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The Daily Insight Hub

How long can a credit card company come after you for money?

Author

Emma Miller

Updated on January 21, 2026

Each state has a law referred to as a statute of limitations that spells out the time period during which a creditor or collector may sue borrowers to collect debts. In most states, they run between four and six years after the last payment was made on the debt.

How long before a credit card debt is written off?

How Long Does a Credit Card Company Usually Wait Before Writing Off a Debt? Typically, a credit card company will write off a debt when it considers it uncollectable. In most cases, this happens after you have not made any payments for at least six months.

How long can a credit card company chase you for?

six years
If you do not pay the debt at all, the law sets a limit on how long a debt collector can chase you. If you do not make any payment to your creditor for six years or acknowledge the debt in writing then the debt becomes ‘statute barred’. This means that your creditors cannot legally pursue the debt through the courts.

Can a credit card company take money out of my bank account?

If there isn’t enough to pay back all you owe, the creditor has the option to go back to court to get approval to take future amounts from your account. However, credit card companies can’t take money from pensions, IRAs and 401(k) plans, unless you start withdrawing funds and put them into a savings or checking account.

What happens to a credit card after seven years?

It’s referred to so often that many people have forgotten what really happens to credit cards, loans, and other financial accounts after the seven-year mark. Seven years is the length of time that many negative items can be listed on your credit report, as defined by the Fair Credit Reporting Act.

Can a credit card company go after you if you leave?

Society runs based on a certain level of trust. If every foreign worker were to leave and just not pay their credit card bills, then credit card issuers will never issuer to them at all? If you are capable of paying off your debt, then please do so. It is the proper thing to do.

Can a credit card company take my Stuff after non payment?

Well, there you have it. Whether a credit card company can take your stuff after non-payment depends on whether they’ve obtained a judgment by filing a lawsuit and the size of your state’s property exemptions. If you are facing a credit card lawsuit, it’s always best to call a lawyer.