Missing a credit card payment is stressful — but the consequences depend on how late you are. A payment that’s 1 day late is very different from one that’s 30+ days late. Here’s exactly what happens at each stage.
1–29 days late: bad but recoverable
If your payment is between 1 and 29 days late, your credit score is NOT affected. Lenders don’t report missed payments to the credit bureaus until they’re 30 days past due. However, you will likely be charged a late fee (typically $25–$40) and your interest rate may increase.
30 days late: credit score impact
At 30 days late, your lender reports the missed payment to the credit bureaus. This is when your credit score takes a hit — potentially 60–110 points depending on where your score started. The higher your score, the more it drops. This stays on your report for 7 years.
60 and 90 days late: escalating damage
Each additional 30-day delinquency mark causes more damage. At 60 days late you may face a penalty APR — some cards will raise your rate to 29.99%. At 90 days, the account may be sent to collections and your card may be closed.
What to do if you miss a payment
Pay it immediately — even if you can only make the minimum. If it hasn’t hit 30 days yet, paying now means no credit score impact. Call your card issuer and explain the situation — many will waive the late fee, especially for first-time incidents.
How to prevent it
Set up autopay for at least the minimum payment. This is the single best protection against missed payments. Even if you want to pay more, having autopay as a safety net means you’ll never accidentally miss a due date.