Missed a credit card payment? What happens, day by day

What happens when you miss a credit card payment?

It builds in stages: a late fee first, a credit report mark at 30 days, a possible penalty APR at 60 days and a charge-off around six months.

1. Day 1: a late fee A payment that's one day late won't affect your scores, Experian says, but you may be charged a late fee ^[3]. The safe harbor is $30, or $41 for a repeat within six billing cycles ^[9], and the fee can't be more than the minimum payment you missed ^[1].
2. Day 30: the credit bureaus Late payments get reported once they're at least 30 days past due ^[3]. Creditors send updates on their own schedules, often monthly, so it may not show up on day 30 exactly ^[3].
3. Day 60: a penalty APR If the issuer hasn't received your minimum payment within 60 days of the due date, Regulation Z lets it raise your APR, after giving you notice ^[2].
4. Days 90 to 180: deeper delinquency Reports carry codes for 60, 90, 120, 150 and 180 or more days past due, and Experian says the damage to your scores grows as you fall further behind ^[3].
5. Around six months: charge-off Card issuers generally report a charge-off once an account has gone six months without payment, though it can happen earlier ^[4]. You still owe the debt, and the issuer may sell it to a collection agency ^[4].

How much is the late fee for a missed credit card payment?

Up to $30 for a first late payment and $41 for a second within six billing cycles, and never more than the minimum payment that was due.

Those are Regulation Z's safe-harbor amounts ^[9]. The CFPB's 2024 rule that would have cut large issuers' late fees to $8 was vacated by a federal court on April 15, 2025 ^[8]. The fee is also capped at the dollar amount tied to the violation, which for a late payment is the required minimum payment ^[1]. More on every card fee in credit card fees explained.

When does a missed payment show up on your credit report?

Once it's at least 30 days late. A payment that's under 30 days late doesn't appear on your credit reports.

Experian says late payments are reported at 30 days past due, and a 60-day late can do more damage than a 30-day one ^[3]. Payment history is 35% of a FICO Score, the largest single factor ^[5].

Late payments can stay on your credit report for seven years from when the account first went past due ^[3]. The full list of timelines is in how long negative items stay.

When can a card issuer charge a penalty APR?

Only when your minimum payment is more than 60 days late, and only after notice. Six on-time payments in a row bring back the old rate on existing balances.

Regulation Z generally bars issuers from raising your APR. One exception is a required minimum payment not received within 60 days after its due date, and the issuer has to send you notice first ^[2].

The higher rate doesn't have to stay forever. If the issuer gets six consecutive minimum payments on or before their due dates, starting with the first one due after the increase, it has to drop the rate back for the balances that existed before the notice ^[2]. New purchases can still carry the higher rate.

What is a charge-off, and does it go to collections?

A charge-off is the issuer writing the account off as a loss, usually after six months without payment. You still owe it, and it may be sold to a collector.

Experian says card issuers generally report a charge-off after six months without payment, sometimes earlier, and that charge-offs and collections stay on your report for seven years ^[4]. If a collection agency takes over the debt, it can report its own collection account to the bureaus ^[3]. See collections on your credit report for what that looks like and your rights.

Can you ask the issuer to take back a late fee or late payment?

You can ask. Issuers sometimes waive a late fee as a courtesy. A goodwill request to drop an accurate late mark is also possible, but they don't have to agree.

Experian says issuers may be willing to waive the late fee and reverse penalty interest as a courtesy, and suggests mentioning your on-time history and how long you've been a customer ^[6].

A goodwill letter asks a creditor to take back a legitimate negative mark. Creditors don't have to agree, and some say they won't change accurate information because they must report payment history accurately under the Fair Credit Reporting Act ^[7]. If the late payment on your report is wrong, that's a different case: dispute it.

What should you do if you can't make the minimum payment?

Contact the card issuer right away. Tell it why you can't pay, what you can afford and when you expect to catch up.

The CFPB says to contact your credit card company immediately, and that many issuers will adjust your payment in a financial emergency ^[10]. Be ready to say why you can't make the minimum, how much you can pay, the new payment you're asking for and for how long, and when you expect to go back to normal payments ^[10].

Be careful with debt settlement companies. The CFPB says they can't collect fees before settling or resolving a debt, and it warns about firms that tell you to stop talking to your issuer or stop making payments ^[10]. Nonprofit credit counseling is another place to ask for help ^[10]. If you want to put your request in writing, see how to write a hardship letter.