. Cut up your credit cards so you cannot use them

It is much harder to pay debt off if you are still spending on credit. Some people cut them up so they cannot physically be used. Some people put them in the freezer!

3. Set up another account for the money you will use to pay your debts

This can help stop the money being spent somewhere else. And it is easier to see how much is being put towards the debt.

4. Pay your ‘priority’ bills first

These bills include council tax, rent or mortgage, and any fines you might have. Find out which bills you need to pay first.

5. Keep making payments on time and see if you can negotiate with the people you owe

It is important that you still keep making regular payments even if you are negotiating the debt with lenders.

6. Look at other ways you can get debt help if you are not sure what to do. There will be a way!

We are here to help when things feel too big to handle. There are lots of different ways to deal with debt and we can help you find the right one for you. Our advice is free, impartial and available whenever you need it.

Consolidating credit card debt

Consolidating debt is when you join debts together, so you only have one bill to pay.

Can I consolidate my credit card debt?

You can do this by:


  1. Getting a consolidation loan to cover the full cost, or
  2. Transferring your balances onto one lower interest card

As always, there are benefits and risks to both these options.

Consolidation benefits:


  • Making just one payment each month feels much easier than paying several different people at different times
  • It is easier to manage your monthly budget when there is only one payment to take care of
  • In some cases, you can lower the rate of interest you are currently paying to each different lender by choosing a loan or new credit card that offers a better rate
  • Your credit score may get better if you keep making regular repayments

Consolidation risks:


  • Paying one smaller amount each month can mean you end up paying more interest in the long term. This is because it can take you longer to pay off consolidation loans
  • It means taking out more credit that could affect your credit file and come with other fees
  • Choosing a ‘secured’ loan could put your home at risk if you miss payments
  • Consolidation does not ‘fix’ the need for credit cards and does not solve the deeper reasons why you have debt that is hard to manage

Find out more about consolidating credit card debt.

How do credit card balance transfers work?

This is when you move a balance from one card to another. People usually do this with a different provider to get a lower interest rate.

But these are not always available. And there are often fees to transfer balances. You will see this shown as around 2 to 3% of the amount you are transferring.

It is usually added to the balance you owe and will mean it contributes to the interest you owe too.

If your balance is £2,000 and the transfer fee is 3%, you will pay a £60 transfer fee.

Then if you transfer another balance from somewhere else, you will pay another 3% of that amount to move it.

Tips for balance transfers:


  • Look for low interest or 0% interest credit cards. These are hard to get if you have a low credit score
  • Look for transfer fees and work out how much extra it will cost before you agree to anything
  • Sometimes companies will offer 0% balance transfers. This can help lower the amount you end up paying back
  • You may find 0% balance transfers and 0% interest deals on the same card. These sound like a great deal, but you need to be confident you can clear the balance before the terms end
  • Cut up the old cards and the new cards to avoid spending on both accounts
  • You could even close the old credit account to make extra sure

Credit card debt and my credit score

We often hear from people worried about their credit score. It is why we have our information guides to explain the positive and negative sides to credit scores and files.

How does a credit card affect my credit score?

Your credit card company will share information with ‘credit reference agencies’. These agencies will then use this information to create a credit score.

Information that could be shared includes:


  • How much you owe
  • Your payment history
  • If you missed any payments
  • Your credit limit (how much money a lender allows you to borrow)

The general rule is the higher the number, the ‘better’ your credit score is.

Credit cards can positively affect your credit score. And they can negatively affect them too.

But credit scores are rarely used on their own. Lenders often look at your full credit file because it has more detail.

Credit cards for poor credit

If you have a poor credit history, you might see adverts for credit cards for those with low credit scores.

They will have:


  • Lower credit limits, and
  • Higher interest rates than standard credit cards

Read more about credit cards for poor credit and how to manage them.

What are credit card limits?

This is the maximum amount of money you can borrow on your credit card at any one time. Simply, it tells you how much you are allowed to borrow when you apply.

It is:


  • Set by your provider when you apply for your credit card, but it can change
  • Usually based on your credit score and individual circumstances like income, and history with that lender
  • Up to you if you want to use all the credit offered or just some of it

Lenders should run ‘affordability checks’ before offering a credit limit. This is to make sure they are being fair and not putting you at risk of debt you cannot pay back.

I have a good credit history

You will often be offered a higher credit limit. This could be thousands of pounds.

Your provider may offer you a higher limit after you have been with them a while and have a good payment record with them.

But you don’t have to say yes to higher limits. Think about:


  • Do you need this extra credit?
  • Could you repay what you owe if you used it all?

I have a poor credit history

There are cards for people with bad credit history. They tend to have a low limit of around £200 and often have a high interest rate.

They can be a good way to boost your credit score if you pay them back on time. But think about:


  • Can you pay back what you owe each month?
  • Will the higher interest affect your budget?

How does interest on credit cards work?

Think of interest as the ‘fee’ you pay to borrow money. It is an amount added on top of what you borrow.

It is shown as % APR (annual percentage rate). And there are different interest rates for different ways you can use your card.


  • Purchase rate: When you use your card to buy things
  • Balance transfer rate: When you move what you owe on one card to another
  • Cash transaction rate: When you use your credit card to take money out of a cash machine or get cashback at a till

Some cards are advertised as ‘interest free’ or ‘0% interest’. This will only be for a set amount of time, like 12 months. And it does not mean you will never pay interest.

Understand how interest and charges work by reading our guide.

Worried your credit card payments are getting out of control?

Use our credit card repayment calculator in 60 seconds to find out what help you need.

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Minimum credit card payments and persistent debt

Credit cards have a minimum amount you must pay back each month. This will be a percentage of what you owe in total, often between 1% and 3%.

For example:

If you owe £1,000 and your minimum payment is 3%, you will be asked to pay back £30 a month at least.

What is persistent debt?

This is when you are making minimum payments to your debt, but you are not making progress in paying it off.

This is often because in the last 18 months the amount you have paid in interest and fees is bigger than the amount of borrowed money you need to pay back.

Your credit card company will contact you if you have persistent debt.

We estimate 2.5 million UK adults are in persistent credit card debt. It can be worrying when your lender contacts you about it, but it does not mean you have done anything wrong.

Find out more about what persistent debt means for your credit card debt.

Writing off credit card debt

When a debt is ‘written off’ it means the creditor agrees to stop asking for payments and cancels the rest of the balance. But the process is not as simple as that sounds, and it only often happens if there is no other way to deal with the debt.

Can my credit card debt be written off?

You might see some businesses claiming they can write off credit card debt for you. Be wary of these claims as they are often misleading and could cost you more money.

They might say there is a ‘legal loophole' to help you write your debt off. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

To write off debt you need to prove you are unable to pay what you owe. There are debt solutions that can do this for you. But you should always get free debt advice before making a decision.

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